explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2864: Compact Graphs

2023-12-07T01:01:52Z

108.162.216.169:

{{comic
| number = 2864
| date = December 6, 2023
| title = Compact Graphs
| image = compact_graphs_2x.png
| imagesize = 373x306px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = People may complain about readability, but even with jpeg compression, extracting the data points is usually computationally feasible if there aren't too many of them.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by HUGH LaBEL - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is another one of [[:Category:Tips|Randall's Tips]]. In it, he tells graphic designers to use hue and label in their graphs to represent data from the start, rather than first using standard x and y axes and then using hue and label to represent additional dimensions (such as the z-axis). An example of hue being used to represent a dimension in a graph is on topographical maps, where the x and y axes are geographic position, and the hue (color) of a point represents the height of the terrain there. However, most people don’t know enough about hue to understand it this "graph." {{citation needed}}

The title text mentions that people may complain about readability, as is evident from the jumbled mess of seemingly meaningless lines in the hue and label graph in the comic. It says that discerning the data points is "computationally feasible, as long as there aren't too many of them." The decryption of information being labelled as "computationally feasible" implies that it is so difficult to discern, that the best thing that can be said about it is that it is not completely impossible.

With this particular dataset, since there are only four numbers is relatively easy to see the labels as a red 62, a green 105, a blue 230 and a yellow-orange 159, which would correspond to the pairs (9, 62),(95, 105),(215, 230) and (48, 159) respectively.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Left: graph of points plotted along two axes, headered by:]

:Variable 1: X Axis

:Variable 2: Y Axis

:[A arrow pointing to the right.]

:[Right: various semi-transparent numbers in different colors stacked on top of each other, headered by:]

:Variable 1: Hue

:Variable 2: Label
:[Caption below the comic:]

:Design tip: You can make your graphs more space-efficient by using hue and label for the first two variables, instead of only turning to them once you’ve used up the X and Y axes.

{{comic discussion}}

260: The Glass Necklace

2022-05-04T17:46:58Z

108.162.216.169: Undo revision 240755 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 260
| date = May 11, 2007
| title = The Glass Necklace
| image = the_glass_necklace.png
| titletext = Well, for some value of 'actually work'.
}}
==Explanation==
This is one of the most romantic comics published in xkcd.

The heat from a lightning strike can fuse {{w|sand}} into {{w|glass}}. When this occurs in nature, hollow tubes called {{w|fulgurite}}s are formed. [[Cueball]] uses this knowledge and a spark of handiness and ingenuity to create an entirely homemade glass necklace for [[Megan]]. Here is [http://chemistry.about.com/od/advancedscienceprojects/a/How-To-Make-A-Fulgurite.htm some inspiration] to do it yourself.

The title text represents an answer to the logical question prompted by this comic, which is "Would this actually work?" The implied answer is "Yes," but only "for some value of 'actually work'."

This is a play on the phrase "for some value of x," used frequently in physics or mathematics when it's not necessary (nor easy, maybe not even possible) to calculate a suitable value of x. For example, if you supply energy to a {{w|DeLorean time machine|Flux Capacitor}}, could it turn a DeLorean into a time machine? The answer is yes, if you have sufficient energy (the 'some value of x' in this case).

Most people would take the title text to mean that the process most likely "doesn't actually work." But a romantic person (who may be in love and thus not as sensible) might give it a try anyway. Well, at least it worked for Cueball....

==Transcript==
:[There is only one large panel in this comic, but it is still divided up into 19 individual scenes, one following the other, but of very different size and details. In every scene, there is at least one word noted, mainly just stating what Cueball does. The first row has four scenes (1-4), the second row only two (5-6), the third row has three (7-9), the fourth four (10-13), the fifth five (14-18), and then the last scene takes up the middle of the sixth row (19).]

:[Scene 1: Cueball is seen sitting behind a table facing out of the panel drawing on a paper with a cup next to him on the table. An arrow points down to the paper from above where the sketch he is drawing is shown on a zoom in on the paper. He has drawn a cylinder shown in the top left, next to it is a detailed diagram of the cylinder in a cross section down its length, showing that it is hollow, with electrical terminals on either end. The dimensions of the cylinders length, both inner and outer, are indicated on each side of this diagram. Below right is a cross section through circular section indicating the diameter. At the bottom left, there is an instruction showing that the cylinder can be opened in one end, and and an arrow with a label points into the open cylinder. The label can be read, but the dimensions are unreadable.]
:Draw
:Label: Sand

:[Scene 2: Cueball is at a workbench making the device in a workshop. The main part of the cylinder can already be seen lying on the table, as Cueball works on another part. His sketch is also resting on the table leaning up against the rear part of the workbench where four rows with three small drawers in each row are closed, except the second row from the top, where there are only two drawers, the left of those two drawers standing open. On the edge of the table, two tools looking like hammers hang down. On the floor lie three small rectangular items.]
:Make
:Make

:[Scene 3: Cueball kneels down on a beach and scoops up sand in a beaker. To the left, a fairly large wave (the surf) can be seen far down along the beach. Above the sea, there are a large cloud and a smaller one. To the right of the beach is a dense forest growing close to the surf. The tree trunks are visible, as are the leaves, but most trees and trunks are not possible to single out, except one large tree standing a little further out than the rest just behind Cueball. The trunk of this tree looks a little like a palm tree trunk, but it has a regular crown of normal leaves.]
:Scoop

:[Scene 4: Cueball, sitting behind a table, pours the sand from the beaker into the cylinder. The lid of the cylinder lies on the table next to a full glass. It is not clear if it is full of water or just more sand. The beaker used to pour sand is not transparent like the glass on the table is.]
:Pour

:[Scene 5: Cueball ties a spool of string to one end of the cylinder and ties a deflated weather balloon, lying on the ground to the right, to the other end. The spool lies on the ground to the left.]
:Tie

:[Scene 6: The weather balloon is inflated, and Cueball raises it up into the clouds as thunder rumbles in the huge dark clouds to the right. The cylinder is clearly visible just below the balloon. To the left towards the horizon, there is something that may be a distant city, but there are some lines going away from it away from the horizon, the meaning of which is unclear, could be electrical wires in the air for transporting electricity.]
:Rumble

:[Scene 7: Cueball has left after having tied the end of the string to a stake in the ground. The sky is completely covered with clouds, and the first lightning is flashing in the background, thunder following. The balloon hangs close to the clouds, the cylinder barely visible at this distance.]
:<big>''Boom''</big>

:[Scene 8: Lightning hits the balloon and travels all the way down to the rod, which can just be seen at the bottom. There is a loud crack, and the incandescent balloon inside the lightning hisses.]
:<big>''Crack''</big>
:TSSS

:[Scene 9: A slim image with a zoom-in just of the cylinder as the lightning hits, showing it attached to the wires going up and down from each of the two terminals. The lightning travels along the wire through the cylinder and out the other wire, fusing the sand contents within.]
:Fuse

:[Scene 10: The clouds are disappearing to the left, and the sun is out again to the left. Two birds fly in the distance near the sun, and below them there is a hill in the horizon. Cueball, holding onto the string with one hand, follows the string to the cylinder lying on the ground. Above this scene, there is a frame with a caption:]
:Later
:Follow

:[Scene 11: Cueball detaches the cylinder from the wire that goes to the remains of the burned out balloon lying on the ground to the right. The other part of the wire still hangs down from the cylinder's other end.]
:Detach

:[Scene 12: Zoom in on Cueball as he opens the cylinder, letting a wisp of smoke out. The cylinder has clearly been exposed to some rough condition, its surface flaking off. Cueball's hands are clearly visible, which is an unusual style in xkcd.]
:Open

