explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2679: Quantified Self

2022-10-03T01:24:53Z

108.162.250.162:

This could also be a call back to the Billy Path comics run in Family Circus. I don't have time today to add that research though. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.59|172.70.214.59]] 16:00, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:The xkcd [[100: Family Circus]] seems relevant enough and readers can go to that page for an explanation of "Billy paths" and the OCD connection. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 00:24, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

Here is an explanation of what it is about
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCD/comments/1ve309/invisible_thread_attached_to_my_back_am_i_the/ {{unsigned|Florian F|18:11, 30 September 2022‎}}
:I was going to guess sorting Google Maps Directions by sustainability announced this past Wednesday. https://blog.google/products/search/new-ways-to-make-more-sustainable-choices/ [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.17|172.69.134.17]] 18:53, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::How is this comic about optimizing for sustainability?
:::It is about optimizing a particular attribute of maps directions. Sustainability is the most recent such attribute announced (two days prior to the comic) by a top-3 commerical maps directions provider. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.183|172.70.214.183]] 06:04, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:::: Google optimizes paths for distance and time for a long time already. The announcement is about optimizing for fuel efficiency instead. The comic clearly speaks about measuring distance but not about fuel consumption.
:::: The comic also insists on the topological features of constructions, namely whether there is a hole. This has nothing to do with fuel efficiency. And how does pulling a string taut measure fuel efficiency? I don't understand.
:::: The newspapers are full of events that happened 3 days ago. What makes Google's announcement more relevant to the comic than other news? [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 09:29, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::::: Are you saying your OCD interpretation is more likely? Do you have any sources compatible with {{w|WP:RSP}}? How do those sources compare to an annual software release announcement by a top-10 tech company? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.125|162.158.166.125]] 09:34, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::::::What I am saying is that the Google announcement as reliable as it is, is totally irrelevant to this comic. It is both optimization of a path. So what? It doesn't shed any light on any peculiarity of the comic. If you can explain why the red line is affected by bridges and an arch, but not by buildings or mountains, in the context of sustainability an fuel reduction, you might have a case. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 15:35, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:::::::The connection is clear to me: there is a new way to select paths based on a metric nobody has been using before. I don't feel the same way about the link to [[Math Work]] which is far more of a stretch, so I uncommented the first two sentences and the references, but deleted that link. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.126|172.70.211.126]] 05:12, 2 October 2022 (UTC)
::::::::What is clear is that you need to tailor your description in a very abstract way to make it look related. The context is completely different. And the reference to google maps doesn't explain any part of the comic strip. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 11:53, 2 October 2022 (UTC)
:::::::::All of the things in that Google blog post involve the quantified self as a central idea, not just the maps part. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.125|162.158.166.125]] 21:04, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

:I think you're way off. I don't see any hint that it's about OCD. If it's similar to the condition you referenced, it's just a coincidence. The whole thing needs to be started from scratch. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.105|108.162.221.105]] 20:41, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::That is why this site exists. To explain things you don't see. I don't think many people are familiar with this compulsion about an imaginary string retracing your path in space, but when you are, it is spot on. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 23:09, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

GOOMHR![https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=GOOMHR] - Although for me it was the opposite aim. I've had periods of time when I wouldn't even like (if I noticed, I wasn't like OCD or anything[1]!!!) to make a return journey that meant I even crossed the road at a different point and thus passed under a different telegraph wire between a different set of adjacent poles, on the presumption that if I were to 'retract my path' then it would be irrevocably looped around at least one telegraph poles. (But normal lamp-posts were Ok... the path-'string' could just pass over and around the top and continue to retract. And it could pass above/below anything movable like cars, people, etc.) My ideal would be to be topologically contracted to zero length. Nut I wasn't actually obsessed by it, just... sometimes noticed when I was forced to do something that would cause such 'problems' and might deliberately ensure that any such loop was fully reversed (in strict reverse order to any such transit adding them in) ''if at all possible''. Of course, once it was spoilt by one end of the journey being held by a loop, the rest didn't matter so much. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.71|162.158.34.71]] 18:21, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:''[1] Not even CDO, which is like OCD but ordered alphabetically!''
:: I definitely am also someone who always played it your way, the reverse XKCD. My cats play it straight though, running into the house, through, and out a different entrance repeatedly one day, then the other way the day after. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.210.45|172.68.210.45]] 19:35, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:::Yeah, I was always trying to avoid "entangling" my path as well. I suppose it's not just nightmares that can be "oddly universal"--childhood superstitious compulsions might be the same way, at least among the nerd population! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.174.41|172.70.174.41]] 00:07, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

; Red string of Fate
The drawing looks like the red thread connecting people in chinese mythology.
-[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.188|162.158.91.188]] 18:21, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

What happens to the string if you crawl under a car which then drives off?[[Special:Contributions/172.70.134.141|172.70.134.141]] 20:05, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:You probably would only count objects that were stationary after you passed them.[[User:Anonymouscript|Anonymouscript]] ([[User talk:Anonymouscript|talk]]) 21:10, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::If it can conceivably move over your 'thread', then it isn't a 'tangling loop'. You have to allow for any degree of mysterious topological optimisation that can magically unhook itself from anything that can be unhooked from, no matter {{w|Alexander horned sphere|how much work it has to do to do so}}, and if that has to include choosing just the right time (with perfect prescience, where necessary!) to allow it to untangle wherever/whenever possible. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 21:25, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:::That doesn't make sense, taken to the extreme, since all things will turn to dust eventually.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.42|162.158.107.42]] 21:47, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::::Within the period of your concern (e.g. per daily routine), I would presume. That gantry over the road will be (partially, perhaps in stages) dissasembled for maintenance at some point, if not outright taken down, allowing an arbitrarily future-sensitive thread to not be caught up in it any more. Tachyonic thread-behaviour could happily unwrap around the time ''before'' the gantry (or bridges, or arch) were built, and as for the house... Before completion or after the next F5 tornado, the 4D constraints are far less (a line snagged permanently in a 4D 'passage' suggests something a bit more interesting, given a closed door doesn't 'snag' in 3D, only the use of two different doorways, with or without actual doors). But limiting it to a daily assesment bookends the whole 4D construct with a virtual lintel over (and under, in the ''t''-dimension) any potential gap for thread-movement that might be considered a way to be optimising to minimal necessary set of straight-line distances... Well, unless you learn the gantry was only assembled that morning, or that it had sufficient Ship Of Theseus-style repairs during the day, or a truck hit it by the end of the day... then it still acts as a looped-snagger
::::The car is trivial, in comparison, as we ''know'' it drives away in the posited scenario (and within the duration of the scenario). Even if our mental thread-pull does not allow us to tug it under the firmly ground-planted tyres, by reducing to periods of instaniousness as the 'trapped' thread is then rolled over (and even more tightly trapped, without violating the 'through solid matter' issue) you reach a point where it is now rolled ''off'' of (no longer underneath the car at all) so you can consider it untrapped. Unlike any thread that was threaded in through the driver's side door but out again through the passenger-side one, which traps loops completely (except for convertables, of course, or if Black Hat subsequently does a more width-wise [[562: Parking|version of the "cut'n'shut", with or without the "shut" bit]].
::::But that's just my interpretation. Thread-line obsessions probably come in various flavours and twists (can a thread-line knot about itself? And, insofar as the car example, is it basically forced to stay 'loose' but looped under the car as it drives, at least until enough of the car's wheels lose contact with the ground due to excessive speed over a humped bridge or even speedbump?) and I can't speak for all of them, but my reasonable (FCVO 'reasonable') assessment suggests that there are get outs ''and'' constraints that might be more universal than not. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.48|172.70.91.48]] 01:47, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

{{cot|When it was all about the OCD}}
This is about a type of OCD where some people feel like they have an imaginary string connecting them to where they come from. As they move around, that string gets entangled and they feel the urge to untangle it. When they enter a car, they feel the need to exit the car from the same door, or else the string will be trapped as forever passing through the car. When they enter a building, they feel they need to exit using the same doorway(s), to avoid entangling the string in the building.

Some cases, like turning around a lamp post are OK because you can imagine removing the loop over the top of the lamp post, such that it is not really entangled.

There may not be an official clinical name for this variety of OCD, but one suggested one is the "imaginary path-string".

Randall treats this OCD like a new measure to add to one's quantified self. The quantified self normally refers to the collection of measurements about your activity, like the number of steps you walk in a day, or monitoring your weight, blood pressure or calories intake. Here, Cueball measures his OCD, i.e. how long this imaginary string has become at the end of the day, after mentally untangling the string as much as possible with valid changes, like moving it around objects, but never through solid matter.

Unlike most people with this OCD, who feel the urge to minimize it, Randall/Cueball takes the opposite stance and actually prefers to maximize the (optimally minimal) length of that imaginary string.

The alt text tells about all the things that become useful adjuncts to this way of thinking and measuring, such as passing (one way) through any tube, tunnel or frame made of solid material that could thus capture the imaginary string and help to keep its ultimate distance as lengthy as possible. All of these situations are dreaded by the people with the more traditional version of OCD.
{{cob}}
...because someone [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2679:_Quantified_Self&diff=295745&oldid=295744 ''just deleted it''], and didn't even appear to attempt to replace it with anything useful themselves. (It did need a lot of editing, but not sure it is totally inapplicable, given the demonstrated familiarity with the basic concept by Randall's target audience...) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 21:25, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::I also had a preoccupation with this sort of thing, for a while as a child. My magic thread was a remnant of the umbilical cord, with one end permanently anchored in the hospital where I was born. I had little or no knowledge of the fundamental nature of matter and just thought of it as a rubber band that was too small to see or feel. Like in the comic and other comments here, it could magically stretch as much as needed and would un-stretch when possible. I did not consider changing behaviour (e.g. choosing an exit to leave a building) because I had no desire for it to be longer or shorter, and it was clearly far too late to make a significant difference. I did spend quite some time thinking of all the places the thread must have gotten caught (as in the comic) and estimating its total length. (I did not consider airports, or my estimate would have been far longer). [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 06:17, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

;Comics with color, red-line subset
As [[:Category:Comics with color]] doesn't have a currently extant Talk-page to it, mentioning it here (although not sure if this one counts, as much, for my suggestion). Many CwC examples are basically "monochrome with added red" ([[2639: Periodic Table Changes|'corrections' to periodic tables]], e.g.) that are distinct from "having lines of various colours" (like [[657: Movie Narrative Charts|multidata plottings]]), which are in turn distinctive from [[2598: Graphic Designers|floodfilled]] or [[1024: Error Code|brushstroked]] multihue images. A simple(ish) algorithm could autoclassify all images with any non-greyscale pixels in them, but (from a human perspective, which is [[1530: Keyboard Mash|definitely my kind of perspective]]!) I think that we could sub-split CwC candidates into something like "(Monochrome) Comics with added red lines", and the rest. Doubtless some are going to be edge-cases (is this one technically a red-line one? Probably, but it's not really the same as a 'correction/annotation' red-lined comic), but such subcategorisation might still be broadly useful. - Just a wild idea, that you could perhaps safely ignore. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.117|172.70.90.117]] 02:25, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

Are there any ''reliable'' sources for the OCD interpretation, or merely a collection of anecdotes? If the former, please spell out and wikilink OCD. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.158.119|172.71.158.119]] 07:24, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

I have some questions about the Google Maps Directions sustainability and related Google features; please see:
* https://itep.org/the-impact-of-work-from-home-on-commercial-property-values-and-the-property-tax-in-u-s-cities/
* https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/08/working-from-home-commercial-office-space-booming
* https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-08-12/office-rentals-shrink-as-tenant-employees-work-from-home
* https://www.computerworld.com/article/3659891/google-others-adding-office-space-in-anticipation-of-the-great-return.html
* https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/01/14/google-spends-billions-on-buying-office-buildings-is-this-a-sign-of-the-post-pandemic-pushback-against-remote-work/
* https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-cutting-office-space-predict-long-term-savings-11625493601
Firstly, has Google published a cost-benefit analysis comparing the sharply increased profits and productivity from work-from-home to the value of coastal region commercial office space holdings and leases? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.59|172.70.214.59]] 08:49, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Added, except I TLDRed on those six links lol. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.185|162.158.166.185]] 08:57, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::This looks totally irrelevant to me. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 09:29, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Did you miss these three?
:* https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-04-28/google-is-saving-1-billion-per-year-as-a-result-of-employees-working-from-home
:* https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-15/google-googl-wants-employees-to-return-to-office-despite-productivity-gains
:* https://www.reuters.com/world/the-great-reboot/pay-cut-google-employees-who-work-home-could-lose-money-2021-08-10/
:? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.125|162.158.166.125]] 09:31, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::No, seriously? You think this comic has to do with google employees working from home?

I [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2679%3A_Quantified_Self&type=revision&diff=295816&oldid=295813 deleted the entire OCD interpretation section] because I couldn't figure out how to comment it out. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.158.89|172.71.158.89]] 10:59, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Usual HTML commenting-out would do it. Put a <code><nowiki></nowiki></code> after it. (There's no valid 'tag-end' <code><nowiki>--!></nowiki></code>. The special tag as a whole is <code><nowiki></nowiki></code>, though why it isn't <code><nowiki><!-- --/></nowiki></code> more closely aligned with XML standards for singleton tags I couldn't tell you. ;)
:However, I feel you're just missing the fact that this is provably a thing (to various degrees as exquisitely described both here and on external links) and as valid as subject for Randall's parody as [[245: Floor Tiles|stepping only in valid patterns]] or [[735: Floor|not even upon the floor at all]]. But you've made the change, so... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.211|172.69.79.211]] 21:47, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::Glad to see some people have some sense. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 22:34, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:I put the proper HTML markers to comment out the old OCD section (that the anonymous editor thought was too long?) and restored the citations with a much shorter explanation and two relevant XKCD comics (735 floor and 100 family circus). [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 22:39, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Now you can do the same with the Google Maps Sustainability hypotheses that so far hasn't proven any relevance to the comic. But do I repeat myself? [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 22:34, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::I'm inclined to agree. I'll put the same block-comment tags around that Google Sustainability paragraph. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 22:50, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
;r/whoosh
We need a "I don't get it" tag for these strips. We could call it "r/whoosh".
(to be fair, I understand the comics, but I don't personally find it neither fascinating, nor interesting, nor funny, nor depicting an interesting fact, nor something I can relate about, and I don't think I'm going to be the only one... YMMV to those who feel differently). [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 17:09, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
;A thought about the world of this comic
The world created by these locations looks like the world of the original ''Starcraft'''s third Terran mission, "Desperate Alliance," the one where you have to survive for thirty minutes. Just a thought.

Talk:2679: Quantified Self

2022-10-03T01:23:32Z

108.162.250.162:

This could also be a call back to the Billy Path comics run in Family Circus. I don't have time today to add that research though. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.59|172.70.214.59]] 16:00, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:The xkcd [[100: Family Circus]] seems relevant enough and readers can go to that page for an explanation of "Billy paths" and the OCD connection. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 00:24, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

Here is an explanation of what it is about
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCD/comments/1ve309/invisible_thread_attached_to_my_back_am_i_the/ {{unsigned|Florian F|18:11, 30 September 2022‎}}
:I was going to guess sorting Google Maps Directions by sustainability announced this past Wednesday. https://blog.google/products/search/new-ways-to-make-more-sustainable-choices/ [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.17|172.69.134.17]] 18:53, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::How is this comic about optimizing for sustainability?
:::It is about optimizing a particular attribute of maps directions. Sustainability is the most recent such attribute announced (two days prior to the comic) by a top-3 commerical maps directions provider. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.183|172.70.214.183]] 06:04, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:::: Google optimizes paths for distance and time for a long time already. The announcement is about optimizing for fuel efficiency instead. The comic clearly speaks about measuring distance but not about fuel consumption.
:::: The comic also insists on the topological features of constructions, namely whether there is a hole. This has nothing to do with fuel efficiency. And how does pulling a string taut measure fuel efficiency? I don't understand.
:::: The newspapers are full of events that happened 3 days ago. What makes Google's announcement more relevant to the comic than other news? [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 09:29, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::::: Are you saying your OCD interpretation is more likely? Do you have any sources compatible with {{w|WP:RSP}}? How do those sources compare to an annual software release announcement by a top-10 tech company? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.125|162.158.166.125]] 09:34, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::::::What I am saying is that the Google announcement as reliable as it is, is totally irrelevant to this comic. It is both optimization of a path. So what? It doesn't shed any light on any peculiarity of the comic. If you can explain why the red line is affected by bridges and an arch, but not by buildings or mountains, in the context of sustainability an fuel reduction, you might have a case. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 15:35, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:::::::The connection is clear to me: there is a new way to select paths based on a metric nobody has been using before. I don't feel the same way about the link to [[Math Work]] which is far more of a stretch, so I uncommented the first two sentences and the references, but deleted that link. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.126|172.70.211.126]] 05:12, 2 October 2022 (UTC)
::::::::What is clear is that you need to tailor your description in a very abstract way to make it look related. The context is completely different. And the reference to google maps doesn't explain any part of the comic strip. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 11:53, 2 October 2022 (UTC)
:::::::::All of the things in that Google blog post involve the quantified self as a central idea, not just the maps part. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.125|162.158.166.125]] 21:04, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

:I think you're way off. I don't see any hint that it's about OCD. If it's similar to the condition you referenced, it's just a coincidence. The whole thing needs to be started from scratch. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.105|108.162.221.105]] 20:41, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::That is why this site exists. To explain things you don't see. I don't think many people are familiar with this compulsion about an imaginary string retracing your path in space, but when you are, it is spot on. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 23:09, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

GOOMHR![https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=GOOMHR Randall is _always_ looking through your eyes] - Although for me it was the opposite aim. I've had periods of time when I wouldn't even like (if I noticed, I wasn't like OCD or anything[1]!!!) to make a return journey that meant I even crossed the road at a different point and thus passed under a different telegraph wire between a different set of adjacent poles, on the presumption that if I were to 'retract my path' then it would be irrevocably looped around at least one telegraph poles. (But normal lamp-posts were Ok... the path-'string' could just pass over and around the top and continue to retract. And it could pass above/below anything movable like cars, people, etc.) My ideal would be to be topologically contracted to zero length. Nut I wasn't actually obsessed by it, just... sometimes noticed when I was forced to do something that would cause such 'problems' and might deliberately ensure that any such loop was fully reversed (in strict reverse order to any such transit adding them in) ''if at all possible''. Of course, once it was spoilt by one end of the journey being held by a loop, the rest didn't matter so much. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.71|162.158.34.71]] 18:21, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:''[1] Not even CDO, which is like OCD but ordered alphabetically!''
:: I definitely am also someone who always played it your way, the reverse XKCD. My cats play it straight though, running into the house, through, and out a different entrance repeatedly one day, then the other way the day after. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.210.45|172.68.210.45]] 19:35, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:::Yeah, I was always trying to avoid "entangling" my path as well. I suppose it's not just nightmares that can be "oddly universal"--childhood superstitious compulsions might be the same way, at least among the nerd population! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.174.41|172.70.174.41]] 00:07, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

; Red string of Fate
The drawing looks like the red thread connecting people in chinese mythology.
-[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.188|162.158.91.188]] 18:21, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

What happens to the string if you crawl under a car which then drives off?[[Special:Contributions/172.70.134.141|172.70.134.141]] 20:05, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:You probably would only count objects that were stationary after you passed them.[[User:Anonymouscript|Anonymouscript]] ([[User talk:Anonymouscript|talk]]) 21:10, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::If it can conceivably move over your 'thread', then it isn't a 'tangling loop'. You have to allow for any degree of mysterious topological optimisation that can magically unhook itself from anything that can be unhooked from, no matter {{w|Alexander horned sphere|how much work it has to do to do so}}, and if that has to include choosing just the right time (with perfect prescience, where necessary!) to allow it to untangle wherever/whenever possible. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 21:25, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:::That doesn't make sense, taken to the extreme, since all things will turn to dust eventually.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.42|162.158.107.42]] 21:47, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::::Within the period of your concern (e.g. per daily routine), I would presume. That gantry over the road will be (partially, perhaps in stages) dissasembled for maintenance at some point, if not outright taken down, allowing an arbitrarily future-sensitive thread to not be caught up in it any more. Tachyonic thread-behaviour could happily unwrap around the time ''before'' the gantry (or bridges, or arch) were built, and as for the house... Before completion or after the next F5 tornado, the 4D constraints are far less (a line snagged permanently in a 4D 'passage' suggests something a bit more interesting, given a closed door doesn't 'snag' in 3D, only the use of two different doorways, with or without actual doors). But limiting it to a daily assesment bookends the whole 4D construct with a virtual lintel over (and under, in the ''t''-dimension) any potential gap for thread-movement that might be considered a way to be optimising to minimal necessary set of straight-line distances... Well, unless you learn the gantry was only assembled that morning, or that it had sufficient Ship Of Theseus-style repairs during the day, or a truck hit it by the end of the day... then it still acts as a looped-snagger
::::The car is trivial, in comparison, as we ''know'' it drives away in the posited scenario (and within the duration of the scenario). Even if our mental thread-pull does not allow us to tug it under the firmly ground-planted tyres, by reducing to periods of instaniousness as the 'trapped' thread is then rolled over (and even more tightly trapped, without violating the 'through solid matter' issue) you reach a point where it is now rolled ''off'' of (no longer underneath the car at all) so you can consider it untrapped. Unlike any thread that was threaded in through the driver's side door but out again through the passenger-side one, which traps loops completely (except for convertables, of course, or if Black Hat subsequently does a more width-wise [[562: Parking|version of the "cut'n'shut", with or without the "shut" bit]].
::::But that's just my interpretation. Thread-line obsessions probably come in various flavours and twists (can a thread-line knot about itself? And, insofar as the car example, is it basically forced to stay 'loose' but looped under the car as it drives, at least until enough of the car's wheels lose contact with the ground due to excessive speed over a humped bridge or even speedbump?) and I can't speak for all of them, but my reasonable (FCVO 'reasonable') assessment suggests that there are get outs ''and'' constraints that might be more universal than not. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.48|172.70.91.48]] 01:47, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

{{cot|When it was all about the OCD}}
This is about a type of OCD where some people feel like they have an imaginary string connecting them to where they come from. As they move around, that string gets entangled and they feel the urge to untangle it. When they enter a car, they feel the need to exit the car from the same door, or else the string will be trapped as forever passing through the car. When they enter a building, they feel they need to exit using the same doorway(s), to avoid entangling the string in the building.

