explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1788: Barge

2020-12-11T18:35:07Z

108.162.216.234: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1788
| date = January 20, 2017
| title = Barge
| image = barge.png
| titletext = My life goal is to launch a barge into the air and have it land on one of Elon Musk's rockets.
}}

==Explanation==
This is another one of the "[[My Hobby]]" series, where [[Randall]] tells about a strange hobby. This one is depicted with three drawings illustrating the core concept, and explained in details in the caption.

The launch company {{w|SpaceX}} is currently testing a reusable rocket system, where the {{w|multi-stage rocket|first rocket stage}} is capable of landing back on either the launch pad or an {{w|autonomous spaceport drone ship}} after launch (See [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEr9cPpuAx8 this video] displaying both types of landing, from when the sea landing was successful the first time). The landing pads and ships are decorated with a "X" symbol from the SpaceX logo, with the center of the X being the desired landing spot{{Citation needed}}.

Randall imagines creating a similar-looking barge and placing it near the intended landing site, except his barge's platform would be hollow in the middle with only a sheet of paper supporting the part where the rocket would land. Since the paper is painted to look just like the real landing platform, the goal of this setup is presumably to trick a returning first stage rocket into falling into the sea. This is the same concept as the old {{w|trapping pit}}. If a rocket attempts to land on Randall's barge, it will quickly burn through the paper and fall through the hole.

There are several reasons why this setup would not work in real life. First, the rocket actually navigates to the landing site using GPS coordinates shared with the real barge. It does not use cameras to identify its landing site and will not recognize another barge based solely on a painted logo. Also, a wide area around the rocket's flight path would be restricted around the launch window due to safety concerns. Vessels that are not part of the official launch plan would not be allowed in the area. Even if the fake barge manages to enter the area and does not get removed by authorities, at most it will cause the launch to be canceled for the day.

This "my hobby" is probably the most destructive one so far, as it would result in the total loss of the first stage containing nine space rocket engines. The costs associated with buying and remodeling a barge would also likely make this the most expensive hobby, even disregarding the costs to others, though it could potentially be reused if it did not get destroyed by the falling rocket. This hobby seems more appropriate for [[Black Hat]], considering that he is a real [[classhole]], and goes to show that Black Hat is as much part of Randall's personality as [[Cueball]].

The title text plays on the incredible difficulty of landing a rocket on a barge. Reusing rockets like this is a feat that has only recently become possible, some 60 years after the launch of the first satellite {{w|Sputnik 1}}. SpaceX, founded by {{w|Elon Musk}}, was the first (and so far only) organization to do so successfully. {{w|Blue Origin}} is also currently testing reusable rockets and achieved [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNRs2gMyLLk landing their first stage] before SpaceX, albeit [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8c7RUjNFDo only on land and only with a sub-orbital rocket].

Thus Randall imagines an even more implausible idea of turning the scenario upside down and getting a barge to land on one of Elon Musk's rockets. That would be a spectacular feat of engineering, and the challenges it presents as well as its inherent irony appear to satisfy Randall so much that he would make it into one of his life goals. Launching a barge in the first place would be tremendously difficult - they are big, heavy and not very {{w|aerodynamic}}. Maneuvering it through the air precisely enough to come down on top of a rocket would be difficult as well. The barge (and probably the rocket) would have to be redesigned if the goal is a soft landing, otherwise the falling barge would certainly destroy the rocket and possibly itself.

This comic was published on the week following SpaceX's {{w|List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches#2017|Iridium 1 mission}}, where the first stage of the rocket which delivered 10 satellites into orbit successfully landed on a barge near California. This was [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLz-M7pki7U filmed from the returning stage 1] and also [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78AxtAyW4Vo from further away]. More details of the launch are available [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8wy5sQ2JDE here]. It marked the seventh time SpaceX successfully landed and recovered its booster on a commercial mission.

==Transcript==
:[There is one panel in this comic with the main drawing at the bottom. Two smaller drawings are inserted above this drawing to explain the idea.]

:[The first insert shows a barge with no center and a large piece of paper with the SpaceX logo above the barge.]

:[The second insert shows the paper stretched over the hole.]

:[The main drawing at the bottom shows a cross-section of the barge in water, showing there is only water below the paper. Above the paper the large first stage, without the top part with the payload, of a reusable rocket is attempting to land on the paper on the SpaceX logo (not visible in this view). It is still so high above the fake barge that the exhaust fire below the rocket is nowhere near the paper.]