:[Scene 13: Cueball puts his hands into the cylinder and removes a piece of glass with a zigzag shape. Leftover sand pouts out as he draws it out of the open cylinder.]
:Remove

:[Scene 14: Back at his table (with only the surface shown), Cueball admires the piece of glass, holding it between both of his hands. The broken and open cylinder lies on the table, sand pouring out, while the lid lies to the left.]
:Admire

:[Scene 15: Cueball is looking at White Hat (a jeweler) standing behind his desk under a large sign hanging from a string put over a peck in the wall above the desk. White Hat examines the glass, holding it up in his hand and looking at it with a magnifying glass he is holding up to his eye. A lamp is standing on the table.]
:Sign: <big>Jeweler</big>
:Examine

:[Scene 16: White Hat, only, grinds the glass on a grindstone he has put on his desk, pieces of glass seeming to fly away from the stone. There are four indeterminate tools lying on the table.]
:Grind

:[Scene 17: White Hat, only, sets the now-shining glass in a necklace, having cleared the table from any other items.]
:Set

:[Scene 18: Cueball holds the glass necklace in both hands, looks at it, and approves the final result, while White Hat stands behind his desk with something small and rectangular in his hand, probably the money Cueball paid for his service.]
:Approve

:[Scene 19: Cueball gives the glass necklace to Megan, almost touching it and her hands with an outstretched hand. Megan admires the shining piece of glass she now holds in her hands, the string hanging down from her hands.]
:Give

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Animals]] 
[[Category:Weather]]

459: Holy Ghost

2015-07-31T18:25:09Z

108.162.216.169: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 459
| date = August 6, 2008
| title = Holy Ghost
| image = holy ghost.png
| titletext = Okay, everyone, cross yourselves, then cross the streams.
}}

==Explanation==
The majority of {{w|Christianity|Christian}} sects (including {{w|Catholicism|Roman Catholicism}}) profess belief in the conception of a singular {{w|God}} wherein there is a mysterious unity of three distinct 'persons' who share in one another's divinity, in a concept called the {{w|Trinity}}. The three persons are conventionally called {{w|God_the_Father|the Father}}, {{w|God the Son|the Son}}, and {{w|the Holy Spirit}} — but in more archaic English usage, the third person was referred to as {{w|the Holy Ghost}}.

The 1984 movie ''{{w|Ghostbusters}}'' was based on the premise that ghosts exist and that four unemployed men had access to technology that could trap such ghosts. These men formed a business as Ghostbusters and an important tool in their arsenal was a so-called "proton stream" powered by a wearable backpack. These streams would prod or stun ghosts, allowing them to be maneuvered into traps. Throughout the movie, the Ghostbusters reminded each other 'not to cross the streams' as this was supposed to cause a disastrous reaction, until the climax of the movie where crossing the streams was required to banish the main antagonist.

Here we see that the Ghostbusters have apparently just encountered and eliminated the Holy Ghost, and are being taken to task by a {{w|Bishop}}, perhaps the {{w|Pope}}, leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He points out that much of Christian theology is grounded in the doctrine of the Trinity and is unwilling to accept the Ghostbusters' apology.

The title text is a play on a short Catholic prayer called the {{w|Sign of the Cross}} (the physical motions of which involve touching the forehead, chest and shoulders), the practice of which is colloquially called 'crossing oneself', and on the danger of the Ghostbusters' 'crossing the streams' and touching two proton streams together, which in ''Ghostbusters'' canon causes an explosive chain reaction in all nearby atoms.

==Transcript==
:[A bishop stands behind a table.]
:Bishop: This is a disaster.
:Ghostbuster (off-screen): Is it really that bad?
:[The bishop seen from the side in white on a black background. The text is in white:]
:Bishop: Do you know how much scripture we'll have to revise?
:Ghostbuster (off-screen): Look, we've apologized –
:[Zoom out from the bishop]
:Bishop: I mean, we can't have a trinity with just a Father and a Son!
:Ghostbuster (off-screen): Again we're sorry.
:[The four Cueball- like Ghostbusters with their proton packs.]
:Bishop (off-screen): Sorry's not enough. Guards, take their proton packs.
:Ghostbuster: Hey, we were just doing our jobs!

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

66: Abusive Astronomy

2015-05-25T19:40:35Z

108.162.216.169: /* Explanation */ correcting apparent grammar error in first sentence.

{{comic
| number = 66
| date = February 20, 2006
| title = Abusive Astronomy
| image = abusive_astronomy.jpg
| titletext = Medium: Pencil on paper
}}
==Explanation==
An asterism is a pattern of stars which form some sort of perceived shape in the night sky. Some of these are patterns are used to name regions of the sky, as constellations. Modern astronomy organises the sky into 88 constellations, but different cultures saw different patterns in the same night sky, going back at least as far as the Babylonians and there are many other patterns and grouping of stars. The {{w|Pleiades}}, {{w|Orion's belt}} and the {{w|Big Dipper}} are among the most common asterisms that we recognize today and are among the first taught to people with an interest in astronomy. The Pleiades is an open star cluster in the constellation of Taurus, it is a group of stars which formed from the same nebula, and are moving together. Orion's belt consists of three stars which appear close in the sky, but are in fact at great distance from each other. The Big Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Major. It can be used to help find the north pole star {{w|Polaris}} which is an aid to night-time navigation.

During planetarium tours, the tour guide will point out popular constellations and stars, sometimes they will ask a question to get the audience involved in the presentation. Usually these people are big on showing the wonder of the galaxy and are all smiles, but people have bad days. The comic is presenting an especially aggressive way of introducing the night sky.

When astronomers in the Northern Hemisphere are showing stars to people, there will frequently be someone who points to the Pleiades and says, "There's the Big Dipper!" (both appear as a trapezium of stars, with a handle, though the Pleiades is much smaller). This gets frustrating about the 100th time that you encounter this error. So, this comic could show someone releasing their frustration on the misinformed public by pointing out that what they just pointed at is actually the Pleiades. Then, pointing out that you can always locate the Pleiades by following the line of the stars in the belt of Orion. Then, pointing out the REAL Big Dipper.

In the title text, [[Randall]] explains that he drew this comic as a line drawing on white paper, using only a pencil. The image was later inverted for publication.

==Transcript==
:Identifying star clusters:
:[Image of a star cluster.]
:This is the Pleiades, asshole.

:Orion's Belt:
:[Image of Orion's Belt.]
:Only a moron couldn't find it.

:This is the Big Dipper:
:[Image of the Big Dipper.]
:What the hell is wrong with you?

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

Talk:1475: Technically

2015-01-19T23:24:34Z

108.162.216.169:

Technically, it's poor form and rude to ignore someone based on *Clicks Random page* [[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 13:45, 19 January 2015 (UTC)
It's also possible that Cueball is purposefully inviting another "technically" sentence by stating he's looking at a bug, since it's unlikely he's looking at a member of the order Hemiptera. 14:21, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

Well, it seems that White hat is responding to being asked if he is taking drugs, and technically, any food item that is consumed only for its taste or other effect on the body and mind, such as chocolate, could be argued to be a drug by a combination of both definitions given in the explanation. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.85|108.162.254.85]] 17:39, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

Along the same lines as the "bug" statement, does "a rock with a fossil in it" invite any sort of technical correction? I wouldn't know, personally, but there might be some people out there who would argue that since the fossil was a rock, or some other quibble about the phrase? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.192|108.162.238.192]] 20:19, 19 January 2015 (UTC)
:At that point, I'd say we're drastically overthinking this. Rocks are not in and of themselves fossils, but they are the most common substance in which fossils are found. (And anyway, most of the discussion about refining that definition would probably include several sentences starting with "technically", which I'd immediately ignore. ;)) [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 21:56, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

Even though the comic doesn't state this specifically, I wonder if this one goes under his "My Hobby" series. It certainly seems to be in the same spirit. [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 21:57, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

Please explain what is meant by "third type" and "fourth type" in the current comic description [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.157|173.245.54.157]] 22:59, 19 January 2015 (UTC)
:It referred to a chart (now deleted) giving the "types" of sentences beginning with "technically". I have replaced this with the definition originally in the chart.--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.169|108.162.216.169]] 23:24, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

1475: Technically

2015-01-19T23:23:08Z

108.162.216.169: without the chart, "third" and "fourth" type are meaningless

{{comic
| number = 1475
| date = January 19, 2015
| title = Technically
| image = technically.png
| titletext = "Technically that sentence started with 'well', so--" "Ooh, a rock with a fossil in it!"
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|First Draft}}

[[Cueball]] has decided that any sentence beginning with the word "technically" is highly likely to be completely worthless for him to listen to, so he allows himself to be distracted by anything which happens to be around.