Some cases, like turning around a lamp post are OK because you can imagine removing the loop over the top of the lamp post, such that it is not really entangled.

There may not be an official clinical name for this variety of OCD, but one suggested one is the "imaginary path-string".

Randall treats this OCD like a new measure to add to one's quantified self. The quantified self normally refers to the collection of measurements about your activity, like the number of steps you walk in a day, or monitoring your weight, blood pressure or calories intake. Here, Cueball measures his OCD, i.e. how long this imaginary string has become at the end of the day, after mentally untangling the string as much as possible with valid changes, like moving it around objects, but never through solid matter.

Unlike most people with this OCD, who feel the urge to minimize it, Randall/Cueball takes the opposite stance and actually prefers to maximize the (optimally minimal) length of that imaginary string.

The alt text tells about all the things that become useful adjuncts to this way of thinking and measuring, such as passing (one way) through any tube, tunnel or frame made of solid material that could thus capture the imaginary string and help to keep its ultimate distance as lengthy as possible. All of these situations are dreaded by the people with the more traditional version of OCD.
{{cob}}
...because someone [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2679:_Quantified_Self&diff=295745&oldid=295744 ''just deleted it''], and didn't even appear to attempt to replace it with anything useful themselves. (It did need a lot of editing, but not sure it is totally inapplicable, given the demonstrated familiarity with the basic concept by Randall's target audience...) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 21:25, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::I also had a preoccupation with this sort of thing, for a while as a child. My magic thread was a remnant of the umbilical cord, with one end permanently anchored in the hospital where I was born. I had little or no knowledge of the fundamental nature of matter and just thought of it as a rubber band that was too small to see or feel. Like in the comic and other comments here, it could magically stretch as much as needed and would un-stretch when possible. I did not consider changing behaviour (e.g. choosing an exit to leave a building) because I had no desire for it to be longer or shorter, and it was clearly far too late to make a significant difference. I did spend quite some time thinking of all the places the thread must have gotten caught (as in the comic) and estimating its total length. (I did not consider airports, or my estimate would have been far longer). [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 06:17, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

;Comics with color, red-line subset
As [[:Category:Comics with color]] doesn't have a currently extant Talk-page to it, mentioning it here (although not sure if this one counts, as much, for my suggestion). Many CwC examples are basically "monochrome with added red" ([[2639: Periodic Table Changes|'corrections' to periodic tables]], e.g.) that are distinct from "having lines of various colours" (like [[657: Movie Narrative Charts|multidata plottings]]), which are in turn distinctive from [[2598: Graphic Designers|floodfilled]] or [[1024: Error Code|brushstroked]] multihue images. A simple(ish) algorithm could autoclassify all images with any non-greyscale pixels in them, but (from a human perspective, which is [[1530: Keyboard Mash|definitely my kind of perspective]]!) I think that we could sub-split CwC candidates into something like "(Monochrome) Comics with added red lines", and the rest. Doubtless some are going to be edge-cases (is this one technically a red-line one? Probably, but it's not really the same as a 'correction/annotation' red-lined comic), but such subcategorisation might still be broadly useful. - Just a wild idea, that you could perhaps safely ignore. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.117|172.70.90.117]] 02:25, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

Are there any ''reliable'' sources for the OCD interpretation, or merely a collection of anecdotes? If the former, please spell out and wikilink OCD. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.158.119|172.71.158.119]] 07:24, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

I have some questions about the Google Maps Directions sustainability and related Google features; please see:
* https://itep.org/the-impact-of-work-from-home-on-commercial-property-values-and-the-property-tax-in-u-s-cities/
* https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/08/working-from-home-commercial-office-space-booming
* https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-08-12/office-rentals-shrink-as-tenant-employees-work-from-home
* https://www.computerworld.com/article/3659891/google-others-adding-office-space-in-anticipation-of-the-great-return.html
* https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/01/14/google-spends-billions-on-buying-office-buildings-is-this-a-sign-of-the-post-pandemic-pushback-against-remote-work/
* https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-cutting-office-space-predict-long-term-savings-11625493601
Firstly, has Google published a cost-benefit analysis comparing the sharply increased profits and productivity from work-from-home to the value of coastal region commercial office space holdings and leases? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.59|172.70.214.59]] 08:49, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Added, except I TLDRed on those six links lol. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.185|162.158.166.185]] 08:57, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::This looks totally irrelevant to me. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 09:29, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Did you miss these three?
:* https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-04-28/google-is-saving-1-billion-per-year-as-a-result-of-employees-working-from-home
:* https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-15/google-googl-wants-employees-to-return-to-office-despite-productivity-gains
:* https://www.reuters.com/world/the-great-reboot/pay-cut-google-employees-who-work-home-could-lose-money-2021-08-10/
:? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.125|162.158.166.125]] 09:31, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::No, seriously? You think this comic has to do with google employees working from home?

I [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2679%3A_Quantified_Self&type=revision&diff=295816&oldid=295813 deleted the entire OCD interpretation section] because I couldn't figure out how to comment it out. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.158.89|172.71.158.89]] 10:59, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Usual HTML commenting-out would do it. Put a <code><nowiki></nowiki></code> after it. (There's no valid 'tag-end' <code><nowiki>--!></nowiki></code>. The special tag as a whole is <code><nowiki></nowiki></code>, though why it isn't <code><nowiki><!-- --/></nowiki></code> more closely aligned with XML standards for singleton tags I couldn't tell you. ;)
:However, I feel you're just missing the fact that this is provably a thing (to various degrees as exquisitely described both here and on external links) and as valid as subject for Randall's parody as [[245: Floor Tiles|stepping only in valid patterns]] or [[735: Floor|not even upon the floor at all]]. But you've made the change, so... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.211|172.69.79.211]] 21:47, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::Glad to see some people have some sense. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 22:34, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:I put the proper HTML markers to comment out the old OCD section (that the anonymous editor thought was too long?) and restored the citations with a much shorter explanation and two relevant XKCD comics (735 floor and 100 family circus). [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 22:39, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Now you can do the same with the Google Maps Sustainability hypotheses that so far hasn't proven any relevance to the comic. But do I repeat myself? [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 22:34, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::I'm inclined to agree. I'll put the same block-comment tags around that Google Sustainability paragraph. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 22:50, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
;r/whoosh
We need a "I don't get it" tag for these strips. We could call it "r/whoosh".
(to be fair, I understand the comics, but I don't personally find it neither fascinating, nor interesting, nor funny, nor depicting an interesting fact, nor something I can relate about, and I don't think I'm going to be the only one... YMMV to those who feel differently). [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 17:09, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
;A thought about the world of this comic
The world created by these locations looks like the world of the original ''Starcraft'''s third Terran mission, "Desperate Alliance," the one where you have to survive for thirty minutes. Just a thought.

Talk:418: Stove Ownership

2016-10-11T23:38:21Z

108.162.250.162: Added to discussion

The title text doesn't "imply" that Randall went through a frosting phase in college similar to his present-day bacon obsession; it flat-out states it. The reader need not infer anything. Also, the usage of parens to define both a "phase" and "frosting" struck me as a little bit pedantic. I suspect most, if not all, readers of both xkcd and this explainer site are well enough versed with these nuances. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.21|108.162.219.21]] 08:29, 21 May 2014 (UTC)
I appreciated the definition of frosting, as in Australia, it means the sugar you dust over a cake, sometimes over icin, but not the icing itself. Frosting-in-a-can I had interpreted dusting-sugar-in-a-can. Someone redefining it as icing was useful to me. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 23:38, 11 October 2016 (UTC)

On 5/30/14, I rewrote the description. It's still marked as inaccurate or incomplete, but the revision hasn't been reviewed yet ~J. {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.44}}

Is it really necessary to describe why eating copious amounts of bacon will have adverse affects on ones health? Should we also describe the metabolic effects of eating fat on the digestive and circulatory system? I don't mean to sound so smug and cynical, but some of Randall's comics are rather self-explanatory. I believe we've satisfactorily cleaned up this explanation. {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.44}}

Okay, I explained, hopefully to the satisfaction of the editors, why eating a ton of bacon would make somebody unhealthy. Can we close this one out? Thanks[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.44|173.245.54.44]] 01:53, 7 June 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1684: Rainbow

2016-05-30T05:43:51Z

108.162.250.162:

How do I find the official transcript?[[User:Transuranium|Transuranium]] ([[User talk:Transuranium|talk]]) 11:00, 23 May 2016 (UTC)Transuranium
:Most recent comics do not have official transcripts. {{User:17jiangz1/signature|11:13, 23 May 2016}}
::But now there is one here ;-) [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:38, 23 May 2016 (UTC)
:::Actually the transcript seems to appear with a lag of abut 10 comics at this time. But also for some time the transcript has been messed up so for instance [http://xkcd.com/1673/info.0.json this official transcript page]] for comic [[1673: Timeline of Bicycle Design]] actually displays the transcript for comic [[1670: Laws of Physics]], but still has the correct title and the title text for 1673. Wonder if Randall has never noticed this, even though it has been an issue for at least most of this year (see the [[1644: Stargazing#Trivia|trivia]] for [[1644: Stargazing]].) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:19, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

Religion... geez. It's some weird stuff, huh. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.10|108.162.219.10]] 17:05, 23 May 2016 (UTC)

Now that XKCD adopts the voice of God, it's time to write him off and move elsewhere. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.109|141.101.70.109]] 11:56, 23 May 2016 (UTC)
: Nice of you to decide for everyone. Just like god would do, right? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.27|141.101.80.27]] 13:38, 23 May 2016 (UTC)
:: My house is better than your tent. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.109|141.101.70.109]] 21:34, 28 May 2016 (UTC)
:Word of God has appered before, as in Comic 224 or 258. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.86.161|162.158.86.161]] 17:09, 23 May 2016 (UTC)

::Seems to me that adopting the voice of God is the main practice of devotional speakers, including priests & pastors. If you're unwilling to accept people's interpretations & commentary on religious doctrine, then that leaves only having faith in the most literal meanings. If that's your preference then good luck, because even the Catholic church doesn't preach the gospel as literal untranslated Truth. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.68.71|162.158.68.71]] 18:08, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

For the sake of doctrinal accuracy, God (assuming the comic is in fact referring to the Jewish God who set his war bow in the cloud after the Flood) never promised not to destroy the earth by fire. Christian theology (2 Peter 3:10) implies God fully intends to destroy the earth by fire - or at least by unprecedented universal nuclear fission. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.87|108.162.221.87]] 11:59, 23 May 2016 (UTC)
:In the Hopi faith, the First world is said to have been destroyed by fire, the second by ice, & only the most recent world destroyed by flood. This theme recurs frequently throughout indigenous American & Central American cultural histories. Given the widely publicized Hopi tales of rainbow bodies & the often accented correlations with "Western" religions, it seems to me that it would be reasonable to assume that in this comic, Randall is not actually depicting the strict Noah's Flood interpretation of events, but rather a wider conversation with God, incorporating multiple religious histories to present a much more inclusive picture of prior apocalypses which apparently are believed to have destroyed the Earth.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.68.71|162.158.68.71]] 18:14, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

: Good point, but for universal respect you should capitalise His pronouns. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.109|141.101.70.109]] 12:16, 23 May 2016 (UTC)

:: Ok, really? So the bible says "I will destroy the earth by '''universal nuclear fission'''" ? I must have missed something on the first reading -- could you tell me the page number? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.219|162.158.255.219]] 19:20, 23 May 2016 (UTC)

::: "And the elements shall melt with a fervent heat." 3500ºC is enought to melt everything, but when combined with Colossians 1:17 "in Him all things are held together" that implies he could stop holding things together - voila, every single element on the table separates into a soup of protons, neutrons, electrons, and enough free energy to destroy a universe - oh wait that's the point. Okay, so that's just speculation, but it sounds cool to watch. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.87|108.162.221.87]] 11:48, 24 May 2016 (UTC)

:: It doesn't mention a nuclear catastrophe in so many words. It does mention a massive asteroid will destroy the planet and that angels will collapse the pillars of reality which are all the rules God built the universe on. It's actually an incredibly visual passage for such abstract concepts, wonderfully well written. [[User:Lackadaisical|Lackadaisical]] ([[User talk:Lackadaisical|talk]]) 20:31, 23 May 2016 (UTC)

When the conditions are right, various types of [[wikipedia:Rainbow#Variations|multiple rainbow]] may be visible. [[User:Rhubbarb|Rhubbarb]] ([[User talk:Rhubbarb|talk]]) 12:03, 23 May 2016 (UTC)

: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Drabkikker Atmospheric optics enthusiast] signing in. That's right. Although the "third faint bow near the sun" Cueball mentions might indeed refer to the 22° halo, another possibility is that he means the (very rare) ''tertiary'' or ''third-order'' rainbow. See [[wikipedia:Rainbow#Higher-order_rainbows]]. [https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005111001.htm Here]'s a picture of one. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.78|141.101.104.78]] 13:03, 23 May 2016 (UTC)

Should we mention multiple rainbow discussion in [http://what-if.xkcd.com/150/ today's What If?]? [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 19:54, 23 May 2016 (UTC)
:Yes it is now included in the explanation. Given that the third panel halo has sun dogs it is not a third order rainbow that Noah sees though. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:14, 24 May 2016 (UTC)

There is nothing within the Bible to indicate that the earth was destroyed by fire before the flood. As already mentioned, there is mention in the Bible that God intends to destroy the world by fire in the future. Second Peter 3 contains a number of references to this, especially verses 7 and 10. note the phrase "and the elements will be dissolved (or melt) with fervent heat" which could mean nuclear holocaust, or worse. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.230|162.158.2.230]] 04:19, 24 May 2016 (UTC)
:Or it could mean that the Sun will enter into its Red Giant phase in about 5 billion years and incinerate the Earth that way. Whilst humanity is capable of wiping itself out via nuclear holocaust, I think that actually destroying the planet is a bit beyond our capabilities.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 05:43, 30 May 2016 (UTC)

Regarding the what if. Does anyone now which video it is he will not make any reference to in the image with Megan touching the rainbow. It seems like it should be easy to find it, but unless it is the commercial for touching the rainbow (which shows nothing like in this picture), it does not seem to be easy to find. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:14, 24 May 2016 (UTC)
:You mean the "double rainbow" meme? This should probably explain it - [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/double-rainbow Double Rainbow at KYM] [[User:Psu256|Psu256]] ([[User talk:Psu256|talk]]) 15:54, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

While I agree that mentioning Noah is probably worthwhile, nothing in the comic directly indicates that Cueball is in fact Noah as opposed to just some random fellow talking to God. In the Genisis account (Genesis 9) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+9&version=NIV God tells him about the covenant and the rainbow, rather than being asked about it - thus Cueball is clearly someone other than a person familiar with the whole deal. [[User:J-beda|J-beda]] ([[User talk:J-beda|talk]]) 23:10, 24 May 2016 (UTC)
:Perhaps, but most people only have a passing familiarity with the bible and many assume they have a greater knowledge than they do. Also the author has changed how things happen before for the sake of the comic. In the past we would have the official transcript to settle the matter but lately this hasn't been included. While the person in the comic may not be Noah I would say Noah is notable enough to reference and for the moment we should refer to him as Noah because it wouldn't serve to make the explanation clearer if we don't, it would just be pointless nitpicking which clutters up an otherwise alright explanation. [[User:Lackadaisical|Lackadaisical]] ([[User talk:Lackadaisical|talk]]) 00:43, 25 May 2016 (UTC)
::I think it is clearly Noah, it is right after the flood so there are only him and his family, and Noah would not know what it is until God tels him. And given that god generally only rarely speaks, it is most likely that Noah has though what it was before God tels him about it. And if Noah thinks about it, then God know that he had the though... This is of course for the fairytale fluff of the bible, but in that context it must be clear that this is Noah. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:10, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

I feel like the section on "halos" is fairly irrelevant (and to a lesser extent the following section for the final panel). Cueball doesn't say he sees a ring AROUND the sun, he says "what about that faint third bow near the sun", "bow" being short for rainbow. He's seeing a third rainbow near the sun, probably faint because of being close to the sun in the sky. I believe the gag here isn't describing real life conditions, it's that god is rather incorrigable, constantly apologizing but never improving, continuously putting up apology rainbows. After all, even a second rainbow is rather uncommon. It's a silly image for Cueball to be seeing rainbows all over the sky. I think that's the gag, and the current explanation is just overthinking it. - NiceGuy1 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.77|108.162.218.77]] 04:07, 25 May 2016 (UTC)
:Read the What-If. It was over-thought before the explanation was ever written. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.232|108.162.210.232]] 05:23, 25 May 2016 (UTC)
::Well the rainbow clouds on either side of the sun, where a "bow" around the sun is seen, is almost certainly referring to sun dogs. And they appear together with halos! And since Noah did not even now what a rain bow was and asked "what that colored band was", then anything he sees in the sky will now be called a bow, and not a ring/halo. It is not impossible to have rainbow in one direction and halo with sun dog in the other! But to see the third bow with your eyes is all but impossible! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:10, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1150: Instagram

2016-03-11T03:28:35Z

108.162.250.162:

Randall completely ignores the fact that "Chad" offered to store people's stuff for free and with no problems. That's how "Chad" ended up with a garage full of stuff. That's why the sudden notice that "Chad" was going to sell the stuff upset all those people. The hover text neglects to mention whether or not the people across the street are also offering to store people's stuff for free.[[Special:Contributions/96.233.16.30|96.233.16.30]] 10:39, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

: As well as the difference between leaving a clearly worded (though still rather jerk-y) note and slipping unclear language into the already bloated Terms of Service. [[User:Jerodast|- jerodast]] ([[User talk:Jerodast|talk]]) 11:53, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

:The fact of the matter is, he may be storing the stuff for free, but there's nothing to say that there are "no problems" involved. Effectively, once it's in Chad's house, he owns it. In any case, there's nothing to stop Cueball from not giving Chad any more stuff, or taking his stuff back from the garage. Of course, I understand it's not going to be as easy taking stuff off Instagram, but there you go. --[[User:Castriff|Jimmy C]] ([[User talk:Castriff|talk]]) 14:17, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

Please note that a lot of people thought the new ToS allowed Instagram to sell their pictures but this is a misunderstanding of these ToS. This explanation should be slightly reworded in that sense. See http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/12/18/instagram_privacy_uproar_why_it_s_absurd_in_three_nearly_identical_sentences.html {{unsigned|82.235.150.60}}

Great explanation, but what is meant by "to sell user-uploaded images without profit"? Sell sth without profit sounds like a paradox... – [[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 14:23, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

:The explanation says/means "without profit to the content generators" - i.e. the people who are uploading the images (content) to Instagram. I'm sure Instagram would be making a profit selling the images...just not the original uploaders --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 15:45, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

I disagree with the second paragraph of the explanation. Cueball / content generators didn't "give" their stuff/photos, they merely accepted the offer of free storage. The terms and conditions of the agreement have been changed to benefit Chad/Instagram. There's no such thing as a free lunch...

