explain xkcd - New pages [en]

1214: Geoguessr

IsraphelMac — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:11:25 GMT

137.120.105.175: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1214
| date = May 20, 2013
| title = Geoguessr
| image = geoguessr.png
| titletext = I'm not sure if you can get Epcot, but my friend just got LegoLand. He guessed California but it was the one in Denmark. Meanwhile, I'm rapidly becoming a connoisseur of unmarked dirt roads over flat, barren landscapes.
}}

==Explanation==
[//Geoguessr.com Geoguessr] is a game in which the player is given a location in {{w|Google Street View}} and asked to guess precisely where in the world they are, by clicking on a map of the world, based only on the 360 degree view in the Street View display.

Cueball is upset because he keeps making his guesses based on landmarks and his guesses end up being wrong because the landmark he based his guess off of was actually a replica of the real one.

Of course, from a statistical perspective, this makes sense: For every famous object, there are countless replicas, and the vast majority of famous objects (except a few notable works of art) exist in only one place in the world. Take the {{w|Statue of Liberty}}, for instance, which has {{w|Replicas of the Statue of Liberty|hundreds of replicas all over the planet}}.

However, as the alt text alludes to, you're far more likely to find a dirt road than to find anything recognizable, since Google Street View maps roads more than anything else (hence its name).

Anyone who's ever played with Geoguessr knows, also, that seemingly helpful clues can sometimes be useless. For instance, if you recognize Japanese characters on a sign, the nation of Japan actually encompasses an enormous area, so unless you can recognize a specific region, there's no obvious place to guess where you can hope to get high points. (Unlike somewhere like England, where guessing London is guaranteed to put you within reasonable distance from a global perspective.) {{w|Legoland}} is a good example of this: If you can't tell if you're in Denmark or California, it's not like you can just guess halfway between and do well.

==Transcript==
:Cueball:THis one's easy;There's the Parthenon.Athens
: *''CLICK''*
:Cueball:What!Why the hell there is a Parthenon in ''Nashville''?
: *''CLICK''*
:Cueball:OK,I am ''clearly'' in Germany.
: *''CLICK''*
:Cueball:Dammit,Germany Pavillion at Epcot.
:My scores in Geoguessr would be higher if people quit building replicas of everything.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

520: Cuttlefish

Jestorg — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:46:02 GMT

Davidy22: Hey. Try using the create button. Or, try looking at your explanation after you've created it.

{{comic
| number = 520
| date = December 22, 2008
| title = Cuttlefish
| image = cuttlefish.png
| titletext = Unless the CS students finish the robot revolution before you finish the cephalopod one.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
This comic references to multiple memes:

1) The Cephalopod Revolution with there many appendages, distance communication, mimicry and camouflage, they present the greatest threat to mankind of the classes of animals. The cuttlefish is a Cephalopod. It is also slightly ironic to be attacked by a cuttlefish, because it sounds like 'cuddle fish'.

2) There is some rivalry among the main branches of science, with various statements meant to show one's one to be superior or more important and deserved of funding.

3) The title text - CS stands for Computer science. The robot revolution like in Terminator. Or possibly the Matrix. Maybe even I, Robot. At some point after robots become a part of everyday life, they will become self-aware, and either for our or their protection, will enslave humanity, possibly as an energy source (not really sure how that works, Matrix).

==Transcript==
:We visit a bio lab: [Cueball and Megan visit a bio lab where they look into a tank that the scientists point at.]
:Scientist: These are cuttlefish.
:[Image of a cuttlefish.]
:Scientist: They're frighteningly smart, have manipulating arms and tentacles, have ink jets, can dart backwards and see the polarization of light through their w-shaped pupils. And their sides are 200 dpi display screens which they use for camouflage and communication.
:Scientist: When we realized how intelligent they were, we began to teach them. They've advanced quickly. Cuttlefish: GO.
:[Cuttlefish float out of the tank at Cueball and Megan.]
:Cuttlefishes: Kill the physicists... kill the physicists
:[[Cuttlefish zap the Cueball and Megan as they fall.]
:[Cueball waking up from his sleep.]
:Cueball: Oh god. I knew it.
:XKCD
:Salutes Bio Majors
:[Bottle is pouring into a flask, and a man takes the flask and drinks from it.]
:If we join you against the chemists, will you train your fleshy minions to leave us alive?

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:Biology]]

533: Laptop Hell

WDGraham — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:51:39 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 533
| date = January 21, 2009
| title = Laptop Hell
| image = laptop hell.png
| titletext = The xkcd.com sysadmin has a Q2010, and I can attest that it can handle a fall down several flights of concrete steps. Relatedly, he's upset with me - I hope he doesn't take revenge by messing with my site's contenDISREGARD THAT I SUCK COCKS
}}

==Explanation==
The executive who caused Mephistopheles's favourite laptop, the Fujitsu Q2010 to be taken out of production, arrives in hell. Mephistopheles is displeased because he thought it was a good laptop, but since hell is a place of evil the executive asks why he is upset about an act which he sees as being evil.

The comment about Sony implies that their company is evil, and has a deal with hell, something which the Fujitsu executive seems to have suspected.

The alt text explains that Randall's systems administrator is upset with him because he threw his laptop down several flights of steps. The systems admin takes revenge childishly, by replacing part of the text with "DISREGARD THAT I SUCK COCKS"

==Transcript==
:Mephistopheles: Welcome to Hell. Here's-
:Mephistopheles: Wait. I know you.
:Mephistopheles: You're the Fujitsu exec who killed the Q-series.
:Fujitsu Exec: ...Yes?
:Mephistopheles: The Q2010 was the perfect laptop!
:Mephistopheles: Powerful, durable, had every feature, and made the Air look bulky And that was back in 2006!
:Fujitsu Exec: But noone bought it!
:Mephistopheles: Then you marketed it wrong!
:Fujitsu Exec: Wait. Don't you ''encourage'' evil acts down here?
:Mephistopheles: In theory, yes, but we need laptops too!
:Mephistopheles: Although it's moot, since we have an exclusive deal with Sony.
:Fujitsu Exec: I ''knew'' it!

{{comic discussion}}

1213: Combination Vision Test

Davidy22 — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:45:19 GMT

Zom-B: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1213
| date = May 17, 2013
| title = Combination Vision Test
| image = combination vision test.png
| titletext = If you see two numbers but they're both the same and you have to squint to read them, you have synesthesia, colorblindness, diplopia, and myopia.
}}

==Explanation==

There are two numbers embedded in the big circle of numbers, in a similar way to a common {{w|color perception test}}. But this test can not work for colors because it is just a Black and White picture. Nobody can see it. But at this point the joke is just starting:

The numbers are four and two, forming the number {{w|42 (number)|42}}, which is the famous “{{w|Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything}}”, according to the book {{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}.

The number 4 is formed by digits 2, 3, 5 and 7, which are the only {{w|Prime number|prime numbers}} in the range 0–9.
The number 2 is formed by digits 3, 5, 7 and 9, apparently all odd numbers in the range 0–9, except for 1.

A normal person does not readily see the big numbers, obviously. However, there is a neurological condition called {{w|synesthesia}}, in which perception in one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Common examples are experiencing colors when seeing numbers or words ({{w|Grapheme-color synesthesia}}), hearing tones or music while reading words or text, seeing sequences of numbers or month names in a distinct and fixed shape ({{w|Number form}}), etc. If we give some numbers a color, such as how a person with number to color synesthesia would see it, we get this:

[[File:BLIQR6w.png|center]]

The comic playfully suggests that if you have synesthesia as well as {{w|colorblindness}}, then some of the colors might appear identical and so one number would not be visible, only leaving the other number.

The alt-text brings in two more conditions: {{w|diplopia}}, or double vision, and {{w|myopia}}, or near-sightedness. Those who are near-sighted sometimes see distant objects more clearly while squinting. Then they would be able to see the one large number still visible from the synesthesia/colorblindness combination, but because of double vision they see a second copy of it, hence two numbers that are the same.

Since each number would appear in a different color with synesthesia (unlike above where 2,3,5,7,9 are all the same color), the following image better demonstrates how the image might appear to some viewers.

[[File:combination_vision_test_fullcolor.png|center]]

In general it does not work for people having synesthesia because there are too many chaotic numbers in that circle. They only see colors when they can identify each single number because it's a neurological condition. The color is produced ''after'' the number is recognized by the brain and lost when the focus shifts to the next (few) number(s).

==Transcript==
: Combination Vision Test
: ''a circle filled with several hundred numeric digits''
: If you can see one big number but not the other, you have synesthesia ''and'' colorblindness.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]

382: Trebuchet

Markhurd — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:40:43 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 382
| date = February 11, 2008
| title = Trebuchet
| image = trebuchet.png
| titletext = It was also fun when those teenagers tried to egg our house and it insta-cooked the eggs in mid-air.
}}

==Explanation==
Straightforward comic playing on [[Megan]]'s contradictory stance on [[Cueball]]'s {{w|trebuchet}} project and her own {{w|Automatic target recognition|auto-targeting}} {{w|Laser#Examples by power|kilowatt}} {{w|laser}}.

The title text is referring to {{w|egging}}.

Trebuchets are referred to in later comics: [[1160: Drop Those Pounds]] and [[1190: Time]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is working on something on a table, and Megan is sitting at a computer.]
:Cueball: The trebuchet is almost done!
:Megan: Mm.
:Cueball: The range should be over 150 meters.
:Megan: Look - I'm sure it's a cool project.
:[Picture of a trebuchet.]
:Megan: But eventually you'll need to outgrow these toys, and focus your energy on something practical. This mad science is getting out of hand.
:Cueball: Says the girl who mounted an auto-targeting kilowatt laser on the roof.
:Megan: That's practical! It keeps the squirrels off the feeder!
:[From off-frame.]
:''GZZZZZAPP''
:''Squeak!''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1212: Interstellar Memes

Davidy22 — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:06:51 GMT

Davidy22: Polish.

{{comic
| number = 1212
| date = May 15, 2013
| title = Interstellar Memes
| image = interstellar memes.png
| titletext = The strongest incentive we have to develop faster-than-light travel is that it would let us apologize in advance.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, Randall highlights various memes from popular culture. A {{w|meme}} is a phenomenon, often in this scenario in the form of a movie quote, a musical reference, a catchphrase or other notable saying that spreads quickly by word-of-mouth. Memes become popular because people hear about them and repeat them to others. Randall points out that if they (assumed intelligent life on other star systems) were listening to the things we said, then they would just now be hearing and popularizing memes started years ago on earth. The delay is due to the time that it takes for expressions of the meme to travel (presumably via radio waves) to distant star systems.

Our solar system, from where the electromagnetic waves are emitted, is located near the center of the picture. The other star systems are arranged roughly according to their distance from the sun, while their size corresponds to the size of the star.

Radio waves travel at the speed of light. The title text jokes that these memes are so annoying that it would give us further incentive to develop the technology to travel faster than light, just simply to be able to outrun the radio waves, reach a distant star system, and apologize in advance to the "residents" about the memes, before the memes arrive.

The meme for Sirius is a pun; it refers to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in which Bellatrix Lestrange kills Sirius Black.

The table below lists all the memes described, and the star in which those memes would be heard, based on the rough date that the meme in question became popular.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Meme !! Star !! Origin !! Year !! Distance to star
|-
| Yabba dabba doo! || {{w|Castor (star)|Castor}} || {{w|The Flintstones}} || 1960 || 51 ± 3 ly
|-
| You’ve got to ask yourself one question: “Do I feel lucky?” || {{w|Lambda Aurigae}} || {{w|Dirty Harry}} || 1971 || 41.2 ± 0.1 ly
|-
| {{w|Where's the beef|Where’s the beef?}} || {{w|HR 1614}} || Slogan for {{w|Wendy’s}} || 1984 || 28 ly
|-
| And now for something completely different. || {{w|Capella (star)|Capella}}|| {{w|Monty Python’s Flying Circus}} || 1969 || 42 ly
|-
| Here’s lookin’ at you, kid. || {{w|Kappa Reticuli}} || {{w|Casablanca (film)|Casablanca}} || 1942 || 70 ly
|-
| My spoon is too big! || {{w|Kapteyn's Star}} || {{w|Rejected}} || 2000 || 12 ly
|-
| May the force be with you. || {{w|Delta Trianguli}} || {{w|Star Wars}} || 1977 || 35 ly
|-
| Peanut butter jelly time! || {{w|Luyten's Star}} || [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/peanut-butter-jelly-time an Internet meme] || 2002 || 12 ly
|-
| Rosebud. || {{w|Alpha Hydri}} || {{w|Citizen Kane}} || 1941 || 71 ly
|-
| Oh my god, {{w|They killed Kenny|they killed Kenny!}} – You bastards! || {{w|AD Leonis}} || {{w|South Park}} || 1997 || 15.9 ± 0.2 ly
|-
| ...God kills a kitten! – A what? || {{w|Procyon}} || {{w|Every time you masturbate... God kills a kitten|an Internet meme}} || 2002 || 11.5 ly
|-
| I ''still'' can’t believe Bellatrix– – Dude, get over it. || {{w|Sirius}} || {{w|Harry Potter}} ({{w|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix|book 5}}) || 2003 || 08.6 ly
|-
| Ninjas fight ''all the time!'' || {{w|Epsilon Eridani}} || {{w|The Official Ninja Webpage}} || 2002 || 10 ly
|-
| {{w|D'oh!|D’oh!}} || {{w|HR 753}} || {{w|The Simpsons}} || 1989 || 23 ly
|-
| {{w|The Spanish Inquisition (Monty Python)|''Nobody'' expects the Spanish Inquisition!}} || {{w|Beta Virginis}} || {{w|Monty Python’s Flying Circus}} || 1970 || 35 ly
|-
| {{w|All your base are belong to us}}. || {{w|Tau Ceti}} || {{w|Zero Wing}} || 2001 || 11.9 ly
|-
| Take me to your leader! – No, Steve. || {{w|Beta Cassiopeiae|Caph}} || {{w|Take me to your leader (phrase)}} || 1953 || 54 ly
|-
| Chuck Norris doesn’t sleep. He ''waits.'' || {{w|Wolf 359}} || {{w|Chuck Norris facts}} || 2005 || 07.8 ly
|-
| ♬ Numa numa ♪ || {{w|Lalande 21185}} || {{w|Dragostea Din Tei|Numa Numa song}} || 2004 || 08.3 ly
|-
| I can haz? || {{w|WISE 1049-5319|Luhman 16}} || {{w|Lolcats}} || 2006 || 06.6 ± 0.5 ly
|-
| ''Internets!'' || {{w|Luyten 726-8|Gliese 65}} || {{w|George W. Bush}} [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/internets Internet meme] || 2004 || 08.7
|-
| Look at the tiny dancing Earth mammals! || {{w|Gliese 1}} || {{w|Hampsterdance}} and/or {{w|Dancing Baby}} || 1998 || 14 ly
|-
| ''Wasssuup!?!'' || {{w|Van Maanen's star}} || {{w|Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)|Budweiser Beer}} advertising campaign || 1999 || 14 ly
|-
| Yippie-ki-yay, motherfucker. || {{w|Beta Hydri}} || {{w|Die Hard}} || 1988 || 24 ly
|-
| I pity the fool! || {{w|Groombridge 1830}} || {{w|Rocky III}} ({{w|Mr. T}}) || 1982 || 30 ly
|-
| The cake is a lie! || {{w|Alpha Centauri|Alpha Centauri A/B}} || {{w|Portal (video game)|Portal}} || 2007 || 04.3 ly
|-
| ♪ Never gonna give you up ♫ || {{w|Alpha Centauri|Alpha Centauri A/B}} || {{w|Rickrolling}} || 2007 || 04.3 ly
|-
| I’m on a boat! || {{w|Proxima Centauri}} || {{w|The Lonely Island}} || 2009 || 04.243 ± 0.002 ly
|-
| ♫ Chocolate Raaaiiin ♫ || {{w|Barnard's Star}} || {{w|Tay Zonday}}: {{w|Chocolate Rain}} video || 2007 || 06 ly
|-
| Leave Britney alone! || {{w|Barnard's Star}} || {{w|Chris Crocker}}: [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/leave-britney-alone LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!] || 2007 || 06 ly
|-
| You’re the man now, dog! || {{w|Epsilon Indi}} || {{w|YTMND}} || 2001 || 11.8
|-
| {{w|More cowbell|More cowbell!}} || {{w|Kruger 60}} || {{w|Saturday Night Live}} || 2000 || 13 ly
|-
| Hasta la vista, baby. || {{w|Gliese 892}} || {{w|Terminator 2}} || 1991 || 21 ly
|-
| Let’s get ready to ruuumble! || {{w|Zeta Tucanae}} || {{w|Michael Buffer}} || 1984 || 28 ly
|-
| You talkin’ to ''me?'' || {{w|Arcturus}} || {{w|Taxi Driver}} || 1976 || 36.7 ± 0.3 ly
|-
| Did ''I'' do that? || {{w|Xi Boötis|Boötis}} || {{w|Family Matters}} ({{w|Steve Urkel}}) || 1989 || 21.89 ± 0.07 ly
|-
| Welcome to Good Burger, home of the good burger. – What’s a burger? – I don’t know. || {{w|70 Ophiuchi}} || {{w|Good Burger}} slogan || 1997 || 16.58 ± 0.07 ly
|-
| Badger badger badger badger || {{w|Ross 154}} || {{w|Badger Badger Badger}} || 2003 || 09.7 ly
|-
| {{w|Vulcan salute|Live long and prosper.}} – OK. || {{w|HD 211415}} || {{w|Star Trek}} || 1967 || 44 ly
|-
| Name’s Bond. James Bond. || {{w|51 Pegasi}} || {{w|Dr. No (film)|Dr. No}} ({{w|James Bond}}) || 1962 || 50.9 ± 0.3 ly
|-
| Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. || {{w|Alpha Serpentis}} || {{w|Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind}} || 1939 || 74.0 ± 0.3 ly
|-
| Mr. T ate my balls! || {{w|Altair}} || [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ate-my-balls an Internet meme] || 1996 || 16.7 ly
|-
| I want the truth. – ''You can't handle the truth!'' || {{w|Delta Pavonis}} || {{w|A Few Good Men}} || 1992 || 20 ly
|-
| I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse. || {{w|Beta Trianguli Australis}} || {{w|The Godfather}} || 1972 || 40 ly
|-
| {{w|Resistance is futile|Resistance is futile.}} || {{w|Vega}} || {{w|Star Trek}} ({{w|Borg (Star Trek)|Borg}}) || 1988 || 25 ly
|-
| Oh... My... Gaawd || {{w|Sigma Draconis}} || {{w|Friends}} ({{w|Janice Goralnik}}) || 1994 || 18.8 ly
|-
| Ehh, what’s up, Doc? || {{w|Epsilon Cygni|Gienah}} || {{w|Bugs Bunny}} || 1940 || 73 ly
|-
| ''EXTERMINATE!'' || {{w|Alpha Cephei|Alderamin}} || {{w|Doctor Who}} ({{w|Dalek|The Daleks}}) || 1963 || 49 ly
|}

==Transcript==
:If other star systems are listening in on our pop culture, given the speed-of-light delay, these are the jokes and catchphrases they just learned about and are currently repeating way too much:
:''List of stars and catchphrases, see above''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Charts]]

518: Flow Charts

LotharW — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:46:52 GMT

83.243.48.2: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 518
| date = December 17, 2008
| title = Flow Charts
| image = flow_charts.png
| titletext = At 8 drinks, you switch the torrent from FreeBSD to Microsoft Bob. C'mon, it'll be fun!
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Flowchart|Flowcharts}} are diagrams that represent processes in a graphical form. While predominantly used in {{w|computer programming}} to visualise the structure of source code, flowcharts can in theory be used to depict any real or virtual procedure. In this comic, this idea is subverted by employing a flowchart to explain flowcharts itself. As for reading the flowchart prior knowledge on how to read a flowchart is required, the comic induces a {{w|deadlock|deadlocked}} situation.

Moreover, the functionality of flowcharts is quite intuitive, thus rendering the attempted self-description in the comic obsolete. In fact, due to the self-explanatory nature of flowcharts, the one provided in the comic does not even explain the manner of functioning: It only confirms their capability to those who already know how to use it. Someone who contradicts himself by claiming he does not see the arrows albeit following them is left with the message "I hate you" in End-Box 2b. For everyone else, the chart inevitably leads to the "Let's go drink" box, which gives rise to the assumption that the whole chart was only a pretence for drinking.