White Hat is using "technically" to impart what he believes is a little-known fact. However, it only is so due to his incorrect interpretation of the word "drug" and lack of understanding of the role of food in human physiology. Indeed, the word drug is defined as "a substance used to treat an illness, relieve a symptom, or modify a chemical process in the body for a specific purpose", followed by a secondary definition of "a psychoactive substance, especially one which is illegal and addictive". Food, on the other hand, is defined as "any substance that can be consumed by living organisms, especially by eating, in order to sustain life". In other words, food is consumed in order to sustain the normal, innate state of the body, while the drug is consumed in order to alter certain states.

The title text starts to pedantically over apply Cueball's rule to the comic panel, noting that technically [[White Hat]]'s sentence started with the word 'well' instead of the word 'technically', and thus Cueball is wrong to have ignored it. Halfway through the sentence, this argument is cut off by the discovery of a rock with a fossil in it, correctly applying the rule to a sentence that began with the word "technically".

==Transcript==
:[White Hat talks to Cueball who looks at a flying insect]
:White Hat: Well, technically, food is a "drug", since it's a substance that alters how your body works, so yes, I'm —
:Cueball: Hey, look at that weird bug!

:[Caption below the frame:]
:My life improved when I realized I could just ignore any sentence that started with "technically."

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

1473: Location Sharing

2015-01-14T06:32:47Z

108.162.216.169: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1473
| date = January 14, 2015
| title = Location Sharing
| image = location_sharing.png
| titletext = Our phones must have great angular momentum sensors because the compasses really suck.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|First draft.}}

In this comic, Megan is visiting a website on her mobile phone. After loading it, the website asks for her location, which Megan gives. The choice between allowing or denying a website or app access to certain information is common among smartphones. The term "location sharing" specifically refers to when a smartphone user shares her location with such an entity. An example of which is a weather app which would need your location in order to find the correct forecast.

Megan is then asked her momentum, which she denies. The joke is based off of the Uncertainty Principle, which, in physics, states that one cannot know exactly the location and momentum of an electron. This principle was previously referenced directly in XKCD comic [[824]], and as a topic for discussion in XKCD comics [[1404]] and [[1416]]. In the context of the comic, Megan acknowledges the website's attempt to violate the uncertainty principle by saying "nice try".

The title text refers to the inclusion of {{w|accelerometer}}s in modern cell phones, mostly to detect when the phone is tilted, but also used in a few mobile games. Modern phones also include varied technologies (such as GPS) to pinpoint the user's location, with varying degrees of accuracy. Randall suggests this poor accuracy is due to the accelerometers being too good. (If both the accelerometers and the location sensors were completely accurate, it would violate the uncertainty principle.)

==Transcript==
First Slide:
This website wants to know your location
Two buttons: "Allow" on left and "Deny" on right
Allow is highlighted

Second Slide:
No text

Third Slide:
This website wants to know your momentum
Two buttons: "Allow" on left and "Deny" on right
Deny is highlighted

"Nice Try"

{{comic discussion}}

1473: Location Sharing

2015-01-14T06:21:13Z

108.162.216.169:

{{comic
| number = 1473
| date = January 14, 2015
| title = Location Sharing
| image = location_sharing.png
| titletext = Our phones must have great angular momentum sensors because the compasses really suck.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|First draft.}}

In this comic, Megan is visiting a website on her mobile phone. After loading it, the website asks for her location, which Megan gives. The choice between allowing or denying a website or app access to certain information is common among smartphones. The term "location sharing" specifically refers to when a smartphone user shares her location with such an entity. An example of which is a weather app which would need your location in order to find the correct forecast.

Megan is then asked her momentum, which she denies. The joke is based off of the Uncertainty Principle, which, in physics, states that one cannot know exactly the location and momentum of an electron. This principle was previously referenced directly in XKCD comic [[824]], and as a topic for discussion in XKCD comics [[1404]] and [[1416]]. In the context of the comic, Megan acknowledges the website's attempt to violate the uncertainty principle by saying "nice try".

The title text refers to the inclusion of {{w|accelerometer}}s in modern cell phones, mostly to detect when the phone is tilted, but also used in a few mobile games. Modern phones also include varied technologies to pinpoint the user's location, with varying degrees of accuracy. Randall suggests this poor accuracy is due to the accelerometers being too good. (If both the accelerometers and the location sensors were completely accurate, it would violate the uncertainty principle.)

==Transcript==
First Slide:
This website wants to know your location
Two buttons: "Allow" on left and "Deny" on right
Allow is highlighted

Second Slide:
No text

Third Slide:
This website wants to know your momentum
Two buttons: "Allow" on left and "Deny" on right
Deny is highlighted

"Nice Try"

{{comic discussion}}

1467: Email

2014-12-31T07:37:19Z

108.162.216.169: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1467
| date = December 31, 2014
| title = Email
| image = email.png
| titletext = My New Year's resolution for 2014-54-12/30/14 Dec:12:1420001642 is to learn these stupid time formatting strings.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created for a live studio audience. - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}
Beret guy doesn't seem to konw what e-mail is, even though the term has existed since 1993, and has been in widesperead use by the general public since 1998 when free e-mail providers appeared. Megan is visibly appaled and wonders how else he expects electronic messages to be sent. Beret guy offers two alternatives: fax and snapchat. When Megan tries to point out that snapchat is mostly used to send naked pictures, Beret guy takes her to mean that fax is mostly used to send naked pictures. He terms this use of faxes faxting, a made-up word by analogy with sexting.

The mouseover text shows what is possibly Randall's new years resolution: to learn how to use time formatting functions. When programming, it is often useful to obtain the current time by means of a time function. However, these time functions often provide more detail than what the programmer needs, such as time zone and miliseconds. Time formatting functions allow the output of the time function to be converted into what the programmer needs. Randall appears to have used a time function to get the current year, but whend trying to convert the output with a time function, rather than delimiting to just the necessary detail, he appears to have added more detail in; mostly unecessary detail such as redundantly displaying the month as both "12" and "Dec".

==Transcript==
:[Megan approaches Beret Guy.]
:Megan: Any New Year's resolutions?
:Beret Guy: Gonna figure out what email is.
:Megan: ''...Email?''

:[Megan points to her phone.]
:Beret Guy: People always say they're sending them. They sound really into it, so I always nod, but I have no idea what it is.
:Megan: You have an address on your website!

:[Megan and Beret Guy walking.]
:Beret Guy: Oh, ''that's'' what that thing is.
:Megan: Email is important! You can't just ''never'' check it. It's not like voicemail.