:[Caption below the panels:]
:My hobby: Hollowing out the center of a barge, stretching paper over the hole painted with the SpaceX logo, and leaving it floating offshore near launch sites.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Elon Musk]]

Talk:2250: OK/okay/ok

2020-12-09T15:39:34Z

108.162.216.234:

He forgot the eternal joke - 0K
Come on Randall, you're a person of science[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.40|141.101.98.40]] 11:25, 4 January 2020 (UTC)
I think this should have been a table. Put spellings down the side (I've seen a lot of "oki" online; maybe "A-OK" too, or some humorous misspelling) and possible permutations of punctuations and capitalisation across the top. I want to know how "o.k.ay." makes you sound :p
[[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 17:41, 3 January 2020 (UTC)
:But when you do a single word response, it should just be, "k".
:[[User:Hax|Hax]] ([[User talk:Hax|talk]])
:: "'kay" is better, but I've also seen "'k" -- highlighting, perhaps, that the "o" is supposed to be there even if people are lazy and cut off too much when speaking and writing. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.100|108.162.237.100]] 06:43, 4 January 2020 (UTC)
::: I'm totally fine with "k" - I even use it while speaking. It originates (afaik) from Internet chats generalically and chats in gaming specifically where time efficiency is of essence (you don't deal many headshots while typing ;) ). Another form would be "kk", which is still shorter (to type) than "ok" but is more emphasized as "k". And then - of course - we have Mr Mackey, mkay... [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:55, 6 January 2020 (UTC)
:If it's not capitalized, I'm definitely imagining the person making clucking noises, even if I ''know'' that's not what they meant... Doesn't ''everybody'' read "ok" phonetically, as "ock", as in grok? ;S
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:42, 3 January 2020 (UTC)

As of this writing, the title text is wrong. I don't know how to edit it. The current explainXKCD version ends with ("oK".). But the xkcd website ends with ("oK.") The location of the period within the quote changes the meaning of this comment. [[User:Agrasin|Agrasin]] ([[User talk:Agrasin|talk]]) 20:43, 3 January 2020 (UTC)
:Good catch! I edited it. I was the one who put it in wrong in the first place as well. I had to insert the quotes manually, when I copy-pasted the title text from the inspect tool of xkcd.com and made this error. Things like the title text or the date can be edited easily when you use the edit button on top of the page instead of the small one at the explanation/transcript. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 21:13, 3 January 2020 (UTC)
:The period's placement does not necessarily change the meaning of the sentence as its inclusion within the quotation marks does not imply it is part of the quote. Punctuation immediately following a quote goes inside the quotation marks under English grammar. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.112|172.68.174.112]] 21:23, 3 January 2020 (UTC)
::That's a ridiculously bad rule & I'd hope nobody actually does that. Punctuation should only go inside the quotation marks if it's part of the quote. To put punctuation in where it wasn't used muddles whether the punctuation is part of the quote or part of the sentence containing the quote, & offers no possible benefit to comprehension. Bad rule: Don't do that.
::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:37, 3 January 2020 (UTC)
:::Totally agree although I suspect that english grammar is not supposed to be logical. Also, I think using "oK" would be good idea. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:03, 3 January 2020 (UTC)
:::However, it looks much nicer and mimics proper handwriting, where the comma sign is directly underneath the quotation mark. It's considered proper form for American English, whereas Brits put it outside.
:::[[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.142|162.158.134.142]] 23:06, 3 January 2020 (UTC)
::No, that's only for comma signs. Periods go inside if it's a part of the quote, outside if it isn't, and in both places if you end your sentence with a quote. "This quoted sentence ends with a period.".
::[[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.142|162.158.134.142]] 23:06, 3 January 2020 (UTC)
:::I have never seen a double period like that anywhere. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 05:15, 4 January 2020 (UTC)
:In SWE (Standard Written (American) English), commas and ending punctuation go inside closing quotation marks (probably originating from typewriters allowing a comma and a period to be put _under_ the closing quotation marks). This rule holds true in American English unless there's a very good reason to leave the punctuation on the outside.
:There is a difference between the two following sentences:
: * The teacher said, "There is no test!" (the exclamation point belongs to the teacher's statement)
: * The teacher said, "There is no test"! (the exclamation point belongs to the narrator's statement)
: For cases where there would be ambiguity or a presumed reason to use both external and internal punctuation, writers are advised to rewrite the sentence. There is no grammatical/conventional basis for the following:
: * Did the teacher ask, "Who's there?"?
: Do note that other than commas, punctuation that is not ending punctuation (commonly dashes, colons, semicolons) or containers (parens, brackets, etc) -- depending on how they're used -- belong outside the quotation marks.
: Perhaps the British standard of putting all punctuation on the outside unless it explicitly belongs to the quoted material is more logical, but until some major style manuals in the USA adopt it, it won't be legit in SWE.
: Circling back to the original point (ending with '"oK."' vs '"oK".'), that's one of those situations where the sentence should be reworded to avoid the ambiguity on whether the period belongs to the quoted abbreviation or not.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.100|108.162.237.100]] 18:01, 4 January 2020 (UTC)
:I never paid much attention to this before, but now I see "it." On [[2251]] Randall follows the same style and puts in punctuaction inside the "quotation marks." --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 15:09, 6 January 2020 (UTC)
This is kind of like the LEGO bridge question in What If. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.120|172.69.34.120]] 18:32, 4 January 2020 (UTC)

I just added the bit about the readers' narrative voices (see [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2250:_OK/okay/ok&diff=185524&oldid=185508|edit comments] for additional thoughts), but my parenthsisised justification for the 'quoting' looks a bit clunky even to me. Further changes (or at least partial reversion) are welcome, and in fact invited... Fill your boots! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.221|141.101.99.221]] 20:15, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