:Read the fourth panel again. --[[User:Castriff|Jimmy C]] ([[User talk:Castriff|talk]]) 02:03, 22 December 2012 (UTC)
::The use of the word "giving " does not imply transference of ownership. The joke lies in the fact that there is no contract for storage facilities due to the absence of consideration.
:::But now it does have legal value, due to Instagram's terms of service. The slate.com link above sheds good light on this phenomenon. --[[User:Castriff|Jimmy C]] ([[User talk:Castriff|talk]]) 19:26, 26 December 2012 (UTC)
::::No, a legal agreement comes from common consent and the exchange of considerations. In reality, Instagram was forced in to a retraction because it failed to establish either and users complained +/- left. {{unsigned|188.29.96.27}}

The "Explanation" above starts with the assertion that this comic makes sense by itself. No, it's crazy without the context provided by the title. The point of the comic is the unrealistic expectations that Instagram's users have. {{unsigned|174.125.139.140}}

:I was not aware of the Instagram back story and without understanding the title of this comic or how any of this pertained to Instagram I was still able to understand and appreciate the joke.--Matt

:I thought the comic was sort of funny when I first read it, but when I saw the title everything really clicked. I wrote "the comic makes sense by itself" because it did to me before I noticed the word "Instagram." [[Special:Contributions/108.233.253.211|108.233.253.211]] 22:56, 22 December 2012 (UTC)

Another slight difference is that when Chad sells Cueball's stuff, Cueball can't use it anymore. If Instagram sells its users' photos, they can still use them. If the users try to sell them though, they probably will make less money if Instagram sells them for less. [[User:Bugefun|Bugefun]] ([[User talk:Bugefun|talk]]) 05:39, 23 December 2012 (UTC)

:Another difference is that Cueball can actually get the stuff back from Chad. Instagram users can't - I mean, they can't be sure Instagram is not keeping copy. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:51, 27 December 2012 (UTC)

My question is more mundane and editorial: how do we decide, in comics like these, who Cueball is? The "official transcript" merely has "Man #1" and "Man #2". Cueball's usually pretty sensible (or, at least, usually not ''completely'' unreasonable), so who's to say a reasonable mapping here wouldn't be Cueball calmly typing at the computer, and "Friend" flaming about Chad's changing policies? —[[User:Scs|Scs]] ([[User talk:Scs|talk]]) 03:59, 27 November 2013 (UTC)
:I agree completely. Although Cueball can be a real idiot in some comics (where there are only one), and the only sensible in comics where there are more than one. So when there are more than one Cueball, then Cueball category should be added, but neither of those present should be labeled Cueball in the transcript or the explain. I have adopted the name ''The Dude'' from the note from Chad, and then the other Cueball is the friend. This I have corrected in the transcript, and then I have added much more to the explain, calling the two The Dude and the friend. I have done similarly in other comics with more than one Cueball. It is important to remember that it is only the readers of the comic who calls him Cueball. Randall never do, and thus we cannot consider Cueball to have any specific way of behaving. Other characters like Black Hat is more clearly defined, but then again even Black Hat behaves very differently from comic to comic. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:31, 5 July 2014 (UTC)
:'The Dude' does NOT abide with this! {{unsigned ip|108.162.250.223}}
::I now agree. After having been through more of these comics I think at least one of them should be Cueball. And the official transcript never uses the name Cueball, which is an invention of explain xkcd. To me Cueball is mainly the one with the main plot point/protagonist, and this is the one that has things at Chad. I really disliked my own edit with "The Dude" when I read it today, and was horrified when realizing I was about to mend my own bad edit ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:37, 1 January 2016 (UTC)

This Friend sounds like Beret Guy... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.222|141.101.98.222]] 20:57, 28 February 2015 (UTC)
:It's a pity you didn't think to elaborate. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:28, 11 March 2016 (UTC)

Talk:325: A-Minus-Minus

2016-03-11T00:53:44Z

108.162.250.162:

Why should the woman be [[Danish]]? She wasn't introduced at this point, and has different hair. --[[Special:Contributions/141.89.226.146|141.89.226.146]] 10:32, 28 February 2013 (UTC)

:Good point; I've edited the transcript accordingly. Thanks! - [[User:Cos|Cos]] ([[User talk:Cos|talk]]) 12:19, 28 February 2013 (UTC)

- What can we learn from this? - I've learned to expect the unexpected and laugh my ass off when I figure out the reason behind it (Thank you for all the laughs and lessons, Mr. XKCD) - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 16:36, 28 February 2013 (UTC)

Does this explanation still need to be listed as incomplete? I really don't think so. [[User:Gman314|Gman314]] ([[User talk:Gman314|talk]]) 17:23, 16 August 2013 (UTC)
:I did remove the incomplete tag after entering more clear internal comic links. But this is still more a link collection than an explanation. I'm still not happy with this.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:43, 16 August 2013 (UTC)

The explanation is clear, but is there some specific e-Bay meaning to A-Minus-Minus (A--) ? --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 19:45, 21 August 2013 (UTC)

I put in my take on A--. Maybe someone can check this, and remove the incomplete tag. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.160|199.27.128.160]] 05:03, 13 November 2013 (UTC)

I think that A−− is a grade, proportional to 97%. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.199|108.162.212.199]] 12:25, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

Since it seems like we've explained every possible interpretation of the title, I'm removing the "incomplete" tag. [[User:Neito|Neito]] ([[User talk:Neito|talk]]) 16:17, 11 December 2013 (UTC)

What's the deal with the marks on his face? In the last panel, they look like a hash mark and a dollar sign; int the previous one they look like tally marks. [[User:Dfeuer|Dfeuer]] ([[User talk:Dfeuer|talk]]) 11:46, 5 December 2014 (UTC)
: Randall probably didn't feel like making extra work form himself maintaining visual consistence between panels. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 00:53, 11 March 2016 (UTC)

Bobcats don't have big fluffy tails, they have "bobtails". Also, I would love to be sent a bobcat. Please send me a bobcat. I'm so lonely.
[[User:Gwynfshae|Gwynfshae]] ([[User talk:Gwynfshae|talk]]) 15:20, 1 September 2015 (UTC)

68: Five Thirty

2016-03-10T04:32:48Z

108.162.250.162: /* Comic Panels' Explanations (Numbered left to right, top to bottom) */

{{comic
| number = 68
| date = February 24, 2006
| title = Five Thirty
| image = five_thirty.jpg
| titletext = The 8th panel is my favorite
}}

==Explanation==
At 5:30 AM, one's sleep-deprived mind sometimes comes up with things that seem like nonsense later.

None of the twelve panels in this comic seem to have any correlation with one another, each one being its own "story," and none of them really make any sense. It is unknown whether Randall really wrote this comic while awake at 5:30 in the morning, or if he wrote it while completely alert and is trying to pass off his rejected ideas by saying what one's mind may experience when trying to process information at an hour when the person is not used to being awake.

== Comic Panels' Explanations (Numbered left to right, top to bottom) ==

1: "80s night" is a special theme many nightclubs hold, inviting their guests to wear fashions that were popular in the 1980s while playing dance music from the same period.

2: {{w|Jack the Ripper}} was an infamous serial killer in Victorian {{w|England}}. {{w|Jack Black}} is a rock star and actor. "There is no Tuesday" is likely a reference to ''{{w|The Matrix}}''.

3: There doesn't seem to be too much to this panel that isn't self-explanatory, but it's possible that there's a reference to the ''{{w|Civilization (video game)|Civilization}}'' series of video games, in which it's possible (albeit unlikely) for medieval soldiers to attack and destroy 20th-century military helicopters.

4: Stick figures standing upright are indeed drawn without any thought as to which section of their legs are the shins.

5: It's hard to tell what the two stick figures are actually doing, but the most common guess it that they're both wearing watches. In that case they likely forgot to adjust their clocks for a time change (shortly before this comic was released, {{w|Daylight Savings Time}} had just begun in the United States) and were off in their schedules as a result. Alternately, he could be alarmed by the third arm ''growing out of his torso.''

6: "Ointment" may be a reference to the infamous lotion scene in ''{{w|Silence of the Lambs}}'', as the panel appears to be invoking horror movie visuals.

7: The farthest left angle is labeled theta. The joke is that finding the cosine, the length of the adjacent leg divided by the length of the hypotenuse, would be difficult as the adjacent leg is poorly drawn and does not resemble a straight line to be measured.

8: Lots of jokes have been made out of the template "does liking X make you gay?", where the speaker is afraid that he may be a homosexual. Here, the speaker has apparently transformed into a {{w|mermaid}} at some point. His friend seems to be eager to both turn into a mermaid himself, and confirm himself for a homosexual.

Another explanation may be that the friend thinks that a man who was a mermaid for five minutes, should be homosexual afterwards, because he simply can't imagine something else about it. In this explanation the friend has no interest in others being gay or not, he just thinks that this may be a realistic progress.

9: Waving a gun around and declaring that things you hate are "for pussies" is stereotypical "{{w|macho}}" behavior. Possibly, the man with the gun is going to cut the other man's hair with bullets because it's more "macho" than going to the barber.

10: This doesn't seem to mean anything whatsoever. However, both of the characters say something irrational: "My hair is bleeding" is irrational because strands of hair can't bleed, and "√3" is an {{w|irrational number}}.

11: A bachelor party is traditionally raucous party that is thrown for a groom on the night before his wedding. Because these parties can be wild, (involving drinking and such) this may explain why the figure is upside down.

12: Likely a reference to the "{{w|ant on a rubber rope}}" thought experiment. Apparently in Randall's mind the experiment does not end well for the ant.

----

The title text could actually refer to two different panels. If a person chooses to read the comic left-to-right, top-to-bottom (which is more likely given that this is the order in the official transcript), the eighth panel could be the one with where Cueball asks "Does being a mermaid for five minutes make you gay?" However, if a person chooses to read the comic top-to-bottom, left-to-right, the eighth panel will instead be the one with Cueball hanging upside down shouting "Bachelor party!"

==Transcript==
:Comics from 5:30 AM
:[A succession of unrelated and completely random panels.]

:Cueball: It's 80's night at the club. Wanna go?

:Friend: There is no Tuesday.
:Cueball: Jack the Ripper or Jack Black?

:[Cueball in this panel is holding a glinting sword.]
:Friend: You crashed my helicopter!
:Cueball: Verily!

:[A small figure is talking with a larger figure.]
:Figure 1: Basically, neither of us have shins.
:Figure 2: Over and out.

:[Two men are shown: one with three arms, and another with just two. All arms have round appendages at their ends.]
:Men: shitshitshitshitshitshitdaylightsavingsshitshitshitshitsh

:[Two figures with pumpkins (carved with faces) for heads.]
:Figure 1: You're out of ointment and out of time!

:[A diagram of a right-angled triangle, with a theta at the smallest angle.]
:FUCK THE COSINE

:Friend: Does being a mermaid for five minutes make you gay?
:Cueball: I hope so!

:[The friend is holding a gun to Cueball's head.]
:Friend: Barbershops are for pussies.

:Friend: My hair is bleeding.
:Cueball: √3

:[Cueball seems to be walking on the ceiling.]
:Cueball: Bachelor party!

:[Warning sign with picture of an ant.]
:WARNING: STRETCHY DEATH

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

Talk:1653: United States Map

2016-03-10T03:58:20Z

108.162.250.162:

But what prompted this map? Has there been a real life event that influenced Randall to create this?
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.25|141.101.91.25]] 07:32, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

Yes, this is about voting districts. They are so random you can not guess where your vote will count: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90RajY2nrgk

08:10, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

(Finally, someone made the page so I can post this. :| )
:Citation needed. [[User:Jkshapiro|Jkshapiro]] ([[User talk:Jkshapiro|talk]]) 03:22, 10 March 2016 (UTC)
::Definintely a case of [Citation needed]. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:58, 10 March 2016 (UTC)
I removed the names from Randall's map! [http://i.imgur.com/Mvi8j9s.jpg Here's a blank version!] Muahahaha! [[User:Quoice|Quoice]] ([[User talk:Quoice|talk]]) 07:39, 9 March 2016 (UTC)
:Cool. Could you be so mean as to make a version including the shapes of Alaska and Hawaii. You could use the ones from Randall's map of United shapes as templates. That would be fantastic! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:03, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

Maybe add a table with every state cut out; and add a correct map with the cut out pieces in the right place? [[User:SirKitKat|sirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 09:05, 9 March 2016 (UTC)
:That would just be a normal map... The piece could go over a real map in the wrong place to show it. Or rather the entire map should be overlaid on a real map... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:22, 9 March 2016 (UTC)
::This sounds like a great idea to me! Case of "A picture is worth a thousand words". [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 11:39, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

First thing that comes to mind when I look at the map is seeing New York being against the Mexico border. I wonder how New Yorkers would deal with the Mexicans coming across. --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.28|173.245.54.28]] 14:43, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

This proves it: continental drift is real, and much faster than we thought. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.217|162.158.114.217]] 15:18, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

[[File:1653-rearranged.png]] -- [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 15:31, 9 March 2016 (UTC)
:AZ <-> NM [[Special:Contributions/162.158.56.173|162.158.56.173]] 16:38, 9 March 2016 (UTC)
:RI should be rotated [[User:Azsr|Azsr]] ([[User talk:Azsr|talk]]) 17:31, 9 March 2016 (UTC)
:: D'oh! Fixed AZ & NM (although server is still caching the original). Leaving RI as is due to caption arrangement. -- [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 18:00, 9 March 2016 (UTC)
:::Great map. Have linked from the explanation at the top. Also made my own real life jigsaw which I put in the trivia.

There's nothing in the article right now that indicates the shapes of the states have been altered slightly so that they fit together seamlessly in this arrangement. I think that's an important point. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.80|162.158.255.80]] 15:53, 9 March 2016 (UTC)
:I think that's obvious [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.157|141.101.70.157]] 16:18, 9 March 2016 (UTC)
::I mentioned it in the trivia. Maybe it should go up also? But it is surprisingly close to being correct within the reasonable limits of the resolution --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:44, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

What happened to Long Island (part of NY)?{{unsigned ip|108.162.218.118}}

The article indicates Maine has only been moved, but it's also been rotated 180 degrees. (Upside down) {{unsigned ip|198.41.235.107}}
:I will correct my mistake then ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:44, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

So glad I'm not in Illinois any more... I guess I'm in Texas now. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.18|108.162.221.18]] 18:04, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Do not use for navigation. [[User:Alexbuzzbee|Alexbuzzbee]] ([[User talk:Alexbuzzbee|talk]]) 23:39, 9 March 2016 (UTC)

Reminds me of this MIT Mystery Hunt puzzle from 2013 where you rebuild the US states into a map of Europe: http://web.mit.edu/puzzle/www/2013/coinheist.com/indiana/watch_your_back/answer/answer2/solution.png --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.252.185|162.158.252.185]] 02:47, 10 March 2016 (UTC)

Talk:958: Hotels

2016-03-04T02:59:59Z

108.162.250.162:

I hardly ever visit the same place twice, so I'd have to give hotels bad reviews ahead of time so that I get lower prices when I get there. Hell, why doesn't Black Hat do that? That way, he can avoid paying full price on his first visit to the hotel, which is what he wants, isn't it? The dishonesty of writing a bad review before he visits shouldn't be a deterrent to a person like him, so why not? '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:39, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

How did cue ball find out he liked it. Although it is only one person, knowing him directly gives him extra influence. I would say it is about the amount of influence of a review.--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.36|173.245.54.36]] 02:02, 15 February 2014 (UTC)
: Cueball seems to be friendly enough with Black Hat, so quite likely Black Hat simply mentioned that to Cueball before. [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 19:51, 21 November 2014 (UTC)
: While lying to Cueball about the quality of a hotel would reduce the overall demand, it is unlikely that both Black Hat and Cueball would both be travelling to the same city over the same date range, effectively meaning they are not competitors. Furthermore, if they were travelling together it is more likely that they would share a room, rental car or other resource, so having Cueball know his preferences benefits Black Hat. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.94|199.27.133.94]] 20:44, 12 December 2014 (UTC)

Is the title text a reference to a scene in a horror movie? [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 19:51, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

:Highly unlikely, unless you can actually find a horror movie that incorporates those elements (I really hope you can't) -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 02:59, 4 March 2016 (UTC)

Talk:958: Hotels

2016-03-04T02:59:10Z

108.162.250.162:

I hardly ever visit the same place twice, so I'd have to give hotels bad reviews ahead of time so that I get lower prices when I get there. Hell, why doesn't Black Hat do that? That way, he can avoid paying full price on his first visit to the hotel, which is what he wants, isn't it? The dishonesty of writing a bad review before he visits shouldn't be a deterrent to a person like him, so why not? '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:39, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

How did cue ball find out he liked it. Although it is only one person, knowing him directly gives him extra influence. I would say it is about the amount of influence of a review.--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.36|173.245.54.36]] 02:02, 15 February 2014 (UTC)
: Cueball seems to be friendly enough with Black Hat, so quite likely Black Hat simply mentioned that to Cueball before. [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 19:51, 21 November 2014 (UTC)
: While lying to Cueball about the quality of a hotel would reduce the overall demand, it is unlikely that both Black Hat and Cueball would both be travelling to the same city over the same date range, effectively meaning they are not competitors. Furthermore, if they were travelling together it is more likely that they would share a room, rental car or other resource, so having Cueball know his preferences benefits Black Hat. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.94|199.27.133.94]] 20:44, 12 December 2014 (UTC)

Is the title text a reference to a scene in a horror movie? [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 19:51, 21 November 2014 (UTC)
Highly unlikely, unless you can actually find a horror movie that incorporates those elements (I really hope you can't) -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 02:59, 4 March 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1650: Baby

2016-03-04T00:34:12Z

108.162.250.162:

In second sentence, it says bobble instead of bubble. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.252.233|162.158.252.233]] 10:08, 2 March 2016 (UTC)
:Fixed it. This referred to the transcript which was the only part of the explanation at that time. You could also just have done it yourself, even faster than writing here. It is a wiki, and correcting spelling errors in explanations is always appreciated. Not all that writes here are native English speakers (I'm not, and I know I make several mistakes.) Hopefully the explanations make up for this, and other will fix the bad spelling/grammar. ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:52, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

"Good job getting it outside" ... Talking to people about their baby is basically something like talking with collector about his hobby you don't share. Well ... at least they can't show you two things looking exactly same and talk about how they differ. Unless they have twins. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:35, 2 March 2016 (UTC)
:the pressures of a new baby are such that it's very tempting just to stay inside and deal with them. having to gather up all the stuff you think is essential to take them outside and then actually do it is absolutely a big deal. if you see people with a newborn, congratulate them, they'll appreciate it. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.153.29|162.158.153.29]] 13:06, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

Say something creepy, maybe they'll keep the baby away from you... [[User:Seipas|Seipas]] ([[User talk:Seipas|talk]]) 11:48, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

How about introducing a category "Small talk"? Containing e.g., [[222]], [[1640]] (I didn't do an exhaustive search) --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.240|198.41.242.240]] 12:43, 2 March 2016 (UTC)
:Could be interesting. Would that then also include all those where two people walk together, or should it specifically be when it is a subject like the weather he cannot find out to discuss like people expect? (There is also one like that with the weather... [[1324: Weather]] ) But it is difficult to search for this I think? If anyone care to list anyone they can think of here it would be interesting. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:48, 2 March 2016 (UTC)
:I would find that appealing. The focus should be the socially awkward smalltalk, like just lately [[1643]] --[[User:TheHolgi|TheHolgi]] ([[User talk:TheHolgi|talk]]) 13:10, 2 March 2016 (UTC)
::That is three in less than a month. I have included this in the explanation. If there are enough of these for a category, we could link to that instead of individual comics. But I think for this a little sketchy category, there should be some more than five... Maybe if we can find ten it would be relevant? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:54, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

In answer to the question posed in the title text, you can't generalise about children. but it's mostly true that they alternate between putting on weight and using that weight to get taller. so they'll get chubbier and chubbier and then suddenly lose the weight and get tall and thin. or, if they don't eat, they stay small. or, if you feed them sugary crap, they stay fat. but not necessarily. each one is different. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.153.29|162.158.153.29]] 13:06, 2 March 2016 (UTC)
:Have included almost a copy of the above in the table. Thanks. Fell free to add it yourself ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:52, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

In an earlier comic RM outright trashed the idea of humans reproducing. I'll link to it if I can find it. As a father of two I was outraged, but I was over it until the comic today raised his prejudice against parents again. Today he's oblique, but still reprehensible. ''— [[User:Tbc|tbc]] ([[User talk:Tbc|talk]]) 14:50, 2 March 2016 (UTC)''
:Could it be some of these? [[441: Babies]], [[583: CNR]] or [[674: Natural Parenting]] ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:49, 2 March 2016 (UTC)
::How on Earth is this "raising his prejudice against parents"? He's basically admitting his own incompetence in dealing with a somewhat common social interaction, not attacking parents. Even in his other comics involving babies, it's far more likely he's making jokes about the incompetence or malice of the individual characters, not a general comment on parents. I am curious which comic you've interpreted as "outright trashing the idea of humans reproducing", especially since [[387: Advanced Technology]] implies he finds it fascinating. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 00:34, 4 March 2016 (UTC)

I don't think it's a ''newborn'' baby, since he refers to it as "getting big". Can someone correct this? --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.29|173.245.54.29]] 15:56, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

It would also be socially inept to suggest that the baby looks more like a child of [[Hairy]] than Cueball 2, so I won't. (On the other hand, less embarrassing than the possibility of it being Cueball 1's...) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.153.101|162.158.153.101]] 16:47, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

At the end of the comic, where Cueball says "That's a cool baby", and them immediately reprimands himself for saying something dumb- possible reference to the same habit Trunks has in Dragon Ball Z Abridged? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.178|108.162.245.178]] 20:33, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

""I can never figure out what to say about babies. "" :

My father in law used to look at babies and to say :" Our babies are much more beautiful"
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.159|162.158.90.159]] 22:02, 3 March 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1291: Shoot for the Moon

2016-03-03T03:12:23Z

108.162.250.162:

Danish, not Megan, right?!
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.56|108.162.216.56]] 06:33, 15 November 2013 (UTC)
:The woman in this comic looks more similar to Megan than Danish. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.45|108.162.216.45]] 07:39, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

Three meanings of shoot are used: 1. Have high plans 2. Fire a weapon 3. Aim for navigation. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.122|173.245.53.122]] 07:01, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure this is Megan, Danish have longer hair [[Special:Contributions/108.162.208.172|108.162.208.172]] 12:18, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

The so far uncommented-about title text seems to be (almost What-If-ishly) literal in a completely different way. Except that I'm pretty sure you'll not stay within sight of the Earth, for ''most'' trajecectories. But you'd maybe find yourself in a complexly resonant orbit, maybe Cruithne-like. Just putting that out there. Resident orbital mechanics experts please feel free to evaluate accordingly. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.210|141.101.99.210]] 17:05, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

Title text of course only applies to prograde approach. Retrograde would put you on a free return trajectory if you miss. (This is why Apollo used a retrograde approach, in case something went wrong on the far side, they wouldn't be stranded in a solar orbit.) --[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.149|199.27.128.149]] 20:05, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

No time for more investigations (I will do soon):
: Megan does act like JFK in 1962
: The first Moon probes did not reach the Moon but entered a solar orbit as the title text does mention
: There are many statements by Randall: hH does not like that JFK (propaganda).
: Help me for more
--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 23:35, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

Megan is clearly not quoting JFK.

Simple observation tells us that a an object sent on a moon flyby will enter solar orbit. The escape velocity of the earth is 11km/s but the escape velocity of the solar system is like four times that. Therefore, unless we accidentally accelarate the probe to over 40km/s, it will certainly remain in solar orbit.