:Beret Guy: Can't they just send messages ''normally?''
:Megan: How?
:Beret Guy: Fax! Or Snapchat.
:Megan: ...The naked pic thing?
:Beret Guy: Fax machines aren't ''just'' for faxting!
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1466: Phone Checking

2014-12-29T08:59:45Z

108.162.216.169: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1466
| date = December 29, 2014
| title = Phone Checking
| image = phone_checking.png
| titletext = 'Where were you when you learned you'd won?' 'I was actually asleep; I woke up when I refreshed the webite and saw the news.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}
Megan announces that there's a Phone checking championship, presumably an award for the person who checks his or her phone the most often. Megan checks her phone to see if the winner has been announced, but finds the site's server is {{w|server overload|overloaded}}, which would be exactly what would happen if several people were checking their phones simultaneously. Given the nature of the contest, we can presume this is indeed the case. As a solution, Megan tries refreshing repeatedly, sending more load to the server and, thus, making it unavailable longer.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball approaching Megan.]
:Cueball: What's up?
:Megan: They're announcing the winner of the compulsive phone-checking championship.

:[Megan checks her phone.]

:[Megan puts her phone away.]

:[Megan checks her phone again.]
:Cueball: Did you win?
:Megan: Site's down.
:Cueball: Weird.
:Megan: I'll keep refreshing.

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

1463: Altitude

2014-12-24T04:11:47Z

108.162.216.169:

{{comic
| number = 1463
| date = December 22, 2014
| title = Altitude
| image = altitude.png
| titletext = "TURN OFF THE LASER GUIDE STAR" "WHY" "STAR CATS"
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, Randall is making fun of how {{w|Altitude sickness|oxygen deprivation}} can lead to reduced mental acuity. In this case, the mental clarity of the researchers devolves as they approach the high altitude telescope, leading to juvenile and almost intoxicated behavior. Dizziness, lightheadedness, impaired judgment, and euphoria are symptoms of oxygen deprivation, or hypoxia.

[http://exoplanets.astro.yale.edu/instrumentation/iodine_cells.php Iodine cells] are used for wavelength calibrations of high-resolution RV spectra between 501 and 610 nm.

Note that the phrase "low oxygen" refers to the lower partial pressure of oxygen at altitude. The proportion of oxygen at high elevations is still approximately 2/9ths of the atmosphere, the same as at sea level. The altitude sickness is caused by lowered atmospheric pressure which leads to smaller amount of oxygen actually delivered ("pushed") into bloodstream.

The title text refers to a {{w|laser guide star}} a device for focusing telescopes by making artificial reference points in the sky. The reference points are created by shooting a powerful laser into the sky. The concern of the astronomer in the comic is that an imagined "star cat" may be attracted to the laser in the same way that [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcjB2qN0TxM cats playfully chase laser beams] projected on surfaces. Cats' attitute to laser pointers was previously explored in [[729: Laser_Pointer]].

==Transcript==
:Commentary: Because of low oxygen, astronomers working at high altitude telescopes may need to write down their plans ahead of time while at sea level.

:[Some astronomers are inside a sea-level research facility]
:Astronomer #1: Ok, let's head up to the observatory.

:[The astronomers drive uphill]
:Astronomer #1: When we reach the summit, we'll check the iodine cell and do a general calibration.
:Astronomer #2: Sounds good.

:[The astronomers have reached the high-altitude observatory]
:Astronomer #1: My head feels funny.
:Astronomer #2: Look at those telescope domes. I hope they don't roll away.
:Astronomer #3: Maybe we should tape them down.

:[The astronomers are inside one of the domes]
:Astronomer #1: Haha, look at this mirror! My face is huge!
:Astronomer #2: I see your face in the telescope! I discovered you!
:Astronomer #3: Let's make out!

{{comic discussion}}

1457: Feedback

2014-12-08T07:17:51Z

108.162.216.169: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1457
| date = December 8, 2014
| title = Feedback
| image = feedback.png
| titletext = A new study finds that if you give rats a cell phone and a lever they can push to improve the signal, the rats will chew on the cell phone until it breaks and your research supervisors will start to ask some questions about your grant money.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Initial explanation - could likely use some work.}}

Often when connecting to unfamiliar wi-fi networks, the signal displayed by the connecting device varies wildly, especially as distance increases. In this case, to improve the signal, Cueball has likely tried a variety of methods, and has ended up holding a pineapple while standing on top of a chair in order to get a perceived better signal. Standing on the chair ''might'' help (especially if the router is on a different floor of the building, although getting laterally closer to the router would undoubtedly help more), but it is almost inconceivable that the pineapple could have any effect on the signal. Megan questions his ridiculous behavior, but it seems Cueball has been driven nearly to madness due to the inconsistent signal strength.

The title text refers to a new study that apparently examined the behavior of rats in response to signal strength on a cellphone. However, the rats naturally could not understand the concept of signal strength, so they chewed up the cellphone, leading to the research supervisors questioning the validity of the study and questioning whether the grant money for the study was well used. The research team, therefore, seems to have focused their publication not on the rats' behavior under the conditions of the experiment, but on the behavior of research supervisors.

==Transcript==
:Megan: Why are you standing on a chair holding a pineapple?
:Cueball: I wasn't getting good reception, but now I am!
:The erratic feedback from a randomly-varying wireless signal can make you crazy.

{{comic discussion}}

1442: Chemistry

2014-11-04T03:11:07Z

108.162.216.169: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1442
| date = November 3, 2014
| title = Chemistry
| image = chemistry.png
| titletext = These are all sans-serif compounds. Serif compounds are dramatically different and usually much more reactive.
}}

==Explanation==
{{Incomplete|Rough draft. Need to explain the origin of "Mydrane" along with general improvements and proof reading.}}
Chemical bonding is a well-known subject which explains the formation of {{w|molecule}}s from {{w|atom}}s. This comic refers to three {{w|chemical element}}s: Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), and Oxygen (O). In real chemistry, the formation of bonds between atoms depends on the number of valence electrons each atom has, and how accessible those electrons are for bonding. The comic jokingly replaces valence electron theory with a theory that the number of bonds an atom can form depends on the number of {{w|Leaf vertex|leaf vertices}} possessed by the chemical symbol's letter. A leaf vertex is a vertex having only one edge connecting to one other vertex. "H" for example, the chemical symbol of Hydrogen, has 4 leaf vertices. This is shown in the comic by the four half-circles placed at each leaf vertex of the "H". Thus, in the comic's theory, elemental hydrogen can form 4 bonds. Oxygen, however, having the chemical symbol "O", has no leaf vertices, and according to the comic's theory should not bond to anything, and is therefore inert.

Of course, the theory is completely inconsistent with observed chemistry. While the comic declares oxygen is inert and forms no bonds, this is not really the case: the two unpaired valence electrons in a lone oxygen atom makes oxygen reactive, and oxygen readily form molecules. Diatomic oxygen, O2, makes up about 20.9% of Earth's atmosphere, and is essential for aerobic life, including human life. Similarly, a water molecule consists of an oxygen atom tightly bonded to two hydrogen atoms.

By observing real chemical compounds, chemists have deduced that hydrogen atoms really have 1 valence electron, carbon 4 and oxygen 6, allowing Hydrogen to have up to 1 bond, carbon up to 4, and oxygen up to 2. Thus it is Carbon which can have up to four bonds, and really is {{w|graphite|often found}} in {{w|diamond|crystalline form}} in nature (e.g., diamonds, coal); Oxygen which can have up to 2 bonds, and can combine with Carbon to form CO2 (instead of C2H in the comic). We can see here that Randall is giving "typographic" Hydrogen real-life Carbon qualities, since "typographic" hydrogen can have 4 bonds, just like real-life carbon. The same goes for giving "typographic" Carbon real-life oxygen qualities, etc. "Typographic" oxygen simply takes on the properties of the real-life noble gases in the comic (Helium, etc.), which form no bonds and are inert, just like "typographic" Oxygen is in the comic.