I’m not sure about everyone else, but I was *really* weirded out when Randall used ‘ok’ in How To. Like, it threw me off and I had to reread a couple times. I was very surprised. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.136|162.158.214.136]] 14:11, 6 January 2020 (UTC)

My favorite is O-KAYYYYYYYYY! [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 15:05, 6 January 2020 (UTC)

Hang the fuck on...capitalised looks old, while spelt out in lower case is normal? Really? REALLY? Quote conventions schmote conventions - I'll use whatever style a client dictates, like the obedient little paycheck-chasing copywriter that I am - but "OK" is pretty much universal as far as I'm concerned.
I'm going to cling to this being a transatlantic difference, to "OK" being normal, to "ok" being a typo, to clamping my hands over my ears and saying "Lalala I'm not listening" to anyone who says otherwise, and to thumping anyone who pulls said hands from said ears square in the nose.[[User:Yorkshire Pudding|Yorkshire Pudding]] ([[User talk:Yorkshire Pudding|talk]]) 20:39, 12 January 2020 (UTC)
:Maybe you are just kind of... old? Many people who are just using chat programs, especially on the phone, do not bother with using the shift key at all. So it seems to be quite common to use lower case for a word that isn't even an abbrevation anymore, but just a regular word. ok? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:27, 13 January 2020 (UTC)
::As I believe I pointed out before: Lalala I'm not listening. That said though...I get it, but whether it's an abbreviation or not isn't really the be-all & end-all of whether it's capitalised. Names aren't abbreviations and they're capitalised...usually...while e.g. and i.e. (et al) are abbreviations and they aren't. It's all just convention, and conventions change, often via a period of people doing it "wrongly" before it's accepted. I think the existence of this comic and the ensuing discussion proves we're still in the transitional period...although it seems we may be much further through it than I thought. [[User:Yorkshire Pudding|Yorkshire Pudding]] ([[User talk:Yorkshire Pudding|talk]]) 16:54, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

== New comic up ==

The new comic is already up. As the bot is not working, someone has to insert it manually. It is quite easy with a bit of trial and error and the tutorial on [[User:DgbrtBOT]]. It should be done by a user who is on here for a time with an account (and has by that earned the right to upload files.) - I will not be able to do so myself within the next ~10 hours, as I will not be on my own computer. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:21, 6 January 2020 (UTC)
: I just made an account to do this before i checked this talk page lol
: I've changed the [[List_of_all_comics]] page (first step on [[User:DgbrtBOT]]) but NOTHING ELSE. Ty all
: Side note: I was going to write 'LOL' before i realized the content of this comic and got self-conscious of it. [[User:Soulus|Soulus]] ([[User talk:Soulus|talk]]) 09:40, 6 January 2020 (UTC)
::I have created the new page [[2251]] - looking forward to your explanations, cause I'm lost on that one... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:52, 6 January 2020 (UTC)

Personally, I settled this question because I favor the Choctaw Indian origin for the the word "okay", which means it comes from "okeh", and therefore it makes sense to spell it out as "okay". I sometimes actually spell it okeh, but only to people who'd be able to figure out what I mean. —[[User:Kazvorpal|Kazvorpal]] ([[User talk:Kazvorpal|talk]]) 16:58, 23 January 2020 (UTC)

He forgot the worst one out there —
Ok

List of all comics (3000-3500)

2019-12-27T06:02:10Z

108.162.216.234:

This is the list of comics from '''2001 to {{LATESTCOMIC}}'''.
: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 1001-1500, see [[List of all comics (1001-1500)]].
:For comics 1501-2000, see [[List of all comics (1501-2000)]].
: The whole list is available at [[List of all comics (full)]].