{{w|FreeBSD}} is a {{w|unixoid}} operating system for computers which is generally considered to require advanced skills. The question whether {{w|Linux}} or (Free)BSD is the preferable operating system is a question of belief to some. The comic takes sides against FreeBSD by implying that one would only install it in a state of insobriety.

The title text mentions {{w|Microsoft Bob}}, a software package published in 1995 by {{w|Microsoft}}. The product was targeted towards beginners and therefore provides the user with a cartoon-style interface instead of a productive environment. While being a commercial failure, the system serves as an insider joke between IT professionals until the present day.

==Transcript==
:A guide to UNDERSTANDING FLOW CHARTS presented in flow chart form.
:Box 0: Start
::[Arrow to Box 1.]
:Box 1: Do you understand flow charts?
::[Arrow to Box 2.] Yes
::[Arrow to Box 4.] No
:Box 2: Good
::[Arrow to Box 3.] Yes
:Box 3: Let's go drink.
::[Arrow to Final Box.] 6 Drinks
:Box 4: Okay. You see the line labeled "Yes"?
::[Arrow to Box 6.] Yes
::[Arrow to Box 5.] No
:Box 5: But you see the ones labeled "No".
::[Arrow to End-Box 1.] Yes
::[Arrow to End-Box 2a.] No
:End-Box 1: Wait, what?
::[No Arrows.]
:End-Box 2a: Listen.
::[Arrow to End-Box 2b.]
:End-Box 2b: I hate you.
::[No Arrows.]
:Box 6: ...and you can see the ones labeled "No"?
::[Arrow to Box 3.] Yes
::[Arrow to Box 7.] No
:Box 7: But you just followed them twice!
::[Arrow to Box 8a.] Yes
::[Arrow to Box 8a.] No
:Box 8a: (That wasn't a question.)
::[Arrow to Box 8b.]
:Box 8b: Screw it.
::[Arrow to Box 3.]
:Final Box: Hey I should try installing FreeBSD!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Computers]]

521: 2008 Christmas Special

LotharW — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:09:16 GMT

66.202.132.250: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 521
| date = December 24, 2008
| title = 2008 Christmas Special
| image = 2008_christmas_special.png
| titletext = 'How could you possibly think typing 'import skynet' was a good idea?'
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is the xkcd Christmas Special from the year 2008. The prologue states that due to the {{w|2008 financial crisis}}, only very few images of the strip could be produced. It is therefore left to the reader to reconstruct the whole story based on the given images. While it is claimed that the reconstruction should be rather easy, the complicated and abstruse plot-line makes it nearly impossible to fill the gaps. Any attempt at inferring the missing images would therefore be largely guesswork. The comic features the well-known xkcd characters getting involved in a strange fight with cyborgs and raptors on Christmas eve.

The line "We apologise for the inconvenience." is possibly a reference to the famous book series {{w|The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy}} by {{w|Douglas Adams}}. It appears there as God's Final Message to His Creation, written in letters of fire on the side of the Quentulus Quazgar Mountains.

'''Panel 2:''' [[Megan]] strives to outdo some christmas lights she has seen on YouTube.

'''Panel 3:''' Dissatisfied with her work, Megan is thinking about alternative ways improve her light arrangement. The idea of firing {{w|Sodium}} pellets into snow is probably a bad one, as Sodium reacts exothermically with water and may, in large amounts, induce explosions.

'''Panel 5:''' Probably still obsessed with the idea of creating a large and impressive light display, Megan has constructed an electronic device with an {{w|Arduino}} processor, perhaps to make the light chain show patterns. However, the amount of energy she used was apparently too high, causing one of the control boards to vaporise.

'''Panel 7:''' Megan's device has developed {{w|artificial intelligence}}, allowing it to feel. This common trope in science-fiction works usually leads to the system's attempting to eradicate its creator. [[Cueball]] attributes the emergence of a personality to flaws in the programming language {{w|Python (programming language|Python}}.

'''Panel 11:''' Out of context, this panel introduces the idea of {{w|Santa Claus}} being a {{w|muslim}}. This is a reference to the persistent Internet rumors that Barrack Obama is a Muslim, though he declares himself to be a Christian. However, the theory probably relates to the fact the Santa Claus is usually displayed with a large beard, which is sometimes also sported by conservative Muslims.

'''Panel 13:''' At this point the self-conscious Christmas light control systems has apparently released {{w|cyborgs}} that tried to kill Megan and Cueball. In order to repel the cyborgs, they have cloned {{w|Velociraptors}}. Cueball expresses doubt whether that was really a good idea. Velociraptors appear frequently in xkcd, cf. comics [[87]], [[135]] and [[292]].

'''Panel 17:''' As predicted, the raptors have gone wild, but Megan, Cueball and the two smaller characters (perhaps their children) managed to cage the dinosaurs. They believe themselves safe unless the raptors learn how to build {{w|lightsabers}}.

'''Panel 19:''' The raptors have indeed succeeded with constructing lightsabers and must now be fought. The "Clever girl" is a reference to a line from Jurassic Park where the raptors outflank (and kill) one of the human characters.

'''Panel 23:''' IT billionaire {{w|Bill Gates}} has mistakenly killed Santa Claus, possibly in a sword fight. He claims to have taken him for {{w|Richard Stallman}}, a prominent {{w|free software}} activist. (Gates strongly opposes the idea of free software and is therefore considered a antagonist by many of its supporters.) The most striking resemblance between Stallman and Santa Claus is probably the long and untamed beard. Comic [[225]] is one of the most famous xkcd comics and features Stallman involved in a sword fight.

'''Panel 29:''' Megan asks [[Black Hat]] where he obtained the enormously large {{w|christmas tree}} that can be seen on the right side of the picture. It is implied that he logged {{w|Yggdrasil}}, a giant ash tree in Norse mythology. According to tradition, Yggdrasil is the world tree representing the whole creation and holding together the cosmological structure.

'''Panel 31:''' [[Randall]] wishes Merry Christmas to all xkcd readers.

The title text refers to panel 7. In Python, modules are imported using the "import ''module''" syntax. {{w|Skynet (Terminator)|Skynet}} is a self-conscious artificial intelligence system featured in the {{w|Terminator}} film series as the main antagonist. Importing the skynet module might therefore account for Megan's system's developing an evil personality.

Note that this comic was first published in another version that had panel 29 as panel 27 and the "Merry Christmas from xkcd" message at the bottom. As 27 is not a {{w|prime number}}, the current version was published in lieu of the erroneous one. The original version can be found [[:File:2008_christmas_special_original.png|here]] for the sake of completeness.

It has been observed that the top left nine panels form a {{w|Glider (Conway's life)|Glider}} in {{w|Conway's Game of Life}}, although rotated by 90 degrees. The glider is sometimes used as an emblem representing {{w|hacker subculture}}. It remains however unclear wether the occurrence in the comic is intentional or owed to the prime number pattern.

==Transcript==
:The 2008 XKCD Christmas Special
:Due to the slowing economy, we could only afford to produce the prime-numbered panels.
:You should be able to infer the missing parts of the story easily enough.
:We apologize for the inconvenience.
:[The first panel is blank.]
:[Megan carrying Christmas lights and Cueball watching.]
:Megan: I'm going to one-up those Christmas light displays on YouTube.
:[Megan thinking]
:Megan: Hmm. Needs more flair. Do you know what happens when you fire sodium pellets into a snowbank?
:Cueball: No.
:Megan: Me neither.
:[The next panel is blank.]
:[Megan sitting in front of a console.]
:Megan: Whoops, one of the Arduino control boards sublimated.
:Megan: If only I could make it self-repairing...
:[The next panel is blank.]
:Megan: Shit. The system has become sentient.
:Cueball: Friggin' Python.
:System: GRAAARR!
:[The next three panels are blank.]
:[Megan showing laptop to Cueball.]
:Megan: But according to this email forward, Santa is secretly a Muslim!
:Cueball: It explains everything!
:[The next panel is blank.]
:Megan: Okay, the cloned raptors are hunting the last of the cyborgs. We're safe.
:Cueball: Are you sure you thought this through?
:[The next three panels are blank.]
:[Two couples appear in this next panel.]
:Cueball: Are the raptors contained?
:Girl: Sure. Unless they figure out how to build lightsabers.
:[The next panel is blank.]
:[Guy with hat fighting with a raptor using lightsabers.]
:Cueball: It's all right. I've got her.
:[Lightsaber appears from behind.]
:Snap-hiss!
:Cueball: ...Clever girl.
:[The next three panels are blank.]
:[Bill Gates is holding a weapon over Santa's body. The two girls are watching.]
:Megan: Great. Bill Gates kills Santa.
:Bill Gates: I thought it was Stallman with a dyed beard.
:[The next five panels are blank.]
:[Megan and Black Hat are looking at a tree.]
:Megan: Where did you get this Christmas tree?
:Black Hat: Nowhere.
:Megan: Did you cut down the Yggdrasil?
:Black Hat: ...Maybe.
:[The next panel is blank.]
:[Megan and Cueball holding hands and looking at reader.]
:Merry Christmas from XKCD <3
:[The last panel is blank.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Christmas]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]
[[Category:Velociraptors]]

266: Choices: Part 3

121.54.48.38 — Tue, 14 May 2013 02:09:25 GMT

121.54.48.38: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 266
| date = May 23, 2007
| title = Choices: Part 3
| image = choices_part_3.jpg
| titletext = Wait, this is space -- how are you talking to me? And, as an afterthought, what's up with the hole in reality?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
[[Megan]] is still in the bubble, floating around in space. She thinks she should feel scared, but she isn't. She also thinks that it's a dream, but she thinks it doesn't feel like one. Until Megan finds herself, and the other Megan says she found her. Then she said the next part is gonna be a little weird: Then a ton of Megan's surround the bubble. Then the other Megan finally appears. The other Megan says "sorry", along with a "Hi". The real Megan says "hi" too.

In the title text Megan asks how is she talking to her - then (as an afterthought) asks what's with the hole in reality.

All parts of "[[:Category:Choices|Choices]]":
*[[264: Choices: Part 1]]
*[[265: Choices: Part 2]]
*[[266: Choices: Part 3]]
*[[267: Choices: Part 4]]
*[[268: Choices: Part 5]]

==Transcript==
:[Megan floats in a bubble against a space backdrop.]
:Megan: I should feel scared.
:But I don't.
:Maybe this is a dream
:but it doesn't feel like one.
:Disembodied voice: Okay, found you.
:Megan: Who are you?
:Voice: Er, hang on. This next part might be a little weird.
:[No dialogue.]
:[Many copies of Megan whirl around her bubble; a lightning bolt appears in the background.]
:[All the copies have disappeared except for one.]
:Copy: Sorry -- Hi, me.
:Megan: ...Hi.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Choices]]
[[Category:Physics]]

1211: Birds and Dinosaurs

Davidy22 — Mon, 13 May 2013 04:45:46 GMT

149.155.219.13:

{{comic
| number = 1211
| date = May 13, 2013
| title = Birds and Dinosaurs
| image = birds and dinosaurs.png
| titletext = Sure, T. rex is closer in height to Stegosaurus than a sparrow. But that doesn't tell you much; 'Dinosaur Comics' author Ryan North is closer in height to certain dinosaurs than to the average human.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Bird}}s are commonly considered to be a separate {{w|class (biology)|class}} of {{w|tetrapods}}. However, this classification is false according to {{w|phylogenetic taxonomy}}. Taking into account that birds developed around {{w|Late Jurassic|150 million years ago}} out of small {{w|theropod}} dinosaurs, birds are indeed the last representatives of the {{w|Archosauria|dinosaur clade}}. (This premise appeared also in comic [[867]].)

This relation between birds and dinosaurs is depicted in the comic in a {{w|cladogram}} which shows that ''{{w|Tyrannosaurus rex}}'' is more closely related to the common {{w|sparrow}} than to ''{{w|Stegosaurus}}''. Not only do the former share a phylogenetic branch, but ''T. rex'' also lived around 80 million years ''after'' ''Stegosaurus''. (In popular culture, the concurrence of both species is a widespread error.) ''T. rex'' is also much more alike to modern birds than to other dinosaurs in terms of physiognomy. This relationship was pointed out on the [http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6133/690 Science] journal the week of the comic.

The comic draws the conclusion that if birds must in fact be considered modern dinosaurs, the hunting practice of birds of prey (specifically, the {{w|Peregrine Falcon}}) is consequently a dinosaur fight. For an inveterate dinosaur aficionado like [[Randall]], this fact must make the modern world much more attractive.

The line "This is a good world." could also possibly refer to a [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znxFrgql5dc famous scene] from the {{w|Serenity (Firefly episode)|pilot episode}} of the television series ''{{w|Firefly}}'' featuring two plastic dinosaurs in a somewhat philosophic dialogue. Randall is known to be a {{w|Browncoat|fan of the series}}.

The title text is a sidesweep to the webcomic ''[http://www.qwantz.com Dinosaur Comics]'' drawn by Ryan North, who stands 6'6" (198 cm) tall. The title text of the ''Dinosaur Comics'' [http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=2420 strip] from the same day as this comic, in turn, refers to Randall and ''xkcd''.

==Transcript==
:By any reasonable definition, ''T. rex'' is more closely related to sparrows than to ''Stegosaurus''.
:[Diagram showing that ''Stegosaurus'' came earlier than ''T. rex'', along with it showing that ''T. rex'' came closer in time to sparrows. Evaluation criteria "separation by time", "phylogenetic distance" and "physical similarity" are highlighted in red.]
:Birds aren't ''descended'' from dinosaurs, they ''are'' dinosaurs.
:Which means that the fastest animal alive today is a small carnivorous dinosaur, ''Falco peregrinus''.
:[A picture of two birds is shown.]
:It preys mainly on other dinosaurs, which it strikes and kills in midair with its claws.
:[In red:] This is a good world.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Firefly]]

457: Frustration

Mynotoar — Sun, 12 May 2013 12:20:18 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 457
| date = August 1, 2008
| title = Frustration
| image = frustration.png
| titletext = 'Don't worry, I can do it in under a minute.' 'Yes, I've noticed.'
}}

==Explanation==
A bra is pictured here, but instead of a traditional clasp, a {{w|Rubik's cube}} is used instead. This would lead to the frustration mentioned in the comic's title, as someone wishing to remove the bra would have to solve the Rubik's cube every time in order to remove it, and scramble it in order to fasten the bra again. This would doubtless provide frustration in particular to partners who want to remove clothing as quickly as possible but are impeded by the Rubik's cube bra. On another level, the bra might also cause frustration simply because of the pressure of a weighty plastic cube digging into your back all day, and probably pulling the bra tighter by weighing it down.

The title text is an imagined conversation between someone trying to undo this bra and someone who is likely wearing the bra. The first person explains that s/he can undo the bra in under a minute, which is a reasonably impressive skill to have if you are not a professional {{w|speedcuber}}. The second person replies that they've noticed, perhaps sarcastically suggesting that the first person is far more interested in solving a Rubik's cube than actually removing the bra and... everything that follows.

==Transcript==
:[Bra with Rubik's cube closure.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]

List of all comics (full)

Markhurd — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:46:58 GMT

Waldir: avoid extra line also in the header (with the neat side-effect of aligning the transclusions :D)

:''See also: [[List of unexplained comics]]''

This is the whole list of comics.
:For the first 500 comics, see [[List of all comics (1-500)]].
:For comics 501-1000, see [[List of all comics (501-1000)]].
:For comics from 1001 till date, see [[List of all comics]].

{| class="wikitable sortable plainlinks table-padding"
|-
|+ Comics
|-
!xkcd
!Title
!Redirects
!Image
!Date{{:List of all comics}}{{:List of all comics (501-1000)}}{{:List of all comics (1-500)}}
|}

1210: I'm So Random

Charlesisbozo — Fri, 10 May 2013 08:29:08 GMT

Mynotoar: Improved the explanation about trochees

{{comic
| number = 1210
| date = May 10, 2013
| title = I'm So Random
| image = im so random.png
| titletext = In retrospect, it's weird that as a kid I thought completely random outbursts made me seem interesting, given that from an information theory point of view, lexical white noise is just about the opposite of interesting by definition.
}}

=Explanation=
[[Hairy]] walks up to [[Black Hat]] and proclaims that he is "so random". "Monkey tacos" is a phrase which contains two trochees. A {{w|trochee}} is a {{w|metric foot}} with one stressed beat and one unstressed beat; it may be a reference to [[856: Trochee Fixation]]. This is a reference to the Internet phenomenon in which people tend to say 'random things' and find them funny. Black Hat, being the mean and rather bullying person that he is, replies that he is also random, proving this by pouring forth a massive amount of numbers that knocks Hairy to the ground. Black Hat regains his posture at the computer, as if nothing has happened.

Black Hat's "random" numbers are actually quoted from [http://oeis.org/A002205 the first lines] of ''{{w|A Million Random Digits with 100,000 Normal Deviates}}'' making it both "officially random", but also essentially not. (See also: [[221: Random Number]].)

The title text elaborates on "random text", stating that he once would have believed that Hairy's random outbursts made him interesting despite the definition of "interesting" meaning the opposite. {{w|White noise}} is essentially random sounds.

=Transcript=
:[Hairy approaches Black Hat, who is at a computer.]
:Hairy: Monkey Tacos! I'm so random.
:Black Hat: Yeah, me too.
:[A massive speech bubble comes out of Black Hat's mouth, filled with random numbers, knocking Hairy to the ground.]
:[Black Hat resumes work at his computer, as if nothing has happened.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]

List of all comics (1-500)

117.194.88.176 — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:59:39 GMT

Markhurd: Avoid extra line in header

:''See also: [[List of unexplained comics]]''

This is the list of comics from '''1 to 500'''.

: For comics 501-1000, see [[List of all comics (501-1000)]].
: For comics 1001 till date, see [[List of all comics]].
: The whole list is available at [[List of all comics (full)]].