While the compound "ethynyl radical" with structure C-C-H has the formula C2H, there is no molecule with the C-H-C structure in nature. The word "mydrane" is a whimsical neologism for this fictional substance: the "hydr-" prefix for hydrogen is changed to "mydr-" (the "my" component is not found in organic chemistry) combined to the "-ane" suffix for alkanes (simple H-C structures).

The title text points out that the theory as presented only applies to sans-serif text. A {{w|serif}} is a small line across the end of each stroke. "H", for instance, would have four serifs, each with two leaf vertices. Thus hydrogen in a serif font would be able to form 8 bonds making it, according to the comic's theory, "more reactive". This would be the case with real atoms that have less than four valence electrons, as they would have more space for bonds to other atoms.

==Transcript==
[The symbol for Hydrogen is shown.]

Hydrogen can form four bonds. It readily bonds with itself, and often exists as a crystal.

[A diagram with several 'H's is shown. The 'H's are connected in a pattern.]

Crystalline Hydrogen

[The symbol for Carbon is shown.]

Carbon can only form two bonds. It readily bonds with Hydrogen to form C2H (Mydrane) or itself.

[Two diagrams, one with two 'C's connected and one with two 'C's and an 'H' connected are shown.]

[The symbol for Oxygen is shown.]

Oxygen is inert, forming no bonds...

[A diagram of several 'O's is shown. None are connected to anything.]

Monoatomic Oxygen gas.

Typographic Chemistry

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:228: Resonance

2014-10-10T19:52:21Z

108.162.216.169: How do you guys know which one is Cueball?

How do you guys know which one is Cueball? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.169|108.162.216.169]] 19:52, 10 October 2014 (UTC)

161: Accident

2014-09-30T03:09:30Z

108.162.216.169: Alternate explanation of Guitar Hero alt-text.

{{comic
| number = 161
| date = September 22, 2006
| title = Accident
| image = Accident.png
| titletext = As far as treachery-as-driving-music goes, Katamari music is matched only by Guitar Hero music.
}}

==Explanation==
After someone plays a game enough, various instincts develop. One might be ready to push the right button when a right arrow comes up on screen. One might learn the tricky sequences of moves needed for a situation in the game, and find oneself doing them in another game in a similar situation. Or, as in this case, one might get used to pushing a giant ball around trying to collect smaller objects, and try doing so with your car when the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5QPSvOsS8o game's themesong] starts playing.

In the game {{w|Katamari Damacy}}, the player has to grow an initial object by rolling over smaller objects in the playfield which become attached to it, growing the object and making it larger and larger. As the conglomeration of objects gets larger, bigger things in the environment will begin to attach to it, allowing it to grow further. How big the player can get this conglomeration of objects, or "katamari", determines how well the player does in the game.

When Katamari Damacy's theme song comes on in the third panel, [[Cueball]] begins acting out the game's premise, and drives his car into a mailbox - which "looked smaller" than his car - trying to get it to attach. This doesn't work so well outside of the game.

The title text implies that music used in the game {{w|Guitar Hero}} is equally hazardous when driving. Anyone who's become accustomed to rocking out on a fake guitar to a particular song could find themselves involuntarily playing the air guitar when said song comes on the radio unexpectedly. Randall is pointing out that Guitar Hero-induced spontaneous air guitar performances are not safe activities while driving. Alternatively, one may try to hit all incoming objects in an attempt to mimic hitting strings of notes as they move down the fretboard, which would be immediately more disastrous.

The theme song from Katamari Damacy is also mentioned in [[851: Na]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball driving car while singing.]
:Cueball: NAAAA NA NA NANA NANA NA NA KATAMARI DAMACY
:[Cueball and Megan talking.]
:Megan: And that's when you veered into the mailbox?
:Cueball: It looked smaller then me. It was just instinct.

{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Guitar Hero]]

Talk:1424: En Garde

2014-09-22T05:24:24Z

108.162.216.169: readability

So, what's up. I expected an explanation for this. WHERE IS IT?

:Remember to sign your posts with four tildes (~).
:The explanation will be up when it's up. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.72|108.162.216.72]] 04:52, 22 September 2014 (UTC)

:Someone, somewhere on Earth, has to be awake, see the comic, come to this page, and write something. Automatic explanations are a long way out of our technological reach. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.169|108.162.216.169]] 05:21, 22 September 2014 (UTC)

1424: En Garde

2014-09-22T05:23:22Z

108.162.216.169: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1424
| date = September 22, 2014
| title = En Garde
| image = en_garde.png
| titletext = 'Touch!' 'Nope, I sighed and stared at you with resignation, so I regained emotional right-of-way.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|How guarded is Cueball really?}}

The left participant says "en guarde!", a fencing call literally meaning "be on your guard" (French imperative). The call is used to make sure the participants are ready to begin fencing. The right participant takes this to mean being "guarded" emotionally, and explains so, to which the left participant says he shouldn't be ''that'' guarded.

The title text takes this further with the "touch" call, used to indicate to a participant that they have been "touched" by their opponent's blade, and have therefore lost the bout (fencing terminology for the current round). The right participant counters this claim by saying his emotions have priority (or right-of-way). Fencing right-of-way rules can make a move invalid when another move has priority, but generally refer to physical actions on the participant's part.

==Transcript==
[Two fencers are standing together as if to fight]
:Fencer 1: ''En Garde!''
:Fencer 2: Ok.
:Fencer 2: No matter how long we know each other, when you ask "What are you thinking," I will always pause before answering.
:Fencer 1: Maybe a little ''less'' guarded?
:Fencer 2: No way. I've been hurt before.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1424: En Garde

2014-09-22T05:21:04Z

108.162.216.169:

So, what's up. I expected an explanation for this. WHERE IS IT?

Remember to sign your posts with four tildes (~).
The explanation will be up when it's up. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.72|108.162.216.72]] 04:52, 22 September 2014 (UTC)

Someone, somewhere on Earth, has to be awake, see the comic, come to this page, and write something. Automatic explanations are a long way out of our technological reach. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.169|108.162.216.169]] 05:21, 22 September 2014 (UTC)

1424: En Garde

2014-09-22T05:17:56Z

108.162.216.169:

{{comic
| number = 1424
| date = September 22, 2014
| title = En Garde
| image = en_garde.png
| titletext = 'Touch!' 'Nope, I sighed and stared at you with resignation, so I regained emotional right-of-way.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

The left participant says "en guarde!", a fencing call literally meaning "be on your guard" (French imperative). The call is used to make sure the participants are ready to begin fencing. The right participant takes this to mean being "guarded" emotionally, and explains so, to which the left participant says he shouldn't be ''that'' guarded.

The title text takes this further with the "touch" call, used to indicate to a participant that they have been "touched" by their opponent's blade, and have therefore lost the bout (fencing terminology for the current round). The right participant counters this claim by saying his emotions have priority (or right-of-way). Fencing right-of-way rules can make a move invalid when another move has priority, but generally refer to physical actions on the participant's part.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}

1417: Seven

2014-09-05T07:40:30Z

108.162.216.169: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1417
| date = September 5, 2014
| title = Seven
| image = seven.png
| titletext = The days of the week are Monday, Arctic, Wellsley, Green, Electra, Synergize, and the Seventh Seal.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, Cueball (or perhaps Randall) says he can't distinguish between two sets if they both have exactly seven objects. This leads him to exchange the items in the sets without noticing, to the point where, when listing a set, every item truly belongs to a different set.