{| class="wikitable sortable plainlinks table-padding"
|-
!xkcd
!Title
!Talk
!Image
!Date<onlyinclude>
{{comicsrow|2247|2019-12-27|Wierd Hill|weird_hill.png}}
{{comicsrow|2246|2019-12-25|Christmas Presents|christmas presents.png}}
{{comicsrow|2245|2019-12-23|Edible Arrangements|edible arrangements.png}}
{{comicsrow|2244|2019-12-20|Thumbtacks And String|thumbtacks and string.png}}
{{comicsrow|2243|2019-12-18|Star Wars Spoiler Generator|star wars spoiler generator.png}}
{{comicsrow|2242|2019-12-16|Ground vs Air|ground vs air.png}}
{{comicsrow|2241|2019-12-13|Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect|brussels sprouts mandela effect.png}}
{{comicsrow|2240|2019-12-11|Timeline of the Universe|timeline of the universe.png}}
{{comicsrow|2239|2019-12-09|Data Error|data error.png}}
{{comicsrow|2238|2019-12-06|Flu Shot|flu shot.png}}
{{comicsrow|2237|2019-12-04|AI Hiring Algorithm|ai hiring algorithm.png}}
{{comicsrow|2236|2019-12-02|Is it Christmas?|is it christmas.png}}
{{comicsrow|2235|2019-11-29|Group Chat Rules|group chat rules.png}}
{{comicsrow|2234|2019-11-27|How To Deliver Christmas Presents|how to deliver christmas presents.png}}
{{comicsrow|2233|2019-11-26|Aurora Meaning|aurora meaning.png}}
{{comicsrow|2232|2019-11-22|Hotel Room Party|hotel room party.png}}
{{comicsrow|2231|2019-11-20|the Time Before And After Land|the time before and after land.png}}
{{comicsrow|2230|2019-11-18|Versus Bracket|versus bracket.png}}
{{comicsrow|2229|2019-11-15|Rey and Kylo|rey and kylo.png}}
{{comicsrow|2228|2019-11-14|Machine Learning Captcha|machine learning captcha.png}}
{{comicsrow|2227|2019-11-11|Transit of Mercury|transit of mercury.png}}
{{comicsrow|2226|2019-11-09|Recombination And Reionization|recombination and reionization.png}}
{{comicsrow|2225|2019-11-06|Voting Referendum|voting referendum.png}}
{{comicsrow|2224|2019-11-05|Software Updates|software updates.png}}
{{comicsrow|2223|2019-11-01|Screen Time|screen time.png}}
{{comicsrow|2222|2019-10-30|Terminator: Dark Fate|terminator dark fate.png}}
{{comicsrow|2221|2019-10-29|Emulation|emulation.png}}
{{comicsrow|2220|2019-10-25|Imagine Going Back in Time|imagine going back in time.png}}
{{comicsrow|2219|2019-10-23|Earthquake Early Warnings|earthquake early warnings.png}}
{{comicsrow|2218|2019-10-21|Wardrobe|wardrobe.png}}
{{comicsrow|2217|2019-10-19|53 Cards|53 cards.png}}
{{comicsrow|2216|2019-10-17|Percent Milkfat|percent milkfat.png}}
{{comicsrow|2215|2019-10-15|Faculty:Student Ratio|faculty student ratio.png}}
{{comicsrow|2214|2019-10-11|Chemistry Nobel|chemistry nobel.png}}
{{comicsrow|2213|2019-10-09|How Old|how old.png}}
{{comicsrow|2212|2019-10-07|Cell Phone Functions|cell phone functions.png}}
{{comicsrow|2211|2019-10-04|Hours Before Departure|hours before departure.png}}
{{comicsrow|2210|2019-10-02|College Athletes|college athletes.png}}
{{comicsrow|2209|2019-09-30|Fresh Pears|fresh pears.png}}
{{comicsrow|2208|2019-09-27|Drone Fishing|drone fishing.png}}
{{comicsrow|2207|2019-09-25|Math Work|math work.png}}
{{comicsrow|2206|2019-09-23|Mavis Beacon|mavis beacon.png}}
{{comicsrow|2205|2019-09-20|Types of Approximation|types of approximation.png}}
{{comicsrow|2204|2019-09-18|Ksp 2|ksp 2.png}}
{{comicsrow|2203|2019-09-16|Prescience|prescience.png}}
{{comicsrow|2202|2019-09-13|Earth-Like Exoplanet|earth like exoplanet.png}}
{{comicsrow|2201|2019-09-11|Foucault Pendulum|foucault pendulum.png}}
{{comicsrow|2200|2019-09-11|Unreachable State|unreachable state.png}}
{{comicsrow|2199|2019-09-06|Cryptic Wifi Networks|cryptic wifi networks.png}}
{{comicsrow|2198|2019-09-04|Throw|throw.png}}
{{comicsrow|2198|2019-09-03|Throw|throw.png}}
{{comicsrow|2197|2019-09-02|Game Show|game show.png}}
{{comicsrow|2196|2019-08-30|Nice To E-Meet You|nice to e-meet you.png}}
{{comicsrow|2195|2019-08-28|Dockless Roombas|dockless roombas.png}}
{{comicsrow|2194|2019-08-26|How to Send a File|how to send a file.png}}
{{comicsrow|2193|2019-08-23|Well-Ordering Principle|well ordering principle.png}}
{{comicsrow|2192|2019-08-21|Review|review.png}}
{{comicsrow|2191|2019-08-19|Conference Question|conference question.png}}
{{comicsrow|2190|2019-08-16|Serena Versus the Drones|serena versus the drones.png}}
{{comicsrow|2189|2019-08-14|Old Game Worlds|old game worlds.png}}
{{comicsrow|2188|2019-08-12|E Scooters|e scooters.png}}
{{comicsrow|2187|2019-08-09|Geologic Time|geologic time.png}}
{{comicsrow|2186|2019-08-07|Dark Matter|dark matter.png}}
{{comicsrow|2185|2019-08-05|Cumulonimbus|cumulonimbus.png}}
{{comicsrow|2185|2019-08-05|Disappearing Sunday Update|disappearing sunday update.png}}