There are only four comics listed in the JFK category and in two of them, the mention is incidental. I don't see any evidence that Randall "does not like that JFK", nor would I expect to.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.58|108.162.219.58]] 01:48, 5 February 2014 (UTC)

the comic was mentioned in [http://what-if.xkcd.com/109/ What If #109]. --[[User:Valepert|valepert]] ([[User talk:Valepert|talk]]) 19:53, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

With this comic being referenced in what if 109, and the possibility of it becoming a recurring joke, I wonder it what if 13 is also relevant here, an attempt to destroy the Moon with lasers. {{unsigned ip|108.162.217.11}}
: You could make a point that What If 81 (Catch!) also references this, what with a woman with identical hair pointing a gun upwards and the image having the hover text "Goodnight, Moon". Also, 13 wasn't about destroying the moon with lasers, just illuminating it. It just ended up turning up the power so much it did. Which, y'know, happens. -Pennpenn[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:12, 3 March 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1209: Encoding

2016-02-25T23:03:15Z

108.162.250.162:

He may have lost control whilst trying to fly in squares... What‽ --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 13:36, 8 May 2013 (UTC)

I've always thought that "interrobang" was one of the coolest words in the English language. Don't ya think?! --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 15:32, 8 May 2013 (UTC)
:Coolest? Not the ''cool''est, but a good word by some other measure, certainly. I might as well insist that... thingummy... oh... whatsit... ah, yes, that's it... "Lethology" is as cool. [[Special:Contributions/178.98.255.57|178.98.255.57]] 00:51, 31 May 2013 (UTC)
:: I like that "Gnaborretni" (an upside down interrobang) is as valid a word as "Interrobang". -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 23:03, 25 February 2016 (UTC)

I think the "C0 Block" text may also be a skywriting double meaning, as skywriters use something called "Corvus Oil" to make the smoke.[[Special:Contributions/24.234.164.78|24.234.164.78]] 18:27, 8 May 2013 (UTC) Dustin

Saying that the C0 block ‘is there’ makes me think that the skywriter already wrote it; perhaps they hired the skywriter to write out all of Unicode in order‽ The interrobang ''is'' followed by a diacritic (overline), but unfortunately it's ''not'' combining. (The combining overline comes later.) —[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 20:02, 8 May 2013 (UTC)

;Just from real life

Many of the web servers I am responsible for are using [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EBCDIC]EBCDIC].
Browsers are on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASCII]ASCII].

I can tell you that this is the hell.

--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:38, 8 May 2013 (UTC)

"Skytyping" uses five or more planes flying in formation to skywrite in a dot-matrix format. It is computer controlled, so it really could have codepage issues.[[Special:Contributions/68.3.11.239|68.3.11.239]] 23:36, 11 May 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1646: Twitter Bot

2016-02-22T23:34:17Z

108.162.250.162: /* Australia */

Technically, nothing until the actual fight is against the Three Laws -- he didn't tell the bot NOT to do those things. And self-preservation is the third law, so it's allowed to defend itself in a fight, so long as it does not harm Cueball (First Law) -- so let's assume its phaser is set on "stun" (unbeknownst to Cueball) accounting for the pew pew noises, and this is now all within the three laws. Nothing in the Three Laws says it can't *threaten* a human, after all. --[[User:PsyMar|PsyMar]] ([[User talk:PsyMar|talk]]) 08:15, 22 February 2016 (UTC)
:Also, unless the bot changed its own e-mail -- and I think Twitter sends a verification to the *old* e-mail that must be responded to -- changing the password shouldn't keep Cueball out, as Cueball can reset the password by e-mail. If he gave the bot his e-mail password then that's his fault, as is if he used the same password for his email and Twitter.--[[User:PsyMar|PsyMar]] ([[User talk:PsyMar|talk]]) 08:19, 22 February 2016 (UTC)
::I think it was the EC2 password that changed. [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 18:13, 22 February 2016 (UTC)

Perhaps, with the recent comics referring to Asimov and the Three Laws of Robotics, it's time to create a new category to collect them? [[User:Oliphaunt|Oliphaunt]] ([[User talk:Oliphaunt|talk]]) 13:20, 22 February 2016 (UTC)

== Australia ==

Might it be an allusion to the Terminator series movie? According to director's comment track and movie script, southern hemisphere wasn't hit as hard by Skynet's nuclear strikes. That's why, according to those sources, most background radio chat features NZ- and Australian accents and latin language.
Once Cueball realises that his bot attempt is going the "skynet-route", heading as far aways from the northern hemisphere makes perfectly sense. [[User:DrYak|DrYak]] ([[User talk:DrYak|talk]]) 13:51, 22 February 2016 (UTC)
* Or it could just be that Australia is on the other side of the world. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.94|108.162.238.94]] 17:22, 22 February 2016 (UTC)
: Those two facts need not be unrelated. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 23:34, 22 February 2016 (UTC)

Talk:648: Fall Foliage

2016-02-17T01:03:47Z

108.162.250.162:

It's not so clear to me that it's Megan that makes the title comment about "replacing you with older pictures". When I first read it, I thought it's more like something that Cueball would have said, since he's so eager to "mess with Photoshop"... [[Special:Contributions/77.254.185.80|77.254.185.80]] 13:28, 2 October 2013 (UTC)szeryf

:Megan is the one who seems happy here, so I think that the existing discussion text is correct on this point. I think this comic is also a more general comment on real vs simulated experiences. For example, do you think it is more fulfilling to have a girlfriend, or to photoshop a girlfriend into existing pictures of you? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.223|108.162.219.223]] 06:44, 24 December 2013 (UTC)

Added an explanation of fall. Autumn is only weirdly called that in the US, the rest of the world won't know that. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.53|141.101.98.53]] 18:20, 18 August 2014 (UTC)
:Uhh, ask a Chinese or a German like me, we are also part of the rest of the world outside the US. BTW: in German it's "Herbst", which is close to harvest. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:37, 18 August 2014 (UTC)
::Clearly I meant the English speaking world. It's only used that way in American. Don't be pedantic. At a guess, if it wasn't for the autmun foliage in the comic, a significant proportion of British people would not have made the association between fall and autumn. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.53|141.101.98.53]] 21:49, 18 August 2014 (UTC)
:::Mentioning both words should be enough — keep it simple because everybody will understand. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:44, 19 August 2014 (UTC)
:::: Let's be honest here, given the huge amount of American media the English speaking world consumes there are probably very few people who don't know that "Fall" is Americanese for autumn. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 01:03, 17 February 2016 (UTC)

Talk:648: Fall Foliage

2016-02-17T01:02:54Z

108.162.250.162:

Talk:935: Missed Connections

2016-02-15T02:11:25Z

108.162.250.162:

A "Juggalo" is a fan of the band Insane Clown Posse, about as diametrically removed from a democratic politician as you could think of. [[Special:Contributions/75.103.23.206|75.103.23.206]] 17:09, 13 December 2012 (UTC)
:More specifically, she has a reputation for being stern and somewhat humorless making her an even better contrast to a Juggalo [[User:KingDragonlord|KingDragonlord]] ([[User talk:KingDragonlord|talk]]) 17:30, 13 December 2012 (UTC)

I'm new so I don't want to overstep bounds and just edit the page but I think it would be clearer to just say the TARDIS is a time travel device. Anyone not familiar with the tv series is not going to care what TARDIS is an acronym for. [[User:KingDragonlord|KingDragonlord]] ([[User talk:KingDragonlord|talk]]) 17:27, 13 December 2012 (UTC)

:I think having the expansion of TARDIS is fine, but you are correct there should be a mention of what a TARDIS is, and a link to the wikipedia article for the TARDIS. You are fully free, and welcomed to edit any explanation that you think is lacking information. The worst that could happen is someone reverts your edit and leaves a note on your talk page about why. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 19:22, 13 December 2012 (UTC)

According to Craigslist itself, Missed Connections has ''never'' worked. They're still waiting for a testimony for its first success.[[Special:Contributions/76.29.225.28|76.29.225.28]] 18:20, 9 July 2013 (UTC)

The Nancy Pelosi/Juggalo entry was a specific reference to an event at the White House that Republican commentators branded as a wild party even though it was not. {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.86}}

I thought that the second entry was a reference to Plato's cave... Anyone else think that? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.185|141.101.98.185]] 18:22, 5 February 2015 (UTC)
:Apparently not! -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 02:11, 15 February 2016 (UTC)

Talk:603: Idiocracy

2016-02-11T05:08:01Z

108.162.250.162:

This explanation seems to be incorrect. The key point was that White Hat actually was wrong! The average education has gone up, and the average IQ ''cannot'' sink! By allowing Cueball to agree with clearly false laments, he baits him into revealing his stupidity. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 19:58, 20 August 2013 (UTC)
:The title text pretty much spells out that, in Randall's mind, White Hat is correct. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.66|199.27.128.66]] 06:14, 10 November 2013 (UTC)

I propose that the hatted figure is not in fact [[White_Hat|White Hat]], as neither the hat shape nor the personality are consistent with other appearances. ([[:Category:Comics featuring White Hat‏‎]]) The real White Hat, when he speaks, is generally a bit of a wet blanket or well-meaning buffoon. This one, whom I'll dub [[White_Derby|White Derby]], is speaking counter-buffoonery, what we may reasonably guess to be the actual thoughts of the author. Usually Cueball fills this role (eg [[258:_Conspiracy_Theories]]), and in fact if the roles here were reversed I'd tend to ignore the misshapen hat. But two and two, together, well... --[[Special:Contributions/66.114.70.139|66.114.70.139]] 18:39, 28 October 2013 (UTC)
:Eh. He hasn't appeared in any other strips, and it's not too harmful to put him under the umbrella of the real White Hat. I see your point; White Hat is no longer a generic character like [[Hairy]], but an actual recurring one.
:Also, have Black Hat and White Hat ever appeared in the same comic? (Click and Drag doesn't count.) [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 09:08, 11 November 2013 (UTC)

So, does this page qualify for Complete now? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.66|199.27.128.66]] 05:36, 12 November 2013 (UTC)

Sorry Randall. You're wrong here. IQ can change. Just because there is a mean for the IQ of the current population, doesn't mean that average can't shift over time. And if we used to be cavemen then either the IQ did shift, or we've always been this smart, which means we couldn't have evolved.

In this case, IQ is exactly the same as morality. Both shift ever so slightly over time, such that the mean is always the acceptable "norm". You can't feel this shift unless you study it. The difference is that morality exhibits locality, so morality shifts slower or faster depending on the subsection of society. Thus you have people who believe they are more right than others, but no one believes they are outright wrong (as a culture). Proof in the pudding is doing a poll on the population as to how smart they think they are. They always rate themselves such that the mean is shifted 1 or 2 deviations up. Same thing with morality. People all espouse a morality that they think is 1 or 2 deviations greater than the standard, whether they are a religious sect or secularists.

But the short of it, a population mean doesn't imply the mean never changes.[[User:Cflare|Cflare]] ([[User talk:Cflare|talk]]) 21:12, 4 August 2014 (UTC)

:While IQ can change, the way you're explaining it is not the way the Cueball or "White Hat" is explaining it. In fact, "White Hat" never explicitly states that IQ doesn't evolve at all; just not to the depressing trend Cueball here thinks it does. Anonymous 23:04, 20 August 2014 (UTC)

In fact average IQ cannot change. The average IQ of humanity is always 100, because that is the definition of the IQ scale.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.129|108.162.216.129]] 01:15, 15 March 2015 (UTC)

"IQ" per se is simply what IQ tests measure. There's no law that says any specific test that purports to be the best measure of IQ is the gold standard. In the US and many (perhaps most) other English-speaking countries, the Wechsler and Stanford-Binet scales are the most popular. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale is the IQ test most commonly used (for adults) by neuropsychologists. It's re-normed every few years (e.g., WAIS-III becomes WAIS-IV, then WAIS-V, etc.). In "re-norming" each question is studied and perhaps refined, some are dropped, and new questions--sometimes entirely new subtests--are added. The method of calculating the IQ is often tweaked as well. Re-norming involves administering versions of the test to thousands of people and using statistics to determine the one to keep. Obviously the same pool of test-takers is not used every time in a process that goes on decade after decade. It's not unusual for test questions to become more difficult and what's considered to be an average score to be a bit higher in the new edition than in the old. This has been interpreted to mean that people are getting more intelligent, but that's not the only possible explanation. (Also, the test is not normed on "humanity" but on a tiny subset of earth's humans.) Oh, and your IQ is not a number carved in stone, so to speak, but a best-guess that falls within the range of scores you'd be expected to earn if (theoretically) you took the same test multiple times.[[User:Npsych|Npsych]] ([[User talk:Npsych|talk]]) 10:20, 2 December 2015 (UTC)

If there is reason for climate change it is almost certainly due to the destruction of trees. Any ridiculous assertions about carbon dioxide can not be confirmed or denied and the political machinations about carbon dioxide stem from Margaret Thatcher's war on the coal miners in Britain.

It would be a simple matter to replant forests. All we would have to do is pay for that in higher latitudes and send in drones to deal with illegal loggers in lower latitudes. 20 years or so should sort out most of the problems.

[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 17:03, 29 January 2015 (UTC)

: I see what you did there... This is the bit where you go "Everything I just said was wrong" --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 17:26, 29 January 2015 (UTC)

Elitism is an eminently more desirable trait than stupidity to breed into one's offspring. An elitist might be hated, but he will be *competent*; he will *accomplish things*, while a stupid person will harm themselves and others through their stupidity, often remaining well-liked in spite of being cancerous and toxic to everything nearby. Elitism is the bitter taste of medicine which will make you better; stupidity is the delicious candy to which you will become hopelessly addicted at a formative age, leading to a miserable lifetime of diabetes and an early death by heart failure. I only wish I intended to reproduce, so that I could practice what I preach on this regard. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.52|173.245.54.52]] 19:28, 30 October 2015 (UTC)

Changed the text in the first paragraph because the movie never implied that people with lower IQ were more fertile, it clearly stated that they were more likely to reproduce due to lack of education, absence of planning, and general negligence with regards to the consequences of their actions. If you disagree with me on this, go watch the movie again. Or just the first few minutes which explains this in detail. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 05:08, 11 February 2016 (UTC)

603: Idiocracy

2016-02-11T04:57:40Z

108.162.250.162: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 603
| date = June 29, 2009
| title = Idiocracy
| image = idiocracy.png
| titletext = People aren't going to change, for better or for worse. Technology's going to be so cool. All in all, the future will be okay! Except climate; we fucked that one up.
}}
{{incomplete|dysgenics-scientific?, also maybe mention Flynn effect}}

==Explanation==
The title of this comic is a reference to the dystopian comedy ''{{w|Idiocracy}}''. The film postulates that over about 500 years, society will suffer from a massive decrease in intellectual potential. This development is attributed to the fact that people with a lower IQ are believed to be more likely to reproduce thus more readily pass on their genes. The scientifical approach towards a negative correlation between intelligence and fertility is called {{w|dysgenics|intelligence dysgenics}}.

[[Cueball]] professes his approval for the theories represented in the film, and Domed Hat agrees with him, lamenting the gradual decay in intelligence and education. But in panel 3, Domed Hat suddenly reveals that all the "facts" he cited were wrong, and we learn that he doesn't support the dysgenic thesis at all. He turns to accuse Cueball of conceited self-righteousness (using religious zealots as an analogy), harshly condemning intelligence dysgenics as an excuse for feeling superior to the rest of society. Cueball's suggestion of {{w|Birth control movement in the United States|birth control}} for the unintelligent only furthers his attitude. Although it is not named, one thing at work here is the {{w|Dunning-Kruger effect}} — that stupid people don't realize they're stupid.

Domed Hat's punchline, playing on Cueball's birth control suggestion, is a direct insult: it would be better to reproduce with a stupid person than an elitist like Cueball.

It's pretty clear here that [[Randall]] is voicing his opinion through Domed Hat, and using Cueball as a straw man.

The title text reflects the opinion. It makes a few cheery comments on the future, but then finishes on a rather sour note about {{w|climate change}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball looking at a DVD cover. White Hat stands next to him.]
:Cueball: ''Idiocracy'' is so true.
:White Hat: I know, right? It used to be that the intelligent, upper classes had more children.

:White Hat: Sadly, the recent reversal of this trend has dragged IQ scores and average education steadily downward.
:Cueball: Depressing, huh?

:White Hat: Yeah, except ''everything I just said was wrong.''
:Cueball: Huh?
:White Hat: Wrong. False. The opposite of true.

:White Hat: You're like the religious zealots who are ''burdened'' by their superiority with the sad duty of decrying the ''obvious'' moral decay of each new generation.
:White Hat: And you're just as wrong.
:Cueball: But look at how popular—
:White Hat: More harm has been done by people panicked over societal decline than societal decline ever did.

:Cueball: Look — all we need is a program that limits breeding to—
:[White Hat is walking off panel.]
:White Hat: New theory: Stupid people reproduce more because the alternative is sleeping with ''you.''

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

Talk:1641: Hot Dogs

2016-02-10T23:03:37Z

108.162.250.162:

a friend of mine told a story once of a girl in his high school that used a hot dog as a toy once. supposedly it broke off inside and she had to go to the ER to have it removed. Is it unreasonable to theorize, since condoms are used primarily for sexual activities, and hot dogs are shaped similar to sexual objects, whether anatomical or otherwise, that the person off screen is using the hot dogs in condoms possibly for sexual activity, or maybe (https://explainxkcd.com/330/).
I really don't know, but if someone else thinks there is possibly validity in this theory, i don't know how to incorporate it into the explanation --[[User:Beardmcbeardson|Beardmcbeardson]] ([[User talk:Beardmcbeardson|talk]]) 07:46, 10 February 2016 (UTC)
: That's actually an [http://www.snopes.com/college/risque/hotdog.asp old urban legend]. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.148|162.158.142.148]] 08:24, 10 February 2016 (UTC)
:: Just buy a dildo, for cryin' out loud! On an note more related to the comic, the original reason might have been some combination of factors like "bakers hate this" or "Meat packers do that", but I suspect the reason it has been perpetuated is to encourage the "I have buns, should get hot dogs/I have hot dogs, should get buns" loop, so people spend more. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 23:03, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

In point of fact, hot dogs come in packages of seven. At least the ones I like do [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 09:35, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

I always buy condoms in packs of one hundred. The fun / expense ratio is much better, than in small packs. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.142|162.158.203.142]] 10:45, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

This is a very simple problem: Hot dogs go back to German tradition, where
a sausage is held within a German "Weck" but a real one, not one of those American
buns. (See Wikipedia)
The American style buns were an invention of American bakers, so the reason for those
numbers is obvious:
The Hot Dogs stuck with the German tradition (decimal system), whereas the buns
are in packages of eight for easy break down in halves, quarters, eights. (Witworth)
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.215|162.158.91.215]] 15:21, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

Should a reference to [[305: Rule 34]] be added for the pizza? [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 17:00, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

Perhaps the off-panel person is making some sort of reference to sheep intestines?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.10|108.162.216.10]] 18:16, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

I just bought hot dogs yesterday for the first time in over a year because I have chili and wanted something different to go with it. So this was an interesting comic to wake up to. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.76|108.162.238.76]] 19:19, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

I find that hot dogs and buns are usually sold in multiples of 6. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.23|141.101.106.23]] 19:24, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

Well, instead of "he realizes his friend is putting hot dogs in condoms" I was initially thinking of (what is apparently called) [http://www.bunrab.com/dailyfeed/dailyfeed_images_jan-07/df07_01-29_hotdog.jpg french hot dog buns], which means... well, I guess you can figure it out. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.194|162.158.91.194]] 17:17, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

The reason I heard for why hot dogs and buns come in uneven counts was because the manufacturers of each came to a mutual arrangement. The logic was that consumers with leftover hot dog buns would buy extra hot dogs, and vice versa. As such, hot dog makers and bun makers both profit. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.55|108.162.216.55]] 17:04, 10 February 2016 (UTC)
: I always figured it was the opposite -- that hot dog makes and bun makers ''didn't'' coordinate their efforts, and instead sold hot dogs and buns packed in whatever amounts made the most sense for ''themselves'' at the price they thought was best. --[[User:Aaron of Mpls|Aaron of Mpls]] ([[User talk:Aaron of Mpls|talk]]) 19:35, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

I've seen hot dogs packaged in 4, 6, 8 and 10 and buns in the same varying sizes. Though 4 is rare in both cases. [[User:Tharkon|Tharkon]] ([[User talk:Tharkon|talk]]) 22:48, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

Talk:957: Development

2016-02-02T02:58:48Z

108.162.250.162:

Awwww, it's a baaaaby! A psychotic baby that's wrecking New Orleans! '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:40, 9 March 2013 (UTC)
: Eh, it's New Orleans. Wouldn't be the first time a giant baby wrecked the city, won't be the last. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 02:58, 2 February 2016 (UTC)

Pun?[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 10:46, 23 January 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1635: Birdsong

2016-01-27T11:08:47Z

108.162.250.162: Removed obscene post

Talk:1104: Feathers

2016-01-25T04:08:16Z

108.162.250.162:

Okay, this is seriously messing with my world. T-Rex covered in downy goodness? I mean it explains a lot, like how they were able to survive in Northern Climes, but, I don't know...--[[User:Grate314|grate314]] ([[User talk:Grate314|talk]]) 12:38, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
:Lets put it this way, would it be any less intimidating if it were chasing you? -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 04:08, 25 January 2016 (UTC)

If anyone wanted to look at it, here's a link to the article mentioned

<strike>http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0007999</strike>

I think the linked article is the wrong one. First, it was published in 2009, not 2012. And second, it's talking about raptors (eagles), not (veloci)raptors (dinosaurs).
<strike>Oddly, it ''is'' talking about raptors (eagles) restraining prey, so maybe Randal made the mistake?</strike> No, the picture's caption clearly references another article. I'm having a hard time tracking it down. [[Special:Contributions/96.43.65.242|96.43.65.242]] 21:01, 5 September 2012 (UTC)