The sets the Dwarves' "names" are from are:
* Disney's Dwarfs from the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937): Sneezy, Dopey, Bashful, Sleepy, Grumpy, Happy, Doc 
* Taxonomic categories: Kingdom or Domain, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species 
* Continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, Antarctica 
* Deadly Sins: Sloth, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Pride 
* Seven Layer Dip (recipe): refried beans, cheese, ground beef, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, chopped black olives/chopped tomatoes/chopped green onions 
* Layers of Open System Interconnection (OSI) data transmission model: physical layer, data link layer, network layer, transport layer, session layer, presentation layer, application layer 
* Wonders of the Ancient World: Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Great Pyramid at Giza, Colossus of Rhodes, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, temple of Artemis at Ephesus, statue of Zeus at Olympia, Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria 

The title text extends this saying he can't remember the days of the week, another set of seven, for the same reason. The sets Cueball's "days of the week" come from are:
* Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 
* Climatic zones: Arctic, North Temperate, Northern Subtropical, Tropical, Southern Subtropical, South Temperate, Antarctic 
* Seven Sisters historically women's colleges in U.S.: Wellesley, Smith, Mount Holyoke, Vassar, Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr, Barnard 
* Traditional spectral colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet (indigo stuck in to add up to seven notes in Western musical scale) 
* Pleiades, Seven Sisters, nymphs and daughters of Atlas and Pleone in Greek mythology: Electra, Maia, Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Sterope, Merope 
* Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen R. Covey: Be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand and then to be understood, synergize, sharpen the saw 
* Seals in Book of Revelation of John in New Testament: uh, first seal, second seal... 

The number seven being the number for when sets become indistinguishable is a reference to [[wikipedia:Miller's Law|Miller's Law]]

=Transcript=
:[Megan and Cueball are talking]
:Megan: Can you name all the dwarves from Snow White?
:Cueball: Sure, there's, um...
:Cueball's thoughts: Sneezy Phylum Europe Sloth Guacamole Datalink Colossus of Rhodes
:I have this problem where all sets of seven things are indistinguishable to me.
{{comic discussion}}

1417: Seven

2014-09-05T07:39:25Z

108.162.216.169: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1417
| date = September 5, 2014
| title = Seven
| image = seven.png
| titletext = The days of the week are Monday, Arctic, Wellsley, Green, Electra, Synergize, and the Seventh Seal.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, Cueball (or perhaps Ranall) says he can't distinguish between two sets if they both have exactly seven objects. This leads him to exchange the items in the sets without noticing, to the point where every item belongs to a different set.

The sets the Dwarves' "names" are from are:
* Disney's Dwarfs from the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937): Sneezy, Dopey, Bashful, Sleepy, Grumpy, Happy, Doc 
* Taxonomic categories: Kingdom or Domain, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species 
* Continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, Antarctica 
* Deadly Sins: Sloth, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Pride 
* Seven Layer Dip (recipe): refried beans, cheese, ground beef, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, chopped black olives/chopped tomatoes/chopped green onions 
* Layers of Open System Interconnection (OSI) data transmission model: physical layer, data link layer, network layer, transport layer, session layer, presentation layer, application layer 
* Wonders of the Ancient World: Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Great Pyramid at Giza, Colossus of Rhodes, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, temple of Artemis at Ephesus, statue of Zeus at Olympia, Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria 

The title text extends this saying he can't remember the days of the week, another set of seven, for the same reason. The sets Cueball's "days of the week" come from are:
* Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 
* Climatic zones: Arctic, North Temperate, Northern Subtropical, Tropical, Southern Subtropical, South Temperate, Antarctic 
* Seven Sisters historically women's colleges in U.S.: Wellesley, Smith, Mount Holyoke, Vassar, Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr, Barnard 
* Traditional spectral colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet (indigo stuck in to add up to seven notes in Western musical scale) 
* Pleiades, Seven Sisters, nymphs and daughters of Atlas and Pleone in Greek mythology: Electra, Maia, Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Sterope, Merope 
* Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen R. Covey: Be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand and then to be understood, synergize, sharpen the saw 
* Seals in Book of Revelation of John in New Testament: uh, first seal, second seal... 

The number seven being the number for when sets become indistinguishable is a reference to [[wikipedia:Miller's Law|Miller's Law]]

=Transcript=
:[Megan and Cueball are talking]
:Megan: Can you name all the dwarves from Snow White?
:Cueball: Sure, there's, um...
:Cueball's thoughts: Sneezy Phylum Europe Sloth Guacamole Datalink Colossus of Rhodes
:I have this problem where all sets of seven things are indistinguishable to me.
{{comic discussion}}

1417: Seven

2014-09-05T07:37:44Z

108.162.216.169: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1417
| date = September 5, 2014
| title = Seven
| image = seven.png
| titletext = The days of the week are Monday, Arctic, Wellsley, Green, Electra, Synergize, and the Seventh Seal.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, Cueball (or perhaps Ranall) says he can't distinguish between two sets if they both have exactly seven objects. This leads him to exchange the items in the sets without noticing, to the point where every item belongs to a different set.

The sets the Dwarves' "names" are from are:
* Disney's Dwarfs from the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937): Sneezy, Dopey, Bashful, Sleepy, Grumpy, Happy, Doc 
* Taxonomic categories: Kingdom or Domain, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species 
* Continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, Antarctica 
* Deadly Sins: Sloth, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Pride 
* Seven Layer Dip (recipe): refried beans, cheese, ground beef, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, chopped black olives/chopped tomatoes/chopped green onions 
* Layers of Open System Interconnection (OSI) data transmission model: physical layer, data link layer, network layer, transport layer, session layer, presentation layer, application layer 
* Wonders of the Ancient World: Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Great Pyramid at Giza, Colossus of Rhodes, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, temple of Artemis at Ephesus, statue of Zeus at Olympia, Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria 

The title text extends this saying he can't remember the days of the week, another set of seven, for the same reason. The sets Cueball's "days of the week" come from are:
* Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 
* Climatic zones: Arctic, North Temperate, Northern Subtropical, Tropical, Southern Subtropical, South Temperate, Antarctic 
* Seven Sisters historically women's colleges in U.S.: Wellesley, Smith, Mount Holyoke, Vassar, Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr, Barnard 
* Traditional spectral colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet (indigo stuck in to add up to seven notes in Western musical scale) 
* Pleiades, Seven Sisters, nymphs and daughters of Atlas and Pleone in Greek mythology: Electra, Maia, Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Sterope, Merope 
* Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen R. Covey: Be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand and then to be understood, synergize, sharpen the saw 
Seals in Book of Revelation of John in New Testament: uh, first seal, second seal... 

The number seven being the number for when sets become indistinguishable is a reference to [[wikipedia:Miller's Law|Miller's Law]]

=Transcript=
:[Megan and Cueball are talking]
:Megan: Can you name all the dwarves from Snow White?
:Cueball: Sure, there's, um...
:Cueball's thoughts: Sneezy Phylum Europe Sloth Guacamole Datalink Colossus of Rhodes
:I have this problem where all sets of seven things are indistinguishable to me.
{{comic discussion}}

1417: Seven

2014-09-05T07:37:04Z

108.162.216.169: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1417
| date = September 5, 2014
| title = Seven
| image = seven.png
| titletext = The days of the week are Monday, Arctic, Wellsley, Green, Electra, Synergize, and the Seventh Seal.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, Cueball (or perhaps Ranall) says he can't distinguish between two sets if they both have exactly seven objects. This leads him to exchange the items in the sets without noticing, to the point where every item belongs to a different set.

The sets the Dwarves' "names" are from are:
* Disney's Dwarfs from the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937): Sneezy, Dopey, Bashful, Sleepy, Grumpy, Happy, Doc 
* Taxonomic categories: Kingdom or Domain, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species 
* Continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, Antarctica 
* Deadly Sins: Sloth, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Pride 
* Seven Layer Dip (recipe): refried beans, cheese, ground beef, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, chopped black olives/chopped tomatoes/chopped green onions 
* Layers of Open System Interconnection (OSI) data transmission model: physical layer, data link layer, network layer, transport layer, session layer, presentation layer, application layer 
* Wonders of the Ancient World: Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Great Pyramid at Giza, Colossus of Rhodes, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, temple of Artemis at Ephesus, statue of Zeus at Olympia, Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria 

The title text extends this saying he can't remember the days of the week, another set of seven, for the same reason. The sets Cueball's "days of the week" come from are:
* Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 
* Climatic zones: Arctic, North Temperate, Northern Subtropical, Tropical, Southern Subtropical, South Temperate, Antarctic 
* Seven Sisters historically women's colleges in U.S.: Wellesley, Smith, Mount Holyoke, Vassar, Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr, Barnard 
* Traditional spectral colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet (indigo stuck in to add up to seven notes in Western musical scale) 
* Pleiades, Seven Sisters, nymphs and daughters of Atlas and Pleone in Greek mythology: Electra, Maia, Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Sterope, Merope 
* Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen R. Covey: Be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand and then to be understood, synergize, sharpen the saw 
Seals in Book of Revelation of John in New Testament: uh, first seal, second seal... 

The number seven being the number for when sets become indistinguishable is a reference to [[wikipedia:Miller's Law|Miller's Law]]

=Transcript=
:[Megan and Cueball are talking]
:Megan: Can you name all the dwarves from Snow White?
:Cueball: Sure, there's, um...
:Cueball's thoughts: Sneezy Phylum Europe Sloth Guacamole Datalink Colossus of Rhodes
:I have this problem where all sets of seven things are indistinguishable to me.
{{comic discussion}}

124: Blogofractal

2014-09-03T07:33:05Z

108.162.216.169:

{{comic
| number = 124
| date = July 5, 2006
| title = Blogofractal
| image = blogofractal.png
| titletext = Edward Tufte's 'The Visual Display of Quantitative Information' is a fantastic book, and should be required reading for anyone in either the sciences or graphic design.
}}

==Explanation==
The {{w|Blogosphere}} is a blanket term for all the blogs on the internet, that link together and share information to the extent that the term "blogosphere" arose to describe the collective of blogs. This comic proposes a new structure for defining all blogs by: a {{w|fractal}} of blogs.

{{w|Edward Tufte}} is a statistician who worked on data visualization and wrote books on the subject, including "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information", as mentioned in the title text.

{| class="wikitable"
! Meme !! Explanation
|-
|TripMaster Monkey says ||
|-
|118th Post!! || A riff on the "first post" phenomenon.
|-
|Wikiconstitution! ||
|-
|OMG || Common acronym for "Oh My God", often used in messaging.
|-
|DeCSS || {{w|DeCSS}} was a piece of code for decrypting DVDs. There was a significant effort to prevent this code from being distributed, which triggered the {{w|Streisand effect}}.
|-
|Casemod your Boyfriend!! ||
|-
|FLICKR || A well known [https://www.flickr.com/ photo sharing site].
|-
|They're saying on Kos that ||
|-
|http://slashdot.org/articl || {{w|Slashdot}} is a technology-related news website frequented by geeks.
|-
|tagCloud ||
|-
|Cory Doctorow is a little upset about copyright law. || This is an understatement. {{w|Cory Doctorow}} is a strong activist in this area.
|-
|Hey guys what if Google is evil?!? ||
|-
|I'll sleep with you for a FreeIpods deal. ||
|-
|FirstPsot!! || Some users on sites that accept comments will race to write the first comment (usually saying something like "First post!" or some variation thereof).
|-
|Snakes on an I don't Even Care Anymore || There were many jokes about {{w|Snakes on a Plane}} where a supposedly new movie to come out was named "Snakes on a ______". Clearly this person is tired of those jokes. See also [[107: Snakes on a Plane! 2]]
|-
|KiwiWiki ||
|-
|CSS || Reference to {{w|Cascading Style Sheets}}.
|-
|Comments (0) ||
|-
|Blogotesseract ||
|-
|¡play games! ||
|-
|[RSS icon.] || {{w|RSS}} is a standard for web feeds.
|-
|is AYB retro yet? || The shoot-'em-up game "Zero Wing" on SEGA's Genesis console features an English translation so terrible it has long been a source of memetic humor. The line in question is, "'''A'''ll '''Y'''our '''B'''ase are belong to us!"
|-
|Google Google Google Apple Google Goog ||
|-
|Cheney totally shot a dude!!! || A reference to {{w|Dick Cheney hunting incident}}.
|-
|Watch this toddler get owned by a squirrel!!! ||
|-
|Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers || A reference to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8To-6VIJZRE a widely circulated video], captured at a developers' conference, features a perspiring Ballmer chanting the word "developers"
|-
|I installed a Mac Mini inside ANOTHER Mac Mini! ||
|-
|Check out this vid of Jon Stewart ||
|-
|9-11 <-> Trent Lott! ||
|-
|Web 7.1 ||
|-
|Kryptonite™ locks vulnerable to "keys!" || In about 2004, it was demonstrated that some tubular pin tumbler locks of the diameter used on Kryptonite locks could easily be opened with the shaft of an inexpensive Bic ballpoint pen of matching diameter, and this was widely reported.
|-
|Interesting post! Check out my blog, it has useful info on CARBON MONOXIDE LITIGATION || An example of a spam comment found where users can comment.
|-
|FIREFLY!! || Reference to {{w|Firefly (TV series)}}
|-
|HELP ME ||
|-
|Engadget ||
|-
|Boing Boing || Reference to collaborative blog site [http://boingboing.net/ Boing Boing].
|-
|Gizmodo ||
|-
|MAKE Blog: DIY baby ||
|-
|My friend has a band!! ||
|-
|Jon released an exploit in the protocol for meeting girls. ||
|-
|Internets! ||
|-
|Howard Dean? ||
|-
|So I hear there's a hurricane. ||
|-
|We should elect this dude! ||
|-
|Google Maps is da best!! ||
|-
|Moderation: +1 Sassy || A joke on Slashdot's moderating mechanism. Each post can get a moderation that consists of a score (+1/-1) and a reason (Insightful/Funny/Troll/etc.) "Sassy" is not one of the standard reasons.
|-
|RSS! || {{w|RSS}} again.
|-
|A-list ||
|-
|<3 || Emoticon for a heart.
|-
|Trackable URL? ||
|-
|I shot a man in Reno check it out on YouTube! || The first half of this line comes from Jonny Cash's song "Folsom Prison Blues", which is "But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die". The second half turns it around, because people often say "I did X, watch it on YouTube".
|-
|HEY LOOK ROBOTS! ||
|-
|Net Neutrality! || {{w|Net neutrality}} is a hot topic. It is the principle that ISPs and governments should treat all data on the Internet equally. There is great debate as to what level this should be enforced or not, and whether it should be regulated.
|-
|Friends Only. ||
|-
|Dupe! || A common note if the same thing gets posted twice on some forum. (Short for "duplicate".)
|-
|AJAX? ||
|-
|COMPLY ||
|-
|Cowboy Neal ||
|-
|Blogodrome ||
|-
|Hey look I got Linux running on my tonsils! || People would often brag about getting linux to run on strange hardware, from toasters to esoteric computers. This is taken to the ridiculous extreme of tonsils.
|-
|Look alive, blogonauts! ||
|-
|Cafepress cockrings ||
|-
|BOOBIES!! ||
|-
|MIA ||
|-
|A Beowulf Cluster... of BLOGS!! || A {{w|Beowulf cluster}} is a computer cluster of computers networked together resulting in a high-performance parallel computing cluster. For a while, it was a fad to get one running on various strange platforms. This is a facetious example.
|-
|SPOILER ALERT || Often stated on the top of a post that contained spoilers. (See {{w|Spoiler (media)}}.)
|-
|Dupe! || This is the second instance of this, and therefore a dupe itself.
|-
|You have been eaten by a Grue. ||
|-
|Ruby on a monorail || A riff on the name {{w|Ruby on Rails}}, a common platform for web applications.
|-
|Lesbians! ||
|-
|DNF Released! ||
|-
|Steampunk ||
|-
|BLAG ||
|-
|PONIES! ||
|-
|Xeni found some porn! ||
|-
|IRONY ||
|-
|LIARS! ||
|-
|Linux on Rails! || Another riff on the name {{w|Ruby on Rails}}.
|-
|Blogocube ||
|-
|del.icio.us! ||
|-
|404 || Probably the most common error gotten in a web browser: {{w|HTTP 404}}.
|-
|o.O || An emoticon indicating confusion.
|-
|Don't slam the source when you close it. || The original phrase (generally spoken from parents to children) is "Don't slam the door when you close it." This twists it around to refer to {{w|Closed source software}}.
|}