{{comicsrow|2184|2019-08-02|Unpopular Opinions|unpopular opinions.png}}
{{comicsrow|2183|2019-07-31|Icon Swap|icon swap.png}}
{{comicsrow|2182|2019-07-29|When I'm Back at a Keyboard|when im back at a keyboard.png}}
{{comicsrow|2181|2019-07-26|Inbox|inbox.png}}
{{comicsrow|2180|2019-07-24|Spreadsheets|spreadsheets.png}}
{{comicsrow|2179|2019-07-23|NWS Warnings|nws warnings.png}}
{{comicsrow|2178|2019-07-19|Expiration Date High Score|expiration date high score.png}}
{{comicsrow|2177|2019-07-17|Gastroenterology|gastroenterology.png}}
{{comicsrow|2176|2019-07-15|How Hacking Works|how hacking works.png}}
{{comicsrow|2175|2019-07-12|Flag Interpretation|flag interpretation.png}}
{{comicsrow|2174|2019-07-10|First News Memory|first news memory.png}}
{{comicsrow|2173|2019-07-08|Trained a Neural Net|trained a neural net.png}}
{{comicsrow|2172|2019-07-05|Lunar Cycles|lunar cycles.png}}
{{comicsrow|2171|2019-07-03|Shadow Biosphere|shadow biosphere.png}}
{{comicsrow|2170|2019-07-01|Coordinate Precision|coordinate precision.png}}
{{comicsrow|2169|2019-06-28|Predictive Models|predictive models.png}}
{{comicsrow|2168|2019-06-26|Reading in the Original|reading in the original.png}}
{{comicsrow|2167|2019-06-24|Motivated Reasoning Olympics|motivated reasoning olympics.png}}
{{comicsrow|2166|2019-06-21|Stack|stack.png}}
{{comicsrow|2165|2019-06-19|Millennials|millennials.png}}
{{comicsrow|2164|2019-06-17|Glacier|glacier.png}}
{{comicsrow|2163|2019-06-14|Chernobyl|chernobyl.png}}
{{comicsrow|2162|2019-06-12|Literary Opinions|literary opinions.png}}
{{comicsrow|2161|2019-06-10|An Apple a Day|an apple a day.png}}
{{comicsrow|2160|2019-06-07|Ken Burns Theory|ken burns theory.png}}
{{comicsrow|2159|2019-06-05|Comments|comments.png}}
{{comicsrow|2158|2019-06-03|Qualifiers|qualifiers.png}}
{{comicsrow|2157|2019-05-31|Diploma Legal Notes|diploma legal notes.png}}
{{comicsrow|2156|2019-05-29|Ufo|ufo.png}}
{{comicsrow|2155|2019-05-27|Swimming|swimming.png}}
{{comicsrow|2154|2019-05-24|Motivation|motivation.png}}
{{comicsrow|2153|2019-05-22|Effects of High Altitude|effects of high altitude.png}}
{{comicsrow|2152|2019-05-20|Westerns|westerns.png}}
{{comicsrow|2151|2019-05-17|A/B|a b.png}}
{{comicsrow|2150|2019-05-15|XKeyboarCD|xkeyboarcd.png}}
{{comicsrow|2149|2019-05-13|Alternate Histories|alternate histories.png}}
{{comicsrow|2148|2019-05-10|Cubesat Launch|cubesat launch.png}}
{{comicsrow|2147|2019-05-08|Appendicitis|appendicitis.png}}
{{comicsrow|2146|2019-05-06|Waiting for the But|waiting for the but.png}}
{{comicsrow|2145|2019-05-03|Heists And Escapes|heists and escapes.png}}
{{comicsrow|2144|2019-05-01|Adjusting a Chair|adjusting a chair.png}}
{{comicsrow|2143|2019-04-29|Disk Usage|disk usage.png}}
{{comicsrow|2142|2019-04-26|Dangerous Fields|dangerous fields.png}}
{{comicsrow|2141|2019-04-24|UI vs UX|ui vs ux.png}}
{{comicsrow|2140|2019-04-22|Reinvent the Wheel|reinvent the wheel.png}}
{{comicsrow|2139|2019-04-19|Email Settings|email settings.png}}
{{comicsrow|2138|2019-04-17|Wanna See the Code?|wanna see the code.png}}
{{comicsrow|2137|2019-04-15|Text Entry|text entry.png}}
{{comicsrow|2136|2019-04-12|Election Commentary|election commentary.png}}
{{comicsrow|2135|2019-04-10|M87 Black Hole Size Comparison|m87 black hole size comparison.png}}
{{comicsrow|2134|2019-04-08|Too Much Talking|too much talking.png}}
{{comicsrow|2133|2019-04-05|EHT Black Hole Picture|eht black hole picture.png}}
{{comicsrow|2132|2019-04-03|Percentage Styles|percentage styles.png}}
{{comicsrow|2131|2019-04-01|Emojidome|industry nicknames.png}}
{{comicsrow|2130|2019-03-29|Industry Nicknames|industry nicknames.png}}
{{comicsrow|2129|2019-03-27|1921 Fact Checker|1921 fact checker.png}}
{{comicsrow|2128|2019-03-25|New Robot|new robot.png}}
{{comicsrow|2127|2019-03-22|Panama Canal|panama canal.png}}
{{comicsrow|2126|2019-03-20|Google Trends Maps|google trends maps.png}}
{{comicsrow|2125|2019-03-18|Luna 2|luna 2.png}}
{{comicsrow|2124|2019-03-15|Space Mission Hearing|space mission hearing.png}}
{{comicsrow|2123|2019-03-13|Meta Collecting|meta collecting.png}}
{{comicsrow|2122|2019-03-11|Size Venn Diagram|size venn diagram.png}}
{{comicsrow|2121|2019-03-08|Light Pollution|light pollution.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2115|2019-02-22|Plutonium|plutonium.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2108|2019-02-06|Carbonated Beverage Language Map|carbonated beverage language map.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2104|2019-01-28|Biff Tannen|biff tannen.png}}