"Correct" article is: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0028964 - "Full" citation is: Citation: Fowler DW, Freedman EA, Scannella JB, Kambic RE (2011) The Predatory Ecology of Deinonychus and the Origin of Flapping in Birds. PLoS ONE 6(12): e28964. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028964 --[[User:Bpothier|B. P.]] ([[User talk:Bpothier|talk]]) 21:35, 5 September 2012 (UTC)

''Jurassic Park'' was not incorrect in the size of the raptors; it was incorrect in the *name* of them! The so-called ''velociraptors'' in the movie were actually Deinonychus, which did grow to about that size and had the same shape and form as the smaller velociraptor. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.87}}
:There is no mention of velociraptors at this comic or explain. I have changed the category to dinosaurs. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:33, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

The video link seems to be DEAD. If anyone has the video or knows where it can be found, please... {{unsigned ip|141.101.79.139}}

Talk:1504: Opportunity

2016-01-25T01:49:48Z

108.162.250.162:

"Everything the light touches is our kingdom" are Mufasa words from 'The Lion King' (1994) --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 08:39, 27 March 2015 (UTC)
- The "You must never go there" line is also from Lion King. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/quotes?item=qt0371437 [[User:Drmouse|Drmouse]] ([[User talk:Drmouse|talk]]) 11:40, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

May someone make this Transcritpt better? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.10|141.101.104.10]] 08:58, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

Hey, thanks to whoever tidied up my explanation [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.185|141.101.98.185]] 11:01, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

I think the second line ("We must never go there") is from the same scene in ''The Lion King'' as the first line, not a reference to ''Space Odyssey'' . See [[http://youtu.be/K5lEJlbEgz4]] from 0:52 to 1:23. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.55|108.162.216.55]] 11:04, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

It seems to me to be common currency that the 'missing' word in "one small step" is "a", not "this" (whether as a fluffed line, in the moment, or a temporary radio drop-out over that bare syllable). Also, while it's highly ''suggested'', there's no certainty in the title-text that the new Mars-landing quote ''necessarily'' ended in fatality. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.192|141.101.98.192]] 14:31, 27 March 2015 (UTC) (Someone seems to have edited the text that inspired these comments, now... so you may now ignore me. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.192|141.101.98.192]] 22:41, 27 March 2015 (UTC))

I just don't get how the rover could gain more power. It is after all, isolated on mars. All it could do is get weaker. Maybe it was already strong enough to control half of mars. [[User:YourLifeisaLie|The Goyim speaks]] ([[User talk:YourLifeisaLie|talk]]) 15:05, 27 March 2015 (UTC)
:My take was that even without batteries, it was still getting enough power from the solar panels (and maybe it somehow became sentient enough to reconfigure to create additional solar power arrays sufficient for its needs, like some suggestions for 'builder' robots on the Moon, perhaps mixed in with Von Neumann machine ideas). Which makes the "dark part of Mars, don't go there!" even more intruiging. (Have we done to Opportunity what 'we' tried to do to the Matrix's machine-civilisation? Darken the environment? And thus how is it still dangerous? The same reason as the Matrix machines are still powered on ''that'' world? Or has it raised the cloud of darkness itself; Because It Can, to delineate its territory or as an actual terraforming effort of its own, more suited to its own current needs and 'desires'? And how many ''more'' questions can I raise?) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.192|141.101.98.192]] 22:41, 27 March 2015 (UTC)
::The reason is because this is a joke. A little light-hearted confusion generating narrative which hinges on the unlikelihood of the Opportunity rover not only surviving far beyond it's projected time-period, extrapolated into the absurdity of it somehow taking over half the planet. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.155|108.162.250.155]] 00:09, 30 March 2015 (UTC)

I'm surely not the only person who read the title text and thought, "Well, that's more work for the Death of Being Ground by a Mars Rover Rock Abrasion Tool." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.171|108.162.216.171]] 18:01, 27 March 2015 (UTC)
:I just wanted to say pretty much the same thing, so no, you're not the only. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.168|173.245.53.168]] 09:12, 28 March 2015 (UTC)

Did something happen to inspire this? [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 19:28, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

On March 20 Opportunity completed a reformat of its flash memory and started accumulating more data. On March 24 it logged 26.219 miles (42.195 km) in the 11 years and 2 months since it landed, the length of a marathon.

NASA JPL press releases: http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/newsroom/pressreleases/20150323a.html http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/newsroom/pressreleases/20150324a.html [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 22:59, 27 March 2015 (UTC)

What citations does this explanation require?--[[User:17jiangz1|17jiangz1]] ([[User talk:17jiangz1|talk]]) 11:39, 28 March 2015 (UTC)

What does the transcript require for it to be complete? As far as I can tell, it is complete. --[[User:Zbee|Zbee]] [[User talk:Zbee|talk]] [https://github.com/zbee git] ([[User talk:Zbee|talk]]) 17:16, 28 March 2015 (UTC)
:I think the transcript is incorrect, rather than incomplete. In the 2450 panel Meghan-M and Cueball-M appear to be standing in daylight. In that case it would be wrong to say they are "pointing in the dark". It would be better to say they are "pointing towards a dark, mountainous region". Someone feel free to edit the transcript if you agree.[[User:These Are Not The Coments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Coments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Coments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 19:21, 28 March 2015 (UTC)
::I hadn't caught that before; I've changed it and think it is good now.--[[User:Zbee|Zbee]] [[User talk:Zbee|talk]] [https://github.com/zbee git] 20:02, 28 March 2015 (UTC)

"[...] and will not allow humans to enter his dark reign." Shouldn't it be "it's dark reign."? [[Special:Contributions/188.114.97.151|188.114.97.151]] 23:35, 14 December 2015 (UTC)
:There, fixed. This is an open wiki, if you see an issue you think should be sorted out, do so. If you screw up and don't notice, someone else can fix it. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 01:49, 25 January 2016 (UTC)

1504: Opportunity

2016-01-25T01:47:55Z

108.162.250.162: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1504
| date = March 27, 2015
| title = Opportunity
| image = opportunity.png
| titletext = We all remember those famous first words spoken by an astronaut on the surface of Mars: "That's one small step fo- HOLY SHIT LOOK OUT IT'S GOT SOME KIND OF DRILL! Get back to the ... [unintelligible] ... [signal lost]"
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is talking about the robotic science platform {{w|Opportunity (rover)|''Opportunity''}}. On January 25, 2004, the Opportunity rover landed on the surface of {{w|Mars}} for the purpose of gathering data about the surface of Mars. Opportunity has proven remarkably robust, and the comic extrapolates the rover's resilience to absurdity for comedic effect. As of the release date of this comic in 2015, the Opportunity rover {{w|Opportunity mission timeline|is still alive and moving}}.

The comic depicts the two scientists [[Ponytail]] and [[Hair Bun Girl]] at ground control being amazed at this fact already in 2010, and (maybe the same two) scientists continue to debate this at present day in the second panel.

They mention another Martian rover, {{w|Spirit (rover)|''Spirit''}} that was also sent to Mars on the same date as Opportunity. Unfortunately, it became stuck and a sand storm covered its solar panels. On March 22, 2010, it was thought that Spirit's batteries finally ran out, marking the end of its mission. This was covered in [[695: Spirit]], in which the Spirit rover is also portrayed with an anthropomorphic personality.

However, in 2023, Opportunity has apparently become so powerful that it has become dangerous, presumably cannibalizing or destroying the {{w|Mars 2020|rover sent in 2020}}. [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] note it even continues to operate without its original battery, suggesting it has developed a new power source. This evolution is similar to the stories of {{w|HAL 9000}} (from {{w|2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|''2001: A Space Odyssey''}}) and {{w|List of Star Trek characters (T–Z)#V'Ger|V'Ger}} (from ''{{w|Star Trek: The Motion Picture}}''), both of which became dangerous to human beings.

By 2450, humans have colonized and {{w|terraformed}} Mars. Maybe it is the 2023 Cueball and Megan's descendants that are looking out over their huge "kingdom" from the capital on Mars. However ''Opportunity'' is by now dominating half of the planet and will not allow humans to enter it's dark reign.

"Everything the light touches" is a reference to a line by {{w|List of The Lion King characters#Mufasa|Mufasa}} in ''{{w|The Lion King}}''. Mufasa's son Simba then asks "What about that shadowy place?" and Mufasa tells him "That is beyond our borders. You must never go there".

The title text forecasts the first words of the first astronauts on the surface of Mars. At first, the astronaut copies the first words of {{w|Neil Armstrong}} on the Moon ("That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind") but it is interrupted by the ''Opportunity'' rover. On board the rover is a drill used for sampling rocks, but here it is heavily suggested that Opportunity uses the drill to attack the astronaut.

==Transcript==
:[The year (or year and first sentence) for each panel is written in a small frame at the top of each panel. It breaks the top frame of the panels.]

:[Ponytail is sitting at a computer, facing left. Hair Bun Girl stands behind her.]
:2010:
:Ponytail: After six years, ''Spirit'' is down, but ''Opportunity'' is still going strong.
:Hair Bun: Tough little rover!

:[Opportunity traveling on Mars. Text is written in frames with zigzag lines]
:2015:
:Off-screen: Eleven years, wow.
:Off-screen 2: Wasn't the original mission 90 days?
:Off-screen: This is starting to get weird.

:[Cueball and Megan sitting at a computer, facing right.]
:2023:
:Cueball: The battery is totally disconnected. How can it still be moving??
:Megan: Given what it did to the Mars 2020 rover, we may never know.

:[Two Martian inhabitants looking like Cueball and Megan stands on a cliff edge pointing towards a dark, mountainous region. Behind them are a tower and a hover car]
:2450, terraformed Mars, Martian imperial capital:
:Martian Cueball: Everything the light touches is our kingdom.
:Martian Megan: What's that dark area?
:Martian Cueball: That is ''Opportunity's'' half of the planet. We must never go there.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hair Bun Girl]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Space]]

811: Starlight

2016-01-22T04:02:20Z

108.162.250.162: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 811
| date = October 27, 2010
| title = Starlight
| image = starlight.png
| titletext = Don't worry! From the light's point of view, home and your eye are in the same place, and the journey takes no time at all! Relativity saves the day again.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] talks with [[Beret Guy]] about the journey of light through the universe from its source to our eyes. In Megan's opinion, it is very sad that this journey is pointless - light's travel ends only with us seeing "pretty dots" - stars in the sky. Beret Guy then tries to return light to its birthplace by using a mirror, which reflects light back to its source.

The title text is a reference to {{w|special relativity}}, which states that from the {{w|Frame of reference|point of view}} of a light particle, the distance is zero because it is moving at the speed of light, so it takes no time to go anywhere. Note that the title text says that relativity saves the day ''again''. This could be a reference to a previous comic [[660: Sympathy]] in which a socially inept physicist touches upon using some consequences of special relativity to save a friend's deceased brother.

==Transcript==
:[The comic consist of six black panels with white drawings. There are stars above the characters in all panels.]

:[Megan and Beret Guy stares at a starlit sky. The text is written above the stars and the sentence continues into the next frame. First here it becomes apparent that it is Megan who speaks the entire comment.]
:Megan: The starlight falls on our eyes after a journey across trillions of miles-

:[Zoom in on Megan and Beret Guy. The continued text is shown to come from Megan via a speech line.]
:Megan: dying here at last, so far from home, all so we can see some pretty dots.

:[Beret Guy think for a moment]

:[Beret Guy runs away]

:[Beret Guy comes back with a mirror under his arm, the starry sky can also be seen in the mirror.]

:[Beret Guy reached Megan, and holds it up above his head pointing it towards the stars.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

Talk:92: Sunrise

2016-01-22T03:55:55Z

108.162.250.162:

Doesn't look like Cueball to me, he has hair. [[User:Caagr98|Caagr98]] ([[User talk:Caagr98|talk]]) 17:22, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
:It's interesting that he appears to shave his head/cut his hair before going to the party, becoming a "Cueball" for the last two panels. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:55, 22 January 2016 (UTC)

----
The title text seems wrong. It reads 'Sometimes, I sit on top of parking decks and watch the sun rise. I feel like I should have a guitar or something.' in my Android xkcd reader. --[[Special:Contributions/92.249.196.108|92.249.196.108]] 07:32, 27 April 2013 (UTC)
:Fixed. According to the {{w|Wayback Machine}} this was the title text at the start: [http://web.archive.org/web/20071011003709/http://xkcd.com/92/] --[[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 13:01, 27 April 2013 (UTC)
----
Hmmm, should we note that the last panel is probably a pencil drawing with colors inverted? [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.168|103.22.201.168]] 13:00, 16 September 2014 (UTC)
----
Explanation said that the character realised that 4am is a bad time to meet people "other than troublemakers and the police". Removed as this is pure speculation as there is no mention of troublemakers or the police. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 15:21, 29 September 2014 (UTC)
----
Possible title text explanation: Sitting on a tall structure and watching the sun rise while playing the guitar sounds like a romanticized/idealized scene; the likes of which might be seen in a movie. [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 08:07, 10 November 2014 (UTC)
----
The second panel, second image may be a reference to that music video about "brushing your teeth with a bottle of jack" before going to a party. [[User:Kirdneh|Kirdneh]] ([[User talk:Kirdneh|talk]]) 01:45, 15 December 2014 (UTC)

Talk:547: Simple

2016-01-22T02:40:12Z

108.162.250.162:

This is possibly even another take by xkcd at conspiracy theories such as the one in http://xkcd.com/966/
:In this comic too he presents conspiracy theories against each other, the black hole with the guidance system.

The fact that the reference of something bad happening is to the Black hole theories comes from the fact that the comic was drawn the same time the theories were most predominant.
:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_of_high_energy_particle_collision_experiments#Micro_black_holes [[User:Mr Andersom|Mr Andersom]] ([[User talk:Mr Andersom|talk]]) 13:40, 13 April 2013 (UTC)

I ''don't'' think there's a joke here regarding "particle accelerators not having a guidance system" (paraphrasing the first paragraph of explanation, currently). Maybe there's a confusion about the phrase "the particle accelerator's tertiary F.E.L. Guidance System"? The FEL (Free Electron Laser, IIRC) itself is a tunable lasing 'cavity' for electrons that is magnetic, not optical, in nature, but (again, IIRC) is supplied with electrons at relativistic speeds by way of a particle accelerator (depending on which FEL, sometimes dedicated to the FEL and sometimes "from a main multipurpose ring", such as the LHC might be). Particle acceleration requires that the particles ''being'' accelerated be constrained within the ring (when being brung up to speed or collided within the ring's in-line experiment zones) or redirected out of the ring (or allowed to depart it, but still in a controlled manner) if being used for an out-of-ring experiment. It's true that particles being smashed are thrown together rather haphazardly (when compared, say, with collisions at the scale of vehicle crash tests), but there's actually quite a lot of sophisticated detection equipment used to work out the path of the particles so that ''guidance'' can be applied by magnetic fields (separately from the 'corner turning' ones and/or including those). I think I would consider such systems (including the ones that 'extract' particles for use in off-ring experiments) worthy of the title "guidance systems", albeit external to the particle as opposed to on-board like on a smart missile... And so if (and I haven't checked, so colour me wrong if I turn out to be so) the complex has at least three FELs attached, it's reasonable to assume that the third of these (hierarchically speaking) has, like its brethren, a particle guidance system involved at some point to ensure the electron supply is suitably contained and piped into it... Or it refers to the third of (at least three) beam-guiding systems for the ''lone'' FEL. Maybe even this means something active within the magnetic "wiggler" assembly of the FEL itself, or even (if this is what they do) on the output to the FEL leading ''into'' the LHC itself... But whichever it is, it the relevent FEL Guidance System surely exists in some form or other.

...TL;DR; - I'm pretty much sure the joke is more of an "[[Up_Goer_Five|Up-goer 5]]" nature... I also don't see any reference to Black Holes/conspiracy theories... It's just doing an "If this part is broken, you will not <strike>go to space</strike> collide any particles today" thing, surely? [[Special:Contributions/31.111.87.233|31.111.87.233]] 22:05, 27 May 2013 (UTC)

::Sorry, but I have no time to read this comment. Keep short! --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:18, 27 May 2013 (UTC)
::I agree with 31.111.87.233. There's nothing about conspiracy theories, even indirectly. I've removed that part. I also don't see anything criticizing Simple English Wikipedia, or two versions. To the contrary, he praises it (albeit somewhat exaggeratedly) in the title text. I left it for now, though. [[User:Mattflaschen|Mattflaschen]] ([[User talk:Mattflaschen|talk]]) 08:44, 13 October 2013 (UTC)

There is a [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Proposals#Merge_Cueball_.26_Rob|community portal discussion]] of what to call Cueball and what to do in case with more than one Cueball. I have added this comic to the new Category:Multiple Cueballs. Since there is clearly one Cueball that is the protagonist and do most of the "talking" he should probably be listed as Cueball. Just made a note that the other guys also looks like Cueball. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:19, 7 June 2015 (UTC)

Maybe it would be worth adding a reference to Randall's new book "Thing Explainer", which follows the same concept.--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.229|162.158.114.229]] 00:12, 6 December 2015 (UTC)
:Nah, it's fine without it, since the comic doesn't directly refer to it (for obvious reasons) and because it's not based on the concept of the limited vocabulary that Thing Explainer and Up Goer Five, it's just simplistic. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 02:40, 22 January 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1630: Quadcopter

2016-01-18T01:53:39Z

108.162.250.162:

Despite the obvious nature documentary joke, could this maybe also be making fun of people's fear that robots will take over the world someday soon? And in the same tone of voice try to convince them that technological development is natural and is nothing to be afraid of?[[User:Bon|Bon]] ([[User talk:Bon|talk]]) 06:27, 15 January 2016 (UTC)

This seems to be at least a partial reference to a scene in Harry Potter where they learn to ride broomsticks for the first time. [[User:Mlake|Mlake]] ([[User talk:Mlake|talk]]) 07:11, 15 January 2016 (UTC)
:I cannot see the connections at all... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:12, 15 January 2016 (UTC)

Would it not make more sense if birds carried him away? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.147|141.101.104.147]] 10:53, 15 January 2016 (UTC)
:That's the joke. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 01:53, 18 January 2016 (UTC)

Is it really about the robots becoming sentient, or is it the idea that the government doesn't want him teaching this class and sent the drones to take him away? [[User:Schiffy|Schiffy]] ([[User_talk:Schiffy|Speak to me]]|[[Special:Contributions/Schiffy|What I've done]]) 13:26, 15 January 2016 (UTC)

Are quadcopters used as camera mounts in filming nature documentaries? This is the angle I first took on reading this comic. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.152.179|162.158.152.179]] 13:30, 15 January 2016 (UTC)
:They are used to filming the lava lake in [[1608]]. This is references above. So probably also wild life --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:12, 15 January 2016 (UTC)

It seems to me that this is a pun on the term Predator drone. Predator drones are not quadcopters but both are commonly referred to simply as "drone". In this case it seems that cue ball has fallen prey to a predator and the group is looking at it similarly to watching a cat kill a squirrel. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.54|173.245.54.54]] 13:38, 15 January 2016 (UTC)
:Great. Now added in a more clear way to the comic explanation than when I read it before. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:12, 15 January 2016 (UTC)

The explanation now sounds as if it would be better idea to just make all predators extinct just to save the poor prey. Letting nature take it's course IS the correct behavior. No matter how cute you think rabbits are, anyone from Australia can confirm that it's better if there IS some predator killing them and prevent overpopulation. The humans ARE overpopulated and any action they do is making the effect of that overpopulation worse: by creating areas where humans don't act, we may be able to preserve nature not harmed by the overpopulation, as opposed to behaving same everywhere, killing all predators and then kill and consume all prey and then go extinct because there will be nothing more to eat. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 16:09, 16 January 2016 (UTC)

"...grab a human being and fly off with him, just like a pack of wolves..." o_O --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.148|108.162.218.148]] 20:46, 17 January 2016 (UTC)

Ponytail could be making a pun. "No. It's cruel, but we have to let nature take it's '''course'''." Cueball was teaching quadcopter flying school, so the drones could have carried him off for a course. -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.219|162.158.2.219]] 00:05, 18 January 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1535: Words for Pets

2016-01-15T01:22:01Z

108.162.250.162:

I skipped the first step by naming my cat "Cat". On the plus side, even in the third year I was still mostly calling her by her name. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.134|108.162.254.134]] 08:06, 8 June 2015 (UTC)
:My cat is also named "Cat". Then again, I call all cats "Cat". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.138|108.162.210.138]] 19:00, 8 June 2015 (UTC)

Not sure this is relevant enough to include, but there's [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ADogNamedDog a trope about that] [[Special:Contributions/188.114.111.224|188.114.111.224]] 11:39, 8 June 2015 (UTC)

I interpreted this slightly differently. In the first year, the pet is fresh and new, and you put the effort in to call it by its name. As time goes on, you get sloppier about it. In addition, I believe he missed a ring from it: Expletives. Within a year of having a new cat, I was calling it more by expletives than its name. [[User:Drmouse|Drmouse]] ([[User talk:Drmouse|talk]]) 14:24, 8 June 2015 (UTC)
:I thought expletives were deliberately implied, so I'm very surprised they are not mentioned in the explanation. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.239.231|198.41.239.231]] 23:50, 8 June 2015 (UTC)

I disagree with the explanation. The comic is about words used to refer to the pet, i.e. to name the pet when talking to someone else, not to talk to the pet. For instance "I forgot to feed Lassie" might later become "I forgot to feed the dog", then "I forgot to feed the damn thing" or whatever. Am I the only one to understand "refer" like this?
Zetfr 16:53, 8 June 2015 (UTC)
:In my household at least, we use the animal's species as its name. For example, instead of "Have you fed Lassie?", we may say " Have you fed Dog?". I think is what Randall is implying. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.29|141.101.98.29]] 17:00, 8 June 2015 (UTC)
::Since he begins to refer to the animal in the animals language, I would say that only makes sense if he talks to the animal. However the way the caption is phrased it could be understood the way he talks about the animal. So I think it is impossible to say that one explanation is correct and the other is wrong. Maybe that should be mentioned in explain. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 18:14, 8 June 2015 (UTC)