{| class="wikitable sortable plainlinks table-padding"
|-
|+ Comics
|-
!xkcd
!Title
!Redirects
!Image
!Date<onlyinclude>
{{comicsrow|500|2008-11-05|Election}}
{{comicsrow|499|2008-11-03|Scantron}}
{{comicsrow|498|2008-10-31|Secretary: Part 5|secretary_part_5.png}}
{{comicsrow|497|2008-10-30|Secretary: Part 4|secretary_part_4.png}}
{{comicsrow|496|2008-10-29|Secretary: Part 3|secretary_part_3.png}}
{{comicsrow|495|2008-10-28|Secretary: Part 2|secretary_part_2.png}}
{{comicsrow|494|2008-10-27|Secretary: Part 1|secretary_part_1.png}}
{{comicsrow|493|2008-10-24|Actuarial}}
{{comicsrow|492|2008-10-22|Scrabble}}
{{comicsrow|491|2008-10-20|Twitter}}
{{comicsrow|490|2008-10-17|Morning Routine}}
{{comicsrow|489|2008-10-15|Going West}}
{{comicsrow|488|2008-10-13|Steal This Comic}}
{{comicsrow|487|2008-10-10|Numerical Sex Positions}}
{{comicsrow|486|2008-10-08|I am Not a Ninja}}
{{comicsrow|485|2008-10-06|Depth}}
{{comicsrow|484|2008-10-03|Flash Games}}
{{comicsrow|483|2008-10-01|Fiction Rule of Thumb}}
{{comicsrow|482|2008-09-29|Height}}
{{comicsrow|481|2008-09-26|Listen to Yourself}}
{{comicsrow|480|2008-09-24|Spore}}
{{comicsrow|479|2008-09-22|Tones}}
{{comicsrow|478|2008-09-19|The Staple Madness}}
{{comicsrow|477|2008-09-17|Typewriter}}
{{comicsrow|476|2008-09-15|One-Sided}}
{{comicsrow|475|2008-09-12|Further Boomerang Difficulties}}
{{comicsrow|474|2008-09-10|Turn-On}}
{{comicsrow|473|2008-09-08|Still Raw}}
{{comicsrow|472|2008-09-05|House of Pancakes}}
{{comicsrow|471|2008-09-03|Aversion Fads}}
{{comicsrow|470|2008-09-01|The End is Not for a While}}
{{comicsrow|469|2008-08-29|Improvised}}
{{comicsrow|468|2008-08-27|Fetishes}}
{{comicsrow|467|2008-08-25|X Girls Y Cups}}
{{comicsrow|466|2008-08-22|Moving}}
{{comicsrow|465|2008-08-20|Quantum Teleportation}}
{{comicsrow|464|2008-08-18|RBA}}
{{comicsrow|463|2008-08-15|Voting Machines}}
{{comicsrow|462|2008-08-13|Freemanic Paracusia}}
{{comicsrow|461|2008-08-11|Google Maps}}
{{comicsrow|460|2008-08-08|Paleontology}}
{{comicsrow|459|2008-08-06|Holy Ghost}}
{{comicsrow|458|2008-08-04|Regrets}}
{{comicsrow|457|2008-08-01|Frustration}}
{{comicsrow|456|2008-07-30|Cautionary}}
{{comicsrow|455|2008-07-28|Hats}}
{{comicsrow|454|2008-07-25|Rewiring}}
{{comicsrow|453|2008-07-23|Upcoming Hurricanes}}
{{comicsrow|452|2008-07-21|Mission}}
{{comicsrow|451|2008-07-18|Impostor}}
{{comicsrow|450|2008-07-16|The Sea}}
{{comicsrow|449|2008-07-14|Things Fall Apart}}
{{comicsrow|448|2008-07-11|Good Morning}}
{{comicsrow|447|2008-07-09|Too Old For This Shit}}
{{comicsrow|446|2008-07-07|In Popular Culture}}
{{comicsrow|445|2008-07-04|I Am Not Good with Boomerangs}}
{{comicsrow|444|2008-07-02|Macgyver Gets Lazy}}
{{comicsrow|443|2008-06-30|Know Your Vines}}
{{comicsrow|442|2008-06-27|xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel}}
{{comicsrow|441|2008-06-25|Babies}}
{{comicsrow|440|2008-06-23|Road Rage}}
{{comicsrow|439|2008-06-20|Thinking Ahead}}
{{comicsrow|438|2008-06-18|Internet Argument}}
{{comicsrow|437|2008-06-16|SUV}}
{{comicsrow|436|2008-06-13|How it Happened}}
{{comicsrow|435|2008-06-11|Purity}}
{{comicsrow|434|2008-06-09|xkcd Goes to the Airport}}
{{comicsrow|433|2008-06-06|Journal 5}}
{{comicsrow|432|2008-06-04|Journal 4}}
{{comicsrow|431|2008-06-02|Delivery}}
{{comicsrow|430|2008-05-30|Every Damn Morning}}
{{comicsrow|429|2008-05-28|Fantasy}}
{{comicsrow|428|2008-05-26|Starwatching}}
{{comicsrow|427|2008-05-23|Bad Timing}}
{{comicsrow|426|2008-05-21|Geohashing}}
{{comicsrow|425|2008-05-19|Fortune Cookies}}
{{comicsrow|424|2008-05-16|Security Holes}}
{{comicsrow|423|2008-05-14|Finish Line}}
{{comicsrow|422|2008-05-12|A Better Idea}}
{{comicsrow|421|2008-05-09|Making Hash Browns}}
{{comicsrow|420|2008-05-07|Jealousy}}
{{comicsrow|419|2008-05-05|Forks and Spoons}}
{{comicsrow|418|2008-05-02|Stove Ownership}}
{{comicsrow|417|2008-04-30|The Man Who Fell Sideways}}
{{comicsrow|416|2008-04-28|Zealous Autoconfig}}
{{comicsrow|415|2008-04-25|Restraining Order}}
{{comicsrow|414|2008-04-23|Mistranslations}}
{{comicsrow|413|2008-04-21|New Pet}}
{{comicsrow|412|2008-04-18|Startled}}
{{comicsrow|411|2008-04-16|Techno}}
{{comicsrow|410|2008-04-14|Math Paper}}
{{comicsrow|409|2008-04-11|Electric Skateboard (Double Comic)|electric_skateboard_double_comic.png}}
{{comicsrow|408|2008-04-09|Overqualified}}
{{comicsrow|407|2008-04-07|Cheap GPS}}
{{comicsrow|406|2008-04-04|Venting}}
{{comicsrow|405|2008-04-02|Journal 3}}
{{comicsrow|403|2008-03-31|Convincing Pickup Line}}
{{comicsrow|402|2008-03-28|1,000 Miles North|1000_miles_north.png}}
{{comicsrow|401|2008-03-26|Large Hadron Collider}}
{{comicsrow|400|2008-03-24|Important Life Lesson}}
{{comicsrow|399|2008-03-21|Travelling Salesman Problem}}
{{comicsrow|398|2008-03-19|Tap That Ass}}
{{comicsrow|397|2008-03-17|Unscientific}}
{{comicsrow|396|2008-03-14|The Ring}}
{{comicsrow|395|2008-03-12|Morning}}
{{comicsrow|394|2008-03-10|Kilobyte}}
{{comicsrow|393|2008-03-07|Ultimate Game}}
{{comicsrow|392|2008-03-05|Making Rules}}
{{comicsrow|391|2008-03-03|Anti-Mindvirus|anti_mind_virus.png}}
{{comicsrow|390|2008-02-29|Nightmares}}
{{comicsrow|389|2008-02-27|Keeping Time}}
{{comicsrow|388|2008-02-25|Fuck Grapefruit}}
{{comicsrow|387|2008-02-22|Advanced Technology}}
{{comicsrow|386|2008-02-20|Duty Calls}}
{{comicsrow|385|2008-02-18|How it Works}}
{{comicsrow|384|2008-02-15|The Drake Equation}}
{{comicsrow|383|2008-02-13|Helping}}
{{comicsrow|382|2008-02-11|Trebuchet}}
{{comicsrow|381|2008-02-08|Mobius Battle}}
{{comicsrow|380|2008-02-06|Emoticon}}
{{comicsrow|379|2008-02-04|Forgetting}}
{{comicsrow|378|2008-02-01|Real Programmers}}
{{comicsrow|377|2008-01-30|Journal 2}}
{{comicsrow|376|2008-01-28|Bug}}
{{comicsrow|375|2008-01-25|Pod Bay Doors}}
{{comicsrow|374|2008-01-23|Journal}}
{{comicsrow|373|2008-01-21|The Data So Far}}
{{comicsrow|372|2008-01-18|To Be Wanted}}
{{comicsrow|371|2008-01-16|Compiler Complaint}}
{{comicsrow|370|2008-01-14|Redwall}}
{{comicsrow|369|2008-01-11|Dangers}}
{{comicsrow|368|2008-01-09|Bass}}
{{comicsrow|367|2008-01-07|Fandom}}
{{comicsrow|366|2008-01-04|Your Mom}}
{{comicsrow|365|2008-01-02|Slides}}
{{comicsrow|364|2007-12-31|Responsible Behavior}}
{{comicsrow|363|2007-12-28|Reset}}
{{comicsrow|362|2007-12-26|Blade Runner}}
{{comicsrow|361|2007-12-24|Christmas Back Home}}
{{comicsrow|360|2007-12-21|Writers Strike}}
{{comicsrow|359|2007-12-19|Rock Band}}
{{comicsrow|358|2007-12-17|Loud Party}}
{{comicsrow|357|2007-12-14|Flies}}
{{comicsrow|356|2007-12-12|Nerd Sniping}}
{{comicsrow|355|2007-12-10|Couple}}
{{comicsrow|354|2007-12-07|Startling}}
{{comicsrow|353|2007-12-05|Python}}
{{comicsrow|352|2007-12-03|Far Away}}
{{comicsrow|351|2007-11-30|Trolling}}
{{comicsrow|350|2007-11-28|Network}}
{{comicsrow|349|2007-11-26|Success}}
{{comicsrow|348|2007-11-23|Close to You}}
{{comicsrow|347|2007-11-21|Brick Archway}}
{{comicsrow|346|2007-11-19|Diet Coke+Mentos|diet_coke_mentos.png}}
{{comicsrow|345|2007-11-16|1337: Part 5|1337_part_5.png}}
{{comicsrow|344|2007-11-14|1337: Part 4|1337_part_4.png}}
{{comicsrow|343|2007-11-14|1337: Part 3|1337_part_3.png}}
{{comicsrow|342|2007-11-13|1337: Part 2|1337_part_2.png}}
{{comicsrow|341|2007-11-12|1337: Part 1|1337_part_1.png}}
{{comicsrow|340|2007-11-09|Fight}}
{{comicsrow|339|2007-11-07|Classic}}
{{comicsrow|338|2007-11-05|Future}}
{{comicsrow|337|2007-11-02|Post Office Showdown}}
{{comicsrow|336|2007-10-31|Priorities}}
{{comicsrow|335|2007-10-29|Mattress}}
{{comicsrow|334|2007-10-26|Wasteland}}
{{comicsrow|333|2007-10-24|Getting Out of Hand}}
{{comicsrow|332|2007-10-22|Gyroscopes}}
{{comicsrow|331|2007-10-19|Photoshops}}
{{comicsrow|330|2007-10-17|Indecision}}
{{comicsrow|329|2007-10-15|Turing Test}}
{{comicsrow|328|2007-10-12|Eggs}}
{{comicsrow|327|2007-10-10|Exploits of a Mom}}
{{comicsrow|326|2007-10-08|Effect an Effect}}
{{comicsrow|325|2007-10-05|A-Minus-Minus}}
{{comicsrow|324|2007-10-03|Tapping}}
{{comicsrow|323|2007-10-01|Ballmer Peak}}
{{comicsrow|322|2007-09-28|Pix Plz}}
{{comicsrow|321|2007-09-26|Thighs}}
{{comicsrow|320|2007-09-24|28-Hour Day|28_hour_day.png}}
{{comicsrow|319|2007-09-21|Engineering Hubris}}
{{comicsrow|318|2007-09-19|Nostalgia}}
{{comicsrow|317|2007-09-17|That Lovin' Feelin'|that_lovin_feelin.png}}
{{comicsrow|316|2007-09-14|Loud Sex}}
{{comicsrow|315|2007-09-12|Braille}}
{{comicsrow|314|2007-09-10|Dating Pools}}
{{comicsrow|313|2007-09-07|Insomnia}}
{{comicsrow|312|2007-09-05|With Apologies to Robert Frost}}
{{comicsrow|311|2007-09-03|Action Movies}}
{{comicsrow|310|2007-08-31|Commitment}}
{{comicsrow|309|2007-08-29|Shopping Teams}}
{{comicsrow|308|2007-08-27|Interesting Life}}
{{comicsrow|307|2007-08-24|Excessive Quotation}}
{{comicsrow|306|2007-08-22|Orphaned Projects}}
{{comicsrow|305|2007-08-20|Rule 34}}
{{comicsrow|304|2007-08-17|Nighttime Stories|nighttime_stories.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|303|2007-08-15|Compiling}}
{{comicsrow|302|2007-08-13|Names}}
{{comicsrow|301|2007-08-10|Limerick}}
{{comicsrow|300|2007-08-08|Facebook}}
{{comicsrow|299|2007-08-06|Aeris Dies}}
{{comicsrow|298|2007-08-03|Tesla Coil}}
{{comicsrow|297|2007-08-01|Lisp Cycles}}
{{comicsrow|296|2007-07-30|Tony Hawk}}
{{comicsrow|295|2007-07-27|DNE}}
{{comicsrow|294|2007-07-25|Bookstore}}
{{comicsrow|293|2007-07-23|RTFM}}
{{comicsrow|292|2007-07-20|goto}}
{{comicsrow|291|2007-07-18|Dignified}}
{{comicsrow|290|2007-07-16|Fucking Blue Shells}}
{{comicsrow|289|2007-07-13|Alone}}
{{comicsrow|288|2007-07-11|Elevator|elevator.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|287|2007-07-09|NP-Complete|np_complete.png}}
{{comicsrow|286|2007-07-06|All Your Base}}
{{comicsrow|285|2007-07-04|Wikipedian Protester}}
{{comicsrow|284|2007-07-02|Tape Measure}}
{{comicsrow|283|2007-06-29|Projection}}
{{comicsrow|282|2007-06-27|Organic Fuel}}
{{comicsrow|281|2007-06-25|Online Package Tracking}}
{{comicsrow|280|2007-06-22|Librarians}}
{{comicsrow|279|2007-06-20|Pickup Lines}}
{{comicsrow|278|2007-06-18|Black Hat Support}}
{{comicsrow|277|2007-06-15|Long Light}}
{{comicsrow|276|2007-06-13|Fixed Width}}
{{comicsrow|275|2007-06-11|Thoughts}}
{{comicsrow|274|2007-06-08|With Apologies to The Who}}
{{comicsrow|273|2007-06-06|Electromagnetic Spectrum}}
{{comicsrow|272|2007-06-04|Linux User at Best Buy}}
{{comicsrow|271|2007-06-01|Powers of One}}
{{comicsrow|270|2007-05-30|Merlin}}
{{comicsrow|269|2007-05-28|TCMP}}
{{comicsrow|268|2007-05-25|Choices: Part 5|choices_part_5.png}}
{{comicsrow|267|2007-05-24|Choices: Part 4|choices_part_4.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|266|2007-05-23|Choices: Part 3|choices_part_3.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|265|2007-05-21|Choices: Part 2|choices_part_2.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|264|2007-05-21|Choices: Part 1|choices_part_1.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|263|2007-05-18|Certainty}}
{{comicsrow|262|2007-05-16|IN UR REALITY}}
{{comicsrow|261|2007-05-14|Regarding Mussolini}}
{{comicsrow|260|2007-05-11|The Glass Necklace}}
{{comicsrow|259|2007-05-09|Clichéd Exchanges|cliched_exchanges.png}}
{{comicsrow|258|2007-05-07|Conspiracy Theories}}
{{comicsrow|257|2007-05-04|Code Talkers}}
{{comicsrow|256|2007-05-02|Online Communities|online_communities_small.png}}
{{comicsrow|255|2007-04-30|Subjectivity}}
{{comicsrow|254|2007-04-27|Comic Fragment|comic_fragment.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|253|2007-04-25|Highway Engineer Pranks}}
{{comicsrow|252|2007-04-23|Escalators}}
{{comicsrow|251|2007-04-20|CD Tray Fight}}
{{comicsrow|250|2007-04-18|Snopes}}
{{comicsrow|249|2007-04-16|Chess Photo}}
{{comicsrow|248|2007-04-13|Hypotheticals}}
{{comicsrow|247|2007-04-11|Factoring the Time}}
{{comicsrow|246|2007-04-09|Labyrinth Puzzle}}
{{comicsrow|245|2007-04-06|Floor Tiles}}
{{comicsrow|244|2007-04-04|Tabletop Roleplaying}}
{{comicsrow|243|2007-04-02|Appropriate Term}}
{{comicsrow|242|2007-03-30|The Difference}}
{{comicsrow|241|2007-03-28|Battle Room}}
{{comicsrow|240|2007-03-26|Dream Girl}}
{{comicsrow|239|2007-03-23|Blagofaire}}
{{comicsrow|238|2007-03-21|Pet Peeve 114}}
{{comicsrow|237|2007-03-19|Keyboards are Disgusting}}
{{comicsrow|236|2007-03-16|Collecting Double-Takes|collecting_double_takes.png}}
{{comicsrow|235|2007-03-14|Kite|kite.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|234|2007-03-12|Escape Artist}}
{{comicsrow|233|2007-03-09|A New CAPTCHA Approach}}
{{comicsrow|232|2007-03-07|Chess Enlightenment}}
{{comicsrow|231|2007-03-05|Cat Proximity}}
{{comicsrow|230|2007-03-02|Hamiltonian}}
{{comicsrow|229|2007-02-28|Graffiti}}
{{comicsrow|228|2007-02-26|Resonance}}
{{comicsrow|227|2007-02-23|Color Codes}}
{{comicsrow|226|2007-02-21|Swingset}}
{{comicsrow|225|2007-02-19|Open Source}}
{{comicsrow|224|2007-02-16|Lisp|lisp.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|223|2007-02-14|Valentine's Day|valentines_day.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|222|2007-02-12|Small Talk}}
{{comicsrow|221|2007-02-09|Random Number}}
{{comicsrow|220|2007-02-07|Philosophy}}
{{comicsrow|219|2007-02-05|Blanket Fort}}
{{comicsrow|218|2007-02-02|Nintendo Surgeon}}
{{comicsrow|217|2007-01-31|e to the pi Minus pi}}
{{comicsrow|216|2007-01-29|Romantic Drama Equation}}
{{comicsrow|215|2007-01-26|Letting Go}}
{{comicsrow|214|2007-01-24|The Problem with Wikipedia}}
{{comicsrow|213|2007-01-22|Ghostbusters Marathon}}
{{comicsrow|212|2007-01-19|Brain}}
{{comicsrow|211|2007-01-17|Hamster Ball Heist}}
{{comicsrow|210|2007-01-15|90's Flowchart|90s_flowchart.png}}
{{comicsrow|209|2007-01-12|Kayak}}
{{comicsrow|208|2007-01-10|Regular Expressions}}
{{comicsrow|207|2007-01-08|What xkcd Means}}
{{comicsrow|206|2007-01-05|Reno Rhymes}}
{{comicsrow|205|2007-01-03|Candy Button Paper}}
{{comicsrow|204|2007-01-01|America}}
{{comicsrow|203|2006-12-29|Hallucinations}}
{{comicsrow|202|2006-12-27|YouTube}}
{{comicsrow|201|2006-12-25|Christmas GPS}}
{{comicsrow|200|2006-12-22|Bill Nye}}
{{comicsrow|199|2006-12-20|Right-Hand Rule|right_hand_rule.png}}
{{comicsrow|198|2006-12-18|Perspective}}
{{comicsrow|197|2006-12-15|Ninja Turtles}}
{{comicsrow|196|2006-12-13|Command Line Fu}}
{{comicsrow|195|2006-12-11|Map of the Internet|map_of_the_internet.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|194|2006-12-08|Penises}}
{{comicsrow|193|2006-12-06|The Perfect Sound}}
{{comicsrow|192|2006-12-04|Working for Google}}
{{comicsrow|191|2006-12-01|Lojban}}
{{comicsrow|190|2006-11-29|IPoD}}
{{comicsrow|189|2006-11-27|Exercise}}
{{comicsrow|188|2006-11-24|Reload}}
{{comicsrow|187|2006-11-22|The Familiar}}
{{comicsrow|186|2006-11-20|Console Lines}}
{{comicsrow|185|2006-11-17|Wikifriends}}
{{comicsrow|184|2006-11-15|Matrix Transform}}
{{comicsrow|183|2006-11-13|Snacktime Rules}}
{{comicsrow|182|2006-11-10|Nash}}
{{comicsrow|181|2006-11-08|Interblag}}
{{comicsrow|180|2006-11-06|Canada}}
{{comicsrow|179|2006-11-03|e to the pi times i}}
{{comicsrow|178|2006-11-01|Not Really Into Pokemon}}
{{comicsrow|177|2006-10-30|Alice and Bob}}
{{comicsrow|176|2006-10-27|Before Sunrise}}
{{comicsrow|175|2006-10-25|Automatic Doors}}
{{comicsrow|174|2006-10-23|That's What SHE Said|thats_what_she_said.png}}
{{comicsrow|173|2006-10-20|Movie Seating}}
{{comicsrow|172|2006-10-18|Skateboarding is Not a Crime}}
{{comicsrow|171|2006-10-16|String Theory}}
{{comicsrow|170|2006-10-13|Turn Back}}
{{comicsrow|169|2006-10-11|Words that End in GRY}}
{{comicsrow|168|2006-10-09|Reverse Euphemisms}}
{{comicsrow|167|2006-10-06|Nihilism}}
{{comicsrow|166|2006-10-04|Misusing Slang}}
{{comicsrow|165|2006-10-02|Turn Signals}}
{{comicsrow|164|2006-09-29|Playing Devil's Advocate to Win|global_warming.png}}
{{comicsrow|163|2006-09-27|Donald Knuth}}
{{comicsrow|162|2006-09-25|Angular Momentum}}
{{comicsrow|161|2006-09-22|Accident}}
{{comicsrow|160|2006-09-20|Penny Arcade Parody}}
{{comicsrow|159|2006-09-20|Boombox}}
{{comicsrow|158|2006-09-18|Six Months}}
{{comicsrow|157|2006-09-15|Filler Art}}
{{comicsrow|156|2006-09-13|Commented}}
{{comicsrow|155|2006-09-11|Search History}}
{{comicsrow|154|2006-09-08|Beliefs|beliefs.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|153|2006-09-06|Cryptography}}
{{comicsrow|152|2006-09-03|Hamster Ball}}
{{comicsrow|151|2006-09-01|Mario}}
{{comicsrow|150|2006-08-29|Grownups}}
{{comicsrow|149|2006-08-28|Sandwich}}
{{comicsrow|148|2006-08-25|Mispronouncing}}
{{comicsrow|147|2006-08-23|A Way So Familiar}}
{{comicsrow|146|2006-08-21|Join Myspace}}
{{comicsrow|145|2006-08-18|Parody Week: Dinosaur Comics|dinosaur_comics.png}}
{{comicsrow|144|2006-08-17|Parody Week: A Softer World|a_softer_robot.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|143|2006-08-16|Parody Week: TFD and Natalie Dee|tfd_nataliedee.png}}
{{comicsrow|142|2006-08-15|Parody Week: Megatokyo|megaxkcd.png}}
{{comicsrow|141|2006-08-14|Parody Week: Achewood|achewood.png}}
{{comicsrow|140|2006-08-11|Delicious}}
{{comicsrow|139|2006-08-09|I Have Owned Two Electric Skateboards|electric_skateboards.png}}
{{comicsrow|138|2006-08-07|Pointers}}
{{comicsrow|137|2006-08-04|Dreams}}
{{comicsrow|136|2006-08-02|Science Fair}}
{{comicsrow|135|2006-07-31|Substitute}}
{{comicsrow|134|2006-07-28|Myspace}}
{{comicsrow|133|2006-07-26|The Raven|the_raven.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|132|2006-07-24|Music Knowledge}}
{{comicsrow|131|2006-07-21|Fans}}
{{comicsrow|130|2006-07-19|Julia Stiles|julia_stiles.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|129|2006-07-17|Content Protection}}
{{comicsrow|128|2006-07-14|dPain over dt|dPain_over_dt.png}}
{{comicsrow|127|2006-07-12|The Fast and the Furious|the_fast_and_the_furious.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|126|2006-07-10|Red Spiders Cometh|red_spiders_cometh.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|125|2006-07-07|Marketing Interview}}
{{comicsrow|124|2006-07-05|Blogofractal}}
{{comicsrow|123|2006-07-03|Centrifugal Force}}
{{comicsrow|122|2006-06-30|Quirky Girls}}
{{comicsrow|121|2006-06-28|Balloon}}
{{comicsrow|120|2006-06-26|Dating Service}}
{{comicsrow|119|2006-06-23|Worst Band Name Ever|hedgeclipper.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|118|2006-06-21|50 Ways}}
{{comicsrow|117|2006-06-19|Pong}}
{{comicsrow|116|2006-06-16|City|city.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|115|2006-06-14|Meerkat|meerkat.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|114|2006-06-12|Computational Linguists}}
{{comicsrow|113|2006-06-09|Riemann-Zeta|riemann-zeta.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|112|2006-06-07|Baring My Heart}}
{{comicsrow|111|2006-06-05|Firefox and Witchcraft - The Connection?|firefox_wicca.png}}
{{comicsrow|110|2006-06-02|Clark Gable|clark_gable.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|109|2006-05-31|Spoiler Alert}}
{{comicsrow|108|2006-05-29|M.C. Hammer Slide|mc_hammer_slide.png}}
{{comicsrow|107|2006-05-26|Snakes on a Plane! 2|snakes_on_a_plane_2.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|106|2006-05-24|Wright Brothers|wright_brothers.png}}
{{comicsrow|105|2006-05-22|Parallel Universe|parallel_universe.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|104|2006-05-19|Find You|find_you.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|103|2006-05-17|Moral Relativity|moral_relativity.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|102|2006-05-15|Back to the Future|back_to_the_future.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|101|2006-05-12|Laser Scope|laser_scope.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|100|2006-05-10|Family Circus|family_circus.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|99|2006-05-08|Binary Heart|binary_heart.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|98|2006-05-05|Fall Apart|fall_apart.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|97|2006-05-03|A Simple Plan|a_simple_plan.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|96|2006-05-01|Mail}}
{{comicsrow|95|2006-04-28|The Sierpinski Penis Game|the_sierpinski_penis_game.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|94|2006-04-26|Profile Creation Flowchart|profile_flowchart.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|93|2006-04-24|Jeremy Irons|jeremy_irons.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|92|2006-04-21|Sunrise|sunrise.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|91|2006-04-19|Pwned}}
{{comicsrow|90|2006-04-17|Jacket|jacket.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|89|2006-04-14|Gravitational Mass|gravitational_mass.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|88|2006-04-12|Escher Bracelet|escher_wristband.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|87|2006-04-10|Velociraptors|velociraptors.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|86|2006-04-07|Digital Rights Management|sony_microsoft_mpaa_riaa_apple.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|85|2006-04-05|Paths|paths.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|84|2006-04-03|National Language|national_language.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|83|2006-03-31|Katamari|katamari.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|82|2006-03-29|Frame|frame.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|81|2006-03-27|Attention, shopper|attention_shopper.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|80|2006-03-24|My Other Car|other_car.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|79|2006-03-22|Iambic Pentameter|iambic_pentameter.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|78|2006-03-20|Garfield|garfield.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|77|2006-03-17|Bored with the Internet|bored_with_the_internet.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|76|2006-03-15|Familiar|familiar.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|75|2006-03-13|Curse Levels|curse_levels.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|74|2006-03-10|Su Doku|su_doku.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|73|2006-03-08|Zeppelin|zeppelin.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|72|2006-03-06|Classhole|classhole.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|71|2006-03-03|In the Trees|in_the_trees.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|70|2006-03-01|Guitar Hero|guitar_hero.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|69|2006-02-27|Pillow Talk|pillow_talk.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|68|2006-02-24|Five Thirty|five_thirty.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|67|2006-02-22|Nerd Girls|nerd_girls.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|66|2006-02-20|Abusive Astronomy|abusive_astronomy.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|65|2006-02-17|Banter|banter.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|64|2006-02-15|Solar Plexus|solar_plexus.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|63|2006-02-13|Valentine - Heart|valentine.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|62|2006-02-10|Valentine - Karnaugh|valentine_karnaugh.png}}
{{comicsrow|61|2006-02-08|Stacey's Dad|staceys_dad.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|60|2006-02-06|Super Bowl|super_bowl.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|59|2006-02-03|Graduation|graduation.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|58|2006-02-01|Why Do You Love Me?|why_do_you_love_me.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|57|2006-01-31|Wait For Me|wait_for_me.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|56|2006-01-30|The Cure|the_cure.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|55|2006-01-27|Useless|useless.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|54|2006-01-25|Science|science.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|53|2006-01-23|Hobby|hobby.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|52|2006-01-21|Secret Worlds|secret_worlds.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|51|2006-01-18|Malaria|malaria.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|50|2006-01-17|Penny Arcade|penny_arcade.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|49|2006-01-14|Want|want.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|48|2006-01-12|Found|found.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|47|2006-01-09|Counter-Red Spiders|counter-red-spiders.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|46|2006-01-06|Secrets|secrets.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|45|2006-01-04|Schrodinger|schrodinger.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|44|2005-10-19|Love|love.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|43|2005-12-02|Red Spiders 2|red_spiders_2.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|42|2005-11-28|Geico|geico.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|41|2005-11-23|Old Drawing|unspeakable_pun.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|40|2005-10-21|Light|light.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|39|2005-12-05|Bowl|bowl.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|38|2005-11-30|Apple Jacks|apple_jacks.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|37|2005-10-28|Hyphen|hyphen.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|36|Unknown|Scientists|scientists.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|35|2005-11-26|Sheep|sheep.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|34|2005-11-09|Flowers|flowers.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|33|2005-11-21|Self-reference|self-reference.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|32|2005-11-19|Pillar|pillar.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|31|2005-11-16|Barrel - Part 5|barrel_part_5.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|30|2005-11-07|Donner|donner.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|29|2005-11-11|Hitler|hitler.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|28|2005-11-14|Elefino|elefino.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|27|2005-11-04|Meat Cereals|meat_cereals.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|26|2005-11-02|Fourier|fourier.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|25|2005-10-31|Barrel - Part 4|barrel_part_4.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|24|2005-09-30|Godel, Escher, Kurt Halsey|godel_escher_kurthalsey.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|23|2005-10-26|T-shirts|t-shirts.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|22|2005-10-24|Barrel - Part 3|barrel_whirlpool.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|21|2005-10-17|Kepler|kepler.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|20|2005-10-14|Ferret|ferret.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|19|2005-10-12|George Clinton|george_clinton.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|18|2005-10-10|Snapple|snapple.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|17|2005-10-07|What If|what_if.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|16|2005-10-04|Monty Python -- Enough|monty_python.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|15|2005-10-02|Just Alerting You|just_alerting_you.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|14|2005-09-30|Copyright|copyright.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|13|2005-09-30|Canyon|canyon_small.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|12|Unknown|Poisson|poisson.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|11|2005-09-30|Barrel - Part 2|barrel_mommies.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|10|2005-09-30|Pi Equals|pi.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|9|2005-09-30|Serenity is coming out tomorrow|firefly.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|8|2005-09-30|Red spiders|red_spiders_small.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|7|2005-09-30|Girl sleeping (Sketch -- 11th grade Spanish class)|girl_sleeping_noline_(1).jpg}}
{{comicsrow|6|2005-09-30|Irony|irony_color.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|5|Unknown|Blown apart|blownapart_color.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|4|2005-09-30|Landscape (sketch)|landscape_cropped_(1).jpg}}
{{comicsrow|3|2005-09-30|Island (sketch)|island_color.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|2|2005-09-30|Petit Trees (sketch)|tree_cropped_(1).jpg}}
{{comicsrow|1|2005-09-30|Barrel - Part 1|barrel_cropped_(1).jpg}}</onlyinclude>
|}

List of all comics (501-1000)

117.194.88.176 — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:59:30 GMT

Markhurd: Avoid extra line in header

:''See also: [[List of unexplained comics]]''

This is the list of comics from '''501 to 1000'''.

:For the first 500 comics, see [[List of all comics (1-500)]].
:For comics 1001 till date, see [[List of all comics]].
:The whole list is available at [[List of all comics (full)]].

{| class="wikitable sortable plainlinks table-padding"
|-
|+ Comics
|-
!xkcd
!Title
!Redirects
!Image
!Date<onlyinclude>
{{comicsrow|1000|2012-01-06|1000 Comics}}
{{comicsrow|999|2012-01-04|Cougars}}
{{comicsrow|998|2012-01-02|2012}}
{{comicsrow|997|2011-12-30|Wait Wait}}
{{comicsrow|996|2011-12-28|Making Things Difficult}}
{{comicsrow|995|2011-12-26|Coinstar}}
{{comicsrow|994|2011-12-23|Advent Calendar}}
{{comicsrow|993|2011-12-21|Brand Identity}}
{{comicsrow|992|2011-12-19|Mnemonics}}
{{comicsrow|991|2011-12-16|Phantom Menace}}
{{comicsrow|990|2011-12-14|Plastic Bags}}
{{comicsrow|989|2011-12-12|Cryogenics}}
{{comicsrow|988|2011-12-09|Tradition}}
{{comicsrow|987|2011-12-07|Potential}}
{{comicsrow|986|2011-12-05|Drinking Fountains}}
{{comicsrow|985|2011-12-02|Percentage Points}}
{{comicsrow|984|2011-11-30|Space Launch System}}
{{comicsrow|983|2011-11-28|Privacy}}
{{comicsrow|982|2011-11-25|Set Theory}}
{{comicsrow|981|2011-11-23|Porn Folder}}
{{comicsrow|980|2011-11-21|Money}}
{{comicsrow|979|2011-11-18|Wisdom of the Ancients}}
{{comicsrow|978|2011-11-16|Citogenesis}}
{{comicsrow|977|2011-11-14|Map Projections}}
{{comicsrow|976|2011-11-11|Sail}}
{{comicsrow|975|2011-11-09|Occulting Telescope}}
{{comicsrow|974|2011-11-07|The General Problem}}
{{comicsrow|973|2011-11-04|MTV Generation}}
{{comicsrow|972|2011-11-02|November}}
{{comicsrow|971|2011-10-31|Alternative Literature}}
{{comicsrow|970|2011-10-28|The Important Field}}
{{comicsrow|969|2011-10-26|Delta-P|delta_p.png}}
{{comicsrow|968|2011-10-24|Everything}}
{{comicsrow|967|2011-10-21|Prairie}}
{{comicsrow|966|2011-10-19|Jet Fuel}}
{{comicsrow|965|2011-10-17|Elements}}
{{comicsrow|964|2011-10-14|Dorm Poster}}
{{comicsrow|963|2011-10-12|X11}}
{{comicsrow|962|2011-10-10|The Corliss Resolution}}
{{comicsrow|961|2011-10-06|Eternal Flame|eternal_flame.gif}}
{{comicsrow|960|2011-10-05|Subliminal}}
{{comicsrow|959|2011-10-03|Caroling}}
{{comicsrow|958|2011-09-30|Hotels}}
{{comicsrow|957|2011-09-28|Development}}
{{comicsrow|956|2011-09-26|Sharing}}
{{comicsrow|955|2011-09-23|Neutrinos}}
{{comicsrow|954|2011-09-21|Chin-Up Bar|chin_up_bar.png}}
{{comicsrow|953|2011-09-19|1 to 10}}
{{comicsrow|952|2011-09-16|Stud Finder}}
{{comicsrow|951|2011-09-14|Working}}
{{comicsrow|950|2011-09-12|Mystery Solved}}
{{comicsrow|949|2011-09-09|File Transfer}}
{{comicsrow|948|2011-09-07|AI}}
{{comicsrow|947|2011-09-05|Investing}}
{{comicsrow|946|2011-09-02|Family Decals}}
{{comicsrow|945|2011-08-31|I'm Sorry|im_sorry.png}}
{{comicsrow|944|2011-08-29|Hurricane Names}}
{{comicsrow|943|2011-08-26|Empirical}}
{{comicsrow|942|2011-08-24|Juggling}}
{{comicsrow|941|2011-08-22|Depth Perception}}
{{comicsrow|940|2011-08-19|Oversight}}
{{comicsrow|939|2011-08-17|Arrow}}
{{comicsrow|938|2011-08-15|T-Cells|t_cells.png}}
{{comicsrow|937|2011-08-12|TornadoGuard}}
{{comicsrow|936|2011-08-10|Password Strength}}
{{comicsrow|935|2011-08-08|Missed Connections}}
{{comicsrow|934|2011-08-05|Mac/PC|mac_pc.png}}
{{comicsrow|933|2011-08-03|Tattoo}}
{{comicsrow|932|2011-08-01|CIA}}
{{comicsrow|931|2011-07-29|Lanes}}
{{comicsrow|930|2011-07-27|Days of the Week}}
{{comicsrow|929|2011-07-25|Speculation}}
{{comicsrow|928|2011-07-22|Mimic Octopus}}
{{comicsrow|927|2011-07-20|Standards}}
{{comicsrow|926|2011-07-18|Time Vulture}}
{{comicsrow|925|2011-07-15|Cell Phones}}
{{comicsrow|924|2011-07-13|3D Printer}}
{{comicsrow|923|2011-07-11|Strunk and White}}
{{comicsrow|922|2011-07-08|Fight Club}}
{{comicsrow|921|2011-07-06|Delivery Notification}}
{{comicsrow|920|2011-07-04|YouTube Parties}}
{{comicsrow|919|2011-07-01|Tween Bromance}}
{{comicsrow|918|2011-06-29|Google+|googleplus.png}}
{{comicsrow|917|2011-06-27|Hofstadter}}
{{comicsrow|916|2011-06-24|Unpickable}}
{{comicsrow|915|2011-06-22|Connoisseur}}
{{comicsrow|914|2011-06-20|Ice}}
{{comicsrow|913|2011-06-17|Core}}
{{comicsrow|912|2011-06-15|Manual Override}}
{{comicsrow|911|2011-06-13|Magic School Bus}}
{{comicsrow|910|2011-06-10|Permanence}}
{{comicsrow|909|2011-06-08|Worst-Case Shopping|worst_case_shopping.png}}
{{comicsrow|908|2011-06-06|The Cloud}}
{{comicsrow|907|2011-06-03|Ages}}
{{comicsrow|906|2011-06-01|Advertising Discovery|citations.png}}
{{comicsrow|905|2011-05-30|Homeownership}}
{{comicsrow|904|2011-05-27|Sports}}
{{comicsrow|903|2011-05-25|Extended Mind}}
{{comicsrow|902|2011-05-23|Darmok and Jalad}}
{{comicsrow|901|2011-05-20|Temperature}}
{{comicsrow|900|2011-05-18|Religions}}
{{comicsrow|899|2011-05-16|Number Line}}
{{comicsrow|898|2011-05-13|Chain of Command}}
{{comicsrow|897|2011-05-11|Elevator Inspection}}
{{comicsrow|896|2011-05-09|Marie Curie}}
{{comicsrow|895|2011-05-06|Teaching Physics}}
{{comicsrow|894|2011-05-04|Progeny}}
{{comicsrow|893|2011-05-02|65 Years}}
{{comicsrow|892|2011-04-29|Null Hypothesis}}
{{comicsrow|891|2011-04-27|Movie Ages}}
{{comicsrow|890|2011-04-25|Etymology}}
{{comicsrow|889|2011-04-22|Turtles}}
{{comicsrow|888|2011-04-20|Heaven}}
{{comicsrow|887|2011-04-18|Future Timeline}}
{{comicsrow|886|2011-04-15|Craigslist Apartments}}
{{comicsrow|885|2011-04-13|Recycling}}
{{comicsrow|884|2011-04-11|Rogers St.|rogers_st.png}}
{{comicsrow|883|2011-04-08|Pain Rating}}
{{comicsrow|882|2011-04-06|Significant}}
{{comicsrow|881|2011-04-04|Probability}}
{{comicsrow|880|2011-04-01|Headache}}
{{comicsrow|879|2011-03-30|Lamp}}
{{comicsrow|878|2011-03-28|Model Rail}}
{{comicsrow|877|2011-03-25|Beauty}}
{{comicsrow|876|2011-03-23|Trapped}}
{{comicsrow|875|2011-03-21|2009 Called}}
{{comicsrow|874|2011-03-18|Time Management}}
{{comicsrow|873|2011-03-16|FPS Mod}}
{{comicsrow|872|2011-03-14|Fairy Tales}}
{{comicsrow|871|2011-03-11|Charity}}
{{comicsrow|870|2011-03-09|Advertising|mathematically_annoying.png}}
{{comicsrow|869|2011-03-07|Server Attention Span}}
{{comicsrow|868|2011-03-04|Nolan Chart}}
{{comicsrow|867|2011-03-02|Herpetology}}
{{comicsrow|866|2011-02-28|Compass and Straightedge}}
{{comicsrow|865|2011-02-25|Nanobots}}
{{comicsrow|864|2011-02-23|Flying Cars}}
{{comicsrow|863|2011-02-21|Major in the Universe}}
{{comicsrow|862|2011-02-18|Let Go}}
{{comicsrow|861|2011-02-16|Wisdom Teeth}}
{{comicsrow|860|2011-02-14|Never Do This}}
{{comicsrow|859|2011-02-11|(}}
{{comicsrow|858|2011-02-09|Milk}}
{{comicsrow|857|2011-02-07|Archimedes}}
{{comicsrow|856|2011-02-04|Trochee Fixation}}
{{comicsrow|855|2011-02-02|1999}}
{{comicsrow|854|2011-01-31|Learning to Cook}}
{{comicsrow|853|2011-01-28|Consecutive Vowels}}
{{comicsrow|852|2011-01-26|Local g}}
{{comicsrow|851|2011-01-24|Na}}
{{comicsrow|850|2011-01-21|World According to Americans}}
{{comicsrow|849|2011-01-19|Complex Conjugate}}
{{comicsrow|848|2011-01-17|3D}}
{{comicsrow|847|2011-01-14|Stingray Nebula}}
{{comicsrow|846|2011-01-12|Dental Nerve}}
{{comicsrow|845|2011-01-10|Modern History}}
{{comicsrow|844|2011-01-07|Good Code}}
{{comicsrow|843|2011-01-05|Misconceptions}}
{{comicsrow|842|2011-01-03|Mark}}
{{comicsrow|841|2010-12-31|Audiophiles}}
{{comicsrow|840|2010-12-29|Serious}}
{{comicsrow|839|2010-12-27|Explorers}}
{{comicsrow|838|2010-12-24|Incident}}
{{comicsrow|837|2010-12-22|Coupon Code}}
{{comicsrow|836|2010-12-20|Sickness}}
{{comicsrow|835|2010-12-17|Tree}}
{{comicsrow|834|2010-12-15|Wikileaks}}
{{comicsrow|833|2010-12-13|Convincing}}
{{comicsrow|832|2010-12-10|Tic-Tac-Toe|tic_tac_toe.png}}
{{comicsrow|831|2010-12-08|Weather Radar}}
{{comicsrow|830|2010-12-06|Genetic Analysis}}
{{comicsrow|829|2010-12-03|Arsenic-Based Life|arsenic_based_life.png}}
{{comicsrow|828|2010-12-01|Positive Attitude}}
{{comicsrow|827|2010-11-29|Business Idea}}
{{comicsrow|826|2010-11-26|Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)|guest_week_zach_weiner_smbc.png}}
{{comicsrow|825|2010-11-25|Guest Week: Jeffrey Rowland (Overcompensating)|guest_week_jeffrey_rowland_overcompensating.png}}
{{comicsrow|824|2010-11-24|Guest Week: Bill Amend (FoxTrot)|guest_week_bill_amend_foxtrot.png}}
{{comicsrow|823|2010-11-23|Guest Week: David Troupes (Buttercup Festival)|guest_week_david_troupes_buttercup_festival.png}}
{{comicsrow|822|2010-11-22|Guest Week: Jeph Jacques (Questionable Content)|guest_week_jeph_jacques_questionable_content.png}}
{{comicsrow|821|2010-11-19|Five-Minute Comics: Part 3|five_minute_comics_part_3.png}}
{{comicsrow|820|2010-11-17|Five-Minute Comics: Part 2|five_minute_comics_part_2.png}}
{{comicsrow|819|2010-11-15|Five-Minute Comics: Part 1|five_minute_comics_part_1.png}}
{{comicsrow|818|2010-11-12|Illness}}
{{comicsrow|817|2010-11-10|Mutual}}
{{comicsrow|816|2010-11-08|Applied Math}}
{{comicsrow|815|2010-11-05|Mu}}
{{comicsrow|814|2010-11-03|Diode}}
{{comicsrow|813|2010-11-01|One-Liners|one_liners.png}}
{{comicsrow|812|2010-10-29|Glass}}
{{comicsrow|811|2010-10-27|Starlight}}
{{comicsrow|810|2010-10-25|Constructive}}
{{comicsrow|809|2010-10-22|Los Alamos}}
{{comicsrow|808|2010-10-20|The Economic Argument}}
{{comicsrow|807|2010-10-18|Connected}}
{{comicsrow|806|2010-10-15|Tech Support}}
{{comicsrow|805|2010-10-13|Paradise City}}
{{comicsrow|804|2010-10-11|Pumpkin Carving}}
{{comicsrow|803|2010-10-08|Airfoil}}
{{comicsrow|802|2010-10-06|Online Communities 2}}
{{comicsrow|801|2010-10-04|Golden Hammer}}
{{comicsrow|800|2010-10-01|Beautiful Dream}}
{{comicsrow|799|2010-09-29|Stephen Hawking}}
{{comicsrow|798|2010-09-27|Adjectives}}
{{comicsrow|797|2010-09-24|debian-main|debian_main.png}}
{{comicsrow|796|2010-09-22|Bad Ex}}
{{comicsrow|795|2010-09-20|Conditional Risk}}
{{comicsrow|794|2010-09-17|Inside Joke}}
{{comicsrow|793|2010-09-15|Physicists}}
{{comicsrow|792|2010-09-13|Password Reuse}}
{{comicsrow|791|2010-09-10|Leaving}}
{{comicsrow|790|2010-09-08|Control}}
{{comicsrow|789|2010-09-06|Showdown}}
{{comicsrow|788|2010-09-03|The Carriage}}
{{comicsrow|787|2010-09-01|Orbiter}}
{{comicsrow|786|2010-08-30|Exoplanets|exoplanets_2010.png}}
{{comicsrow|785|2010-08-27|Open Mic Night}}
{{comicsrow|784|2010-08-25|Falling Asleep}}
{{comicsrow|783|2010-08-23|I Don't Want Directions|i_dont_want_directions.png}}
{{comicsrow|782|2010-08-20|Desecration}}
{{comicsrow|781|2010-08-18|Ahead Stop}}
{{comicsrow|780|2010-08-16|Sample}}
{{comicsrow|779|2010-08-13|Anxiety}}
{{comicsrow|778|2010-08-11|Scheduling}}
{{comicsrow|777|2010-08-09|Pore Strips}}
{{comicsrow|776|2010-08-06|Still No Sleep}}
{{comicsrow|775|2010-08-04|Savannah Ancestry}}
{{comicsrow|774|2010-08-02|Atheists}}
{{comicsrow|773|2010-07-30|University Website}}
{{comicsrow|772|2010-07-28|Frogger}}
{{comicsrow|771|2010-07-26|Period Speech}}
{{comicsrow|770|2010-07-23|All the Girls}}
{{comicsrow|769|2010-07-21|War}}
{{comicsrow|768|2010-07-19|1996}}
{{comicsrow|767|2010-07-16|Temper}}
{{comicsrow|766|2010-07-14|Green Flash}}
{{comicsrow|765|2010-07-12|Dilution}}
{{comicsrow|764|2010-07-09|One Two}}
{{comicsrow|763|2010-07-07|Workaround}}
{{comicsrow|762|2010-07-05|Analogies}}
{{comicsrow|761|2010-07-02|DFS}}
{{comicsrow|760|2010-06-30|Moria}}
{{comicsrow|759|2010-06-28|3x9}}
{{comicsrow|758|2010-06-25|Raptor Fences}}
{{comicsrow|757|2010-06-23|Toot}}
{{comicsrow|756|2010-06-21|Public Opinion}}
{{comicsrow|755|2010-06-18|Interdisciplinary}}
{{comicsrow|754|2010-06-16|Dependencies}}
{{comicsrow|753|2010-06-14|Southern Half}}
{{comicsrow|752|2010-06-11|Phobia}}
{{comicsrow|751|2010-06-09|Swimsuit Issue}}
{{comicsrow|750|2010-06-07|Book Burning}}
{{comicsrow|749|2010-06-04|Study}}
{{comicsrow|748|2010-06-02|Worst-Case Scenario|worst_case_scenario.png}}
{{comicsrow|747|2010-05-31|Geeks and Nerds}}
{{comicsrow|746|2010-05-28|Birth}}
{{comicsrow|745|2010-05-26|Dyslexics}}
{{comicsrow|744|2010-05-24|Walkthrough}}
{{comicsrow|743|2010-05-21|Infrastructures}}
{{comicsrow|742|2010-05-19|Campfire}}
{{comicsrow|741|2010-05-17|Blogging}}
{{comicsrow|740|2010-05-14|The Tell-Tale Beat|the_tell_tale_beat.png}}
{{comicsrow|739|2010-05-12|Malamanteau}}
{{comicsrow|738|2010-05-10|Incision}}
{{comicsrow|737|2010-05-07|Yogurt}}
{{comicsrow|736|2010-05-05|Cemetery}}
{{comicsrow|735|2010-05-03|Floor}}
{{comicsrow|734|2010-04-30|Outbreak}}
{{comicsrow|733|2010-04-28|Eagle}}
{{comicsrow|732|2010-04-26|HDTV}}
{{comicsrow|731|2010-04-23|Desert Island}}
{{comicsrow|730|2010-04-21|Circuit Diagram}}
{{comicsrow|729|2010-04-19|Laser Pointer}}
{{comicsrow|728|2010-04-16|iPad}}
{{comicsrow|727|2010-04-14|Trade Expert}}
{{comicsrow|726|2010-04-12|Seat Selection}}
{{comicsrow|725|2010-04-09|Literally}}
{{comicsrow|724|2010-04-07|Hell}}
{{comicsrow|723|2010-04-05|Seismic Waves}}
{{comicsrow|722|2010-04-02|Computer Problems}}
{{comicsrow|721|2010-03-31|Flatland}}
{{comicsrow|720|2010-03-29|Recipes}}
{{comicsrow|719|2010-03-26|Brain Worms}}
{{comicsrow|718|2010-03-24|The Flake Equation}}
{{comicsrow|717|2010-03-22|Furtive}}
{{comicsrow|716|2010-03-19|Time Machine}}
{{comicsrow|715|2010-03-17|Numbers}}
{{comicsrow|714|2010-03-15|Porn For Women}}
{{comicsrow|713|2010-03-12|GeoIP}}
{{comicsrow|712|2010-03-10|Single Ladies}}
{{comicsrow|711|2010-03-08|Seismograph}}
{{comicsrow|710|2010-03-05|Collatz Conjecture}}
{{comicsrow|709|2010-03-03|I Am}}
{{comicsrow|708|2010-03-01|Sex Dice}}
{{comicsrow|707|2010-02-26|Joshing}}
{{comicsrow|706|2010-02-24|Freedom}}
{{comicsrow|705|2010-02-22|Devotion to Duty}}
{{comicsrow|704|2010-02-19|Principle of Explosion}}
{{comicsrow|703|2010-02-17|Honor Societies}}
{{comicsrow|702|2010-02-15|Snow Tracking}}
{{comicsrow|701|2010-02-12|Science Valentine}}
{{comicsrow|700|2010-02-10|Complexion}}
{{comicsrow|699|2010-02-08|Trimester}}
{{comicsrow|698|2010-02-05|You Hang Up First}}
{{comicsrow|697|2010-02-03|Tensile vs. Shear Strength|tensile_vs_shear_strength.png}}
{{comicsrow|696|2010-02-01|Strip Games}}
{{comicsrow|695|2010-01-29|Spirit}}
{{comicsrow|694|2010-01-27|Retro Virus}}
{{comicsrow|693|2010-01-25|Children's Fantasy|childrens_fantasy.png}}
{{comicsrow|692|2010-01-22|Dirty Harry}}
{{comicsrow|691|2010-01-20|MicroSD}}
{{comicsrow|690|2010-01-18|Semicontrolled Demolition}}
{{comicsrow|689|2010-01-15|FIRST Design}}
{{comicsrow|688|2010-01-13|Self-Description|self_description.png}}
{{comicsrow|687|2010-01-11|Dimensional Analysis}}
{{comicsrow|686|2010-01-08|Admin Mourning}}
{{comicsrow|685|2010-01-06|G-Spot}}
{{comicsrow|684|2010-01-04|We Get It}}
{{comicsrow|683|2010-01-01|Science Montage}}
{{comicsrow|682|2009-12-30|Force}}
{{comicsrow|681|2009-12-28|Gravity Wells}}
{{comicsrow|680|2009-12-25|December 25th}}
{{comicsrow|679|2009-12-23|Christmas Plans}}
{{comicsrow|678|2009-12-21|Researcher Translation}}
{{comicsrow|677|2009-12-18|Asshole}}
{{comicsrow|676|2009-12-16|Abstraction}}
{{comicsrow|675|2009-12-14|Revolutionary}}
{{comicsrow|674|2009-12-11|Natural Parenting}}
{{comicsrow|673|2009-12-09|The Sun}}
{{comicsrow|672|2009-12-07|Suggestions}}
{{comicsrow|671|2009-12-04|Stephen and Me}}
{{comicsrow|670|2009-12-02|Spinal Tap Amps}}
{{comicsrow|669|2009-11-30|Experiment}}
{{comicsrow|668|2009-11-27|Pandora}}
{{comicsrow|667|2009-11-25|SkiFree}}
{{comicsrow|666|2009-11-23|Silent Hammer}}
{{comicsrow|665|2009-11-20|Prudence}}
{{comicsrow|664|2009-11-18|Academia vs. Business|academia_vs_business.png}}
{{comicsrow|663|2009-11-16|Sagan-Man}}
{{comicsrow|662|2009-11-13|iPhone or Droid}}
{{comicsrow|661|2009-11-11|Two-Party System|two_party_system.png}}
{{comicsrow|660|2009-11-09|Sympathy}}
{{comicsrow|659|2009-11-06|Lego}}
{{comicsrow|658|2009-11-04|Orbitals}}
{{comicsrow|657|2009-11-02|Movie Narrative Charts}}
{{comicsrow|656|2009-10-30|October 30th}}
{{comicsrow|655|2009-10-28|Climbing}}
{{comicsrow|654|2009-10-26|Nachos}}
{{comicsrow|653|2009-10-23|So Bad It's Worse|so_bad_its_worse.png}}
{{comicsrow|652|2009-10-21|More Accurate}}
{{comicsrow|651|2009-10-19|Bag Check}}
{{comicsrow|650|2009-10-16|Nowhere}}
{{comicsrow|649|2009-10-14|Static}}
{{comicsrow|648|2009-10-12|Fall Foliage}}
{{comicsrow|647|2009-10-09|Scary}}
{{comicsrow|646|2009-10-07|Conversations}}
{{comicsrow|645|2009-10-05|RPS}}
{{comicsrow|644|2009-10-02|Surgery}}
{{comicsrow|643|2009-09-30|Ohm}}
{{comicsrow|642|2009-09-28|Creepy}}
{{comicsrow|641|2009-09-25|Free}}
{{comicsrow|640|2009-09-23|Tornado Hunter}}
{{comicsrow|639|2009-09-21|Lincoln-Douglas|lincoln_douglas.png}}
{{comicsrow|638|2009-09-18|The Search}}
{{comicsrow|637|2009-09-16|Scribblenauts}}
{{comicsrow|636|2009-09-14|Brontosaurus}}
{{comicsrow|635|2009-09-10|Locke and Demosthenes}}
{{comicsrow|634|2009-09-09|Date}}
{{comicsrow|633|2009-09-07|Blockbuster Mining}}
{{comicsrow|632|2009-09-04|Suspicion}}
{{comicsrow|631|2009-09-02|Anatomy Text}}
{{comicsrow|630|2009-08-31|Time Travel}}
{{comicsrow|629|2009-08-28|Skins}}
{{comicsrow|628|2009-08-26|Psychic}}
{{comicsrow|627|2009-08-24|Tech Support Cheat Sheet}}
{{comicsrow|626|2009-08-21|Newton and Leibniz}}
{{comicsrow|625|2009-08-19|Collections}}
{{comicsrow|624|2009-08-17|Branding}}
{{comicsrow|623|2009-08-14|Oregon}}
{{comicsrow|622|2009-08-12|Haiku Proof}}
{{comicsrow|621|2009-08-10|Superlative}}
{{comicsrow|620|2009-08-07|Wings}}
{{comicsrow|619|2009-08-05|Supported Features}}
{{comicsrow|618|2009-08-03|Asteroid}}
{{comicsrow|617|2009-07-31|Understocked}}
{{comicsrow|616|2009-07-29|Lease}}
{{comicsrow|615|2009-07-27|Avoidance}}
{{comicsrow|614|2009-07-24|Woodpecker}}
{{comicsrow|613|2009-07-22|Threesome}}
{{comicsrow|612|2009-07-20|Estimation}}
{{comicsrow|611|2009-07-17|Disaster Voyeurism}}
{{comicsrow|610|2009-07-15|Sheeple}}
{{comicsrow|609|2009-07-13|Tab Explosion}}
{{comicsrow|608|2009-07-10|Form}}
{{comicsrow|607|2009-07-08|2038}}
{{comicsrow|606|2009-07-06|Cutting Edge}}
{{comicsrow|605|2009-07-03|Extrapolating}}
{{comicsrow|604|2009-07-01|Qwertial Aphasia}}
{{comicsrow|603|2009-06-29|Idiocracy}}
{{comicsrow|602|2009-06-26|Overstimulated}}
{{comicsrow|601|2009-06-24|Game Theory}}
{{comicsrow|600|2009-06-22|Android Boyfriend}}
{{comicsrow|599|2009-06-19|Apocalypse}}
{{comicsrow|598|2009-06-17|Porn}}
{{comicsrow|597|2009-06-15|Addiction}}
{{comicsrow|596|2009-06-12|Latitude}}
{{comicsrow|595|2009-06-10|Android Girlfriend}}
{{comicsrow|594|2009-06-08|Period}}
{{comicsrow|593|2009-06-05|Voynich Manuscript}}
{{comicsrow|592|2009-06-03|Drama}}
{{comicsrow|591|2009-06-01|Troll Slayer}}
{{comicsrow|590|2009-05-29|Papyrus}}
{{comicsrow|589|2009-05-27|Designated Drivers}}
{{comicsrow|588|2009-05-25|Pep Rally}}
{{comicsrow|587|2009-05-22|Crime Scene}}
{{comicsrow|586|2009-05-20|Mission to Culture}}
{{comicsrow|585|2009-05-18|Outreach}}
{{comicsrow|584|2009-05-15|Unsatisfied}}
{{comicsrow|583|2009-05-13|CNR}}
{{comicsrow|582|2009-05-11|Brakes}}
{{comicsrow|581|2009-05-08|The Race: Part 5|the_race_part_5.png}}
{{comicsrow|580|2009-05-07|The Race: Part 4|the_race_part_4.png}}
{{comicsrow|579|2009-05-06|The Race: Part 3|the_race_part_3.png}}
{{comicsrow|578|2009-05-05|The Race: Part 2|the_race_part_2.png}}
{{comicsrow|577|2009-05-04|The Race: Part 1|the_race_part_1.png}}
{{comicsrow|576|2009-05-01|Packages}}
{{comicsrow|575|2009-04-29|Tag Combination}}
{{comicsrow|574|2009-04-27|Swine Flu}}
{{comicsrow|573|2009-04-24|Parental Trolling}}
{{comicsrow|572|2009-04-22|Together}}
{{comicsrow|571|2009-04-20|Can't Sleep|cant_sleep.png}}
{{comicsrow|570|2009-04-17|New Car}}
{{comicsrow|569|2009-04-15|Borders}}
{{comicsrow|568|2009-04-13|Well 2}}
{{comicsrow|567|2009-04-10|Urgent Mission}}
{{comicsrow|566|2009-04-08|Matrix Revisited}}
{{comicsrow|565|2009-04-06|Security Question}}
{{comicsrow|564|2009-04-03|Crossbows}}
{{comicsrow|563|2009-04-01|Fermirotica}}
{{comicsrow|562|2009-03-30|Parking}}
{{comicsrow|561|2009-03-27|Well}}
{{comicsrow|560|2009-03-25|Lithium Batteries}}
{{comicsrow|559|2009-03-23|No Pun Intended}}
{{comicsrow|558|2009-03-20|1000 Times}}
{{comicsrow|557|2009-03-18|Students}}
{{comicsrow|556|2009-03-16|Alternative Energy Revolution|alternative_energy_revolution.jpg}}
{{comicsrow|555|2009-03-13|Two Mirrors}}
{{comicsrow|554|2009-03-11|Not Enough Work}}
{{comicsrow|553|2009-03-09|Pirate Bay}}
{{comicsrow|552|2009-03-06|Correlation}}
{{comicsrow|551|2009-03-04|Etch-a-Sketch}}
{{comicsrow|550|2009-03-02|Density}}
{{comicsrow|549|2009-02-27|Westley's a Dick|westleys_a_dick.png}}
{{comicsrow|548|2009-02-25|Kindle}}
{{comicsrow|547|2009-02-23|Simple}}
{{comicsrow|546|2009-02-20|Music DRM}}
{{comicsrow|545|2009-02-18|Neutrality Schmeutrality}}
{{comicsrow|544|2009-02-16|Pep Talk}}
{{comicsrow|543|2009-02-13|Sierpinski Valentine}}
{{comicsrow|542|2009-02-11|Cover-Up|cover_up.png}}
{{comicsrow|541|2009-02-09|TED Talk}}
{{comicsrow|540|2009-02-06|Base System}}
{{comicsrow|539|2009-02-04|Boyfriend}}
{{comicsrow|538|2009-02-02|Security}}
{{comicsrow|537|2009-01-30|Ducklings}}
{{comicsrow|536|2009-01-28|Space Elevators}}
{{comicsrow|535|2009-01-26|It Might Be Cool}}
{{comicsrow|534|2009-01-23|Genetic Algorithms}}
{{comicsrow|533|2009-01-21|Laptop Hell}}
{{comicsrow|532|2009-01-19|Piano}}
{{comicsrow|531|2009-01-16|Contingency Plan}}
{{comicsrow|530|2009-01-14|I'm An Idiot|im_an_idiot.png}}
{{comicsrow|529|2009-01-12|Sledding Discussion}}
{{comicsrow|528|2009-01-09|Windows 7}}
{{comicsrow|527|2009-01-07|Keynote}}
{{comicsrow|526|2009-01-05|Converting to Metric}}
{{comicsrow|525|2009-01-02|I Know You're Listening|i_know_youre_listening.png}}
{{comicsrow|524|2008-12-31|Party}}
{{comicsrow|523|2008-12-29|Decline}}
{{comicsrow|522|2008-12-26|Google Trends}}
{{comicsrow|521|2008-12-24|2008 Christmas Special}}
{{comicsrow|520|2008-12-22|Cuttlefish}}
{{comicsrow|519|2008-12-19|11th Grade}}
{{comicsrow|518|2008-12-17|Flow Charts}}
{{comicsrow|517|2008-12-15|Marshmallow Gun}}
{{comicsrow|516|2008-12-12|Wood Chips}}
{{comicsrow|515|2008-12-10|No One Must Know}}
{{comicsrow|514|2008-12-08|Simultaneous}}
{{comicsrow|513|2008-12-05|Friends}}
{{comicsrow|512|2008-12-03|Alternate Currency}}
{{comicsrow|511|2008-12-01|Sleet}}
{{comicsrow|510|2008-11-28|Egg Drop Failure}}
{{comicsrow|509|2008-11-26|Induced Current}}
{{comicsrow|508|2008-11-24|Drapes}}
{{comicsrow|507|2008-11-21|Experimentation}}
{{comicsrow|506|2008-11-19|Theft of the Magi}}
{{comicsrow|505|2008-11-17|A Bunch of Rocks}}
{{comicsrow|504|2008-11-14|Legal Hacks}}
{{comicsrow|503|2008-11-12|Terminology}}
{{comicsrow|502|2008-11-10|Dark Flow}}
{{comicsrow|501|2008-11-07|Faust 2.0|faust_20.png}}</onlyinclude>
|}

1209: Encoding

Davidy22 — Wed, 08 May 2013 05:06:43 GMT

130.225.98.201: /* Explanation */ minor fixes

{{comic
| number = 1209
| date = May 8, 2013
| title = Encoding
| image = encoding.png
| titletext = I don't see how; the C0 block is right there at the beginning.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] hired a skywriter to write some text provided in Unicode. {{w|Skywriting}} is using an airplane to write words in the sky with controlled releases of smoke. {{w|Unicode}} is a standard for encoding text which supports an incredible variety of characters and modifiers. An {{w|interrobang}} is a combination question mark and exclamation mark. A {{w|diacritic}} is any symbol added to a character, usually an accent mark being added to a letter. In Unicode, {{w|Combining character|combining diacritics}} are represented as separate characters, but are rendered graphically as modifications to the previous one. The request appears to be particularly strange, given that diacritics are supposed to go over ''letters'' and not punctuation marks.

Apparently the skywriter got so confused about their instructions that he not only rendered the text incorrectly, but also lost control of the plane. The skywriter's errors and the phrase "Unicode support" play off the common issue of {{w|Mojibake|software rendering Unicode symbols incorrectly}}.

The tooltip refers to the {{w|C0 and C1 control codes|C0 Block}}, the name for the first 32 character codes in either the ASCII or Unicode encodings, traditionally called "control characters". It is likely that Cueball is wondering how the plane could have lost control when the control characters are easily found.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan are holding two-way radios.]
:Cueball talking into radio: "No, the combining diacritics go ''over'' the interrobang!"
:Megan, with radio lowered: "Oh jeez, I think he's lost control."
:The skywriter we hired has terrible Unicode support.

{{comic discussion}}
[[category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[category:Comics featuring Megan]]

350: Network

Divad27182 — Wed, 08 May 2013 02:19:05 GMT

Markhurd: removed Category:Color; added Category:Comics with color using HotCat

{{comic
| number = 350
| date = November 28, 2007
| title = Network
| image = network.png
| titletext = Viruses so far have been really disappointing on the 'disable the internet' front, and time is running out. When Linux/Mac win in a decade or so the game will be over.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows off his virtual fishtank of virus-infected {{w|Virtual machine|virtual}} Windows machines to [[Megan]]. The machines nominally have {{w|Trojan_horse_(computing)|mail trojans}}, {{w|Warhol worm}}s, all sorts of {{w|polymorphic virus}}es, and explicitly {{w|Blaster (computer worm)|Blaster}} and {{w|w32.welchia}}.

The first part of the title text refers to the difficulty viruses have in disabling the internet as a whole. SQL Slammer had some brief success.
The second part of the title text refers to the fact that Linux, and MacOS 10 and later are more difficult to infect. It is thought by some that they are immune to viruses, but this isn't true. In particular, Linux can be particularly difficult to infect because the code can easily vary from machine to machine and distribution to distribution.

This virtual fishtank is actually a viable system to set up. There are a couple of problems. The first is that one would (legally) need to get Windows licenses for all the virtual machines. The second is that, unless one does a good job isolating the systems, you could allow the viruses into other parts of your computers, or into the internet at large, neither of which is something one should do. There might[dubious—discuss] be virus scanner companies having such systems.[citation needed]

==Transcript==
:[Megan looking at a large screen with many green and red squares. The squares have writing in them and lines connecting them.]
:[Side view. The screen is a huge LCD connected to a wireless router.]
:Cueball: Pretty, isn't it?
:Megan: What is it?
:Cueball: I've got a bunch of virtual Windows machines networked together, hooked up to an incoming pipe from the net. They execute email attachments, share files, and have no security patches.
:Cueball: Between them they have practically every virus.
:Cueball: There are mail trojans, warhol worms, and all sorts of exotic polymorphics. A monitoring system adds and wipes machines at random. The display shows the viruses as they move through the network. Growing and struggling.
:[Cueball walks past the girl and touches the monitor.]
:Megan: You know, normal people just have aquariums.
:Cueball: Good morning, Blaster. Are you and W32.Welchia getting along?
:Cueball: Who's a good virus? You are! Yes, you are!

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

535: It Might Be Cool

Dargor17 — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:08:49 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 535
| date = January 26, 2009
| title = It Might Be Cool
| image = it_might_be_cool.png
| titletext = 'And ovaries. Man, ovaries, huh?' [awkward pause] '... faithfully.'
}}

==Explanation==
On January 20, 2009 the inauguration of Barack Obama's first office took place. Chief Justice {{w|John Roberts}}, who was administering the oath, did a mistake while reciting the words. This comic references the event and exaggerates the deviation from the oath for comedic purposes.

In truth, the error was much smaller: the oath as prescribed in the constitution is
:I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Due to a missed memo on the pauses planned by the Chief Justice, Obama inadvertently interrupted Roberts during the first phrase. Roberts, who was not using notes, rendered the next phrase as "that I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully," misplacing the word faithfully and saying ''president to'' instead of ''president of''. Obama repeated, "that I will execute", then paused. Roberts attempted to correct the wording, but stumbled: "the off— faithfully the pres— the office of President of the United States." Obama then repeated Roberts' initial incorrect wording.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is administering the presidential oath to a friend.]
:Cueball: You know, it might be cool to be a woman.
:Friend: It... might be cool to be a woman?
:Cueball: Yeah, but the menstruation thing is freaky.
:Friend: Yeah, but... the, um. What?
:Turns out I'm even worse at administering the presidential oath than John Roberts.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

1208: Footnote Labyrinths

Alpha — Mon, 06 May 2013 04:38:45 GMT

Chkiss:

{{comic
| number = 1208
| date = May 6, 2013
| title = Footnote Labyrinths
| image = footnote_labyrinths.png
| titletext = Every time you read this mouseover, toggle between interpreting nested footnotes as footnotes on footnotes and interpreting them as exponents (minus one, modulo 6, plus 1).
}}

==Explanation==

This is a logic puzzle where the reader has to follow a confusing network of footnotes to determine whether the word "no" is to be ignored or not. The title text references comic [[1184]], playing on the typographical similarity between footnotes and exponents.

'''Solution:''' Footnotes should be evaluated from top to bottom, so "no12" = "no1 + 2" = "no3". We turn to the definition of 3, which is "not true32" = "not true3 + 2" = "not true5".

Now 5 is "true263". The 6 says that the 2 footnote is really 122 = 1(4. ibid.) = 13, but the 3 tells us that the 6 is "not true5", getting us into an infinite loop. However, the 6 must come into action, because otherwise we're incrementing "not true" by 2, which is meaningless. This means that 3 = "true" (and 5 = "not true"). So the answer is that the "no" should not be ignored, and the correct statement is "we found ''no'' evidence for it in our data." Phew.

'''Solution (exponents):''' "no12" = "no1", so we ignore the "no" and the correct statement is "we found evidence for the data." 3 becomes "not true3", the {{w|liar's paradox}}. Since 263 is 4 mod 6, we just get "ibid" and the 5 refers back to the 3.

"ibid." is short for "ibidem", or "at the same place", meaning the reference was noted on the same page just before.

==Transcript==
:[Excerpt from what appears to be an academic paper with footnotes.]
:experiments to observe this and we found no12 evidence for it in our data.

:1Ignore this
:2Increment by 2 before following
:3Not true32
:4Ibid.
:5True263
:6Actually a 122

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:My Hobby]]

230: Hamiltonian

76.171.22.111 — Sun, 05 May 2013 21:21:23 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 230
| date = March 2, 2007
| title = Hamiltonian
| image = hamiltonian.png
| titletext = The problem with perspective is that it's bidirectional.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]], presumably in class, decides that the subject of Hamiltonian circuits in graphs is not important in the larger context of life and love. Later, however, he realizes there is a flaw in the proof presented, while in bed with [[Megan]], and suddenly wants to focus on the mathematics, in a humorous reversal of his position about what is meaningful.

==Transcript==
:Lecturer: And therefore, based on the existence of a Hamiltonian path, we can prove that the routing algorithm gives the optimal result in all cases.
:Cueball: Oh my God.
:[Close-up of Cueball.]
:(Out of frame): What? What is it?
:Cueball: A sudden rush of perspective. What am I doing here? Life is so much bigger than this!

:[Cueball Running out of Room.]
:Cueball: I have to go.
:[Cueball enters darkened room, where Megan waits by window.]
:[Cueball and Megan embrace...]

:[...and get into bed.]
:[A heart appears over the supine bodies.]
:Megan: Ohh...
:[Hands ''grip'';.]
:Cueball (out of frame): Wait a moment.
:Megan (out of frame): What is it?
:[Silence.]
:Cueball (out of frame): His proof only holds if there's a Hamiltonian cycle as well as a path!
:Megan (out of frame): ...excuse me?
:Cueball (out of frame): Paper, I need some paper.
:Cueball (out of frame): Hey, do you mind if I jot down some notes on your chest?

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Sex]]

536: Space Elevators

BR8N03epsilon — Sun, 05 May 2013 20:56:45 GMT

66.202.132.250: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 536
| date = January 28, 2009
| title = Space Elevators
| image = space_elevators.png
| titletext = If you think space elevators are good, but just too boring and practical, check out the 'space fountain'.
}}

==Explanation==
Arthur C. Clarke was a science fiction writer and a futurist who claimed that people would need to "stop laughing" (either because humanity has advanced enough that humor is unknown, or because they finally realize it is a viable and worthwhile effort) before accomplishing the creation of a space elevator. Cueball used his quote to insult ''Mind of Mencia'' as not funny in the least, and that having it instead of other shows will stop people from laughing. The 'space fountain' mentioned in the title text is another proposed method of overcoming the planet's gravitational hold, involving an effect similar to that of a coil gun.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan sit beside a moonlit lake.]
:Cueball: Arthur C. Clarke said space elevators will be built 50 years after everybody stops laughing.
:[Closeup of Cueball.]
:Cueball: So all we have to do is get Mind of Mencia on every channel and wait.
:Megan: Oh, hush.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

368: Bass

Connectink — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:49:17 GMT

Markhurd: /* Transcript */ Complete explainxkcdization; add line break to vaguely help intension

{{comic
| number = 368
| date = January 9, 2008
| title = Bass
| image = bass.png
| titletext = And sometimes I use it to retaliate against the guy upstairs with the loud girlfriend and the elliptical dish.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Black Hat]] and [[Cueball]] are standing inside a room with a window with an obnoxious car outside playing loud noises with deep bass. Black Hat has made a machine that blows out the car's bass. In a stroke of evil, Black Hat then starts playing Shirley Ellis' "The Name Game" to show how obnoxious the man was being. The title text refers to comic [[316]].
==Transcript==
:[Black Hat and Cueball are standing in a room with one window. Black Hat is pushing a box with an elliptical dish on top towards the window.]
:''THUMPA THUMPA''

:Cueball: The bass from that car is driving me nuts.
:Black Hat: Me too. Give me a hand here.

:[The dish is aimed out the window; Black Hat plugs the device into the wall.]
:Cueball: I'm afraid to ask.
:Black Hat: The system detects bass rhythms and floods the target with a phase-shifted replica signal.
:Black Hat: The resonance should blow out their speakers.

:[The side of a building. The dish of the device is visible through a window, emitting sound waves.]
:''THUMPA THUMPA''
:''BLAM''

:[Back in the room.]
:Black Hat: Speakers down. Now flip that red switch.
:[Cueball does so with a "click."]

:[Back to the outside view, more sound waves.]
:''SHIRLEY SHIRLEY BO BIRLEY BANANA FANNA FO FIRLEY''
:Cueball: You're horrifying.
:Black Hat: Okay, now throw the switch labeled "Macarena".

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]

540: Base System

62.198.64.96 — Sun, 05 May 2013 15:10:58 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 540
| date = February 6, 2009
| title = Base System
| image = base system.png
| titletext = I once got to second base with a basketball player. She was so confused.
}}

==Explanation==
{{Incomplete}}
This comic is a pun on the {{w|Baseball metaphors for sex|Baseball metaphor}} used to describe how far a date went regarding erotic actions. The comic depicts a more complex version of the explanation adding a lot more baseball jargon. The title text mixes the metaphor with basketball to make the confusion even bigger.

The following actions are depicted as being out of play (not regarded as erotic actions or erotically active):
*Eye contact (however Eye contact from Janeane Garofalo is considered into play)
*You
*Binary speak
*Star trek fanboy fantasies (Replacing Riker's name with the one of your crush.)

After first base (kissing) comes a boring zone (at least for boys) as this is the zone where you move from kissing to stroking on the arm or back or face to finally make it to the breasts or other more "interesting" parts.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Ponytail are talking; Ponytail's sitting on the back of a chair with her feet on the seat, and Cueball's sitting on the floor facing her.]
:Ponytail: So how far did you get with her?
:Cueball: Second base?

:Ponytail: Wait, which one is that? Below the waist, but... not under the clothes?
:Cueball: I think that's... shortstop?

:Ponytail: You should try crossing the pitcher's mound. Then down the 50-yard line, and right past her ten-pin.
:Cueball: Sounds tricky.

:Ponytail: Yeah. Last time I tried it, I got a red flag. If you know what I mean.
:Cueball: I really don't.

:[A diagram of a baseball diamond.]
:The "Base" Metaphor Explained
:[Bases and x points are marked, as well as dashed lines covering the field.]
:[Along the first base line is "Your Base".]
:[Slightly right of that is a binary base:
::0110 0010 0110 0001
::0111 0011 0110 0101
::0010 0000 0011 0010] ("base 2" in ASCII)
:[First base: Kissing.]
:[Second base: Hands under the shirt and/or licking.]
:[Third base: Oral sex (formerly "hands in the pants").]
:[The following are x marks.
::Slightly right of home plate: Eye contact.
::Along the first base line: Passing notes.
::Slightly before first base: Downloading Star Trek fanfiction and replacing Riker's name with your Crush's.
::Right field: Eye contact from Janeane Garofalo.
::Between the pitcher and second base: Using the scroll thingy on that one Apple mouse.
::Near the shortstop: Dry humping.
::Left of second base: Fursuits.
::Farther left: Fursuits (crotchless).
::Just before home plate: Thigh contact.
::Beyond 3rd base, along the 3rd base line: Standing anywhere near Peaches.
::Foul of the third base line: Anal sex (fill in your won "Foul Ball" pun here.)
::Left outfield: 2outfielders1glove.
::Left outfield: Retrograde wheelbarrow.]
:[The following are dashed lines:
::A region along the line from first to second base: The Boring Zone.
::A line traveling across the second to third baseline, and towards home plate: The orgasm line. (dry humping is on the "orgasm" side.)
::Between third base and home: "Virginity" (Maginot) line.)
:(Arrows pointing out various other features:
::An arrow crossing the "Virginity" line: Teens.
::An arrow nearer to home plate: Sharing root PWs.
::An arrow crossing the orgasm line in the outfield: Napoleon's forces.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Sex]]

546: Music DRM

Greyson — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:07:49 GMT

Davidy22: What is with those brackets

{{comic
| number = 546
| date = February 20, 2009
| title = Music DRM
| image = music drm.png
| titletext = Just yesterday I bought my first non-DRM'd songs (The Last Vegas, in keeping with my 'I only listen to things from Guitar Hero' theme).
}}

==Explanation==
Here, [[Cueball]] is commenting in a comment thread that he authored about the negative traits of DRM, or again, Digital Rights Management (also known under 'Digital Restrictions Management'). Cueball has a point: DRM, while meant to fight those who download media through [[Sketchiness|'dungeon sketchy']] maneuvers, [[Steal This Comic|risks locking out legitimate owners]]. In turn, this turns off legitimate buyers from buying the songs, thus hurting artists.

Of course, this would be true if the major stores sell music with DRM. [[Megan]], wanting Cueball to make peace and enjoy his goal, makes the following choice quote: 'Close the comment thread, get out the debit card, buy us some music, and let's rock the fuck out.'

The problem is that [http://www.cracked.com/article_20035_7-things-you-wont-believe-science-says-make-you-happy.html fighting feels good], something that dos not usually require money from the participants.

The title text references [[132: Music Knowledge|'''Music Knowledge''']] while inferring that [[Randall]] is not really a music fan, since he would only be interested in music that appears in the games that he plays.

==Transcript==
:[Interior, Cueball sits at his computer typing, Megan enters.]
:Cueball [typing]: ...and that's why music DRM is bad for listeners ''and'' artists!
:Megan [off-panel]: What are you doing?

:Megan: In case you didn't notice, we ''won'' the music DRM war. The big stores are DRM free.

:Megan: So close the comment thread, get out the debit card, buy us some music, and let's rock the fuck out.

:Cueball: But I don't actually ''like'' music, I just like being self-righteous on the web.
:Megan: Lucky for you, ''that'' will always be free.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1207: AirAware

123.243.217.72 — Fri, 03 May 2013 05:44:42 GMT

24.70.188.179: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1207
| date = May 3, 2013
| title = AirAware
| image = airaware.png
| titletext = It ships with a version of Google Now that alerts you when it's too late to leave for your appointments.
}}

==Explanation==
Upon being asked by [[Cueball]], [[Black Hat]] reveals his new 'business', AirAware. He explains it uses a {{w|Quadrotor}} that flies and records a persons daily schedule, if that person either deviates, forgets an appointment, or tells somebody incorrect information (including that of future events) the drone alerts the 'client' with an annoying "WRONG!".

Cueball is skeptical of the 'business plan' and questions its potential. Black Hat expands, saying that his intention is not personal profit, and he is simply releasing them himself. Cueball starts to argue that it is not a business, since there is no monetary gain, before being abruptly interrupted by the AirAware drone, declaring that his previous sentence was incorrect. This implies that Black Hat's business is not for profit; it's just another one of his sadistic schemes to torture people.

Although the Wikipedia page for {{w|business}} states that a business "may also be not-for-profit", this isn't really relevant, as 'making money' and 'making a profit' are different things. It would be better classified as a different type of organization, or even, as a [[:Category:My Hobby|hobby]].

{{w|Google Now}} is software by Google, shipped with newer Android devices. It shows you important information when you need it, like traffic on your way to work or home and upcoming events from your calendar. It also reminds you when to leave in order to reach an appointment in time. In the title text, Black Hat has modified this to tell you when you're too ''late'' to get there, instead.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Black Hat looking at a remote-controlled flying object.]
:Cueball: What's that?
:Black Hat: It's a drone for my new business, ''AirAware''.

:Black Hat (narrating): Our UAVs follow you and learn your schedule. If you miss a turn, forget an appointment, or give someone inaccurate information, they alert you.
:Megan (on phone): I'll be there in five.
:Booming voice from the sky: ''WRONG!''
:Megan: Augh!

:Cueball: That sounds annoying. Who would ''pay'' for that?
:Black Hat: Huh? Nobody pays. I'm just making these and releasing them.

:Cueball: That's not a business. You're just yelling at strangers from the sky.
:Cueball: A business has to make money somehow.
:Booming voice from the sky: ''WRONG!''
:Cueball (in smaller voice): Augh!!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

460: Paleontology

Greyson — Fri, 03 May 2013 02:31:08 GMT

Davidy22: Werds are hard

{{comic
| number = 460
| date = August 8, 2008
| title = Paleontology
| image = paleontology.png
| titletext = Dinosaurs totally jumped the ichthyosaur when they got rid of Brontosaurus.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is essentially a set up for a pun: 'underground' can mean 'under the ground' ('buried in the dirt') or 'non-mainstream.' In this case, [[Ponytail]] is whining that she had been doing paleontology before {{w|Jurassic Park}} kicked Paleontology into the mainstream with living reproductions of dinosaurs, thus apparently undermining the hard word paleontologists had done. In other words, this comic is also poking fun at 'hipsters.'

The title text refers to both the phenomenon called '{{w|jumping the shark}}' and the controversy having the Brontosaurus's name changed to '{{w|Apatosaurus}},' despite the 'Brontosaurus' already having made a name for himself in the mainstream.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Ponytail in a museum, near a reconstructed dinosaur fossil.]
:Ponytail: Man, paleontology sucks these days.
:Cueball: Why?
:Ponytail: Jurassic Park came out 15 years ago.
:Cueball: So?
:Ponytail: Today's grad students got into dinosaurs after seeing it as kids. They don't care about fossils. Brats.
:[A woman in a hat exploring a barren landscape.]
:Ponytail: Before they had living dinosaurs handed to them by Hollywood, I was out in Texas digging up Arcocanthosaur teeth.
:Cueball: So, you were into dinosaurs when they were still underground?
:Ponytail: Exactly!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]

473: Still Raw

Greyson — Fri, 03 May 2013 02:18:31 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 473
| date = September 8, 2008
| title = Still Raw
| image = still raw.png
| titletext = We actually divorced once over the airplane/treadmill argument. (Preemptive response to the inevitable threads arguing about it: you're all wrong on the internet.)
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] seems to have been forcibly divorced because he believed that Pluto should never have been a planet. This applies to not only Pluto recently being declared no longer a planet, but also the controversy over its status back when Pluto '''was''' considered a planet, given that planets tend to be balls of gas while Pluto was all rock, or again, how Pluto has an orbit different from the rest of the planets in the solar system.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball laying on sidewalk outside a house, surrounded by his belongings.]
:She threw me out yelling "You don't say those words, not in this house."
:It's been two years. I thought the wounds had healed.
:But I stand by what I said...
:Pluto should never have been a planet.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

339: Classic

Markhurd — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:40:10 GMT

Davidy22: Wee bit thin.

{{comic
| number = 339
| date = November 7, 2007
| title = Classic
| image = classic.png
| titletext = Someone get that Pachelbel's Canon kid a recording contract, stat.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
[[Cueball]] has noticed, while listening to/watching {{w|Stairway to Heaven}} by {{w|Led Zeppelin}}, that (at least some of) the music of the {{w|Baby-boom generation|Baby Boomer generation}} is lyrically better than current music.

The title text refers to {{w|Pachelbel's Canon}} and probably {{w|Lim Jeong-hyun}} whose video was a {{w|YouTube#Social impact|hit on YouTube}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is sitting in front of a television, viewing some rock performance or other.]
:Song: And as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our soul

:Song: When all is one and one is all, to be a rock and not to rooooll

:Song [fading away]: And she's buying a stairway to Heaven

:Cueball: Man. The Baby Boomers are kicking our ASSES.
:Cueball: We need to get it together, guys.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Music]]

367: Fandom

BlueDudeWithATude — Thu, 02 May 2013 02:05:35 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 367
| date = January 7, 2008
| title = Fandom
| image = fandom.png
| titletext = Ron Paul wants to put the New Republic back on the Corusca gem standard.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic refers to the concept of {{w|fandom}}, which is basically the collective noun for fans of a given thing. Usually, this is used in the context of people who like a certain work of fiction, like ''Star Trek'' or ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''.

Here, [[Cueball]] digs through a box and discovers his old collection of ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' books, referring to authors {{w|Timothy Zahn}} and {{w|Micheal A. Stackpole}} (who wrote several ''Star Wars'' novels), and ''{{w|The Corellian Trilogy}}''. These books are part of the {{w|Star Wars Expanded Universe}}, which is used to refer to media that is ''Star Wars''-related but not actually a part of its canon.

Cueball apparently loved these books as a kid, which prompts Megan to remark if he starting becoming a fan of other science fiction series like ''{{w|Firefly (TV series)|Firefly}}'' or ''{{w|Battlestar Galactica}}'', to which he clarifies that he simply grew out of the fandom mindset. Megan asks him about how politician {{w|Ron Paul}} (who has appeared in the comic [[:Category:Comics featuring Ron Paul|several times]]), and Cueball excitedly runs off to check, ironically disproving his earlier remark - people don't outgrow a fandom state of mind, but rather shift their point of interest.

The title refers to the {{w|New Republic (Star Wars)|New Republic}}, the main government in ''Star Wars'' after the final film, and [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Corusca_gem Corusca gems], which are extremely rare and valuable gems from the aforementioned expanded universe. The text says that Ron Paul wants the New Republic to adopt the Corusca gem as standard currency.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is looking through a box.]
:Cueball: Hey, my old Star Wars books!

:[Cueball is holding a pair of books and showing them to Megan.]
:Cueball: Man. Timothy Zahn, Michael A. Stackpole, The Corellian Trilogy...
:Cueball: This was my world.

:Megan: What'd you leave it for? Firefly? BSG?
:Cueball: Nah.
:Cueball: I guess I've just grown out of the whole obsessive fan mindset.

:Megan: Really.
:Megan: So how's Ron Paul doing?
:Cueball: Ooh! Lemme recheck today's blogs.
:[Cueball heads off to do so.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

354: Startling

BlueDudeWithATude — Thu, 02 May 2013 01:46:24 GMT

Markhurd: /* Explanation */clean up, typos fixed: 2000's → 2000s

{{comic
| number = 354
| date = December 7, 2007
| title = Startling
| image = startling.png
| titletext = We actually reached the future about three years ago.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic is very simple: [[Randall]] apparently has a realization about the time in which he lives in (at the time, anyway), given that he grew up in a time where the 2000s seemed very far away, but he now exists in that timeframe with the rest of society. This mind-blowing though occurs to him every few months, if he is to believed.

The title text states that "the future" was reached in 2004 (three years before the comic was published).

==Transcript==
:[Cueball sits silently front of his computer.]

:Narration: I still do this every few months.

:[He continues to sit for two more panels.]

:Cueball: Holy crap, it's the 21st century.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

358: Loud Party

BlueDudeWithATude — Thu, 02 May 2013 01:36:39 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 358
| date = December 17, 2007
| title = Loud Party
| image = loud party.png
| titletext = I'm glad this is so much fun because I'm not sure how we're getting down.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic depicts an average everyday scene - a party, with drinks, dancing, and a lot of commotion going on (hence the title). Amid the chaos, though, there are two people, [[Megan]] and [[Cueball]], staring wistfully at each other. They both think of the same scene: the two of them sitting on branches of a large and bare tree, doing something on laptops. The implication is that these two kids are special - they don't derive their enjoyment of life from parties or other typical teenage activities, but rather simpler, more quiet activities.

The title text presents a simpler joke - it is rather difficult to get down from a tree, especially when carrying a fragile item like a laptop.

==Transcript==
:[In a loud party, Megan and Cueball are looking at each other, both thinking of the same scene: they are sitting on opposite branches of a large leaf-less tree, each with a laptop. There's cloud in the distance and a grass field around the tree.]

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

296: Tony Hawk

132.170.23.100 — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:31:52 GMT

Davidy22: Try this.

{{comic
| number = 296
| date = July 30, 2007
| title = Tony Hawk
| image = tony_hawk.png
| titletext = Bad idea #271: Dropping into the half-pipe on a Segway.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic [[Cueball]] is seen using a PSP while on a skateboard. He is playing one of the many Tony Hawk titles in which you control a skater and perform tricks to gain points and achievements. While playing the game on his PSP, he wants to simultaneously perform the trick in real life both because it is exceptionally difficult to do both and because the game will give him praise when he does a trick successfully.

The title suggests adding another item to the bad idea list, going into a half pipe with a Segway. Since a Segway uses a gyroscope to keep you balanced, trying to "drop into a half-pipe" while using one will likely violently fling the rider back into the upright position probably hurting them against the side of the half pipe as well as possibly damaging the Segway itself. Since it's being added to the list, it's also likely that Cueball tried this at some point in time.

==Transcript==
:My Hobby:
:Doing skateboard tricks in ''Tony Hawk'' while also doing them in real life.
:[Cueball moves towards a quarter pipe on his skateboard while manipulating his PSP.]
:''Beep''
:''Click''
:''Beep''

:[Cueball is in mid air having performed a Frontside 360°, both literally and on the PSP.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:My Hobby]]

192: Working for Google

Whitecat — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:17:56 GMT

Davidy22: It's a very thin explanation that only gives a little background information.

{{comic
| number = 192
| date = December 24, 2006
| title = Working for google
| image = working for google.png
| titletext = I hear once you've worked there for 256 days they teach you the secret of levitation.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
Since the start of Google till now (2013), Google has offered its employees many benefits other jobs don't. [https://www.google.com/about/jobs/lifeatgoogle/benefits/] Such as massages, toys, video games, free food, etc. This is to make their employees happy and not worrying about staying at work.

The title text is just a joke. Saying that if you work for 256 (2^8) days you get to learn how to fly.

==Transcript==
:Cueball: Have you read about Google HQ? It sounds like an incredible place to work.

:Friend: Man, I ain't going to be chained down in no corporate idea factory! They think just 'cause they've got a nice building and laid back culture, I'm gonna want to come in all day long and work on fascinating problems with the smartest people in the world.

:[Cueball stares at friend.]

:Cueball: So, what, they turned you down?
:Friend: I don't understand it! I even baked them a cake shaped like the internet!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

1206: Einstein

Davidy22 — Wed, 01 May 2013 04:15:22 GMT

Dcoetzee: /* Explanation */ Note temporal language part of joke, as remarked upon in comments

{{comic
| number = 1206
| date = May 1, 2013
| title = Einstein
| image = einstein.png
| titletext = Einstein was WRONG when he said that provisional patent #39561 represented a novel gravel-sorting technique and should be approved by the Patent Office.
}}

==Explanation==
Nobel laureate and ''Time'' Person of the Century {{w|Albert Einstein}} is often considered one of the smartest and most influential men in world history. His theories revolutionized our understanding of the Universe and inspired generations of scientists. In this comic, [[Cueball]] indicates to a friend that he is working on an experiment that may disprove Einstein. The implication is that Cueball is conducting a formal scientific experiment which may disprove one of Einstein's scientific theories. The second frame, however, implies that the Einsteinian "theory" Cueball's experiment may disprove is an offhand (and subjective) remark by Einstein about the availability of good sandwiches.

There are several possible interpretations/explanations for this comic, which is slightly vague:

* The first possibility is that [[Randall]] is playing with the notion that everything Einstein said constitutes words to live by: A casual observation on the quality of sandwiches is treated as a major hypothesis, and Cueball is in fact conducting a formal scientific experiment which may "disprove" the statement.

: This would not be the first time that xkcd has addressed people taking scientists too seriously. In [[947: Investing]], Randall comments on how people put too much credence in a joke Einstein made in passing, and in [[799|comic 799]] we see {{w|Stephen Hawking}} in a similar predicament, every word he says taken as a major declaration.

: A key part of the humour is that a significant number of people believe Einstein's physical theories (particularly Special and General Relativity) to be wrong: its universal promotion in scientific literature is ascribed to a conspiracy. This attitude has been lampooned before in xkcd [[808|comic 808]] and [[675|comic 675]].

* The second possibility is that Cueball is simply trying to impress his friend by using "technically accurate" language to imply that he is involved in important scientific work, when all he is really doing is buying sandwiches and hoping to find a good one. (Perhaps he's a scientist out to lunch with an old friend who's never respected his work, and knows that anything Einstein-related sounds impressive and foreboding, meaning his friend is unlikely to ask for details.)

* Another explanation might be simply that while scientists today are so focused on determining whether he was right, all he really cared about was finding a good sandwich shop.

The title text demonstrates the ability to "disprove" Einstein while not challenging his scientific work but rather one of his decisions in his capacity as a patent clerk at the Swiss Patent Office at the time he published his first major papers (previously alluded to in [[1067: Pressures]]). According to [https://www.ige.ch/en/about-us/einstein/frequently-asked-questions.html the Einstein FAQ] on the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property's website, patent #39561 is one of several patents that "we can assume ... were personally examined by Einstein". A PDF of the patent, which was indeed a gravel sorter ({{w|trommel}}), can be found [https://www.ige.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/Institut/d/i109401.pdf here] (in German).

Another part of the joke involves tenses: when Cueball says "I'm currently conducting an experiment," his friend assumes that Cueball is involved in an ongoing research project; but he actually means that he is conducting an experiment at that very moment, by eating a sandwich.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and friend eating at a table.]
:Cueball: I'm currently conducting an experiment which may prove Einstein wrong!
:Friend: Ooh, exciting!

:1947:
:[Einstein and Cueball walking.]
:Einstein: It's ''impossible'' to find a good sandwich in this town.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]

229: Graffiti

130.207.38.125 — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:17:30 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 229
| date = February 28, 2007
| title = Graffiti
| image = graffiti.png
| titletext = FOR AN INTRIGUING TIME CALL
}}

==Explanation==
The humor in this comic comes from the irony of a deep philosophical musing on the nature of individuals sharing a private space in a public place, unknown to one another and separated by time. The graffiti text is juxtaposed with more typical bathroom stall scrawlings - insults, slurs, and "X was here." The subtitle further supports the irony as Cueball notes the discrepancy in the intellectual depth of the different comments.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball sits on a toilet in a bathroom. The stall sidewall next to him is covered in graffiti--"you suck," "Mike sucks cock," "Cunt," "dane was here" stuck through and "dane is a fag" written under it. One block of graffiti is salient:]
::This graffiti is
::fleeting human contact
::both of us lost,
::but for a moment
::we're lost together.
::I wonder who you are.

:I think I look for meaning in the wrong places sometimes.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

281: Online Package Tracking

Guru-45 — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:21:35 GMT

Davidy22: Transcript incomplete, explanation is thin.

{{comic
| number = 281
| date = June 25, 2006
| title = Online Package Tracking
| image = online package tracking.png
| titletext = I don't even *want* this package!Why did I join the stinging insect of the month club,anyway?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
In this comic, Randall notes that package tracking, as provided by many shipping companies like UPS and FedEx, is helpful as customers can know the status of their package. However, people tend to refresh the package tracking page every few minutes in their impatience to know the status of their package, which drives them crazy, as noted here.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is sitting at a computer.]
:*refresh*
:Megan: Aww, still in Memphis.
:*refresh*
:Megan: Aww, still in Memphis.
:*refresh*
:Megan: Aww, still in Memphis.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

310: Commitment

74.74.137.204 — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:12:27 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 310
| date = August 31, 2007
| title = Commitment
| image = commitment.png
| titletext = Could be worse. The last guy in that situation fell for one of the transient trumpeting angels.
}}

==Explanation==
In the first panel, [[Cueball]] proposes to a woman. While he does this, a narrator (most likely the man's inner voice) explains how he found love; there were no trumpeting angels, and he must overcome his fears to realize he loves the woman. In the second panel, they are married. In the third panel, after they are married, [[Megan]] comes in, and the angels trumpet. This was the symbol Cueball was looking for all along to recognize his love. Now he is already married to another woman while he knows who his true love is. The narrator then says "Well, shit." as Cueball realizes this and realizes the mistake he has made.

The title text notes that the last time this happened, Cueball fell in love with one of the angels, so it could be worse.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball proposing to a girl on his knee.]
:I understand now. There's no choir of angels when you meet the right person. It's about growing out of your fears to realize what you have is what you want.
:Cueball: I do.
:Girl: I do.
:[A cloud with trumpeting angels appears.]
:Megan: Hi.
:Well, shit.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Romance]]

503: Terminology

24.241.51.12 — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:15:55 GMT

Davidy22: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 503
| date = November 12, 2008
| title = Terminology
| image = terminology.png
| titletext = Also, is it just me, or do Japan and New Zealand look suspiciously similar? Has anyone seen them at a party together?
}}

==Explanation==
This comic shows a map of the world, showing an X indicating [[Randall]]'s location in the U.S. and arrows pointing west and east from it. The comic then shows Europe with the title "The West" as it is commonly referred to, despite being located to the east of Randall, and vice versa for Asia. Randall is therefore annoyed with the common terms "The West" and "The East" referring to locations east and west of him.

==Transcript==
:[Map of world with North America centered. An "x" is placed near east coast. Asia is labeled "The East" and Europe "The West."]
:"The East" <- West x (me) East -> "The West"
:This always bugged me.

{{comic discussion}}

258

79.146.7.174 — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:44:20 GMT

79.146.7.174:

{{comic
| number = 258
| date = May 7, 2007
| title = Conspiracy Theories
| image = conspiracy theories.png
| titletext = There are a lot of graduate-educated young-earth creationists.
}}

==Explanation==
A {{w|conspiracy theory}} purports to explain a social, political, or economic event as being caused or covered up by a covert group or organization. A typical example is the {{w|moon landing conspiracy}}, which asserts that no human has ever {{w|Moon landing|reached}} the Moon.

Once a conspiracy theory starts, it always grows stronger. Facts agreeing with the theory are, of course, evidence for the theory. Facts disagreeing with the theory are considered part of the cover-up, and thus prove there is in fact a cover-up, so they're also evidence for the theory. In the Moon landing case, videos of men walking on the Moon are assumed to be faked by Hollywood studios, so the existence of fake videos proves the cover-up. Also, the absence of filming crew or anything else needed for faking a video is considered further proof of how carefully the cover-up was planned. No matter what happens next, it will be evidence for the conspiracy theory. Because of this, people who present facts against a conspiracy theory tend to get quickly frustrated.

It could seem like smart or educated people should reject conspiracy theories for lack of proof, however this is not the case. In the comic, [[Hairy]] (who is considered "smart" by [[Cueball]]) starts pointing out errors in the {{w|September 11 attacks|"official" 9/11 story}}, obviously starting to describe the {{w|9/11 conspiracy theory}}. Cueball cuts his speech sharply, and his heart is broken because he's seeing his smart friend wasting his great intelligence in a foolish conspiracy theory, instead of doing something useful.

In the second panel, Cueball rants about conspiracy theories in general. He mentions {{w|Young Earth creationism}}, {{w|Moon landing conspiracy|the Moon landing}} and {{w|Perpetual motion}} machines. In the third panel, Hairy mentions that of course we never landed on the Moon. This frustrates Cueball so much that he just walks away with no further comment.

In the last panel, Cueball asks God to fix the bug he committed when creating smart beings capable of believing such foolish things as conspiracy theories.
This is a not-so-subtle joke as, to atheists, God himself is quite similar to a conspiracy theory. Indeed, any evidence against God's existence put forward by an atheist is met with a "whatever happens, it's God's will" by believers' side. This is much like any other conspiracy theory, so in this last panel Cueball is pictured as contradicting himself by complaining that other people believe in foolish conspiracy theories when he himself is very plainly believing his own foolish conspiracy theory.

The title text just repeats how lots of educated people believe in {{w|Young Earth creationism}}.

==Transcript==
:Hairy: The official story of 9-11 is full of holes. Take the--
:Cueball: Please, stop, because seeing this happen to you breaks my heart.

:Cueball: Conspiracy theories represent a known glitch in human reasoning. The theories are of course occasionally true, but their truth is completely uncorrelated with the believer's certainty For some reason, sometimes when people think they've uncovered a lie, they raise confirmation bias to an art form. They cut context away from facts and arguments and assemble them into reassuring litanies. And over and over I've argued helplessly with smart people consumed by theories they were sure were irrefutable, theories that in the end proved complete fictions.
:Cueball: Young-Earth Creationists, the Moon Landing people, the Perpetual Motion subculture -- can't you see you're falling into the same pattern?

:Hairy: You don't seriously believe we landed on the moon. Do you?

:[Cueball flees.]

:[Cueball praying:]
:Cueball: Dear God.
:[Booming from the sky:]
:God: YES MY CHILD?
:Cueball: I would like to file a bug report.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Religion]]

228: Resonance

Smperron — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:51:33 GMT

217.230.241.11:

{{comic
| number = 228
| date = February 26, 2007
| title = Resonance
| image = resonance.png
| titletext = It's really hard to control the frequency, actually.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Resonance}} is the tendency for an object to oscillate when energy is transferred to it at a specific set of frequencies (known as {{w|harmonics}} of the natural frequency of the object). A simple example of this is pushing a child on a swing: by pushing the child at the right moment, more and more energy is transferred to the system and the amplitude of the oscillation grows.

In this comic, the friend is jiggling his leg up and down at a harmonic of the natural frequency of [[Cueball]]'s desk. This causes Cueball's desk to vibrate more and more until objects on it start to bounce around. Rather than have the friend stop, Cueball wants him to slightly increase the frequency of the jiggling in order to spill the drink on Steve's desk (which is not pictured).

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is sitting at a desk, which is vibrating.]
:''clatter clatter''
:[He leans back and turns to face someone sitting at another desk behind him.]
:Cueball: Excuse me--you're jiggling your leg up and down. It's traveling through the floor and making my desk resonate.
:Friend: Oh, I didn't even realize! I'll stop.
:[Cueball passes a sheet of paper to the friend.]
:Cueball: Actually, can you just shift the frequency up by 15%? I think you can get resonance with Steve's desk instead.
:Friend: Uh huh...
:Cueball: Here are the calculations. Let's coordinate and try to spill his drink.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

160: Penny Arcade Parody

Smperron — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:21:03 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 160
| date = September 20, 2006
| title = Penny Arcade Parody
| image = penny arcade parody.png
| titletext = No one show this to Tycho's wife, okay?
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Penny Arcade}} is a {{w|webcomic}}, primarily about video-games and the culture surrounding them. It is written by {{w|Jerry Holkins}} and illustrated by {{w|Mike Krahulik}}, though they are better known but their comic alter-egos: Tycho Brahe and Jonathan "Gabe" Gabriel.

This strip begins as a parody of the Penny Arcade strip which makes fun of Sony for providing a lack-luster selection of PS3 games available on the console's launch date. However, it quickly turns into the narrator's fantasy of what might happen if Tycho discovered his spoof.

The cardboard tube references one of Gabe's alternate characters: {{w|List_of_Penny_Arcade_characters#Cardboard_Tube_Samurai|Cardboard Tube Samurai}}

==Transcript==
:[The first panel uses the art style of Penny Arcade.]
:Gabe: What? Sony has plenty of launch titles lined up that aren't lame sequels.
:Tycho: Name one. And furthermore, they... I... uh...

:[The art style is dropped. The next two panels are just text.]
:I can't do this. I can't parody Penny Arcade. I've got nothing on those guys. They're a class act, they know their audience, they know exactly what they're doing. Gabe experiments with his art, always bold and fresh without trying to perform. Tycho's writing continues to astound day after day. I can just see him, reading my uncultured swill masquerading as his florid prose.

:But he's not angry, no. He's sitting at his desk smiling that condescending half-smile, the corner of his mouth belying the self-assurance of a writer who never misplaces a word. His firm hands rest easily on the keyboard, his right thumb caressing the space bar gently, as I enter the room. He knows I'm there without turning around, and I'm too nervous to speak. But I don't have to; he understands, I can see it in the way his eyes play over me, reading my fears and doubts in a glance and washing them away with a knowing smile. Then he's on his feet, he's in front of me, and I don't feel the electric jolt I expected as our hands meet. It's just warm, warm and right: As I sink into his eyes I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I see Tycho smile at someone behind me. Gabe is standing there, grinning that mischievous grin, and twirling his beloved cardboard tube between his fingers.

:The night has just begun.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Romance]]

347: Brick Archway

Username — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:58:41 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 347
| date = November 21, 2007
| title = Brick Archway
| image = brick_archway.png
| titletext = The TI-86 was bad enough. I don't know how I'd have gotten through high school if I'd had a laptop+wifi.
}}

==Explanation==
Breakout is a game first created in 1976 and since which has gained much popularity and has been recreated in many different versions. In the game, the player controls a horizontal 'bat' at the bottom of the screen to make it move left or right. Above it are several layers of bricks which are destroyed when hit by the ball. The ball is not affected by gravity and will float around, bouncing off the walls, bricks and bat. The aim of the game is to keep the ball from touching the bottom of the screen (by deflecting it with the bat) long enough for the ball to hit and destroy all of the bricks.

[[Cueball]]'s approach to the game is to actually stand underneath a brick archway and throw a tennis ball at the structure above him in an attempt to destroy the bricks. Naturally, the physics in the game don't work in real life, and the aftermath of Cueball's actions is that one of the bricks in the archway comes loose and falls onto Cueball's head, causing possibly fatal damage.

The sentence at the bottom of the comic points out the illogical nature of the game when compared to real life.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball lies on the ground, underneath the titular archway, next to two halves of a brick. Dust falls from the place in the archway where the he knocked the brick from with the tennis ball. The ball, meanwhile, has rolled about a meter away.]
:"Breakout" is a stupid game.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

226: Swingset

Username — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:25:04 GMT

Markhurd: /* Explanation */clean up, typos fixed: ie. → i.e. , the the → the

{{comic
| number = 226
| date = February 21, 2007
| title = Swingset
| image = swingset.png
| titletext = Someone bring me a pocket fan so I can drift around the yard.
}}

==Explanation==
When on a swing, there is a moment between swinging forwards/backwards and falling back down again where the force of gravity stops the acceleration of the swing. In this moment, you remain almost stationary at the peak of your swing and on a perfect swing (i.e. one with no friction or air resistance) you would achieve weightlessness.

In the comic, [[Cueball]] is told this fact by an unknown woman and then imagines that at the peak of the swing you become permanently weightless and able to float above the ground without any support.

==Transcript==
:[Woman talking to Cueball on swing-set.]
:Woman: You know, at the peak of a big swing, you become weightless.
:[Thought bubble from Cueball.]
:[Cueball swings higher and higher. At the peak of a big swing he shoves off the swing. Cueball remains hovering in the air.]
:Cueball: Hey guys. Come check this out.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

1205: Is It Worth the Time?

Davidy22 — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:25:33 GMT

Mormegil: typo

{{comic
| number = 1205
| date = April 29, 2013
| title = Is It Worth the Time?
| image = is it worth the time.png
| titletext = Don't forget the time you spend finding the chart to look up what you save. And the time spent reading this reminder about the time spent. And the time trying to figure out if either of those actually make sense. Remember, every second counts toward your life total, including these right now.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic is a straightforward chart showing the amount of work (time) one can dedicate to making a task more efficient, in order not to spend more time optimizing the task than the total time saved. This may illustrate the fact that computer scientists often try to optimize tasks they are likely to perform again in the future (since this is a common goal in their work), even though the work needed for that optimization can itself prove much longer than the time saved when doing the task again; this was previously referenced in [[974: The General Problem]].

E.g. if you do some task every week once, and you are able to save 1 minute of time by doing some preparatory work (e.g. build or buy a tool), you can spend 4 hours doing this preparatory work, and you will, across five-years time, come even. (Any less time spent doing the preparatory work, and you will profit from it.)

The calculation on which the chart is based, for this example:

: 5 years / 1 week = 260 occurrences of the task
: 260 occurrences × 1 saved minute = 260 saved minutes = 4.3 hours

Therefore, 1 minute saved every week would, across five years, save over 4 hours of your time.

Or, in algebraic form:

: Total time shaved off across 5 years = 5 × “How often you do the task every year” × “How much time you shave off”

The blacked out areas represent times which are impossible to save (e.g. it is impossible to shave 1 hour off a task if you perform 50 times a day – the total time shaved off per day would amount to 50 hours, far more than the 24 hours a day).

The comic derives humor from the absurd conclusions of hyper-efficiency, which have been examined in http://what-if.xkcd.com/22/. The title text points out the time you spend studying this comic detracts from your overall efficiency, and concludes that maximizing efficiency would require optimal use of every second.

One more comic devoted to insufficient economy is [[951: Working]], where the money saved is compared to the time wasted while looking for a bargain.

==Transcript==
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! colspan="6" | How often you do the task
|-
! 50/day !! 5/day !! Daily !! Weekly !! Monthly !! Yearly
|-
!rowspan="9" width="10" | How much time you shave off
! 1 second
| 1 day || 2 hours || 30 minutes || 4 minutes || 1 minute || 5 seconds
|-
! 5 seconds
| 5 days || 12 hours || 2 hours || 21 minutes || 5 minutes || 25 seconds
|-
! 30 seconds
| 4 weeks || 3 days || 12 hours || 2 hours || 30 minutes || 2 minutes
|-
! 1 minute
| 8 weeks || 6 days || 1 day || 4 hours || 1 hour || 5 minutes
|-
! 5 minutes
| 9 months || 4 week || 6 days || 21 hours || 5 hour || 25 minutes
|-
! 30 minutes
| — || 6 months || 5 weeks || 5 days || 1 day || 2 hours
|-
! 1 hour
| — || 10 months || 2 months || 10 days || 2 days || 5 hours
|-
! 6 hours
| — || — || — || 2 months || 2 weeks || 1 day
|-
! 1 day
| — || — || — || — || 8 weeks || 5 days
|}

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Math]]

557: Students

134.148.10.12 — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:44:05 GMT

SlashMe: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 557
| date = March 18, 2009
| title = Students
| image = students.png
| titletext = The same goes for the one where you're wrestling the Green Ranger in the swimming pool full of Crisco. You guys all have that dream, right? It's not just me. Right?
}}

==Explanation==
Students often dream they have assessments they have forgotten about that are due in a very short time period. This comic suggests these dreams continue well after graduation.

==Transcript==
:[A teacher speaks in a crowded classroom, one of the students seems confused.]
:Teacher: Your projects are due today by 5:00 PM.
:Student: ((...I didn't even know we had one.))
:Student: ((Wait. I don't think I've been attending. I must have forgotten I had this class. Shitshitshit.))
:Student: ((Okay, I'm gonna fail. Will it hold me back? I just want to get out of here. I thought I had finished my requirements already.))
:Student: ((In fact, I think I remember graduating.))
:Student: ((What the hell is--))
:[Scene fades to the 'student' waking up.]
:Fun Fact: Decades from now, with school a distant memory, you'll still be having this dream.

{{comic discussion}}

524: Party

58.96.125.176 — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 12:25:57 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 524
| date = December 31, 2008
| title = Party
| image = party.png
| titletext = I wonder what 2008 meme will go bizarrely mainstream in 2009 like rickrolling did in 2007-2008. I accidentally <noun>? Yo, dawg? Place your bets now!
}}

==Explanation==
In the first panel, we see [[Black Hat]] telling [[Cueball]] that he has hired {{w|Rick Astley}} to show up at a party for a girl. When Cueball assumes Rick Astley is going to perform a live {{w|rickroll}} (sing the song "{{w|Never Gonna Give You Up}}"), Black Hat assures him that Rick is not actually going to sing.

We then see the girl in question (who resembles [[Danish]], Black Hat's girlfriend) talking with [[Ponytail]], notice Rick Astley as he enters her party. Like Cueball, the girl expects Rick Astley is going to sing and rickroll her live, and when he does not, his presence causes her to hear the song in her head instead, and she flees the room screaming. Black Hat has essentially rickrolled her in her own mind.

When Ponytail then asks Rick Astley what he did, he merely answers "that, my dear, is how I roll", referencing the [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/puts-on-sunglasses-yeeeeaaahhh "Puts On Sunglasses"] meme.

Rickrolling is where one is redirected to a video of Rick Astley singing "Never Gonna Give You Up" via a weblink purporting to be in relation to something else. It was later extended to any situation where the song is used disruptively, such as during a party (as in this situation).

Rickrolling, which first appeared in May 2007 on {{w|4chan}}, became viral during the later part of 2007 and 2008, and this is referred to in the first part of the tagline. The tagline then asks what meme will replace Rickrolling in 2009. Although [[Randall]] makes reference to the "Xzibit Yo Dawg" and "I accidentally..." photocaptioning memes, {{w|memebase}} entries suggest the "Keep Calm and Carry On" meme may well have become the most popular (and most enduring, as of 2013) meme of 2009.

Although the identity of the girl Black Hat is pranking is not stated by Randall (he refers to her as Girl 1), she bears some resemblance to Danish, Black Hat's girlfriend. Danish was introduced in the Journal storyline (Comic # [[377]]), some time prior to this comic (# 524). It could be assumed that Danish is the girl Black Hat is pranking based on the sequence of comics.

==Transcript==
:Black Hat: And so I hired Rick Astley to show up at her party.
:Cueball: And rickroll her? Isn't that a little...last year?
:Black Hat: Ah, but he's not going to sing.

:Girl: Hey is that Rick Astley?
:Ponytail: I think it is. He just came in.
:Girl: Oh no. Brace yourself.

:Girl: Wait. He's just standing there. Where's the song?
:Girl: He's staring at me.
:Girl: This is a little creepy.

:Girl: What's going on?
:Girl: That's actually ''Rick Astley'' staring at me.
:Girl: What's he doing?
:Girl: Oh God, I keep expecting it, hearing it in my head.

:[The girl pulls at her hair.]
:Girl: Just do it already!
:[The girl runs stage right.]
:Girl: AAAAAAAA

:Ponytail: Mr. Astley?
:Rick Astley: Yes?
:Ponytail: What did you ''do'' to her? What ''was'' that?

:Rick Astley: That, my dear,

:[Rick Astley puts on sunglasses.]

:Rick Astley: Is how '''''I''''' roll.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Puts on sunglasses]]

255: Subjectivity

PinkAmpersand — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:28:43 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 255
| date = April 30, 2007
| title = Subjectivity
| image = subjectivity.png
| titletext = Or maybe the slide is like Aslan, and gets taller as I do (except without the feeling of discomfort when I reach my teens and suddenly get the Christ stuff)
}}

==Explanation==
Parodies the experience of finding that things you saw a child are much smaller than you'd perceived them to be: [[Cueball]] is convinced that this will be the case with his childhood slide, only to find that it is indeed quite large. (However, in his mind's eye it's roughly four times his height, while in real life it's only about double.)

The title text references {{w|Aslan}}, a character from ''{{w|The Chronicles of Narnia}}''. Aslan is often regarded as a Christ figure, but since ''Narnia'' is a children's series many readers don't realize this until long after they've read the books – another instance of how perspective changes with age, and of the comic's title, "subjectivity".

==Transcript==
:[Tall slide, seen from the ground.]
:When I was a kid, my school playground had a really tall slide that always made me nervous
:[Tall slide, seen from the side.]
:We moved away, but the slide stuck in my memory, becoming a skyscraping monster
:[Car and a sign pointing to school zone.]
:Years later, I was passing through my old town and remembered the playground
:I drove to the school to see the slide that my inner six-year-old thought was so towering
:[Huge slide, Cueball beside it.]
:AND IT WAS HUGE
:I KNEW IT

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

1204: Detail

ZephireNZ — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:22:32 GMT

Markhurd: clean up; remove cats provided by comic template

{{comic
| number = 1204
| date = April 26, 2013
| title = Detail
| image = detail.png
| titletext = 2031: Google defends the swiveling roof-mounted scanning electron microscopes on its Street View cars, saying they 'don't reveal anything that couldn't be seen by any pedestrian scanning your house with an electron microscope.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Google Earth}} is mapping software provided by Google that allows people to view the Earth from above. If you zoom in close enough, you can see individual streets – or in this case, a neighborhood.

{{w|Optical resolution|Resolution}} is a term meaning the smallest length detectable in an image. In this context, this would correspond to the real-life size of a single pixel in a satellite image. Smaller resolutions are better. In this strip, Randall points out that the resolution of images available to Google Earth has been improving exponentially in the past few years. The images get finer as satellite imaging technology improves and betters ways of collecting the data are found. Each tick in the scale represents a resolution improvement by 1000x.

The {{w|Planck length}} is the shortest length possible in quantum mechanics, so it is the "resolution" of the universe. It is believed to be around 1.6×10−35 meters, close to 10−20 times the diameter of a proton. The comic shows how extrapolating the trend in Google Earth's resolution could hit or surpass the Planck length around the year 2100; although obviously this isn't possible (probably). Like [[605]] ("Extrapolating"), it deals with unwarranted linear extrapolation.

The title text refers to the fact that the trendline predicts an available resolution in the nanometer range by 2031, which would necessitate (using today's technology) the use of {{w|scanning electron microscope}}s to achieve. It also refers to some heat that Google received before about its vehicle mounted cameras being an invasion of privacy. Google came back saying that nothing the cameras pick up can't be seen by a pedestrian walking by.

==Transcript==
:My Neghborhood's Resolution in:
:[A chart showing the Resolution of Google Earth increasing on a logarithmic scale towards the Planck Length, with resolution on the y-axis and time in years on the x-axis.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Extrapolation]]

395: Morning

Evbneto — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:35:47 GMT

Davidy22: Color whEre

{{comic
| number = 395
| date = March 12, 2008
| title = Morning
| image = morning.png
| titletext = I'd press on them to try to unstick them, but I can't reach. Can we try cycling day and night really fast?
}}

==Explanation==
This comic makes reference to the idea, as presented in the movie {{w|The Matrix}}, that reality is a computer simulation. In {{w|Liquid-crystal display|LCD screens}}, specially {{w|TFT LCD}}, a {{w|Defective Pixel|dead pixel}} is a pixel that does not work properly, usually set as black or as some other colour. Megan realizes that the reality is a computer simulation when she sees dead pixels in the sky, indicating that what she sees is an LCD screen. Usual techniques for fixing a dead pixel are applying pressure and releasing it, which isn't possible for Megan due to the distance of the sky, and making that area of the screen change colors really quickly, which could happen if the day-and-night cycle was fast enough.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is standing to one side.]
:We've all seen The Matrix
:We've all joked about "What resolution is life"
:But it doesn't blunt the shock
:Of waking up one morning
:[Megan looks up from field and sees several colored pixels in the sky.]
:And seeing dead pixels in the sky.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

545: Neutrality Schmeutrality

153.9.84.211 — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:28:20 GMT

Davidy22:

{{comic
| number = 545
| date = February 18, 2009
| title = Neutrality Schmeutrality
| image = neutrality schmeutrality.png‎
| titletext = "Hey, everyone, you can totally trust that I didn't do a word count on MY edit!"
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Wikipedia}} is an online encyclopedia with content developed and submitted by volunteers around the world. In fact, its slogan is "Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit." Most articles on the site can be altered by anyone with access to Wikipedia.

Wikipedia has set some standards for its operation, which it refers to as the "Five pillars of Wikipedia". One of these pillars is titled "Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view."

Pro-life and pro-choice refer to two opposing viewpoints in the debate of the moral and legal rights concerning abortion. For many on both sides, it is a very emotional topic.

[[Black Hat]] has decided to prove that you can create an article which fundamentally cannot remain neutral. Since his charitable donation is determined by the word count of the article, any submission to Wikipedia must result in supporting either pro-life or pro-choice. And with a reward of one million dollars, it is unlikely that either side would allow an article to remain unedited which supported its opponent.

The title text is a statement from the Wikipedia author in an attempt to assert the neutrality of the submission, claiming no word count was performed before posting (an unlikely scenario).

==Transcript==
:TRIVIA: It's possible to create events which Wikipedia cannot cover neutrally
:[Black Hat is at a press conference in which he is making an announcement.]
:Black Hat: In a week, I will be donating $1,000,000 to a recipient determined by the word count of the Wikipedia article about this even. If it's even, the money goes to pro-choice activists. If it's odd, pro-life.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]

569: Borders

117.194.88.180 — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:26:11 GMT

Markhurd: /* Explanation */clean up, typos fixed: each others → each other's

{{comic
| number = 569
| date = April 15, 2009
| title = Borders
| image = borders.png
| titletext = Eventually a UN is set up. And then a lone rebel runs down the line of flags in front of it, runs back to his base, and gets a kajillion points.
}}

==Explanation==
Capture the flag (CTF) is a common way of playing games where the objective is to capture the opponents flag, while protecting your own teams flag. This comic describes a CTF server where peace has been established, and no one is trying to capture each other's flags, therefore making the game pointless.

The title text refers to the line of flags common in front of UN buildings, where the flags of all the teams has been gathered. One could then quickly capture all the flags and reach a very high score.
{{incomplete}}

==Transcript==
:[Two people stand on a hill overlooking a great city. Between them and the city stands an embassy flying a red flag.]
:Three years ago, the kingdom of Liate overthrew their old order and established a constitutional monarchy. Our leaders signed a treaty with their queen, and our borders were set by the Yabris Accords.
:Many said war would be unending, that peace would always be a dream deferred. But today, our flag flies proudly over our embassy in their kingdom, and they walk our lands without fear.
:So come, traveller. Lay down your grudges and join us in brotherhood. It is time not to fight, but to live.
:[Cueball sitting at computer.]
:Cueball: This is the worst capture-the-flag server ever.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]