{{comicsrow|2103|2019-01-25|Midcontinent Rift System|midcontinent rift system.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2095|2019-01-07|Marsiforming|marsiforming.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2091|2018-12-28|Million, Billion, Trillion|million billion trillion.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2089|2018-12-24|Christmas Eve Eve|christmas eve eve.png}}
{{comicsrow|2088|2018-12-21|Schwarzschild's Cat|schwarzschilds cat.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2086|2018-12-17|History Department|history department.png}}
{{comicsrow|2085|2018-12-14|arXiv|arxiv.png}}
{{comicsrow|2084|2018-12-12|FDR|fdr.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2075|2018-11-21|Update Your Address|update your address.png}}
{{comicsrow|2074|2018-11-19|Airplanes and Spaceships|airplanes and spaceships.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2072|2018-11-14|Evaluating Tech Things|evaluating tech things.png}}
{{comicsrow|2071|2018-11-12|Indirect Detection|indirect detection.png}}
{{comicsrow|2070|2018-11-09|Trig Identities|trig identities.png}}
{{comicsrow|2069|2018-11-07|Wishlist|wishlist.png}}
{{comicsrow|2068|2018-11-05|Election Night|election night.png}}
{{comicsrow|2067|2018-11-02|Challengers|challengers.png}}
{{comicsrow|2066|2018-10-31|Ballot Selfies|ballot selfies.png}}
{{comicsrow|2065|2018-10-29|Who Sends the First Text?|who sends the first text.png}}
{{comicsrow|2064|2018-10-26|I'm a Car|im a car.png}}
{{comicsrow|2063|2018-10-24|Carnot Cycle|carnot cycle.png}}
{{comicsrow|2062|2018-10-22|Barnard's Star|barnards star.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2059|2018-10-15|Modified Bayes' Theorem|modified bayes theorem.png}}
{{comicsrow|2058|2018-10-12|Rock Wall|rock wall.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2056|2018-10-08|Horror Movies|horror movies.png}}
{{comicsrow|2055|2018-10-05|Bluetooth|bluetooth.png}}
{{comicsrow|2054|2018-10-03|Data Pipeline|data pipeline.png}}
{{comicsrow|2053|2018-10-01|Incoming Calls|incoming calls.png}}
{{comicsrow|2052|2018-09-28|Stanislav Petrov Day|stanislav petrov day.png}}
{{comicsrow|2051|2018-09-26|Bad Opinions|bad opinions.png}}
{{comicsrow|2050|2018-09-24|6/6 Time|6 6 time.png}}
{{comicsrow|2049|2018-09-21|Unfulfilling Toys|unfulfilling toys.png}}
{{comicsrow|2048|2018-09-19|Curve-Fitting|curve fitting.png}}
{{comicsrow|2047|2018-09-17|Beverages|beverages.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2044|2018-09-10|Sandboxing Cycle|sandboxing cycle.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2042|2018-09-05|Rolle's Theorem|rolles theorem.png}}
{{comicsrow|2041|2018-09-03|Frontiers|frontiers.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2039|2018-08-29|Begging the Question|begging the question.png}}
{{comicsrow|2038|2018-08-27|Hazard Symbol|hazard symbol.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2036|2018-08-22|Edgelord|edgelord.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2030|2018-08-08|Voting Software|voting software.png}}
{{comicsrow|2029|2018-08-06|Disaster Movie|disaster movie.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2027|2018-08-01|Lightning Distance|lightning distance.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2020|2018-07-16|Negative Results|negative results.png}}
{{comicsrow|2019|2018-07-13|An Apple for a Dollar|an apple for a dollar.png}}
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{{comicsrow|2017|2018-07-09|Stargazing 2|stargazing 2.png}}
{{comicsrow|2016|2018-07-06|OEIS Submissions|oeis submissions.png}}
{{comicsrow|2015|2018-07-04|New Phone Thread|new phone thread.png}}
{{comicsrow|2014|2018-07-02|JWST Delays|jwst delays.png}}
{{comicsrow|2013|2018-06-29|Rock|rock.png}}
{{comicsrow|2012|2018-06-27|Thorough Analysis|thorough analysis.png}}
{{comicsrow|2011|2018-06-25|Newton's Trajectories|newtons trajectories.png}}
{{comicsrow|2010|2018-06-22|Update Notes|update notes.png}}
{{comicsrow|2009|2018-06-20|Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram|hertzsprung russell diagram.png}}
{{comicsrow|2008|2018-06-18|Irony Definition|irony definition.png}}
{{comicsrow|2007|2018-06-15|Brookhaven RHIC|brookhaven rhic.png}}
{{comicsrow|2006|2018-06-13|Customer Rewards|customer rewards.png}}
{{comicsrow|2005|2018-06-11|Attention Span|attention span.png}}
{{comicsrow|2004|2018-06-08|Sun and Earth|sun and earth.png}}
{{comicsrow|2003|2018-06-06|Presidential Succession|presidential succession.png}}
{{comicsrow|2002|2018-06-04|LeBron James and Stephen Curry|lebron james and stephen curry.png}}
{{comicsrow|2001|2018-06-01|Clickbait-Corrected p-Value|clickbait corrected p value.png}}</onlyinclude>
|}