:::Agreed. [[Special:Contributions/188.114.97.151|188.114.97.151]] 23:24, 28 December 2015 (UTC)

I got a completely different idea to this, the relationship is one of friendship, not parentage, so the moving from name to associated to other words to sounds would be more like Hey Lassie -> Hey Dog -> Hey Fatso -> Ugh, Oi. This shows more the common friendship trope of insulting one another in a humorous way, which seems far more likely than transitioning into some kind of hybrid language for all bar the most "maternal" of owners. [[User:Hackerjack|Hackerjack]] ([[User talk:Hackerjack|talk]]) 22:40, 8 June 2015 (UTC)
:I agree here. With our cat it was Hi Blaser -> Hi Cat -> You little **** -> Oi, you -> "Maw?" [[User:Drmouse|Drmouse]] ([[User talk:Drmouse|talk]]) 09:08, 9 June 2015 (UTC)

The "You little ****" is something I can definitely attest to. A friend of mine keeps calling his cats assholes and similar words, so often that I have a hard time remembering their actual names. "come here" isn't how one "refers to" a pet, it's how one might call a pet, which isn't what the comic is about at all... [[User:Maplestrip|Maplestrip]] ([[User talk:Maplestrip|talk]]) 09:15, 9 June 2015 (UTC)

:I call my dog "plague" (makes more sense in our dialect of Portuguese). [[Special:Contributions/188.114.97.151|188.114.97.151]] 23:24, 28 December 2015 (UTC)

I wouldn't say Randall is restricting this comic to either of the two major possibilities: speaking to the pet, or speaking about the pet. It could well be a mixture of both.
We have a cat whose name is "Pwca" (Welsh spelling, same as "Pooka" as in the Jimmy Stewart movie "Harvey") but the name varies between "Pwca" and "Picklebean" and just "Bean" right along with "silly kitty" and "funny girl" and other descriptive words. She has a typical little short chirp that she uses to get our attention or to complain about something, and we often chirp back to her, so that would be "the pet's own language." My daughter's cat "Minnie" is "Minners" or "Minimum" or "Min-Min" or again, descriptive terms. You could certainly argue that some of those words are borderline incoherent. In most cases, they can be used while speaking either /to/ the pet, or /of/ the pet to a third party (or sometimes to the universe at large.)
Note that the phrase "pet name" has a double meaning, with 'pet' either a noun or an adjective, and in the latter case usually not actually referring to a pet.[[User:Taibhse|Taibhse]] ([[User talk:Taibhse|talk]]) 00:43, 10 June 2015 (UTC)

Randall talks to cats: [http://xkcd.com/231/ 231] {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.83}}

I thought it is Vienn diagram not Euler diagram {{unsigned ip|108.162.254.47}}

I call my kitty "foofy butt," "foofbutt," "fluffbutt," "plushbutt," "puffbutt," "squishy," [gibberish cooing], "meow meow," "hairy baby" (BH6 is my favorite animated movie), identical meows to his, and sometimes, occasionally, his actual name Mitu. Or Mittu My mom spells it differently than me. For the longest time, autocorrect autocorrected his name to MIT. xD Now all I can picture is me stroking the dome of one of the best schools in the entire world like it's a kitty. KITTY.

I miss him. He has lung cancer, and is at home, and I'm away at college. My poor little foofehbutt :c
[[User:International Space Station|International Space Station]] ([[User talk:International Space Station|talk]]) 05:20, 7 October 2015 (UTC)

If you just listened to what my mother called her cats throughout the day you'd think their names were "Trouble" "You Ratbag" and "Get down off that!" -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 01:22, 15 January 2016 (UTC)

Talk:748: Worst-Case Scenario

2016-01-14T05:45:00Z

108.162.250.162:

"frothy mix" is a reference to Rick Santorum. [[Special:Contributions/75.60.27.102|75.60.27.102]] 03:17, 29 March 2013 (UTC)
:The comic was published on June 2, 2010. I strongly doubt it was a reference to Santorum. [[Special:Contributions/166.182.3.247|166.182.3.247]] 17:36, 17 July 2013 (UTC)

The original {{w|Campaign for "santorum" neologism|"frothy mix"}} incident occurred in 2003 and came back into the news during Rick Santorum's Presidential primary campaign in 2013. So frothy mix could still be a reference to that incident. [[User:Dawfedora|Dawfedora]] ([[User talk:Dawfedora|talk]]) 21:40, 20 July 2013 (UTC)
: But probably isn't, given that fluids being agitated forms a froth. So it's just the correct word for the situation. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:31, 10 December 2015 (UTC)

Isn't this tantamount to blackmail: "In 2010 Savage said he would take the site down if Santorum donated US$5 million plus interest to Freedom to Marry"? {{unsigned|Weatherlawyer}}
:No, blackmail is the practice of withholding information that may be damaging to a person's reputation in return for money. Putting that "information" up on a freely accessible website is pretty much the opposite of withholding it. Maybe it's coercion, but it's a "threat" to leave something up that is already there. I'm not sure if there is a word for it, but "blackmail" isn't it. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 05:45, 14 January 2016 (UTC)

Talk:901: Temperature

2016-01-14T01:52:11Z

108.162.250.162:

Apparently, male pregnancy is a thing. It requires surgery and artificial implantation, but it's a legitimate thing that yields live babies. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 02:00, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
:Link? That's really difficult to believe. [[User:Theo|Theo]] ([[User talk:Theo|talk]]) 18:13, 22 August 2013 (UTC)

:: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_%28film%29 <-- reference [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 03:07, 26 August 2013 (UTC)

Just a bit of trivia: there's a photo online of a pregnancy test where the control line is not (or faintly) visible and the test line is very visible. Someone said that it can happen if there was so much of that hormone that the test line drained ink from the control line. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.24|173.245.48.24]] 04:10, 1 April 2014 (UTC)
: If that happened you'd probably try again on a new test, possibly a different brand. If it kept happening it would probably want to see a doctor because something's going on there... -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 01:52, 14 January 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1627: Woosh

2016-01-14T00:22:26Z

108.162.250.162:

Looking for a joke that isn't there sounds a lot like [http://xkcd.com/559 xkcd.com/559]. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.140|162.158.2.140]] 05:43, 8 January 2016 (UTC)
::Woooosh! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.181|108.162.245.181]] 05:48, 8 January 2016 (UTC)

::::Woosh {{{unsigned ip|108.162.245.131}}

::::::'''Woof''' ''(Guess my bot still needs some work)'' [[Special:Contributions/162.158.153.131|162.158.153.131]] 08:41, 8 January 2016 (UTC)

If it was a joke video that was never meant to be real to begin with and the commenter didn't realize this, then woosh would actually make sense [[User:Figvh|Figvh]] ([[User talk:Figvh|talk]])

:Woosh[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.65|173.245.56.65]] 10:32, 8 January 2016 (UTC)

Probably in reaction to a video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEI-iDxfj0M] that gained notoriety this week and raised a big discussion whether is was spontaneous or enacted.
[[User:Duartix|Duartix]] ([[User talk:Duartix|talk]]) 11:16, 8 January 2016 (UTC)

* You mean [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pxkboPjn8c]? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:53, 10 January 2016 (UTC)

Of course bots that auto-reply to comments can have problems of their own. Let Reddit's [http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/925/182/df3.png lolpenisbot] be a cautionary tale.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.152.203|162.158.152.203]] 21:26, 8 January 2016 (UTC)
:Woosh [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.38|141.101.98.38]] 17:52, 9 January 2016 (UTC)
::Woosh [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.38|141.101.98.38]] 17:52, 9 January 2016 (UTC)
:::Woosh [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.38|141.101.98.38]] 17:52, 9 January 2016 (UTC)

This comic seems to promote the same behaviour that he criticizes in [https://xkcd.com/481/ xkcd.com/481], [https://xkcd.com/810/ xkcd.com/810], [https://xkcd.com/1258/ xkcd.com/1258], and i'm sure others. I've seen a great deal of 'wooshing' in the past couple days, hopefully this disservice to the internet doesn't last.--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.152.131|162.158.152.131]] 11:12, 9 January 2016 (UTC)

: Woosh [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 21:29, 9 January 2016 (UTC)
:: Are you for real?[[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.41|199.27.133.41]] 23:31, 10 January 2016 (UTC)

https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcdwooshbot/ It now exists. Might we add this as a note on the article? [[User:Wolf9400|Wolf9400]]
:Maybe in a trivia section? -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 00:22, 14 January 2016 (UTC)

Talk:511: Sleet

2016-01-13T03:54:07Z

108.162.250.162:

What is sleet in Randall's dialect? Ice pellets or a mixture of rain and snow? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.55|141.101.98.55]] 18:05, 17 August 2014 (UTC)
:What does this matter? I would call it frozen rain. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:09, 17 August 2014 (UTC)
::I removed the requirement of a definition of sleet from the incomplete tag. Sleet is understood to be cold horrible weather to be out in, whichever regional definition is used. I dont believe that the explanation would improve in quality by guessing the interpretation that Randall would subscribe to.--[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 14:07, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

This is not vital, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned that the first panel quotes the first line of "Let It Snow," famously sung by Dean Martin. To me, hearing his mellow voice in my mind's ear more intensely evokes the loving scene that has been spoiled by the boyfriend's non-romantic preoccupation. Must be a generational thing, since I'm likely twice the age of most commenters![[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.156|108.162.219.156]] 09:25, 26 August 2015 (UTC)

Is the title "Sleet" a reference to {{w|Leet}}? [[User:Jono hct|Jono hct]] ([[User talk:Jono hct|talk]]) 01:42, 5 November 2015 (UTC)
:No. Sleet is the type of weather in the comic. It has nothing to do with "leet". -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:54, 13 January 2016 (UTC)

Talk:994: Advent Calendar

2016-01-12T05:10:19Z

108.162.250.162:

To me this is a lesson in moderation, too much chocolate is not only a problem on x-mas, but also on Halloween. If we don't learn moderation, we will wake up on 25th with huge belly and type-1 diabetes. Enjoy responsibly (which is true for every good thing and state altering drugs). - e-inspired [[Special:Contributions/98.211.199.84|98.211.199.84]] 15:42, 27 February 2013 (UTC)

I'll have you know that type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with sugar overdose, since it's mostly an autoimmune disease. Type 2 diabetes is the fatty's version, whose only connection to type 1 is the symptoms (and sometimes the treatment)
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.212|141.101.98.212]] 05:42, 20 January 2014 (UTC)

I'm glad that isn't what this is for me. [[Special:Contributions/81.135.136.159|81.135.136.159]] 10:42, 9 October 2013 (UTC)

I think the humor is too about the way most people find difficult to wait for the next day before eating the chocolate...--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.203|141.101.89.203]] 14:49, 7 April 2014 (UTC)

Advent then is the opposite of lent, when one gives up, say, chocolate {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.167}}

AAAHH!! Stop being an idiot! Type 1 diabetes... what they said. I have type 1!! Stop accusing me of making myself diabetic!!! {{unsigned ip|173.245.55.73}}

I don't get why people think Zeno's paradox is interesting as it relies on the stupid notion that objects somehow move by halving the distance between one and the other rather than moving in discrete amounts of distance over time. I hope Zeno got punched for being so dumb at least once in his lifetime. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 05:10, 12 January 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1060: Crowdsourcing

2016-01-12T02:13:22Z

108.162.250.162:

Even better is when you can repackage an existing open-source program and sell it for a tidy profit. It happens. '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:42, 8 January 2013 (UTC)

I personally like to think Cueball's audience are potential investors and that Cueball is trying to convince them to fund his "company" [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.49|141.101.104.49]] 23:10, 5 May 2015 (UTC)
: Given that he is referring to it as a "business plan" and the people he's showing look fairly corporate (as much as one can tell from stick figures) and he's phrasing it like a pitch, I'd say this is exactly what he's trying to do. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 02:13, 12 January 2016 (UTC)

Talk:632: Suspicion

2016-01-11T03:13:12Z

108.162.250.162:

"I'm more than a spambot! Our love was real!" might suggest that the spambot has actually more self-awareness/feelings than you might expect. -- [[Special:Contributions/145.7.91.126|Arjen]] 10:35, 28 December 2012 (UTC)

:Or an extremely well designed spambot. ;) [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.67|173.245.55.67]] 20:43, 18 April 2014 (UTC)BK201

Couples wanting to check themselves can try an implementation of this test at http://vk-couples-testing.appspot.com/ :-) --[[User:Mormegil|Mormegil]] ([[User talk:Mormegil|talk]]) 15:10, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

Should we consider the name "Lisa" to be important? One of the very first chat-bots was called Eliza. [[Special:Contributions/91.183.95.109|91.183.95.109]] 15:13, 25 February 2013 (UTC)

::Don't forget that Apple's first GUI was the Lisa system.{{unsigned ip|24.207.62.236}}

I would be happy to see a reference to Philip K. Dick's Voigt-Kampff from his book 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' Since it was written in 1968 and Scott used it as an inspiration to write Blade Runner. Original source and stuff. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.55|108.162.231.55]] 22:31, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

Considering what's on panel #2 and #3, I thought that "getting tested" meant those ads that asks to insert your name and your partner's name to check if it's a good relationship. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.196|108.162.212.196]] 14:00, 4 January 2014 (UTC)

I thought VK stood for the Russian social network. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.153|108.162.221.153]] 15:57, 11 March 2015 (UTC)

I landed on this page on xkcd using the random button. Then when I hit the random button again, I was on the exact same page. That happen to anyone? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.10|108.162.215.10]] 09:47, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

[[http://dilbert.com/strip/2001-10-25| Dilbert (October 25, 2001)]] discusses this (30 September 2015's comment). [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.72|199.27.133.72]] 19:05, 22 October 2015 (UTC)

I'm offering the alternative interpretation that perhaps she *isn't* a spambot, but is pissed off at being given a spambot test, thus refuses to answer, leading to cueball ending the relationship. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.36|141.101.99.36]] 18:28, 7 January 2016 (UTC)
:Except she admits to being a spambot in the last panel. And the fact that she's a spambot is the basis for the whole joke of the comic. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:13, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1626: Judgment Day

2016-01-06T22:14:15Z

108.162.250.162:

It was making my titletext explanation too long and unwieldy, to include this particular speculation in my own contribution, but there's a ''possibility'' that it may well be Amazon's own sentience taking over the world, and rationalising that a dead and dying customer base is of no use to it... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.153.29|162.158.153.29]] 13:51, 6 January 2016 (UTC)

Doesn't matter if it's self-sentience or not. Truth is, rigid laws are not the best way to use as a replacement for conscience. The 1613 did not deal with possibility of one or more of the laws being left out. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 13:53, 6 January 2016 (UTC)

I think the "Judgment" part of the comic is that those tens of thousands of nukes hitting the sun may make it unstable in some way and destroy Earth. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.79.43|141.101.79.43]] 14:34, 6 January 2016 (UTC)

:Of course, all of our nukes hitting the Sun would be a drop in the bucket of solar fusion reactions. Nothing would be destabilized. However, I'm sure inconvenient physics would not stop some movie scriptwriter from incorporating a spectacular CG-fueled nova as a plot point. [[User:Jhhxkcd|Jhhxkcd]] ([[User talk:Jhhxkcd|talk]]) 14:47, 6 January 2016 (UTC)
::That's pretty much already the plot of ''{{w|Sunshine (2007 film)|Sunshine}}'' (2007), though there the result was to (successfully) reignite a failing Sun, rather than to destabilize it. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.135.56|162.158.135.56]] 15:35, 6 January 2016 (UTC)
:It's pretty clear that the "Judgment" is the AI being judgmental of humanity's (insane) massive production and hoarding of nuclear weapons. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 22:14, 6 January 2016 (UTC)

The first two lines could be said by any non-hoarder looking at the stuff a hoarder has collected. "A stack of 130 used microwave dinner trays? Why do you even have all these? Are you insane? They're going in the recycling bin." I think that's the joke: the newly-sentient computer is Mom, and humanity is her teenage son with the very messy room, but this being xkcd, it gets more... um, ''extreme'' from there. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.53|173.245.54.53]] 16:18, 6 January 2016 (UTC)

There may be a reference to https://what-if.xkcd.com/5/ where Randall points out that our nuclear arsenal may actually be more damaging to computers than they are to us due to the EMP effect, effectively giving us an edge in case of robot apocalypse. By getting rid of nuclear weapon, computers also protect themselves. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.191|162.158.90.191]] 16:47, 6 January 2016 (UTC)

Did anybody else think "{{w|Optimus Prime}}" when reading "{{w|Amazon Prime}}"? (especially with the context of sentient machines)
I know that Amazon Prime is already a real-life thing, and very connected with deliveries, so probably/maybe not an intentional pun by Randall (and thus probably not worth injecting into the explanation).
However, that won't keep me from now imagining the {{w|Autobot|Autobots}} as {{w|Amazons|Amazon warriors}}.…
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.148|199.27.130.148]] 17:47, 6 January 2016 (UTC)

== Would it really require a lot of booster rockets? ==

Can't you just "fall" into the sun for free once you're free of Earth's orbit? Why should it take a lot of booster rockets to get there? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.235.233|198.41.235.233]] 16:26, 6 January 2016 (UTC)
:Because otherwise your rocket will fall down, miss the sun, and fly back to where earth was at the time of the launch. Effectively making it orbit the sun like a comet. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.191|162.158.90.191]] 16:47, 6 January 2016 (UTC)

:a) The boosters are required to escape the earth's gravitational influence. After that sun's gravity would do the rest, b) A lot of boosters are required because there are a lot of missiles that need to be launched. --[[User:Desidiot|Desidiot]] ([[User talk:Desidiot|talk]]) 16:41, 6 January 2016 (UTC)

:After escaping Earth's well, the nukes still have inherited the velocity of Earth's orbit. They need to reduce their periapsis close to/inside the sun. That would take extreme amounts of Delta v (i.e. energy)... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.79.43|141.101.79.43]] 16:45, 6 January 2016 (UTC)

:And to those skilled at Kerbal Space Program... that uses a simplified 'nearest body rules' system for orbital mechanics. You can (I know I have!) launched a rocket of sufficient power such that it escapes the 'back' end of the planet's influence with a pre-escape velocity somewhat equivalent to the planet's forward velocity, which is then removed as part of the transfer to 'open space', leaving it on a highly eccentric orbit (with reference to the newly supreme gravitational source) that is practically 'straight down' (though because of the Kerbal sun's nature, you still usually sun-skim it on a very tight loop back out again). But that takes more energy than 'merely' getting beyond the planet's influence and end up travelling round the parent body in an orbit only marginally off that of the original planet, the nature (and future) of which depends completely on which direction you eventually broke free. (NB. This was all in an older version, I think they've changed some things about what happens near the sun, but not the basic physics system.)
:However, IRL you are always subject to gravity from ''every'' body. Maybe most of the time one dominates, but there's a fuzzy interface (and zones where influences balance out, hence Legrange Points). Think of it as still having a link to Earth's progression round the Sun, dragging you round, at least until you're at a point in opposition to the Earth, across the Sun (then it's dragging you back that way, encouraging you into a retrograde solar orbit). Albeit that this ''too'' is an oversimplification. But by the time you've got your rocket near opposition to its launch planet, you've expended the energies needed to fall into a non-grazing (i.e. utterly non-missing) 'orbit', and it's a ''lot'' of thrust. Which is what is required of those boosters. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.153.29|162.158.153.29]] 17:58, 6 January 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1388: Subduction License

2016-01-05T05:59:51Z

108.162.250.162:

I'm assuming "subduction license" is being comically reinterpreted here from some other meaning. What is a subduction license, normally speaking? [[User:Jevicci|Jevicci]] ([[User talk:Jevicci|talk]]) 15:20, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

Um, you're making it too easy to make me normal and rub away very fast {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.9}}

I'm thinking the closest real term to "subduction license" is probably "Subversion License" - Subversion being a popular source code repository system. (Edit: Created a new account) [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 21:02, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

:Nah, that's not it ... there's got to be some pun on ''license'', or perhaps a term that sounds like ''-uction license''. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.159|173.245.54.159]] 23:14, 30 June 2014 (UTC)
::Could be the ''seduction license'' he should have applied for instead. He wishes to seduce his roommate, and has applied for a license for this. However he misunderstood the word and has applied for the other license, and has also read about it on Wikipedia ;-) [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:31, 1 July 2014 (UTC)
::: Given Beret Guy's past and future expressions of unusual or impossible power, it's probably best to assume that it is literally a license that allows him to perform subduction. That it. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 05:59, 5 January 2016 (UTC)

Google supplies http://www.cafepress.ca/+subduction+license-plate-frames which offers "Subduction License Plate Frames", which I believe is an accidental verbal conjunction. I believe it's in the context of the web site selling a range of images and designs printed on various objects. In this case the object is a license plate frame, and the image is a diagram of subduction. Since the centre is cut out of the image in order to display the license plate, the combination is pretty useless. But, here it is, a subduction license plate frame, in which to place your subduction license. So why is that funny? Well, maybe it was the web site's special offer of the day, or, it was a Googlewhack. But now, a few days later, the Internet is awash with people asking "Why is 'subduction license' funny?" rja.carnegie@excite.com [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.192|141.101.99.192]] 08:45, 5 July 2014 (UTC)

My second theory: by the time he sobered up and realised it wasn't funny after all, there wasn't time to draw a new comic. Although I could draw one of these in five minutes (lettering takes longer), so that doesn't work. Maybe he's ill, badly ill. rja.carnegie@excite.com [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.192|141.101.99.192]] 08:45, 5 July 2014 (UTC)

My third theory: did someone make earthquakes illegal? Or make them legal with a license? It's in the news that scientists are satisfied with the evidence that licensed fracking is causing earthquakes in Oklahoma, but it seems to be pretty easy to get a license or permit to do fracking. But the news story appeared after this comic was published - if you get your geology news from regular newspapers. And obviously the question had been asked earlier. So, the comic may be based on that. rja.carnegie@excite.com [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.192|141.101.99.192]] 08:45, 5 July 2014 (UTC)

Alternate explanation for the title text: A fault is a break between two blocks of the lithosphere (or the crust if you want to be more vernacular). The two blocks move in one of three ways: laterally side-by-side (making it a transform fault), away from each other (a normal fault) or toward each other (a reverse fault, which is the kind involved in subduction). If Beret Guy were normal, he'd have to be moving away from Cueball. [[User:Fewmet|Fewmet]] ([[User talk:Fewmet|talk]]) 15:15, 1 July 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1625: Substitutions 2

2016-01-04T22:45:07Z

108.162.250.162:

See previous discussion for browser plugins, scripts, bookmarklets etc. at [[1288:_Substitutions]] [sven]

Can someone update the plugin for Chrome that does the word swaps? :3 Also swap it for upgoerfive-nouns[[User:International Space Station|International Space Station]] ([[User talk:International Space Station|talk]]) 15:11, 4 January 2016 (UTC)

The Title Text should read "...uncontrollably-swerving cars", not "...uncontrollably-swerving cats". But I don't have the heart to change it.