==Transcript==
:From the makers of the Blogosphere, Blogocube, and Blogodrome comes
:the Blogofractal

:[A large rectangle subdivided into rectangles in a fractal pattern, most with a phrase or word inside.]
:[Mostly left to right from top-left corner.]
:TripMaster Monkey says
:118th Post!!
:Wikiconstitution!
:OMG
:DeCSS
:Casemod your Boyfriend!!
:FLICKR
:They're saying on Kos that
:<nowiki>http://slashdot.org/articl</nowiki>
:tagCloud
:Cory Doctorow is a little upset about copyright law.
:Hey guys what if Google is evil?!?
:I'll sleep with you for a FreeIpods deal.
:FirstPsot!!
:Snakes on an I don't Even Care Anymore
:KiwiWiki
:CSS
:Comments (0)
:Blogotesseract
:¡play games!
:[RSS icon.]
:is AYB retro yet?
:Google Google Google Apple Google Goog
:Cheney totally shot a dude!!!
:Watch this toddler get owned by a squirrel!!!
:Developers
:Developers
:Developers
:Developers
:I installed a Mac Mini inside ANOTHER Mac Mini!
:Check out this vid of Jon Stewart
:9-11 <-> Trent Lott!
:Web 7.1
:Kryptonite™ locks vulnerable to "keys!"
:Interesting post! Check out my blog, it has useful info on CARBON MONOXIDE LITIGATION
:FIREFLY!!
:HELP ME
:Engadget
:Boing Boing
:Gizmodo
:MAKE Blog: DIY baby
:My friend has a band!!
:Jon released an exploit in the protocol for meeting girls.
:Internets!
:Howard Dean?
:So I hear there's a hurricane.
:We should elect this dude!
:Google Maps is da best!!
:Moderation: +1 Sassy
:RSS!
:A-list
:<3
:Trackable URL?
:I shot a man in Reno check it out on YouTube!
:HEY LOOK ROBOTS!
:Net Neutrality!
:Friends Only.
:Dupe!
:AJAX?
:COMPLY
:Cowboy Neal
:Blogodrome
:Hey look I got Linux running on my tonsils!
:Look alive, blogonauts!
:Cafepress cockrings
:BOOBIES!!
:MIA
:A Beowulf Cluster... of BLOGS!!
:SPOILER ALERT
:Dupe!
:You have been eaten by a Grue.
:Ruby on a monorail
:Lesbians!
:DNF Released!
:Steampunk
:BLAG
:PONIES!
:Xeni found some porn!
:IRONY
:LIARS!
:Linux on Rails!
:Blogocube
:del.icio.us!
:404
:o.O
:Don't slam the source when you close it.

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

Talk:1414: Writing Skills

2014-08-29T14:32:44Z

108.162.216.169:

Scoring higher on grammar and spelling tests could be related to constantly using the English language - however I think an opportunity was missed with this one: the correlation between kids who have access to texting devices and kids who have access to good schooling and tutoring.

Is the double "writing" at the beginning of the title text a typo, or has it a meaning? (Non-native english here, so I probably missed something). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.156|108.162.229.156]] 08:13, 29 August 2014 (UTC)
:As a native english speaker, I don't see any reason why it is double. Either a typo, or maybe a joke on sloppy writing skills.. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 08:16, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

I have to take issue with Randall on the alt-text, they don't use the written word so much as the ''typed'' word -- penmanship, which was already on the wane when I was in school 25+ years ago, is no longer being taught, or so I've been told by young people coming in to work. Surprisingly, neither are kids being taught to touch-type! The new kids coming to the job are constantly surprised that I can type without looking at the screen or keyboard, not to mention my typing speed! Additionally, composition beyond the sentence level is simply abysmal nowadays; paragraph and essay structure are simply no longer being taught. I myself only got one class in it during my high school sophomore year in 1984/5 -- and the administration eliminated it even before I graduated. In short, while kids are great at writing sentences nowadays, the ability to write coherent longer communications, and yes, handwriting too; despite their being in increased use in today's workplace, are simply things that young people are arriving unequipped with. [[User:Elipongo|Elipongo]] ([[User talk:Elipongo|talk]]) 08:53, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

: "+1"/"Like" for your comprehensive writing style -- however Randall is not concluding anything in in the alt-text but merely proposes and experiment and a method to to conduct such with an expected observation and outcome for verification of such experiment. That is an entirely scientific and objective approach to a problem and hardly something which one can take issue with. [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 09:55, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

:I wouldn't miss handwriting, but the fact they don't teach touch-type is alarming. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:06, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

::With computers in abundance in childrens lives (and hence plenty of practice), I would have thought that actively teaching typing is not that important. Again its a quantity vs quality balance. Some careers would certainly benefit from faster and more accurate typing skills than others (e.g A secretary), but I don't feel someone is necessarily a poor typist because they don't touch-type correctly.--[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 12:30, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

I'm from an older generation that did receive education in writing, composition, grammar etc. We all began with simple "The cat sat on the mat" sentences when young, and gradually improved our skills by practising progressively more difficult tasks. However the key issues were that our output was both judged and directed. Our teachers assessed our writing, pointed out the errors (oh, did they point out the errors!), told us what was 'right', and then set us to writing longer, more complex subjects and structures. The problem with txtspk is that it is unjudged and undirected. I think Randall's idea that quantity will eventually overcome mediocrity is getting too close to the monkeys producing Shakespeare. Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? No. --[[User:KAM|KAM]] ([[User talk:KAM|talk]]) 10:15, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

:I think kids can judge perfectly fine. But yes, txtspk can help with practice on some level of difficulty but doesn't allow to continue higher. They need to move to more advanced methods ... like flame wars. And about pointing errors? You never saw online argument where one side tried to undermine opponent by pointing out grammatic mistakes in their post? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:06, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

::I cannot agree with you because I think you should have used "an", "any" or the plural “arguments" in "You never saw online argument ...". Also, you made me search for the right use of "grammatic" versus "grammatical". ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.92.223|141.101.92.223]] 14:26, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

Ironically, "Ulysses" from James Joyce is also considered one of the worst and most boring books in human history, topping many lists of books you can't get past the first page. Many people joke that Marilyn Monroe was one of the few persons that ever read the book right by starting from the end. -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.139|141.101.70.139]] 13:09, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

Is anyone familiar with a recent report that might have lead to this comic? There is no specific reference given in the comic. I think most of the reports on this topic were from Beverly Plester of Coventry University between 2006 and 2011. I can't find much of anything since then... --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.169|108.162.216.169]] 14:32, 29 August 2014 (UTC)