[[Category:Comics| ]]

950: Mystery Solved

2019-11-24T06:17:06Z

108.162.216.234: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 950
| date = September 12, 2011
| title = Mystery Solved
| image = mystery_solved.png
| titletext = The Roanoke Lost Colonists founded Roanoke, the Franklin Expedition reached the Pacific in 2009 when the Northwest Passage opened, and Jimmy Hoffa currently heads the Teamsters Union--he just started going by 'James'.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, aviation pioneer {{w|Amelia Earhart|Amelia Earhart's}} plane comes back to land after it went missing in 1937. It was presumed that Earhart was dead and that her plane went down into the ocean at some point during her journey, although various alternate theories have arisen since then, with no clear answer to the mystery. However, this comic proposes a much simpler explanation: there was no disappearance, it just took her 74 years to fly around the Earth. This explanation is simple, but impossible.

Earhart seems to think the person she is talking with is stupid for not comprehending such a simple answer, but in fact her explanation raises a multitude of other questions. Among them:
* How did it take so long for her to land? (She answers that the world is big, but it isn't so big that it takes 74 years to fly around it, even with 1937 technology. Earhart had already completed the majority of her journey before disappearing, and had only to cross the Pacific Ocean -- with stops in Howland Island and Hawaii -- before returning to her point of origin in Oakland, California. Had her flight succeeded, she could have completed it within three days of when she was last seen.)
* How did she survive that long, apparently without aging?
* Why didn't anyone else see her on her journey?
* Why doesn't she know that a flight shouldn't take 74 years?

Another possibility is that she did not just fly around the earth, but flew very fast (near {{w|light speed}}) for 74 years to return {{w|Twin paradox|without having aged much}}. However, this would not explain why she thinks it is a long trip around the earth, or how she would accomplish this feat in a {{w|Lockheed Model 10 Electra|twin-engine monoplane}}.

Earhart's disappearance gave birth to many conspiracy theories. One of these, which was explored in the TV series [http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_Voyager Star Trek: Voyager], involves [http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/The_37%27s_(episode) her being abducted] to another [http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Delta_Quadrant part of the galaxy], where she was left in cryogenic stasis until found by the Voyager crew. Something similar could be the case here, having Earhart frozen by aliens until 2011.

The title text lists a few more deceptively mundane answers to long-unsolved mysteries that at first seem to dispel the questions with boring logic, but in fact raise more questions than they answer. The first is the lost colonists of {{w|Roanoke Colony|Roanoke}}, who were one of the first groups to come to North America, but then suddenly disappeared, leaving their colony untouched. The comic suggests that they simply left to found {{w|Roanoke, Virginia}}. Like all the other explanations in this comic, this doesn't explain how this simple solution became lost to public knowledge. It also doesn't explain why they abandoned their original colony, or how they made it to Roanoke, Virginia, which is more than 300 miles away.

The second mystery in the title text, the {{w|Franklin's lost expedition|Franklin Expedition}}, was a British voyage in 1845 to study the {{w|Northwest Passage}} that also disappeared, somewhere in northern Canada. The text suggests that the expedition wasn't lost; it was still exploring and eventually found its way to the Pacific Ocean in 2009. This is impossible, because the men on the expedition would be long dead.

The final mystery is {{w|Jimmy Hoffa}}, the famous {{w|International Brotherhood of Teamsters|Teamsters Union}} leader who went missing in 1975 and declared dead in 1982 (possibly murdered). The comic says Jimmy simply opted to switch to the more formal version of his name; again, this raises the question of how such a thing would be possible without anyone noticing. The current head of the Teamsters is in fact named {{w|James P. Hoffa|James Hoffa}} (he is Jimmy Hoffa's son and goes by "James P. Hoffa" professionally); the comic could be implying that the senior Hoffa is not only alive but actually impersonating his own son.

==Transcript==
:[A twin prop airplane flies high overhead.]
:Off-screen person: What's that airplane?

:[The plane has landed, and the pilot is walking towards the crowd waving.]
:Off-screen person: Holy crap— Is that Amelia Earhart?

:[A close up of Amelia Earhart waving.]
:Amelia: Hey everyone! My flight was a success!
:Off-screen person: But... Where were you!?

:[A wide view of Amelia, she stops waving.]
:Amelia: I flew around the world!
:Off-screen person: But you disappeared in 1937!

:[A close up of Amelia Earhart.]
:Amelia: Right, to fly around the world.
:Off-screen person: It's 2011!
:Amelia: The world is big. It's a long flight.

:[A wide view of Amelia]
:Off-screen person:
::But you...
::It's not...
::I -
:Amelia: Can I talk to someone smarter?

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

950: Mystery Solved

2019-11-24T06:16:27Z

108.162.216.234: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 950
| date = September 12, 2011
| title = Mystery Solved
| image = mystery_solved.png
| titletext = The Roanoke Lost Colonists founded Roanoke, the Franklin Expedition reached the Pacific in 2009 when the Northwest Passage opened, and Jimmy Hoffa currently heads the Teamsters Union--he just started going by 'James'.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, aviation pioneer {{w|Amelia Earhart|Amelia Earhart's}} plane comes back to land after it went missing in 1937. It was presumed that Earhart was dead and that her plane went down into the ocean at some point during her journey, although various alternate theories have arisen since then, with no clear answer to the mystery. However, this comic proposes a much simpler explanation: there was no disappearance, it just took her 74 years to fly around the Earth. This explanation is simple, but impossible.

Earhart seems to think the person she is talking with is stupid for not comprehending such a simple answer, but in fact her explanation raises a multitude of other questions. Among them:
* How did it take so long for her to land? (She answers that the world is big, but it isn't so big that it takes 74 years to fly around it, even with 1937 technology. Earhart had already completed the majority of her journey before disappearing, and had only to cross the Pacific Ocean -- with stops in Howland Island and Hawaii -- before returning to her point of origin in Oakland, California. Had her flight succeeded, she could have completed it within three days of when she was last seen.)
* How did she survive that long, apparently without aging?
* Why didn't anyone else see her on her journey?
* Why doesn't she know that a flight shouldn't take 74 years?

Another possibility is that she did not just fly around the earth, but flew very fast (near {{w|light speed}}) for 74 years to return {{w|Twin paradox|without having aged much}}. However, this would not explain why she thinks it is a long trip around the earth, or how she would accomplish this feat in a {{w|Lockheed Model 10 Electra|twin-engine monoplane}}.

Earhart's disappearence gave birth to many conspiracy theories. One of these, which was explored in the TV series [http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_Voyager Star Trek: Voyager], involves [http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/The_37%27s_(episode) her being abducted] to another [http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Delta_Quadrant part of the galaxy], where she was left in cryogenic stasis until found by the Voyager crew. Something similar could be the case here, having Earhart frozen by aliens until 2011.

The title text lists a few more deceptively mundane answers to long-unsolved mysteries that at first seem to dispel the questions with boring logic, but in fact raise more questions than they answer. The first is the lost colonists of {{w|Roanoke Colony|Roanoke}}, who were one of the first groups to come to North America, but then suddenly disappeared, leaving their colony untouched. The comic suggests that they simply left to found {{w|Roanoke, Virginia}}. Like all the other explanations in this comic, this doesn't explain how this simple solution became lost to public knowledge. It also doesn't explain why they abandoned their original colony, or how they made it to Roanoke, Virginia, which is more than 300 miles away.

The second mystery in the title text, the {{w|Franklin's lost expedition|Franklin Expedition}}, was a British voyage in 1845 to study the {{w|Northwest Passage}} that also disappeared, somewhere in northern Canada. The text suggests that the expedition wasn't lost; it was still exploring and eventually found its way to the Pacific Ocean in 2009. This is impossible, because the men on the expedition would be long dead.

The final mystery is {{w|Jimmy Hoffa}}, the famous {{w|International Brotherhood of Teamsters|Teamsters Union}} leader who went missing in 1975 and declared dead in 1982 (possibly murdered). The comic says Jimmy simply opted to switch to the more formal version of his name; again, this raises the question of how such a thing would be possible without anyone noticing. The current head of the Teamsters is in fact named {{w|James P. Hoffa|James Hoffa}} (he is Jimmy Hoffa's son and goes by "James P. Hoffa" professionally); the comic could be implying that the senior Hoffa is not only alive but actually impersonating his own son.

==Transcript==
:[A twin prop airplane flies high overhead.]
:Off-screen person: What's that airplane?

:[The plane has landed, and the pilot is walking towards the crowd waving.]
:Off-screen person: Holy crap— Is that Amelia Earhart?

:[A close up of Amelia Earhart waving.]
:Amelia: Hey everyone! My flight was a success!
:Off-screen person: But... Where were you!?

:[A wide view of Amelia, she stops waving.]
:Amelia: I flew around the world!
:Off-screen person: But you disappeared in 1937!

:[A close up of Amelia Earhart.]
:Amelia: Right, to fly around the world.
:Off-screen person: It's 2011!
:Amelia: The world is big. It's a long flight.

:[A wide view of Amelia]
:Off-screen person:
::But you...
::It's not...
::I -
:Amelia: Can I talk to someone smarter?

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