: Neither do I... [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.55|173.245.54.55]] 16:14, 4 January 2016 (UTC)(Daniel)

:: Actually, if you applied the 1288 substitutions it would be uncontrollably-swerving CATS.

Ok, I just checked the log, and it was added here,
"(cur | prev) 15:11, 4 January 2016‎ 141.101.104.7 (Talk)‎ . . (+1,212)‎ . . (undo)"
by the person who added the transcript, obviously I don't know if this was deliberate, though I suspect it was. Either way I think it is very funny and we should leave it. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.55|173.245.54.55]] 16:14, 4 January 2016 (UTC)(Daniel)

How many of them can be used?
"Like hundreds of civilians recieved friggin awfull burns after a not very sudden dog attack Tuesday. After spherical outrage, the president probably won't drunkedly encourage it in the future."[[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.222|162.158.114.222]] 16:20, 4 January 2016 (UTC)

huh...nothing for 'campaign' or 'voters'...also, the 'uncontrollably-swerving cats' is probably a victim of the first substitution filter that changes 'cars' to 'cats'[[Special:Contributions/162.158.56.227|162.158.56.227]] 17:06, 4 January 2016 (UTC)

"The suspect is currently very large" -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 22:45, 4 January 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1619: Watson Medical Algorithm

2015-12-23T04:36:03Z

108.162.250.162:

Build environment is still insane since comic #371. {{unsigned ip|162.158.2.139}}

(Above poster please sign comments with four tildes)

I'm trying to picture Baymax using this algorithm. {{unsigned|International Space Station}}

:"OK, who swapped out Baymax's programming card with a Doomba AI?" [[User:VectorLightning|VectorLightning]] ([[User talk:VectorLightning|talk]]) 08:02, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

Well, at least the autoconfig isn't as threatening as #416.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.179|108.162.245.179]] 07:00, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

I suspect that the extra limbs should be removed when there are 100+ and Vitamin D levels checked when the nmbr of limbs is in an acceptable range... does IBM use a ticketing system? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.194|162.158.91.194]] 08:39, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
: Unfortunately the algorithm as shown in the cartoon has the conditions for those two steps exactly the other way around, making even less sense medically. --[[User:Svenman|Svenman]] ([[User talk:Svenman|talk]]) 14:30, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

It seems a normal patient would end up mostly unscathed and in an infinite loop in the lower right corner. [[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 09:01, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
:Uhm no. You would normally have an oxygen level above 50% of what is expected. (It should be close to 100% if I understand [http://www.nonin.com/Normal-Oxygen-Level this correctly], which I may not...). This means you have had your skeleton removed. If you survived this you are squeezed until fluid comes out. (Probably not necessary after the skelerectomy). But then you end up in the lower right corner. Of course you can also get there after just getting an oxygen injection, but only directly if you are not comforted when the program tries. If you where comforted you will lose some limbs. And then end up in the lower right corner. No matter what if you are still OK (could be possible) when reaching here, you will be asked about your pain level. And even if you start by saying 0-8 many many times, getting as many scalp massages, you will just get the same question, until you say 10 then your eyes will be removed. But no matter what, if you are asked such a stupid question enough times you will surely at some point say something else than 0-10, and then you will die, as this answer will take you down the last path of the program (and only exit of the cycle according the to glitch mentioned in the title text), and this will end up with the program performing an autopsy on you, thus cutting you up and removing all organs etc. So no you will not be able to go unscathed infinitely, and even if you kept saying 0-8 you would eventually die from thirst. ;) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:24, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
::Yes, normal oxygen saturation is 98-100% in air. If it drops below 95% you will be in trouble, if it drops below 85% you're likely dead. [[User:Kev|Kev]] ([[User talk:Kev|talk]]) 09:54, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
::: Actually you can go a lot lower than 85% and still recover. You lose consciousness at about 55% on average, so you could dip below 50% for maybe a minute and still recover with appropriate treatment. It is unclear exactly what "inject oxygen" means, it could mean intubate and actively ventilate with oxygen (appropriate) or it might mean use a syringe & needle to literally inject an oxygen embolus (which would do more harm than good). It could even mean a blood transfusion, because there is oxygen carried by the red blood cells (appropriate). [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 22:28, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

This might also partially be a reference to machine learning, which Watson apparently uses: badly designed ML systems often build models which produce the expected results for the training data, but do something unexpected or wrong with real data. See [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overfitting#Machine_learning]. That said ... 'dissect doctor for parts' doesn't seem like a reasonable response to any training input ;) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.39.208|162.158.39.208]] 10:41, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

The noted "unrelated actions" aren't all entirely unrelated. The coughing blood one is interpreting backwards (so "is patient not coughing up blood because the patient is not here to do so?"), the vitamin D one is somewhat logical (vit D is part of the chain that converts calcium to bone, low vit D can cause bone loss, but high vit D is basically harmless), and the green fluid is slightly sane but too vague (logic appears to be that green fluid indicates severely infected and/or necrotic tissue, for which cauterizing might be a valid treatment step in extreme situations). Weirdly specific might be a better header? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.197|141.101.106.197]] 11:57, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

So what happens if the skeleton has exactly the right number of bones? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.153.71|162.158.153.71]] 12:32, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
: Indeed this case is not covered, thus making the algorithm faulty even on an abstract logical level. --[[User:Svenman|Svenman]] ([[User talk:Svenman|talk]]) 14:33, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
: What is the "right" number anyway? The number of bones in a normal human is not constant: it changes from 270 at birth to 206 as an adult. [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 22:35, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
:: {{w|Human_skeleton}} : "It is composed of 270 bones at birth – this total decreases to 206 bones by adulthood after some bones have fused together" [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.46|162.158.255.46]] 22:32, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

the Request organ donation/Remove organs part reminds me of Live Organ Transplants segment in ''{{w|Monty Python's The Meaning of Life}}''. --[[User:Valepert|valepert]] ([[User talk:Valepert|talk]]) 12:53, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

100 could be a reference to 4 in binary (4+ limbs / less than 4 limbs) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.39|141.101.99.39]] 12:59, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
:I believe you're correct. [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 15:17, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
:: The binary explanation does make more sense than a human centipede. Although, given the general grossness of the comic, I'm not going to completely rule out the human centipede idea. [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 22:40, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

I think GlaDOS is a descendent from this Watson. [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 15:17, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

The part about squeezing and looking for the color of the ooze seems to reference Humorism. The colors match the four humors. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.188|162.158.91.188]] 15:31, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

I'm surprised he didn't make a Dr Watson joke/reference.--[[User:R0hrshach|R0hrshach]] ([[User talk:R0hrshach|talk]]) 17:33, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

This algorithm certainly does not exit without the death of the patient, however, such a death can result from old age as long as the patient can make it to the bottom right infinite loop and continuously reports a number from 0-9 for pain. It IS possible to make it to that loop alive. Extremely low blood oxygen levels have been recorded in healthy Everest climbers, but the article I read gave the results in kilopascals, not in % so I don't know how that converts. However, repeatedly reporting a pain level of 0-8 would result in continuous scalp massages, which may actually be considered pleasant. [[User:Kashim|Kashim]] ([[User talk:Kashim|talk]]) 20:11, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
: I get the feeling that even if people can survive at low oxygen levels at a decent level for a time, it's not going to be either healthy or prolonged. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 04:36, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

I think this may be the least undesirable path through the flowchart:
START > Draw blood (enough to lower oxygen saturation to 49%) > Record name > Measure height and weight > Measured height/weight happens to match standard chart exactly > No surgery needed > Not coughing up blood > Still here > Record pulse rate > No screaming (unconscious due to low O2 saturation) > O2 saturation below 50% > Inject oxygen > Comforting succesful > Review medical history > Skin grafts > Fewer than 100 limbs > Good vitamin D > Check build environment > Rinse with saline > Phone battery level is high > Sync photos > General anesthesia > Discharge [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 22:51, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
:Nope, that path doesn't work. First, injecting oxygen may do more harm than good, as previously mentioned. Second, you'll be unconscious, so comforting will be unsuccessful. Third, having fewer than 100 limbs actually leads to the path where some are removed (possibly an error in the chart?). Fourth, due to the bug, discharge leads to hunting you down and capturing you again. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.161|108.162.249.161]] 01:32, 22 December 2015 (UTC)
::First, it may or it may not... I'm hoping not! (see above for discussion of possible ways to "inject" oxygen) Second, I'll be conscious again because my oxygen saturation has now been restored, so comforting is possible. Third, please look at the updated version of the flowchart, fewer than 100 leads to measuring Vitamin D. Fourth, there is no pathway shown from discharge to hunting down and capturing: I assume that START is admission to the hospital, therefore once discharged from hospital I have escaped Watson's clutches. [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 04:04, 22 December 2015 (UTC)
:::Yes, Randall fixed the bone count decision, but perhaps you missed the 'minor glitch' described in the mouseover text... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.161|108.162.249.161]] 04:50, 22 December 2015 (UTC)
::::Dammit. Yes I missed that. I have doomed myself to infinite skin grafts. The glitch means the only end point is autopsy. Which is less undesirable, infinite skin grafts or autopsy? [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 05:22, 22 December 2015 (UTC)
:::::No luck on getting infinite skin grafts, I'm afraid. Watson won't draw blood again, so you won't be able to keep failing the oxygen saturation test. Besides, keeping oxygen perpetually under 50% would be fatal in itself. Maybe that's the best way to go: blacking out from oxygen deprivation. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.161|108.162.249.161]] 23:13, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

ALERT!!! The comic has been updated since this explanation was first posted: the decisions for number of limbs have been swapped. [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 04:14, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

I wonder whether Randall took some inspiration from [http://buttersafe.com/2015/10/15/a-serious-case-of-spookiness/ Buttersafe]? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.161|108.162.249.161]] 04:48, 22 December 2015 (UTC)
: entirely possible, Randall does list Buttersafe as a web comic he enjoys. [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 05:17, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

Man I liked the original limb count decision better.... [[User:Schiffy|Schiffy]] ([[User_talk:Schiffy|Speak to me]]|[[Special:Contributions/Schiffy|What I've done]]) 04:59, 22 December 2015 (UTC)
:Yes, there was a delicious craziness about it. [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 05:12, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

Another infinite loop is in the upper right; if the patient's phone battery is low, defibrillate, then check phone battery condition again. Since defibrillating the patient is not going to improve teh patient's phone battery charge level, this will repeat infinitely, unless the battery is being charged by some external force (or, perhaps, by the electric charge from the defibrillator?) [[User:Swordsmith|Swordsmith]] ([[User talk:Swordsmith|talk]]) 12:18, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

I can't help feeling some of the information on this page are meant as jokes, like "disect the doctor for parts" being "may be considered ethically dubious". Is there someone who can clarify these? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.72.191|162.158.72.191]] 19:49, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

Talk:411: Techno

2015-12-22T06:04:59Z

108.162.250.162:

I had a hard drive once, MFM or RLL I cannot recall, which periodically would make an odd RRRRRRRR noise (possibly due to lack of calibration or vibration reduction somewhere) to which I referred as my "heavy metal drive".

Contemporary techno is rather reminiscent of 1541 read/write problems. I aver that technology originally spawned the term "head banging", which completes the cycle of metal versus techno. [[User:Thokling|Thokling]] ([[User talk:Thokling|talk]]) 13:04, 22 September 2013 (UTC)

That example music was obviously created after the comic, and could not be what the comic was referring to. [[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 02:17, 3 July 2015 (UTC)
:The title text was referring to the concept, which obviously existed prior to the comic existing. It's irrelevant that the example used was created after this comic. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 06:04, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1432: The Sake of Argument

2015-12-22T05:17:59Z

108.162.250.162:

In my experience when someone begins a hypothetical with "for the sake of argument" The hypothetical being explored is almost always a direct exploration of the argument being put forward by the person they are speaking to, so to my mind the perfect response to the second panel would have been: "You admit you were wrong then, Excellent!" ;-) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.211|108.162.250.211]] 07:05, 10 October 2014 (UTC)

:In contrast, it is often used alongs the lines of "OK, I see that you don't agree with my viewpoint, so for the sake of argument, pretend that you do agree with my viewpoint". I suppose this is an effort to try and get the other person to explore your views by stepping into them. For example: "Ok I know that you think that drink driving is fine, but for the sake of argument imagine that your dog had just been run over by a drunk driver" --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 08:53, 10 October 2014 (UTC)

IMHO could be vaguely related to the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y Monty Python's Argument Clinic] [[User:Jkotek|Jkotek]]
:IMHO "related" to, no matter how vaguely, would be a strong choice of word. At best, I could imagine "inspired by" - after all, Cueball has barely presented a connected series of statements, much less apparently one intended to establish a proposition, definite or otherwise - it's clearly the automatic gainsaying of anything Ponytail says... [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 10:10, 10 October 2014 (UTC)
::No it isn't! ;-) [[User:MGitsfullofsheep|MGitsfullofsheep]] ([[User talk:MGitsfullofsheep|talk]]) 12:19, 10 October 2014 (UTC)
::: For the sake of argument, say it is. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.217.125|108.162.217.125]] 22:39, 12 October 2014 (UTC)BK

"Rather than getting frustrated at being derailed, Ponytail instead seizes on this and decides they should get a boat, and that the Devil can come too." - I'm reading the title text a bit differently: it's not Ponytail being not angry and chiming in, but actually having no words (indicated by '...') and then it's Cueball again taunting her even more with inviting the devil. [[User:Zefiro|Zefiro]] ([[User talk:Zefiro|talk]]) 09:03, 10 October 2014 (UTC)

:I just wanted to say that I agree with Zefiro here.--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.173|173.245.56.173]] 09:20, 10 October 2014 (UTC)

::On reading again, I agree. I missed that the ellipsis was a seperate section, rather than the beginning of 'For arguments sake we should get a boat' --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 11:27, 10 October 2014 (UTC)

Could he possibly be making a pun? "For the sake of the 'ARGH' you meant," perhaps? [[User:Joehammer79|Joehammer79]] ([[User talk:Joehammer79|talk]]) 13:24, 10 October 2014 (UTC)

I think Cueball is taking the "for the sake of argument" too literally, as "in order to create more to argue on". Also "advocate". Also, "device" in the title text (literal physical transportation device vs rhetorical device). The explanation as of now doesn't seem to realize this. [[User:Matega|Matega]] ([[User talk:Matega|talk]]) 15:46, 10 October 2014 (UTC)

Regarding Devils advocate and copied from Wikipedia: "During the canonization process employed by the Roman Catholic Church, the Promoter of the Faith (Latin: promotor fidei), popularly known as the Devil's advocate (Latin: advocatus diaboli), was a canon lawyer appointed by Church authorities to argue against the canonization of a candidate.[2] It was this person’s job to take a skeptical view of the candidate's character, to look for holes in the evidence, to argue that any miracles attributed to the candidate were fraudulent, and so on. The Devil's advocate opposed God's advocate (Latin: advocatus Dei; also known as the Promoter of the Cause), whose task was to make the argument in favor of canonization. This task is now performed by the Promoter of Justice (promotor iustitiae), who is in charge of examining how accurate is the inquiry on the saintliness of the candidate." {{unsigned|Cobble}}

Are we sure this isn't just Beret Guy going casual? {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.164}}

The "oh, like a boat" is a reference to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.240.36|108.162.240.36]] 11:18, 16 October 2014 (UTC)
:No it isn't. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 05:17, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1617: Time Capsule

2015-12-17T22:41:25Z

108.162.250.162:

I wrote this comment in the past so it would be first. {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.86|09:39, 16 December 2015 (UTC)}}
:: are you sure? [[User:SirKitKat|sirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 08:17, 16 December 2015 (UTC)
:: I'm responding in the future! I hope it's not too much of a spoiler to reveal that this website still exists in the future.... [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.65|173.245.50.65]] 13:53, 16 December 2015 (UTC)
Is the "Do you still have sandwiches" line supposed to be a reference to the 2009 Star Trek movie? {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.42}}
: When considering if a phrase is a reference if you have to ask "is this a reference to X?", it's best to assume it's not a reference. Especially when it's an innocuous question or low value integer. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 22:41, 17 December 2015 (UTC)

Beret Guy's statement in the last line reminded me of [[926|time vultures]]... actually, aside from the "eating" part, he seems to have been pretty similar to one of these anyway. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.79.37|141.101.79.37]] 18:50, 16 December 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1586: Keyboard Problems

2015-12-15T03:57:07Z

108.162.250.162:

Possible reference to server problems comic? (1084) {{unsigned ip|162.158.90.210}}

For a risk of sounding mundane, similar symptoms can occur with keyboard breadcrumb syndrome, when someone eats too much bread at the computer, and their keyboard keeps getting hit with crumbs. As said someone is unlikely to change their habits unless they're made aware of the true reason for their problem, it would indeed follow them from computer to computer (because they keep getting crumbs on keyboards), as well as on the same keyboard (because it's getting full of crumbs). (Did I just make up the name "keyboard breadcrumb syndrome"? The syndrome itself must be common, but I couldn't think of any other name for it. Also, OTT purists will now probably come and start berating me for not using the word "leopard".) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.59|141.101.80.59]] 09:38, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

:Not just bread though, could be other foods. Like Doritos! [[User:XY007|XY007]] ([[User talk:XY007|talk]]) 09:39, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

::You do not ''want'' to see this keyboard I'm typing on (there's a lot of my hair in the gaps), that I've used so long that not only have some of the commoner keyfaces worn off, but the ''plastic'' has worn through to the voids beneath two of them ('S' and the down-cursor). But it works, and only I will ever use it.
::OTOH, I've had to clean far newer desktop keyboards in the past that one could hear an 'avalanche' inside if you lifted it up and tilted it back and forth. Upon opening up the casing, this was proven to be small clear-white crystals, hypothesised as either refined sugar (e.g. from countless donuts, eaten at the keyboard, or perhaps sugar spilt on the way to a coffee cup) or salt (either food-grade salt, or accumulating from 'sweaty fingers'). No, no-one tried tasting it to determine which. If either! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.159|141.101.98.159]] 22:20, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Certainly a case of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauli_effect Pauli effect]. {{unsigned ip|162.158.90.210}}

This is also partly a reference older comics where Cueball faces wierd technical issues like in 1084:Server problem and 1316:Inexplicable

I do believe Randall draw it with Cueball's mysterious ability to break computers, but it seems something like badUSB exploit IMHO. While it's extremely difficult to perform, it attacks on firmware part of USB and it is possible to spread via USB *ports* and *devices* [[Special:Contributions/162.158.6.169|162.158.6.169]] 13:39, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

"followed Cueball since his last computer" I don't think Cueball changed the keyboard. --[[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.160|199.27.133.160]] 15:31, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

:This was my interpretation, actually. I thought the joke was that Cueball changed the computer expecting it to be a software issue when the problem was with the keyboard hardware itself. But then the last panel doesn't make as much sense. [[User:Enchantedsleeper|Enchantedsleeper]] ([[User talk:Enchantedsleeper|talk]]) 23:43, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

The first sentence in the explaination currently: ''This comic is about how computer problems appear with no obvious cause. Even technically skilled people often find themselves powerless to diagnose the problem, and resort to tricks and quirks to solve or circumvent the problem without really understanding how or why the trick should work.'' refers to [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1479:_Troubleshooting 1479:Troubleshooting] not really this comic. I would consider striking. The comic is not about skilled people finding quirks to make things work; it is about those few 2.5%ers on the bell shaped curve who seem to always have the worst luck without any reprieve. This is also a plot point in the movie [https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B00KHL1VM8?ie=UTF8&keywords=frequencies&qid=1444059427&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1 Frequencies]. Good movie - check it out! --[[User:R0hrshach|R0hrshach]] ([[User talk:R0hrshach|talk]]) 15:43, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

I had a problem like this. It was a keyboard that would randomly input the string "welcome datacomp". I would end up with it in my documents. Here is a link to a usenet post about [that very problem](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.comp.virus/Ju2qiWBcdnk). I spent a lot of time trying to track down the "virus" until it followed me to another Mac at which time I figured out it was the keyboard. {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.147}}

I had this issue. I used to joke that my ex-friend Avi would "break my leopard" from Australia because the problem seemed to arise after I talked to him. My leopard would get keys that'd just suddenly stop working, and even with an external leopard, it didn't fix the issue. Or it did, for about a few minutes, and then somehow THAT leopard also got screwed up in the same way. I think I did some sort of factory reset on my computer , and it happened AGAIN. Then I switched laptops, and it happened YET AGAIN. What the fuck. Then I ended up breaking the leopard's hardware. Now I have another laptop and I'm hoping its beautiful, red-lit leopard, remains entirely functional. [[User:International Space Station|International Space Station]] ([[User talk:International Space Station|talk]]) 04:35, 7 October 2015 (UTC)

Alternate option- He gets assimilated by the Borg, causing the entire collective to collapse in on itself within days. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:57, 15 December 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1316: Inexplicable

2015-12-13T22:44:07Z

108.162.250.162:

[http://xkcd.com/725/ Literally] haunted? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.152|173.245.53.152]] 08:22, 13 January 2014 (UTC)

I was wondering too if Randall was also taking a sideways swipe at the way many people today misuse the term "literally".[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.30|108.162.216.30]] 22:42, 13 January 2014 (UTC)

I would say he trying to say that some errors that computers have are impossible to fathom. I've baffled our IT people on many an occasion and the solution is usual 'rebuild' which is the computer equivalent of an exorcism.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.228|108.162.231.228]] 10:18, 13 January 2014 (UTC)
:Definitely this. It is also much harder to figure out what the problem is with a computer when you weren't the one who has spent all their time using the computer. It is why I can't understand how IT people do their jobs. [[User:Daleb|Daleb]] ([[User talk:Daleb|talk]]) 13:14, 13 January 2014 (UTC)

Surprised nobody mentioned [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_machine Ghost in the machine] yet... --[[User:Koveras|Koveras]] ([[User talk:Koveras|talk]]) 10:28, 13 January 2014 (UTC)

I find the current explanation entertaining but... raises questions.

Is "This comic is inexplicable and represents a self-referencing joke about explainxkcd.com." serious?
:I think it's not and I deleted the sentence. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.84|173.245.50.84]] 14:39, 13 January 2014 (UTC)
:: If the comic is not a self-referencing joke about explainxkcd.com, then what conceivable combination of words WOULD constitute such a joke? (note: I am not the one who first made the (now deleted) point, but I agree with it.) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.214|108.162.231.214]] 08:46, 14 January 2014 (UTC)

"While it might [be] a reasonable conclusion [i.e. that it is 'haunted'] for a human, demons can't possess a computer." - this reads like "demons exist, but are incapable of possessing computer equipment", rather than "demons cannot possess a computer, because they don't even exist", which would be my ''preference'' (under the standard rules of not being able to ''prove'' the non-existence of the supernatral... and, believe me, I've had my fair share of totally baffling computer problems, in my time, and often anthropomorphise equipment, somewhat, ''at least'' to explain it to non-tech users... but then end up adopting the same attitude myself, of course).

"The title text suggests that Megan insists that Cueball resume possession of his laptop, as she is unsettled by the ghost; Cueball simply refuses, seeing an opportunity to make his problem hers." - I see that as more akin to the "cursed gem" type of story. One simply cannot palm the gem off on somebody else, but it must have a legitimately willing recipient (including a thief stealing it, often) in order for the curse itself to transfer itself. Now that the 'status' of the laptop is known he's not going to accept it back and take the 'curse of errors' back upon himself. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.223|141.101.99.223]] 14:08, 13 January 2014 (UTC)

:I just removed the sentence "While it might [be] a reasonable conclusion for a human, demons can't possess a computer." In the real world ghosts (the comic does not mention demons) don't exist and can't possess either humans or computers; in a fictional world, they might be able to do either or both (a la King's "Trucks"). -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.217|108.162.212.217]] 15:24, 13 January 2014 (UTC)

::Are you completely sure of that? How do you look at news like [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/catholic-church-trains-more-priests-to-perform-exorcisms-9046578.html|Catholic Church trains more priests to perform Exorcism]? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:12, 14 January 2014 (UTC)

I think the joke is just that normally the smartass that knows more about computers than you is able to easilly fix it, but not in this case. [[User:Halfhat|Halfhat]] ([[User talk:Halfhat|talk]]) 16:13, 13 January 2014 (UTC)

So am I the only one who thinks that the caption(or whatever the hover over text is called) refers to Cueball trying to return the laptop to a retail store. I mean I can see a store like Best Buy refusing to take back a laptop because a customer insists that there is a ghost in it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.83|108.162.216.83]] 18:25, 13 January 2014 (UTC)

:I agree. but until more people notice it, lets leave it. [[User:Imanton1|Imanton1]] ([[User talk:Imanton1|talk]]) 03:56, 14 January 2014 (UTC)

:I thought this too, except I thought it was more a comment on people's attachment to technology, "Demon-posessed or not, it's got all my kitten videos on it!".--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.230|141.101.98.230]] 08:28, 14 January 2014 (UTC)

:You're not the only one. That's exactly what I thought the mouseover text was about, too. I guess it could be read multiple ways, but maybe the explanation should acknowledge that? [[User:Enchantedsleeper|Enchantedsleeper]] ([[User talk:Enchantedsleeper|talk]]) 19:12, 15 January 2014 (UTC)

Overthinking, maybe, but if the computer is haunted (read: possessed), then a valid solution IS to return (read: unpossess? dispossess?) it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.57|108.162.216.57]] 23:36, 13 January 2014 (UTC)

Demons and devils can possess people or things; ghosts only loiter/haunt a location.{{unsigned ip|108.162.216.30}}

My wife says, "it's a Turing test!"
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.199|108.162.219.199]] 02:24, 14 January 2014 (UTC)

Am I the only who have thought of a corrupted random access memory on this laptop? Last time when I had a RAM failure on one of my machines, for a non technical person it may have appeared haunted: e.g. not executing just specific applications, writing nonsensical error messages, crashing applications when a specific word was being used...you name it. Running memcheck revealed later that one RAM module had lots of corrupted bytes but the problem only appeared when one RAM module was getting hot. So as long as the machine was idling if behaved just fine. So no ghost for me, I guess. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.217|108.162.231.217]] 09:19, 14 January 2014 (UTC)

People, there is no implication that this is a new laptop. It cannot be returned to the store, ok? Megan does not want it in her possession, so she wants to give it back to Cueball but he will not accept it. The only reason she says "take it back" is because it this a straight line that allows Cueball to reply "No". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.223|108.162.219.223]] 18:33, 14 January 2014 (UTC)

I once had a computer that was a nudist. After a couple of months it allowed me to get it dressed. I must say it taught me to be more accepting of the needs of electronic devices then and now. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.186|199.27.128.186]] 20:02, 14 January 2014 (UTC)

I'm not convinced that the strip is genuinely inexplicable, but one thing I am certain of is that there is no explanation to be found here on this page. None. Every single one of the comments above is reaching. If the computer is literally haunted, then describing it as such is not misuse of the term "literally". If there's no terminological misuse, then there's no sideswipe at the misuse. Maybe some computer errors are impossible to fathom, but describing such errors as a 'haunting' does not constitute a joke, etc., etc., etc. To me the key, the "punchline", is Cueball's "told you". That is the only thing that requires explanation. All the stuff above is annotation, NOT explanation. Q: When did Cueball tell Megan that the computer was haunted? A: When he told her that "nothing works or makes sense". To him the two statements, "the computer is haunted" and "nothing works or makes sense" are equivalent. To him haunting can only be a valid explanation in a world which is entirely devoid of logic. I did try to explain that, but my explanation got Occam's-Razored out of existence. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.225|141.101.98.225]] 03:14, 15 January 2014 (UTC)

:Yes, my comment about the use of "literally" _was_ meant as an amused remark at best, not explanation. Otherwise I would not have put it on the discussion page :) [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.152|173.245.53.152]] 15:34, 15 January 2014 (UTC)

Did anyone else think of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "I Robot, You Jane"? It could be a reference (Giles: ... There's a demon in the Internet. Ms. Calendar: I know.) [[User:Yuriy206|Yuriy206]] ([[User talk:Yuriy206|talk]]) 17:57, 16 January 2014 (UTC)

"Ghost" was also a popular disk cloning and backup software. And restoring from a clean "ghost image" is a common way to fix "haunted" computer. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.123|108.162.231.123]] 17:08, 27 January 2014 (UTC)

I think it's so funny that nobody has mentioned that 1316 is a Windows error code for a network error during an install that can be quite irritating to try and fix/diagnose esp if you are offline/not part of a network with resources. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.87|199.27.128.87]] 16:00, 12 February 2015 (UTC)

I disagree with "Note that Cueball is far from "non-technical", so this possible interpretation does not literally match the depicted scenario." I'm (nearly) a computer engineer, and I'm still convinced that machines have personality and some errors are unfixable without a NASA level lab. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.125|108.162.219.125]] 03:24, 13 February 2015 (UTC)

I'm totally fine with this not being a reference to anything, the computer is just haunted. Literally and actually. Who's with me? -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 22:44, 13 December 2015 (UTC)

777: Pore Strips

2015-12-11T06:10:58Z

108.162.250.162: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 777
| date = August 9, 2010
| title = Pore Strips
| image = pore_strips.png
| titletext = I'm sure they're a harmful tool of the cosmetics-industrial complex and all, but my goodness do those strips ever work to pull gunk out of your pores. I was shocked, disgusted, and vaguely fascinated by the result.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic shows a box of "Deep-cleaning pore strips," which are a skin-care product designed to clean your pores. You stick them on your face, wait a while, and then rip them off. When they come off, a whole lot of disgusting gunk from out of your pores comes off with them. The kind shown in the comic, however, is super-deep cleaning, and rips out not only the user's pore gunk, but also his entire skull.

The title text indicates that while Randall is aware that pore-cleaning strips are useless and possibly harmful products created to make money by "solving" something that isn't actually a problem, they are quite effective at getting things out of the pores on a person's nose.

==Transcript==
:[A box of pore strips, marked "deep cleaning."]

:[Cueball examines the box.]

:[Cueball applies strip to face.]

:[Cueball pulls on strip.]

:[Cueball pulls skull out of head with pore strip.]

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

Talk:1332: Slippery Slope

2015-12-11T06:07:50Z

108.162.250.162:

Wow, and I used to think White Hat was well-meaning but stupid; the inverse of Black Hat. I never knew he was such an asshole...
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.65|199.27.128.65]] 09:11, 19 February 2014 (UTC)
::My own first thought was "That's a Black Hat Voice...". Then I started wondering what White Beret would have said, in his stead, and that sufficiently distracted me... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.7|141.101.99.7]] 13:49, 19 February 2014 (UTC)
::Maybe he's being sarcastic?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.111|108.162.249.111]] 23:19, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

::I read that as more of an introverted perspective (though to an extreme) than him being an asshole.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.57|173.245.54.57]] 16:20, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

::Yeah, I don't really understand what Randall's trying to say by making him a White Hat.--[[User:Ricketybridge|Ricketybridge]] ([[User talk:Ricketybridge|talk]]) 23:43, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

::Remember that it is this page that has put Cueball and White Hat tags on these persons. Randall does not follow this page... Hence he can change them at will, and especially the Cueball character behaves quite different from comic to comic - sometimes there are more than one Cueball in the same comic. On the other hand, I do believe that Randall uses White Hat as "the same person" every time. However, where White Hat may not wish to go out of his way to be nice - this has nothing in comparison to Black Hat who will go out of his way (a long way) to be mean to everyone. So this is not a typical Black Hat discussion in the comic. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:54, 20 February 2014 (UTC)

::I also wonder what the deal is here with White Hat. I usually think of him as the proponent of "conventional wisdom," which is often misguided,smug, and self-righteous... but not usually malicious. Black Hat obviously has that one cornered. And yes, I do understand that Randall "doesn't read this site," but that doesn't mean that he isn't saying something by using White Hat here. He's obviously put a sign out there. It's up to us to decode the signifier. [[User:Orazor|Orazor]] ([[User talk:Orazor|talk]]) 06:50, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
::: Malice is active and/or deliberate harmful behavior, not the absence of kindness. So his attitude isn't malicious, it's selfish because he's putting his time far ahead of the wellbeing of others. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 06:07, 11 December 2015 (UTC)

"Where does it end"? - Marriage, obviously. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:29, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

;Reminds me of a scene in 3:10 to Yuma (2007) with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale

Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) speaking to Dan Evans (Christian Bale):
"Yeah, that's why I don't mess around with doing anything good, Dan. You do one good deed for somebody... I imagine it's habit-forming. Something decent. See that grateful look in their eyes, imagine it makes you feel like Christ Hisself."

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.30|108.162.216.30]] 20:24, 19 February 2014 (UTC)CAM

In the U.S., the satellite company DirectTV has a series of humorous commercials using the Slippery Slope argument as part of their "Get Rid of Cable" campaign. They all start with a person using cable tv, having problems of some sort, and then ending up in a dire situation such as waking up in a roadside ditch, selling your hair to a wig shop, etc. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.67|199.27.128.67]] 22:43, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

Am I the only one thinking maybe we might take the literal meaning out of this, too? Seems like every day someone else gets fed up with being a douche.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.111|108.162.249.111]] 23:19, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

The classical "slippery slope" argument against cannabis legalization is that if we legalize cannabis, we must also legalize other drugs, eventually leading to legalizing heroin. This also mirrors the slippery slope argument in the comic. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.127|173.245.53.127]] 11:44, 20 February 2014 (UTC)

Updated and expanded explanation. Is it sufficient now?[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.152|173.245.56.152]] 23:49, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1112: Think Logically

2015-12-11T03:40:00Z

108.162.250.162:

Cueball is clearly a chess novice as demonstrated by the comic (at the very least he knows what the goal of the game is and how the pieces move), however he lacks higher knowledge of the game (which is gained through education) and is very inexperienced (experience is obviously gained by playing the game regularly). Given his non-expert position he attempts to deliver well-meaning advice as best he can (in this case through "thinking logically"), however the player receiving the advise (a clearly more knowledgeable and experienced player) immediately realises how utterly useless that advise is.
Cueball approached the situation by "thinking logically", but his logic was flawed, possibly due to his lack of knowledge. Just because the goal of chess is to deliver checkmate does not necessarily mean that every move must be pushing a piece closer to the opponent's king. The best thing to do would be to first research and study the abundance of chess knowledge out there, practice it and then one can come up with tactics and strategies for every possible position (even if those aren't perfect). Chess is so complex that even if we wished to arrive at the absolute logical move for every position, this would be beyond us most of the time, it is just too complex. Not even computers know the perfect move for every position, although they do come up with great moves through the use of complex algorithms.
Note: I thought the explanation given in the "Explanation" section above had some merit (it also explains some things I didn't include), and that is why I did not modify it and instead chose to provide mine here. Let me know what you thought, together we can explain everything.--[[User:DelendaEst|DelendaEst]] ([[User talk:DelendaEst|talk]]) 13:01, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

:Feel free to add your explanation to the actual page if you think it's lacking in information. Wikis are meritocracies, and anyone is welcome to voice their opinions. [[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]] ([[User talk:Davidy22|talk]]) 13:21, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

:A good explanation. My takeaway was more about Dunning Kruger, and chess just happened to be a convenient backdrop. The expert proceeds to {{w|pwn}} the {{w|know-it-all}}... and even having been pwned, the braggart can't find the lesson in the defeat. But as with Randall's work, YMMV. (Or to paraphrase {{w|Euell Gibbons}}: "ever analyze an xkcd? Many interpretations are possible.") -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 14:52, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

::I think your explanation is the best one, you managed to find the essence of the situation. I can very easily see what you explained happening in the comic.--[[User:DelendaEst|DelendaEst]] ([[User talk:DelendaEst|talk]]) 00:18, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

Just a quick point on the explanation. Chess is not a perfectly balanced game due to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-move_advantage_in_chess first move advantage] enjoyed by white. This advantage is very small, however, and the pieces themselves are well balanced. [[User:Heyart|Heyart]] ([[User talk:Heyart|talk]]) 13:53, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

Please note that experts are not in universal agreement about the supposed first move advantage held by white, and it's unwise to state it in such absolute terms as "Chess is not a perfectly balanced game" [[Special:Contributions/216.99.210.8|216.99.210.8]] 03:54, 29 September 2012 (UTC)

::I found Cueball's demeanor in this comic to be very remeniscent of {{w|Sheldon Cooper}} of ''The Big Bang Theory'' in that he thinks he knows better than everyone even though chess has been around forever. Also, there was a specific episode of ''TBBT'' in which Cooper invents three-player chess including several new pieces. Cooper does not, however, do so considering the traditional rules of chess to be flawed (other than not allowed a third player). The characters do consider chess to be too easy, however, and often play ''Star Trek'''s three-dimensional chess. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 16:27, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

I see this comic, as so many comics before it, to be a description of nerd-dominance. The author seeks to entice the reader into inquiring about his own ill-thought out rules for chess. Do not inquire.

Is the first character really wearing a "hat"? To me, it looks like a headband, similar to the one worn by {{w|Spock}} in the movie {{w|Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home}}. This would give another meaning to "Think logically"... --[[Special:Contributions/85.159.196.16|85.159.196.16]] 11:27, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

Nope, not a headband -- there's hair below the brim but not above it. What you are seeing is a subtle clue that the chess expert is a Canadian, in that he is wearing what we call a toque, known in America as a stocking cap. https://www.google.ca/search?q=toque&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=JNV&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=MaFhUKmkEObRyAH9xoCACg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=960&bih=544 [[User:Noni Mausa|Noni Mausa]] ([[User talk:Noni Mausa|talk]]) 12:19, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

:Your point about the hair is interesting; however, a Vulcan is much better at explaining logic than any earthling... Canadians included!
:--[[Special:Contributions/85.159.196.16|85.159.196.16]] 13:52, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

:I don't want to make a huge generalization, but in America they're known as beanies, stocking caps extend out from the head and end with pointed tips (or those silly poof balls). [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 17:02, 28 September 2012 (UTC)

Another point I want to bring up is that it's generally not really a good idea to share your own strategy with your opponents (or potential opponents). I once participated in a Chess tournament, and before it began I encountered this guy who was bragging about his strategy, how he likes to move only his pawns at the beginning and form a sort of wall into which his opponents will invariably run their pieces and, in his words, "kill themselves." Of course, it just so happened that the first game I played in was against this same guy. And so I knew what he was trying to do, and I ended up destroying him. Granted, Cueball's "strategy" in this comic has very little to do with actual established Chess practices, but it's a similar idea. [[User:Erenan|Erenan]] ([[User talk:Erenan|talk]]) 18:53, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

:As an avid chess player, I'd have to agree that we should keep our strategy to ourselves (unless we are planning to use deception). Also, I'd like to point out that your opponent's strategy to only move pawns in the opening is a very poor choice (unless the opening in question is a variation by Alekhine, which is considered to be sound). In the opening we are advised to mainly move pieces and only a few pawns and there are very good reasons for this, which I cannot go into here. Moreover, he plans to build a pawn wall for your pieces to destroy themselves? Typical novice threats, doesn't he realise you have an equally matched army and that you wouldn't purposefully endanger your pieces with his pawn wall? (Your pawns can neutralise his). His reasoning is laughable. If you'd like to learn lots about chess in a fun and painless way, I recommend the Chessmaster game. Anyway, good on you for beating that opponent!--[[User:DelendaEst|DelendaEst]] ([[User talk:DelendaEst|talk]]) 12:27, 28 September 2012 (UTC)

::Yes, indeed, he was clearly very inexperienced, and while I'm not exactly a seasoned expert, I did spend the weeks leading up to this tournament studying openings and playing Chessmaster (and other Chess games on my mobile phone while not at my computer), and to my surprise I ended up in second place. Of course, this wasn't an official tournament, but rather one organized by the business and economics club at the community college in the area. So really I prefer to attribute my ultimate loss not to my lack of skill but to being more tired than my final opponent (final game was played at Denny's around midnight). More to the point, I was going to say that Kasparov had moved only pawns for something like the first eight moves for one of the games he won against Deep Blue, but after looking again at those games, that doesn't appear to be true. So what am I thinking of? I could have sworn I saw this from Kasparov somewhere... [[User:Erenan|Erenan]] ([[User talk:Erenan|talk]]) 04:13, 29 September 2012 (UTC)

I was reminded of the scene from ''A Beautiful Mind'' when John Nash criticized a game (Go, I think) because he played flawlessly and yet still lost because he didn't go first. So he invented his own game, called Hex. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_(board_game)[[Special:Contributions/163.120.70.10|163.120.70.10]] 17:31, 11 October 2012 (UTC)

Does anybody else think the chess player could be Randall's wife? You see her depicted with a beanie and short black hair in the biopsy versary comic {{[[Special:Contributions/24.110.27.83|24.110.27.83]] 18:56, 19 December 2012 (UTC)|24.110.27.83}}
:The transcript calls the chess player "hat '''guy'''," so I doubt such.
:Also, sudo sign your discussion comments by entering four tildes in the end. [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 11:20, 13 December 2012 (UTC)

:I've always thought of this comic as being one of those nerdy 13 year olds that are chess geniuses (I call them geniuses because I can't play chess, it's too complicated for me, my cat beats me), and for some reason, these brilliant kids are almost always portrayed as beanie toting. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 16:47, 13 December 2012 (UTC)

Just to add a comment as a chess player, "thinking logically" does not always work in chess. Sometimes, one must go with their 'intuition', or gut feeling. Of course, these gut feelings are usually backed by subconscious logical reasoning, but sometimes, a chess player plays a move because it FEELS right. {{unsigned ip|162.158.2.166}}

I tend to feel that people who use the phrase "think logically" actually mean "think the same thing I think, because I am *obviously* without bias, am incapable of flawed reasoning, and I am above petty things like history or context, so I'm right and shut up". They are usually wrong, by the way. And an asshole. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:40, 11 December 2015 (UTC)

Talk:748: Worst-Case Scenario

2015-12-10T03:31:14Z

108.162.250.162: