explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1465: xkcd Phone 2

2014-12-26T09:08:33Z

108.162.250.219: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1465
| date = December 26, 2014
| title = xkcd Phone 2
| image = xkcd_phone_2.png
| titletext = Washable, though only once.
}}

{{incomplete|Some features still not explained}}

This is a followup to https://xkcd.com/1363/, which debuted the original xkcd Phone. Like [[xkcd Phone]] 1, this comic continues to parody modern smartphone advertisement by imitating a promotional image for a fictional phone. Like the previous XKCD Phone, the comic touts a variety of features which are either pointless, misleading, or physically impossible.

*'''Auto-Rotating Case:''' Phones often feature an auto-rotating display (to treat the phone as portrait or landscape), but this is useless, as a human may easily rate the phone manually.
*'''Ribbed:''' A reference to ribbed {{w|condom}}s, which are often advertised as superior to standard ones
*'''OS by Stackoverflow®:''' [http://stackoverflow.com/ Stackoverflow.com] is a public question/answer forum for programmers, indicating that the operating system of the XKCD Phone 2 was developed by anonymous internet volunteers rather than by a professional development team, or that professional developers make use a lot of this forum to solve their coding issues.
*'''3D Materials:''' All real materials are three-dimensional, thus not an actual feature.
*'''Scroll lock:''' A computer key on most keyboards which is practically never used. (Despite [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/978 a previous xkcd strip] it was not invented by {{w|Steven Chu}}.)
*'''Coin slot:''' In most phones, this would be the charging port. Payphones have coin slots.
*'''Bug drawer:''' This is most likely the cover for other ports, though looks like a small drawer, capable of only holding bug-sized items. Possibly a joke on software bugs, which would, being virtual rather than physical, easily fit inside this area. May also be a reference to "Phone may attract/trap insects; this is normal" from the original ''xkcd Phone'' comic.
*'''Cries if lost:''' Actually useful function, for it would help the owner find the cellphone in case it was lost. It refers to people's habit of calling their own cellphones to help find it. It also resembles the first xkcd phone's functions of 'Screaming when falling' and 'Saying hi when lit'.
*'''Volume and density control:''' Paronomasia of volume as in sound, and volume as in a physical property like density.

==Transcript==
[An image of a phone is here. Coming off from it are many labels.]
[Clockwise, from the top left.]
- MaxHD: Over 350 pixels per screen
- Always-on Speaker
- Blood Pressure Reliever
- Auto-Rotating Case
- Ribbed
- Waterproof (Interior Only)
- Googleable
- Cheek Toucher
- Cries if Lost
- Bug Drawer
- Coin Slot
- Scroll Lock
- OS By Stackoverflow®
- 3D Materials
- Dog Noticer
- FitBit® Fitness Evaluator
- Volume and Density Control

Introducing the xkcd Phone 2
A phone for your other hand®

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1462: Blind Trials

2014-12-19T09:21:18Z

108.162.250.219: Created page with "I think I finished the transcript ~~~~"

I think I finished the transcript [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 09:21, 19 December 2014 (UTC)

1462: Blind Trials

2014-12-19T09:20:22Z

108.162.250.219: /* Transcript */ Completed transcript?

{{comic
| number = 1462
| date = December 19, 2014
| title = Blind Trials
| image = blind_trials.png
| titletext = Plus, you have to control for the fact that some people are into being blindfolded.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}
In research, a {{w|Blind Experiment|blind trial}} is an experiment where certain information about the test is concealed from the subjects and/or the testers, in order to reduce sources of bias in the results. A scientific approach requires the use of {{w|control groups}} to determine the significance of observations in (clinical) trials. The members of the control group receive either no treatment or the standard treatment.

A double-blind trial is one where neither the subject nor the testers know who has recieved treatment, and who is in the control group. It is vital that there are no clues available to distinguish between the different groups, either for the subjects or the testers. In a clinical drugs trial for example, it would not be suitable for some people to be given blue pills and others red pills, so an identical placebo pill should be used, typically a sugar pill with no medical value.

There are, however, certain cases where it is almost impossible to make the experience of the control group identical to that of the test group. In the described experiment, it will be challenging (to say the least) to make the control group think they are having lots of sex, when in fact they are just taking a sugar pill.

Scientific research involving humans is extremely challenging to conduct because of the difficulty in finding appropriate control groups. This is one of the reasons animal experiments (for instance involving inbred strains of mice) are so common.

The title text adds another twist by taking “blind” literally, and noting that for some people, being blindfolded increases their enjoyment of sexual activity.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is pointing at a chart.]
:Megan: We've designed a double-blind trial to test the effect of sexual activity on cardiovascular health.
:Both groups will think they're having lots of sex, but one group will be actually getting sugar pills.

:[Caption reads]
:The limitations of blind trials

{{comic discussion}}

1389: Surface Area

2014-12-16T11:29:38Z

108.162.250.219:

{{comic
| number = 1389
| date = July 2, 2014
| title = Surface Area
| image = surface_area.png
| titletext = This isn't an informational illustration; this is a thing I think we should do. First, we'll need a gigantic spool of thread. Next, we'll need some kind of... hmm, time to head to Seattle.
}}

A [http://xkcd.com/1389/large/ larger version] of this image can be found by clicking the image at xkcd - which can be reached easily from here as always, by clicking on the comic number above.

==Explanation==
This map shows the total {{w|surface area}}s of all {{w|terrestrial planet}}s, {{w|dwarf planet}}s, {{w|natural satellite|moons}}, {{w|asteroid}}s and {{w|minor planet}}s that are larger than 100 m in the {{w|Solar System}}. They have all been represented as regions of a single massive landmass - a {{w|supercontinent}} like {{w|Pangaea}} - which is clearly surrounded by some kind of ocean.

On the area that signifies {{w|Earth}} the {{w|continents}} are drawn using a {{w|map projection}} that keeps the scale of the continents correct. (This is something that [[Randall]] cares about as can be seen in [[977: Map Projections]]). The part of the surface of the Earth that are covered in oceans are also included in the surface area of the Earth (i.e. the map shows the Earths {{w|Crust (geology)|crust}}). An extra layer of 3-4 km of water seems rather insignificant when comparing to the Earth's radius of 6,370 km.

{{w|Moon|The Moon}} has been inlaid in this map next to {{w|Antarctica}} which thus makes a great comparison of how small the Moon is compared to the Earth (there are room for more than 13 lunar surfaces on the Earth). Similarly, it is clear that the planet {{w|Venus}} is almost as big as the Earth.

This is also the general idea of the map - to give an idea about how big the Earth is and how small many of the other known planets etc. are; both compared to earth and to each other. The map drawn on the Earth are probably there mainly as a guide to size, because none of the features that are know on some of the other objects, especially The Moon (i.e. {{w|Impact crater|craters}} and "{{w|Lunar mare|seas}}") and on {{w|Mars}} (i.e. {{w|Olympus Mons}}), are included.

The objects mentioned by name on the map are all but one amongst those that have reached {{w|hydrostatic equilibrium}} and these are all included on this {{w|List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System}}.

The one named object that is '''not''' on the above list is the asteroid {{w|4 Vesta|Vesta}}, which is included because it is the second largest object in the {{w|Asteroid belt}}. It is placed right next to the largest object in this belt, the dwarf planet {{w|Ceres (dwarf planet)|Ceres}}, which is no longer considered an asteroid. And next to these two are the rest of the asteroids in two areas (see below), which thus groups all asteroids together.

The only object from the above list, (that qualifies for having a solid surface in hydrostatic equilibrium), '''which is not included''' is the {{w|Saturn}} moon {{w|Mimas (moon)|Mimas}}, which is also clearly the smallest object on the list.

This moon should have been located amongst the other five smaller moons of Saturn between the Earth and {{w|Titan (moon)|Titan}} (the largest of Saturn's moons). Mimas has a surface area of 490,000 km2 which is somewhat smaller than the smallest included Saturn moon {{w|Enceladus}} with a surface area of 799,000 km2.

Generally the moons that belong to a given planet (for those with more than one moon large enough to be included), have been clustered together. Apart from the six (not seven...) moons of Saturn to the right of Earth, the four {{w|Galilean moons}} moons of {{w|Jupiter}} are located above the Earth, the five included moons from {{w|Uranus}} is located to at the top to the far right.

The last planet to have many moons is {{w|Neptune}}, but only {{w|Triton_(moon)|Triton}} is included. This is a fairly large moon, and the only of the 14 known moons of Neptune to be on the above list. However, there is one other moon, {{w|Proteus (moon)|Proteus}} which is notable for being as large as a body of its density can be without being pulled into a spherical shape by its own gravity. It has a length of 424 km in the longest direction, and a mean radius of 210 km. A rough calculation of its surface area from this mean radius gives an area of 550,000 km2, making the surface area slightly larger than Mimas. As there are an '''unlabeled area''' located right next to the other Neptune moon Triton, it is most likely that this small area '''should represent Proteus''', and that it is an error that it was not labeled.

As this is the smallest area, then the cut-off of objects could have been at 500,000 km2, as also Vesta is larger than this, which would make room for Proteus, but explain the missing Mimas.

Two of the included objects also have moons that are large enough to be included: Earth, of course, and the dwarf planet {{w|Pluto}} with its moon {{w|Charon_(moon)|Charon}}. In both cases these moons have been inlaid in the area of their mother planet.

Whereas the moons of the {{w|gas giant}}s and the asteroids have been located above and to the right of the Earth, the planets and dwarf planets have been included below earth (along with the two moons mentioned above). {{w|Mercury (planet)|Mercury}}, Mars and Venus all touching Earth, and then below them the four {{w|Trans-Neptunian object|Trans-Neptunian}} dwarf planets - the {{w|Plutoid}}s.

On the list from above there are, however, also these {{w|List_of_Solar_System_objects_in_hydrostatic_equilibrium#Most_likely_additional_dwarf_planets|10 objects}} which have not been included with name on the map. These object are, however, only likely candidates for being dwarf planets (depending on whether they have reached hydrostatic equilibrium or not), and on the map they have thus been relegated to the sections without individual names. These object are thus probably grouped together (along with other relatively small objects like comets and smaller moons) in the area labeled ''Various small moons, comets, etc'', which is located at the bottom of the map between Mercury and Mars. The surface area for all of these object, when the surface area have been estimated, are larger than 1 million square kilometer, and thus larger than several of the named objects. So it is not the size that is the reason why such objects as {{w|90377 Sedna|Sedna}} and {{w|50000 Quaoar|Quaoar}} are not included with name, but probably the fact they are not investigated enough yet.

The remaining objects in the Solar System with a solid surface are the minor planets, which on the map has been labeled as asteroids even though these objects are grouped together in several other "belts" than the Asteroid belt. Here they have been assigned to two regions at the top of the map. Above the right part of the Earth area is the area ''Asteroids (1 km+)'' which include any object not already included larger than 1 km. (As these objects are no longer round it is the largest dimension, the length, that should be at least 1 km long). And finally the area ''Asteroids (100 m+)'' thus include any object not already included larger than 100 m.

Most of the rest of the objects that have been included in these three sections can likely be found on this {{w|List of Solar System objects by size}}.

Tiny objects smaller than 100 m down to space dust are excluded altogether as explained in the note below the headings. This is probably because their total surface area is impossible to estimate accurately, and also because any estimate would likely be too large to fit easily into the map.

Between Earth and Titan is a tiny speck noted ''all human skin'', which is an interesting sort of solid surface. A rough estimate of the average {{w|body surface area}} and thus of the average area of all {{w|Human skin|humans skin}} can be made from these {{w|Body_surface_area#Average_values|average values}} and from {{w|Population pyramid|population pyramids}} as this [http://populationpyramid.net/world/2015/ pyramid for 2015]. Average adults have a skin area of around 1.7-1.8 m2, but as a large part of the [https://www.census.gov/popclock/ human population] are children (with skin area down to about 0.25 m2 for infants) the total average will be smaller. By extrapolating the given values an average area of about 1.6 m2 can be found. This would make the area 7.2 billion × 1.6 m2 ≈ 11,500 km2. This is 60 times smaller than the smallest of the labeled moons {{w|Miranda (moon)|Miranda}} (of Uranus) with a surface area of 700,000 km2.

The title text jokingly claims that this comic is not actually for information, but rather is something Randall thinks we should really do – that is, to stitch all the solar system's solid surfaces together, as the sub-sub heading says. To do this, we would need a giant spool of thread and then something he has to go get in Seattle… this must be the {{w|Space Needle}}, a needle-like tower in Seattle, which should then be used in this grand project.

Since the land areas are on the surfaces of spheres, this would seem impossible as it would involve lots of deformation and be particularly challenging. It will also be very gruesome when he comes to the part of collecting (and stitching) all human skin together. The inclusion of this speck on the map is, however, also there to make it clear what the real intention is with the planets. Their surface is to be "skinned" of them, as you would have to do with the humans! Then it is all these "planet skins" that should be stitched together using the space needle. This also explains the ragged edges, and why the continents keep their correct size. It would make Randall into a planetary version of {{w|The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs}} movies character ''{{w|Buffalo Bill (character)|Buffalo Bill}}'', a serial killer who tried to make a suit out of the skin from the women he killed.

Randall would also need quite a lot of space for the very large ocean. However, the whole supercontinent is just somewhere between 3-4 times larger than the area of the Earth. And the area of the entire image is less than 9 times the area of the earth. As the {{w|Sphere#Area|formula}} for calculation surface areas for {{w|sphere}}s (4*π*r2) goes with the radius (r) squared, the diameter of the planet needed for the experiment do not need to be larger than 3 times that of the earth. Although there are no objects in the Solar System with this particular size, it is still smaller than the {{w|gas giant}}s, the smallest of these have a radius of almost 4 times that of the earth. {{w|Exoplanet}}s with this range of diameters have certainly been found, however, already at {{w|Exoplanet#Super-Earths.2C_mini-Neptunes.2C_and_gas_dwarfs|1.7 times the earth radius}} most planets size to be of the {{w|Super-Earth}} type and turns in to the {{w|Gas_dwarf#Gas_dwarf|gas dwarf}} type of planets. So an ocean of the size needed are not easy to come by.

As has been explained above the earth's surface is included disregarding surface water (oceans) and the same is valid for other objects with surface water, as the Saturn moon Titan which has great lakes (or even oceans) of liquid {{w|methane}} on the surface or the Jupiter moon {{w|Europa (moon)|Europa}} which is covered in a deep ocean with a thick cap of ice. (Interestingly this moon is placed on the map very near to the continent of {{w|Europe}} - maybe for easy comparison of these two areas).

The gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have, however, not been included because they do not have any "solid surfaces"; even if they had a solid core (which is itself not clear), this would not comprise any "surface". The gas giants are believed to lack any well-defined surface at all, with the gases that make them up simply becoming thinner and thinner with increasing distance from the planets' centers, eventually becoming indistinguishable from the interplanetary medium. But if they were included via some sort of surface definition, the map of this comic would become a tiny speck amongst the map of the gas giants. Similarly, the surface of the {{w|Sun}} is also not considered a solid surface but hot {{w|Plasma_(physics)|plasma}}; if it was included it would reduce even a map of the gas giants to a tiny speck.

The map is drawn in a similar style to the two maps of the Internet that Randall has created in the past:
*[[256: Online Communities]]
*[[802: Online Communities 2]]

===Data table===
Below is a table listing the object roughly in the order they would be read of the map (the same order as in the transcript.) But they can be sorted by each of the columns.

The data is taken when possible from the following table: {{w|List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System}}, and surface area is given with three significant digits.

For {{w|4 Vesta|Vesta}} and {{w|Proteus (moon)|Proteus}} (the most likely candidate for the unlabeled area next to triton) the area is calculated from their mean radius (i.e. they are not spherical). See also above in the explanation, also for calculating the area of all human skin.

The surface for a given object is also given as a ''Fraction of Earth’s surface'', and from this the number of times the object could be placed on the Earth's surface is given as one divided by this fraction. For instance it can be seen that The Moon's surface can be placed more than 13 times on top of that of the Earth.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Surface area of mentioned objects
!Object
!Type
!Surface area (km2)
!Fraction of Earth’s
!1/Fraction
|-
|{{w|Io (moon)|Io}}||Moon of Jupiter||data-sort-value="41900000"| 4.19×107||0.082||12.2
|-
|{{w|Callisto (moon)|Callisto}}||Moon of Jupiter||data-sort-value="73000000"| 7.30×107||0.143||7.00
|-
|{{w|Europa (moon)|Europa}}||Moon of Jupiter||data-sort-value="30900000"| 3.09×107||0.061||16.4
|-
|{{w|Ganymede (moon)|Ganymede}}||Moon of Jupiter||data-sort-value="87000000"| 8.70×107||0.171||5.80
|-
|{{w|Ceres (dwarf planet)|Ceres}}||Dwarf planet||data-sort-value="2800000"| 2.80×106||0.0055||180
|-
|{{w|4 Vesta|Vesta}}||Asteroid||data-sort-value="870000"| 8.70×105||0.0017||590
|-
|{{w|Asteroids}} (1 km+)||Asteroid||N/A||N/A||N/A
|-
|{{w|Proteus (moon)|Proteus}} (not labeled)||Moon of Neptune||data-sort-value="550000"| 5.50×105||0.00011||910
|-
|{{w|Triton (moon)|Triton}}||Moon of Neptune||data-sort-value="23000000"| 2.30×107||0.045||22.2
|-
|{{w|Asteroids}} (100 m+)||Asteroid||N/A||N/A||N/A
|-
|{{w|Oberon (moon)|Oberon}}||Moon of Uranus||data-sort-value="7290000"| 7.29×106||0.014||71.4
|-
|{{w|Miranda (moon)|Miranda}}||Moon of Uranus||data-sort-value="700000"| 7.00×105||0.0014||714
|-
|{{w|Ariel (moon)|Ariel}}||Moon of Uranus||data-sort-value="4210000"| 4.21×106||0.008||125
|-
|{{w|Umbriel (moon)|Umbriel}}||Moon of Uranus||data-sort-value="4300000"| 4.30×106||0.008||125
|-
|{{w|Titania (moon)|Titania}}||Moon of Uranus||data-sort-value="7820000"| 7.82×106||0.015||66.7
|-
|{{w|Earth}}||Planet||data-sort-value="510000000"| 5.10×108||1||1
|-
|{{w|Tethys (moon)|Tethys}}||Moon of Saturn||data-sort-value="4940000"| 3.574×106||0.007||143
|-
|{{w|Enceladus}}||Moon of Saturn||data-sort-value="799000"| 7.99×105||0.0016||625
|-
|{{w|Dione (moon)|Dione}}||Moon of Saturn||data-sort-value="3970000"| 3.97×106||0.0078||128
|-
|{{w|Iapetus (moon)|Iapetus}}||Moon of Saturn||data-sort-value="6700000"| 6.70×106||0.0132||75.8
|-
|All {{w|Human skin|humans skin}}||Human organ||data-sort-value="11500"| 1.15×104||0.000023||43400
|-
|{{w|Rhea (moon)|Rhea}}||Moon of Saturn||data-sort-value="7340000"| 7.34×106||0.0144||69.4
|-
|{{w|Titan (moon)|Titan}}||Moon of Saturn||data-sort-value="83000000"| 8.30×107||0.163||6.14
|-
|{{w|Mercury (planet)|Mercury}}||Planet||data-sort-value="75000000"| 7.50×107||0.147||6.80
|-
|{{w|Moon|The Moon}}||Moon of Earth||data-sort-value="37900000"| 3.79×107||0.074||13.5
|-
|Various small {{w|Natural satellite|moons}}, {{w|comet}}s, etc.||N/A||N/A||N/A||N/A
|-
|{{w|Mars}}||Planet||data-sort-value="140000000"| 1.40×108||0.2745||3.64
|-
|{{w|Makemake (dwarf planet)|Makemake}}||Dwarf planet||data-sort-value="6400000"| 6.40×106||0.013||76.8
|-
|{{w|Haumea (dwarf planet)|Haumea}}||Dwarf planet||data-sort-value="6800000"| 6.80×106||0.0133||75.2
|-
|{{w|Eris (dwarf planet)|Eris}}||Dwarf planet||data-sort-value="18000000"| 1.80×107||0.0353||28.3
|-
|{{w|Pluto}}||Dwarf planet||data-sort-value="17000000"| 1.70×107||0.0333||30.0
|-
|{{w|Charon (moon)|Charon}}||Moon of Pluto||data-sort-value="4580000"| 4.58×106||0.009||111
|-
|{{w|Venus}}||Planet||data-sort-value="460000000"| 4.60×108||0.901||1.10
|}

==Transcript==
:[At the top of a map is a heading, with two sub headings and a note in brackets:]
:'''Space'''
:Without the space
:The Solar System’s solid surfaces stitched together
:(Excluding dust and small rocks)
:[Below the headings there is a map with several distinct areas. Each area is labelled with a name or a description. This label is noted inside the area, except for areas that are too small; here the label is written outside and a line indicates which area the label belongs to. Only exception is the largest area, on which the contours of the Earth’s continents are drawn. Surrounding the map is wavy lines to indicate that this is either an island or one big super-continent placed in an even larger ocean.]
:[Here below are the labels given as they appear in “normal” reading order in as read from left to right in the three main rows as will be indicated:]
:[Row one, above the line defined by the general top of the Earth area:]
:Io
:Callisto
:Europa
:Ganymede
:Ceres
:Vesta
:Asteroids (1 km+)
:[Here – above the Asteroids area before the Triton area - is a small unlabelled area (the only other except Earth)]
:Triton
:Asteroids (100 m+)
:Oberon
:Miranda
:Ariel
:Umbriel
:Titania
:[Row two, the unlabelled Earth area's row, but here only given those that are directly written to the right of this area:]
:Tethys
:Enceladus
:Dione
:Iapetus
:All human skin
:Rhea
:Titan
:[Row three, all the remaining items that are mainly below the Earth area:]
:Mercury
:The Moon
:Various small moons, comets, etc
:Mars
:Makemake
:Haumea
:Eris
:Pluto
:Charon
:Venus

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Large drawings]]
[[Category:Maps]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

1446: Landing

2014-11-12T12:03:00Z

108.162.250.219:

{{comic
| number = 1446
| date = November 12, 2014
| title = Landing
| image = ???.png
| titletext = [LIVE]
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Buckle up, boys.}}
This comic changes over time, tracking the progress of the {{w|Philae (spacecraft)|Philae}} lander separating from the {{w|European Space Agency}}'s {{w|Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta}} probe to land on a comet. More info about it at [http://rosetta.esa.int rosetta.esa.int].

Frames of the comic began appearing at midnight (EST) on November 12, 2014 and updated every five minutes. Together, the images form a {{w|flip book}}, which you can view at [http://xkcd1446.org xkcd1446.org].

The title text was originally "...", but changed to "[LIVE]" at <Fill in time here>.

==Frame by Frame Breakdown==
{| class="wikitable plainlinks table-padding"
|-
!Image
!Day/Time
|-
|[[Media:???.png|00:00:00]]||1/00:00:00
|-
|[[Media:???2.png|00:05:00]]||1/00:05:00
|-
|[[Media:???3.png|00:10:00]]||1/00:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???4.png|00:15:00]]||1/00:15:00
|-
|[[Media:???5.png|00:20:00]]||1/00:20:00
|-
|[[Media:???6.png|00:25:00]]||1/00:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???7.png|00:30:00]]||1/00:30:00
|-
|[[Media:???8.png|00:35:00]]||1/00:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???9.png|00:40:00]]||1/00:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???10.png|00:45:00]]||1/00:45:00
|-
|[[Media:???11.png|00:50:00]]||1/00:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???12.png|00:55:00]]||1/00:55:00
|-
|[[Media:???13.png|01:00:00]]||1/01:00:00
|-
|[[Media:???14.png|01:05:00]]||1/01:05:00
|-
|[[Media:???15.png|01:10:00]]||1/01:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???16.png|01:15:00]]||1/01:15:00
|-
|[[Media:???17.png|01:20:00]]||1/01:20:00
|-
|[[Media:???18.png|01:25:00]]||1/01:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???19.png|01:30:00]]||1/01:30:00
|-
|[[Media:???20.png|01:35:00]]||1/01:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???21.png|01:40:00]]||1/01:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???22.png|01:45:00]]||1/01:45:00
|-
|[[Media:???23.png|01:50:00]]||1/01:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???24.png|01:55:00]]||1/01:55:00
|-
|[[Media:???25.png|02:00:00]]||1/02:00:00
|-
|[[Media:???26.png|02:05:00]]||1/02:05:00
|-
|[[Media:???27.png|02:10:00]]||1/02:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???28.png|02:15:00]]||1/02:15:00
|-
|[[Media:???29.png|02:20:00]]||1/02:20:00
|-
|[[Media:???30.png|02:25:00]]||1/02:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???31.png|02:30:00]]||1/02:30:00
|-
|[[Media:???32.png|02:35:00]]||1/02:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???33.png|02:40:00]]||1/02:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???34.png|02:45:00]]||1/02:45:00
|-
|[[Media:???35.png|02:50:00]]||1/02:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???36.png|02:55:00]]||1/02:55:00
|-
|[[Media:???37.png|03:00:00]]||1/03:00:00
|-
|[[Media:???38.png|03:05:00]]||1/03:05:00
|-
|[[Media:???39.png|03:10:00]]||1/03:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???40.png|03:25:00]]||1/03:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???41.png|03:35:00]]||1/03:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???42.png|03:40:00]]||1/03:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???43.png|03:50:00]]||1/03:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???44.png|04:10:00]]||1/04:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???45.png|04:15:00]]||1/04:15:00
|-
|[[Media:???46.png|04:20:00]]||1/04:20:00
|-
|[[Media:???47.png|04:25:00]]||1/04:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???48.png|04:30:00]]||1/04:30:00
|-
|[[Media:???49.png|04:35:00]]||1/04:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???50.png|04:40:00]]||1/04:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???51.png|04:45:00]]||1/04:45:00
|-
|[[Media:???52.png|04:50:00]]||1/04:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???53.png|04:55:00]]||1/04:55:00
|-
|[[Media:???54.png|10:00:00]]||1/10:00:00
|-
|[[Media:???55.png|10:10:00]]||1/10:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???56.png|10:15:00]]||1/10:15:00
|-
|[[Media:???57.png|10:25:00]]||1/10:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???58.png|10:30:00]]||1/10:30:00
|-
|[[Media:???59.png|10:35:00]]||1/10:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???60.png|10:40:00]]||1/10:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???61.png|10:45:00]]||1/10:45:00
|-
|[[Media:???62.png|10:50:00]]||1/10:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???63.png|10:55:00]]||1/10:55:00
|-
|[[Media:???64.png|11:00:00]]||1/11:00:00
|-
|[[Media:???65.png|11:05:00]]||1/11:05:00
|-
|[[Media:???66.png|11:10:00]]||1/11:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???67.png|11:15:00]]||1/11:15:00
|-
|[[Media:???68.png|11:20:00]]||1/11:20:00
|-
|[[Media:???69.png|11:25:00]]||1/11:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???70.png|11:30:00]]||1/11:30:00
|-
|[[Media:???71.png|11:35:00]]||1/11:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???72.png|11:40:00]]||1/11:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???73.png|11:45:00]]||1/11:45:00
|-
|[[Media:???74.png|11:50:00]]||1/11:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???75.png|11:55:00]]||1/11:55:00
|}

==Transcript==
00:35:00
:Rosetta: Three hours to separation
00:45:00
:Philae: Has anyone ever tried this before?
00:50:00
:Rosetta: I don't think so.
01:25:00
:Rosetta: Ready to begin pre-delivery burn.
02:20:00
:Rosetta: We are ''go'' for separation!
02:25:00
:Rosetta: We are ''go'' for separation!
:Philae: ''Yessss!''
03:05:00
:Philae: Can I just go now?
03:25:00
:Rosetta: Well it's been a fun 10 years together.
03:35:00
:Rosetta: Well it's been a fun 10 years together.
:Philae: Yeah! ... a little boring maybe.
03:50:00
:Rosetta: Ok, turning on ''concert''. I'll send you signals through the comet, once you're down there, so we can measure what's inside it.
:Philae: Assuming comets even ''have'' insides!
:Rosetta: I'm, uh, pretty sure they do.
04:10:00
:Philae: ''Wheee!''
04:15:00
:Rosetta: Quick, take a picture of me!
:Philae: Just take a selfie
:Rosetta: Can't. No front-facing camera
10:00:00
:Rosetta: Bye
10:15:00
:Philae: Spaaaaaaaace
10:25:00
:Rosetta: Lost track of earth thanks to that jolt.
10:30:00
:Rosetta: Lost track of earth thanks to that jolt. Let's see, where is it...
10:35:00
:Rosetta: Lost track of earth thanks to that jolt. Let's see, where is it... Aha!
10:40:00
:Rosetta: Hey! Earth!
10:45:00
:Rosetta: Hey! Earth! Check out these pics!
10:55:00
:Philae: Gonna harpoon a comet.
11:00:00
:Philae: Gonna harpoon a comet. This is so cool.
11:05:00
:Philae: Gonna harpoon a comet. This is so cool.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
11:10:00
:Philae: Gonna harpoon a comet. This is so cool. ... I hope harpoons ''work'' on comets.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
11:15:00
:Philae: Gonna harpoon a comet. This is so cool. ... I hope harpoons ''work'' on comets.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:20:00
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:25:00
:Philae: Hey Rosetta - you in touch with Earth?
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:30:00
:Philae: Hey Rosetta - you in touch with Earth?
:Rosetta: Yes!
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:35:00
:Philae: Hey Rosetta - you in touch with Earth?
:Rosetta: Yes! ... They're a little worried about your top thruster.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:40:00
:Rosetta: ... They're a little worried about your top thruster.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Worried
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:45:00
:Rosetta: ... They're a little worried about your top thruster. There's a chance you might have to hang on to the surface without it.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Worried
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:50:00
:Rosetta: ... They're a little worried about your top thruster. There's a chance you might have to hang on to the surface without it.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Worried
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:55:00
:Rosetta: ... They're a little worried about your top thruster. There's a chance you might have to hang on to the surface without it.
:Philae: I ''really'' hope harpoons work on comets.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: Worried
::Mission control: Worried
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]

1446: Landing

2014-11-12T11:47:56Z

108.162.250.219: minor fix to transcript

{{comic
| number = 1446
| date = November 12, 2014
| title = Landing
| image = ???.png
| titletext = [LIVE]
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Buckle up, boys.}}
This comic changes over time, tracking the progress of the {{w|Philae (spacecraft)|Philae}} lander separating from the {{w|European Space Agency}}'s {{w|Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta}} probe to land on a comet. More info about it at [http://rosetta.esa.int rosetta.esa.int].

Frames of the comic began appearing at midnight (EST) on November 12, 2014 and updated every five minutes. Together, the images form a {{w|flip book}}, which you can view at [http://xkcd1446.org xkcd1446.org].

The title text was originally "...", but changed to "[LIVE]" at <Fill in time here>.

==Frame by Frame Breakdown==
{| class="wikitable plainlinks table-padding"
|-
!Image
!Day/Time
|-
|[[Media:???.png|00:00:00]]||1/00:00:00
|-
|[[Media:???2.png|00:05:00]]||1/00:05:00
|-
|[[Media:???3.png|00:10:00]]||1/00:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???4.png|00:15:00]]||1/00:15:00
|-
|[[Media:???5.png|00:20:00]]||1/00:20:00
|-
|[[Media:???6.png|00:25:00]]||1/00:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???7.png|00:30:00]]||1/00:30:00
|-
|[[Media:???8.png|00:35:00]]||1/00:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???9.png|00:40:00]]||1/00:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???10.png|00:45:00]]||1/00:45:00
|-
|[[Media:???11.png|00:50:00]]||1/00:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???12.png|00:55:00]]||1/00:55:00
|-
|[[Media:???13.png|01:00:00]]||1/01:00:00
|-
|[[Media:???14.png|01:05:00]]||1/01:05:00
|-
|[[Media:???15.png|01:10:00]]||1/01:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???16.png|01:15:00]]||1/01:15:00
|-
|[[Media:???17.png|01:20:00]]||1/01:20:00
|-
|[[Media:???18.png|01:25:00]]||1/01:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???19.png|01:30:00]]||1/01:30:00
|-
|[[Media:???20.png|01:35:00]]||1/01:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???21.png|01:40:00]]||1/01:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???22.png|01:45:00]]||1/01:45:00
|-
|[[Media:???23.png|01:50:00]]||1/01:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???24.png|01:55:00]]||1/01:55:00
|-
|[[Media:???25.png|02:00:00]]||1/02:00:00
|-
|[[Media:???26.png|02:05:00]]||1/02:05:00
|-
|[[Media:???27.png|02:10:00]]||1/02:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???28.png|02:15:00]]||1/02:15:00
|-
|[[Media:???29.png|02:20:00]]||1/02:20:00
|-
|[[Media:???30.png|02:25:00]]||1/02:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???31.png|02:30:00]]||1/02:30:00
|-
|[[Media:???32.png|02:35:00]]||1/02:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???33.png|02:40:00]]||1/02:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???34.png|02:45:00]]||1/02:45:00
|-
|[[Media:???35.png|02:50:00]]||1/02:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???36.png|02:55:00]]||1/02:55:00
|-
|[[Media:???37.png|03:00:00]]||1/03:00:00
|-
|[[Media:???38.png|03:05:00]]||1/03:05:00
|-
|[[Media:???39.png|03:10:00]]||1/03:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???40.png|03:25:00]]||1/03:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???41.png|03:35:00]]||1/03:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???42.png|03:40:00]]||1/03:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???43.png|03:50:00]]||1/03:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???44.png|04:10:00]]||1/04:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???45.png|04:15:00]]||1/04:15:00
|-
|[[Media:???46.png|04:20:00]]||1/04:20:00
|-
|[[Media:???47.png|04:25:00]]||1/04:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???48.png|04:30:00]]||1/04:30:00
|-
|[[Media:???49.png|04:35:00]]||1/04:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???50.png|04:40:00]]||1/04:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???51.png|04:45:00]]||1/04:45:00
|-
|[[Media:???52.png|04:50:00]]||1/04:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???53.png|04:55:00]]||1/04:55:00
|-
|[[Media:???54.png|10:00:00]]||1/10:00:00
|-
|[[Media:???55.png|10:10:00]]||1/10:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???56.png|10:15:00]]||1/10:15:00
|-
|[[Media:???57.png|10:25:00]]||1/10:25:00
|-
|[[Media:???58.png|10:30:00]]||1/10:30:00
|-
|[[Media:???59.png|10:35:00]]||1/10:35:00
|-
|[[Media:???60.png|10:40:00]]||1/10:40:00
|-
|[[Media:???61.png|10:45:00]]||1/10:45:00
|-
|[[Media:???62.png|10:50:00]]||1/10:50:00
|-
|[[Media:???63.png|10:55:00]]||1/10:55:00
|-
|[[Media:???64.png|11:00:00]]||1/11:00:00
|-
|[[Media:???65.png|11:05:00]]||1/11:05:00
|-
|[[Media:???66.png|11:10:00]]||1/11:10:00
|-
|[[Media:???67.png|11:15:00]]||1/11:15:00
|-
|[[Media:???68.png|11:20:00]]||1/11:20:00
|-
|[[Media:???69.png|11:25:00]]||1/11:25:00
|}

==Transcript==
00:35:00
:Rosetta: Three hours to separation
00:45:00
:Philae: Has anyone ever tried this before?
00:50:00
:Rosetta: I don't think so.
01:25:00
:Rosetta: Ready to begin pre-delivery burn.
02:20:00
:Rosetta: We are ''go'' for separation!
02:25:00
:Rosetta: We are ''go'' for separation!
:Philae: ''Yessss!''
03:05:00
:Philae: Can I just go now?
03:25:00
:Rosetta: Well it's been a fun 10 years together.
03:35:00
:Rosetta: Well it's been a fun 10 years together.
:Philae: Yeah! ... a little boring maybe.
03:50:00
:Rosetta: Ok, turning on ''concert''. I'll send you signals through the comet, once you're down there, so we can measure what's inside it.
:Philae: Assuming comets even ''have'' insides!
:Rosetta: I'm, uh, pretty sure they do.
04:10:00
:Philae: ''Wheee!''
04:15:00
:Rosetta: Quick, take a picture of me!
:Philae: Just take a selfie
:Rosetta: Can't. No front-facing camera
10:00:00
:Rosetta: Bye
10:15:00
:Philae: Spaaaaaaaace
10:25:00
:Rosetta: Lost track of earth thanks to that jolt.
10:30:00
:Rosetta: Lost track of earth thanks to that jolt. Let's see, where is it...
10:35:00
:Rosetta: Lost track of earth thanks to that jolt. Let's see, where is it... Aha!
10:40:00
:Rosetta: Hey! Earth!
10:45:00
:Rosetta: Hey! Earth! Check out these pics!
10:55:00
:Philae: Gonna harpoon a comet.
11:00:00
:Philae: Gonna harpoon a comet. This is so cool.
11:05:00
:Philae: Gonna harpoon a comet. This is so cool.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
11:10:00
:Philae: Gonna harpoon a comet. This is so cool. ... I hope harpoons ''work'' on comets.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
11:15:00
:Philae: Gonna harpoon a comet. This is so cool. ... I hope harpoons ''work'' on comets.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:20:00
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:25:00
:Philae: Hey Rosetta - you in touch with Earth?
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:30:00
:Philae: Hey Rosetta - you in touch with Earth?
:Rosetta: Yes!
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:35:00
:Philae: Hey Rosetta - you in touch with Earth?
:Rosetta: Yes! ... They're a little worried about your top thruster.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Not in space
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:40:00
:Rosetta: ... They're a little worried about your top thruster.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Worried
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully
11:45:00
:Rosetta: ... They're a little worried about your top thruster. There's a chance you might have to hang on to the surface without it.
:Status report:
::Rosetta: In space
::Philae lander: In space
::Mission control: Worried
::Comet 67P: Big
::Have we landed on a comet?: Not yet
::Do harpoons work on comets: Hopefully

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]

Talk:1425: Tasks

2014-09-24T08:34:16Z

108.162.250.219:

the source of title text maybe is Szeliski, ''Computer Vision: Algorithms and Applications'' (2010), p. 10. --[[User:Valepert|valepert]] ([[User talk:Valepert|talk]]) 06:59, 24 September 2014 (UTC)

[[http://www.wired.com/2012/06/google-x-neural-network/|Google’s Artificial Brain Learns to Find Cat Videos]] might be useful as a description of the problem [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 08:34, 24 September 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1417: Seven

2014-09-11T00:20:13Z

108.162.250.219:

Guacamole = 7-layer dip ingredient
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.81|108.162.215.81]] 05:08, 5 September 2014 (UTC)Anonymous XKCD reader

Seventh Seal more likely to be a reference to Book of Revelation (I think he's brought it up before?) or the film? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.96|199.27.133.96]] 05:17, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

Arctic Ocean is one of the modern Seven "Seas" of the world.
Green is the 4th color of seven in the Arthur Hamilton song "I Can Sing a Rainbow". {{unsigned ip|108.162.249.212}}

I guess the title text is a play on the fact that the dwarves in the new {{w|Snow White (2001 film)}} are called Monday, Tuesday, ... That is the connection between Snow White dwarves and days of the week. The filmmakers decided to intermix sets of seven in the first place. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.90|108.162.254.90]] 06:27, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

There could be a pattern with order.

*Sneezy: 1st dwarf of the seven dwarves in Snow White.
*Phylum: 2nd rank in the Seven Taxonomic Ranks
*Europe: 3rd continent of the world
*Sloth: 4th sin of the Seven Deadly Sin
*Guacamole: 5th Layer in a 7 Layer Bean Dip
*Data Link: 6th Layer in the OSI Model
*Collosus of Rhodes: 7th Wonder of the Ancient World

*Monday: 1st Day of the Week (American).
*Arctic: 2nd ocean in the modern Seven "Seas" of the world.
*Wellesley: 3rd college of the Seven Sister colleges
*Green: 4th color in the Arthur Hamilton song "I Can Sing a Rainbow".
*Electra: 5th sister of the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters.
*Synergize: 6th Habit in the Stephen R. Covey self-help book "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People".
*Seventh Seal: 7th Seal of the Seven Seals in the Book of Revelations

{{unsigned ip|108.162.249.212}}

:The list on the page needs to be fixed to show Europe third. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.213|141.101.99.213]] 11:15, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

The Pleiades is Randall's favorite asterism. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 08:40, 5 September 2014 (UTC)
:It says so [http://xkcd.com/about/ here]. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 20:16, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

It sure is nice seeing the explanation getting more refined and complete every time I visit... [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.168|103.22.201.168]] 10:37, 5 September 2014 (UTC)
::There is not pattern like the one mentioned above. The first dwarf in Disney is always the leader Doc! even alphabetically. There is no reason to put Europe third, Arctic 2nd, Electra 5th or the Colossus 7th. Data Link is the 2nd although you usually put them in reverse making it the 6th (and in America first day is Sunday!). This I have corrected and made a table more for the Title text [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:35, 8 September 2014 (UTC)
:::Doc may be the leader, and (hierarchically) first of the seven, but in my experience it's Doc who is often the forgotten one (unless remembered ''specifically'' for being forgotten) when someone is challenged to name the seven dwarves... E.g. "Happy, Sleepy, Dopey, Sneezy, Grumpy... erm... Bashful... oh... don't tell me..." (Bashful being the one those who specifically remember Doc tend to forget, unless they've got over this alternative memetic stumbling block.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.233|141.101.98.233]] 23:58, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

I've always been told there are only six continents. North America and South America are one continent. The seventh continent sometimes refers to this gigantic area filled with plastic rubbish in the Pacific Ocean. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.143|108.162.229.143]] 11:47, 5 September 2014 (UTC)
: See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uBcq1x7P34 But no one talks about the Great Pacific garbage patch as a continent. 7 continents is the most common model, with some (mainly Latin Americans) considering the Americas a single continent. Some others consider Eurasia a single continent (personally that's what I prefer, it makes the most sense). --[[User:Zagorath|Zagorath]] ([[User talk:Zagorath|talk]]) 12:12, 5 September 2014 (UTC)
: I've only ever heard folks say there are seven continents. By strict definition of the word, North and South America do form a single continent (at least did prior to the Panama Canal cutting them apart) the vast majority of people see then as two separate continents. Dividing the Eurasian landmass in two, however, that one never made much sense. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.117|199.27.128.117]] 16:53, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

: I think the garbage patch confusion stems from the mislabeled picture of a bunch of floating garbage. In fact it's very spread out and in no way possible to confuse with a landmass. See [http://io9.com/5911969/lies-youve-been-told-about-the-pacific-garbage-patch http://io9.com/5911969/lies-youve-been-told-about-the-pacific-garbage-patch] --[[User:JSekula71|JSekula71]] ([[User talk:JSekula71|talk]]) 08:46, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

Guacamole may also be a reference to a famous joke which made the rounds about 15 years ago, where somebody had compared the 7 layers of the OSI network model to Taco Bell's 7-layer burrito. Guacamole was the 5th layer, which lends credence to this idea. It's still available on the WayBack Machine: http://web.archive.org/web/19990826193318/http://www.europa.com/~dogman/osi/ [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.151|108.162.219.151]] 11:59, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

I suspect Electra is from the list of extant complete plays of Sophocles: Ajax, Antigone, The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus. [[User:Besimmons|Besimmons]] ([[User talk:Besimmons|talk]]) 13:42, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

I find it interesting that although Randall is American he lists Monday as the first day of the week. That's where it's positioned in most cultures outside the USA, but Americans normally consider Sunday to be the first day. --[[User:RenniePet|RenniePet]] ([[User talk:RenniePet|talk]]) 13:51, 5 September 2014 (UTC)
: I can't speak for anyone outside the US, but as someone who has spent 99.9% of my life within US borders (few weeks in Canada, if you think that should essentially count...), I only acknowledge that the first day listed on any monthly calendar I see around here is most often Sunday. If you were to ask me what the first day of the week is, I would very quickly and easily say "Monday". That is what I'm teaching my 4- and 2-year olds... There are a few reasons I would give to explain that other than "I think of it as the first day of the week". It's the first work day of the "work week", and since life is for most people centered around one form of work or another, that gives the "work week" high importance. By extension, Sunday is the last day in the "weekend". By Judeo-Christian beliefs, God rested on the "seventh" Day - most Christians believe that to be Sunday; others (I believe mostly Jewish) believe it to be Saturday - I think, though that even those who consider Saturday to be a holy day, if you were to ask them in casual conversation what the first day of the week is (I may be wrong, but), I think they would say "Monday"... (?) Any other "Americans" or "Non-Americans" (I'd ask for you to clearly identify with one or the other) want to weight in on this? - [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 15:51, 5 September 2014 (UTC)
::I wouldn't make any guesses about what "most Christians" believe, but scholars clearly agree that Saturday (beginning sundown on Friday evening) is the seventh day, and Sunday is the first day (the "Lord's Day"). The reason for the shift isn't so clear, but they generally agree with the Jews about the numbering of the days, and even that the boundary between days happens at sunset: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbath_in_Christianity [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.11|108.162.241.11]] 14:39, 9 September 2014 (UTC)
::I can't really comment on anything talked about by Brettpeirce, but I can say a few words about the "first day of the week" problem as seen by a computer programmer. It causes huge problems when your program displays a calendar because you have to take into account that Americans want it one way and most other people want it a different way. And supposedly simple things like scheduling an appointment "first work day next week" has a completely different result if it is done on a Sunday in the USA or on a Sunday in Europe. And then there's the problem of week numbers (used a lot in Europe but not so much in the USA). Week numbers depend on which week is designated as the first week of the year, which in most countries is defined as the first week with at least 4 days in the year. Now if January 3rd is Sunday, then in the USA it is the start of week 1, while in Europe it is the last day of the last week of the previous year (week 52 or 53). It's enough to drive you to drink (which is OK on Sunday some places but not others). --[[User:RenniePet|RenniePet]] ([[User talk:RenniePet|talk]]) 20:36, 5 September 2014 (UTC)
:::Oh, and then there are the incompatibilities in programming languages. American-developed computer languages like C and Basic and C++ and C# number the week days 0 - 6 meaning Sunday - Saturday. Meanwhile Java numbers week days 1 - 7 meaning Sunday - Saturday, except that the newest version, Java 8, has improved date/time facilities, and if you use them then week days are numbered 1 - 7 meaning Monday - Sunday. --[[User:RenniePet|RenniePet]] ([[User talk:RenniePet|talk]]) 20:52, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

I find instead interesting that he makes no mention of the seven notes, while mentioning other sets less ubiquitous --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.163|108.162.229.163]] 14:13, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

OMFG, the second picture of a dwarf in the list is Dopey, why the hell did somebody say it's Fievel!? http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=seven+dwarfs+dopey&qpvt=Seven+Dwarves+Dopey&FORM=IGRE
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.40|108.162.216.40]] 19:44, 5 September 2014 (UTC)
:The Dwarfs here are drawn somewhat off-model, with bigger noses than in Disney artwork. Perhaps someone is confusing the second figure's nose, which is drawn much larger than Dopey's, with Fievel's other ear. It's similar to the [http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/1543622/Gardevoir/ Gardevoir nose illusion]. --[[User:Tepples|Tepples]] ([[User talk:Tepples|talk]]) 20:16, 5 September 2014 (UTC)
::To be fair, the dwarves are more on-model than the people. -[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.186|173.245.56.186]] 03:09, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

Arctic is the second ocean alphabetically. Someone should change the list to reflect that, I think. [[User:Zweisteine|Zweisteine]] ([[User talk:Zweisteine|talk]]) 19:53, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

Re the "trivia" note suggesting Arctic is a deliberate mistake for Antartica in the list of continents: Even if I thought Randall might be including deliberate mistakes, it is unlikely he'd use the continents as a list in the title. He already used them in the main comic, and he didn't repeat any other sevens. [[User:MGK|MGK]] ([[User talk:MGK|talk]]) 14:12, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

Did anyone else come here because the one thing they didn't get was guacamole? And now feel like, "duhhh?" [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.199|108.162.212.199]] 16:36, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

So how many continents are there really https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uBcq1x7P34 [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 23:54, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

The stated order of 7-layer dip in the table is all wrong. Cheese goes on top, then sour cream, and the rest doesn't matter. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.183|199.27.128.183]] 03:50, 9 September 2014 (UTC)

The Fields medallist Vladimir Voevodsky used this in a recent talk on the foundations of mathematics https://github.com/vladimirias/2014_Paul_Bernays_Lectures/blob/master/2014_09_Bernays_3%20presentation.pdf, to illustrate the abstract concept of set.

1288: Substitutions

2014-09-08T10:08:27Z

108.162.250.219:

{{comic
| number = 1288
| date = November 8, 2013
| title = Substitutions
| image = substitutions.png
| titletext = INSIDE ELON MUSK'S NEW ATOMIC CAT
}}

==Explanation==
[[Randall|Randall Munroe]] is playing off of the fact that many readers of modern news articles quickly become bored with the legal and political jargon. He suggests that by substituting certain words for others can make reading the article more interesting, albeit less accurate. Although since Randall [[558: 1000 Times|doesn't think very]] highly [[932: CIA|of the news]], he's probably suggesting this chart wouldn't make them less accurate at all.

For example, a sentence that reads
:Witnesses reported that the suspect allegedly escaped unharmed.
would be changed to
:These dudes I know reported that the suspect kinda probably escaped unharmed.

This substitution does not change the meaning much, and the original sentence does not lose much of its accuracy. However, for substitutions later in the comic, a sentence may be changed as following
:A new study finds that senators and other congressional leaders are increasingly likely to view election results on their smartphone.
into
:A Tumblr post finds that elf-lords and other river spirits are increasingly likely to view eating contest results on their Pokédex.

Which is less meaningful, but more interesting.

The final substitution returns from the realm of the ridiculous to replacing "could not be reached for comment" with "is guilty and everyone knows it." If a journalist writes a story about an accused suspect but is unable to contact them or receives no response from them, they will write that the person "could not be reached for comment." Randall's whimsical assumption that silence implies guilt is so common that juries are instructed that they should not infer guilt if the defendant fails to testify, particularly in nations which have a right against self-incrimination.

A [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/xkcd-substitutions/jkgogmboalmaijfgfhfepckdgjeopfhk?hl=en&gl=001 Chrome extension] is available for applying the substitutions on webpages.

'Spaaace' is a reference to the Space Core from {{w|Portal 2}}.

The {{w|Virtual Boy}} is a table-top video game console made by Nintendo released in 1995, and discontinued about the same year. It achieved true-3D graphics through the use of a large visor containing a pair of LED screens.

The Pokédex is a device in the {{w|Pokémon|Pokémon world}} that records the data of captured Pokémon.

{{w|Homestar Runner}} is the title character of a Flash-animated web cartoon series.

At the title text {{w|Elon Musk}} is mentioned who is the CEO of {{w|Tesla Motors}}, which produces electric cars (ATOMIC CATs).

News reports about new studies (Tumblr posts) are further lampooned in [[1295: New Study|a comic posted two weeks later]].

Has a sequel: [[1418: Horse]].

==Transcript==
:'''Substitutions''' that make reading the news more fun:

:Witnesses → These dudes I know
:Allegedly → Kinda probably
:New study → Tumblr post
:Rebuild → Avenge
:Space → Spaaace
:Google Glass → Virtual Boy
:Smartphone → Pokédex
:Electric → Atomic
:Senator → Elf-lord
:Car → Cat
:Election → Eating contest
:Congressional leaders → River spirits
:Homeland security → Homestar Runner
:Could not be reached for comment → Is guilty and everyone knows it

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Pokémon]]
[[Category:Politics]]

Talk:1418: Horse

2014-09-08T10:05:39Z

108.162.250.219:

*May the horse be with you Luke.
*The horse is strong with this one.
*I felt a tremor in the horse.
Why did he forget SW. That is not like Randall ;) [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:50, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

----

Following up on the title text... "Why was he suspended?" "Due to allegations of excessive horse."

[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.201|173.245.56.201]] 09:01, 8 September 2014 (UTC) Siuntio

So I linked it to the old substitutions page - gjgfuj [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 10:05, 8 September 2014 (UTC)

1418: Horse

2014-09-08T10:04:25Z

108.162.250.219:

{{comic
| number = 1418
| date = September 8, 2014
| title = Horse
| image = horse.png
| titletext = Officer suspended from horse.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Need context on headlines. Links to similar comics. Categories}}
[[Cueball]] has set his browser to auto-replace the word 'Force' with the word 'Horse'. Some of the humorous resulting news headlines are shown.

*Ukranian town threatened by pro-Russian horses - At the time this comic was published, there is civil unrest in the Ukraine, mostly framed as pro-European vs pro-Russian.
*Governor appoints task horse -
*Iraqi air horse growing -
*Quarks, which are bound together by the strong nuclear horse -
*Officer suspended from horse (title text) -

This may be a sequel to [[1288: Substitutions]].

==Transcript==
:[Headlines above the main frame of the comic:]
:New favorite
:browser text replacement:
:'''Force --> Horse'''

:[In the comic frame Cueball is sitting in front of his PC reading the following headlines that are written above him in separate frames:]
:Ukranian towns threatened by pro-Russian horses
:Governor appoints task horse
:Iraqi air horse growing
:Quarks, which are bound together by the strong nuclear horse...

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

Talk:1406: Universal Converter Box

2014-08-11T06:09:09Z

108.162.250.219: commented.

Would like to see what a gender changer for the petrol pump looks like... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 04:37, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

: It’s a funnel.

: I guess those folks still using their ADB keyboards are out of luck.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.129|108.162.216.129]] 04:45, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

Oh god... there are quite a few blank spots on that gas pump, and we all know what Randall likes to do with [http://what-if.xkcd.com/35/ tape]. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.211|173.245.56.211]] 04:55, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

Where's the old Mac DIN based serial port? I've got a Color Classic I'd like to resurrect! (No, seriously. It's got a math program on it that I paid about one fifteenth of what they're going for today!) [[User:ExternalMonolog|ExternalMonolog]] ([[User talk:ExternalMonolog|talk]]) 05:21, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

Probably related: [http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/21b3ob/walking_through_my_local_electronic_store_i_found/ HDMI — garden hose adapter] for pouring sh*t from the TV directly on your lawn.

I hate the fact that I can think of multiple standards that are not covered here. A gazillion DIN connectors, mini HDMI, RS232, Canon/XLR,... All the AC power adapters just on their own will weigh more than 22.7 kilograms. And seriously, how are we meant to connect our coaxial network cable to an iPhone2 with this? --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 06:04, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

I'm just a little pissed that all those plugs and it still doesn't include an Australian 240v power plug... sigh. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 06:09, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1406: Universal Converter Box

2014-08-11T04:37:46Z

108.162.250.219: commented

Would like to see what a gender changer for the petrol pump looks like... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 04:37, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

1406: Universal Converter Box

2014-08-11T04:32:18Z

108.162.250.219: first revision

{{comic
| number = 1406
| date = August 11, 2014
| title = Universal Converter Box
| image = universal_converter_box.png
| titletext = Comes with a 50-lb sack of gender changers, and also an add-on device with a voltage selector and a zillion circular center pin DC adapter tips so you can power any of those devices from the 90s.
}}

==Explanation==
Converter boxes are used to connect two devices together which otherwise couldn't be, due to different shaped plugs, different voltages, or different protocols of communication.

Converter boxes or converter cables are commonly found for several of the plugs at the top of the list - such as from USB to micro-USB.

The humour from this comic comes from the progressively rediculous conversions that this box is capable of doing, for example, converting audio from a 1/8inch / 3.5mm headphone jack, into a variety of petrols suitable for running your car.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:891: Movie Ages

2014-06-22T09:45:37Z

108.162.250.219:

This chart kinda breaks down when you meet someone who doesn't follow movies or has poor memory. Awkward moments happen. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 10:06, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

: Direct quote from transcript:
:
:"The 2011 Guide to Making People Feel Old
:-Using Movie Release Dates-"
:
:The second clause is as important as the first. I don't follow movies too much, but it isn't hard to make me feel old ("Oh, you're a decade and a half already?" "Oh, you're two decades already?" "Oh, you're a quarter-century?", etc). --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 20:39, 17 August 2013 (UTC)

You can still use this in the future. Just add n-2011 to each time on the chart. (Where n is the current year.) So for instance, in 2014, the 16 year old one becomes 19 year olds, and the year is "Just under a decade ago." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 09:45, 22 June 2014 (UTC)

Talk:911: Magic School Bus

2014-06-14T16:31:44Z

108.162.250.219:

They need to get on a bus just to access a computer? That's a pretty awful school. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 01:38, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
: All traditional computers have [[Wikipedia:Bus_(computing)|buses]]. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 13:45, 25 July 2013 (UTC)
:: [http://xkcd.com/282 ...We are no longer friends.] [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.32|108.162.216.32]] 00:04, 5 March 2014 (UTC)
I thought the joke was that the bus drove past all sorts of usual things (gears, rocket, single-called organism, Saturn, Feynman Diagram - ok, that last one isn't usual for MSB, but perhaps xkcd), but they couldn't find any batteries that day, so Wikipedia comes to the rescue. -j [[Special:Contributions/98.109.252.55|98.109.252.55]] 19:01, 2 August 2013 (UTC)

Incidentally, much of the demise of Encarta was blamed on Wikipedia. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 20:09, 17 August 2013 (UTC)

What about Dorothy Anne (with the pigtails)? DA was my second favorite. After Arnold's (not shown) "Why does this always happen to me" monologues, her "According to my re''search''..." (always with some big book in her lap) was very entertaining indeed. Also, has it really been 20-some years? Anonymous 07:24, 5 December 2013 (UTC)

Isn't that the rocket from the Destination Moon/Explorers on the Moon Tintin books?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 16:31, 14 June 2014 (UTC)

Talk:864: Flying Cars

2014-06-08T14:10:52Z

108.162.250.219:

Self driving flying car. Happy now? '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 10:01, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

I think the title text is more of a reference to other things we expected to have by the 21st century: androids and jetpacks. [[Special:Contributions/75.101.102.252|75.101.102.252]] 02:47, 6 May 2013 (UTC)

I think we're missing an important feature of this comic. And that is that Megan is not wearing a shirt. Discuss. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 14:10, 8 June 2014 (UTC)

1292: Pi vs. Tau

2014-04-30T12:27:31Z

108.162.250.219: /* Explanation */ Comment on the observation in the title "conveniently approximated as e+2"

{{comic
| number = 1292
| date = November 18, 2013
| title = Pi vs. Tau
| image = pi vs tau.png
| titletext = Conveniently approximated as e+2, Pau is commonly known as the Devil's Ratio (because in the octal expansion, '666' appears four times in the first 200 digits while no other run of 3+ digits appears more than once.)
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Too complex, non Math people should also be able to understand this. Randalls mistake has to be emphasised, everything else here is still too much, it even doesn't belong to a trivia section. See the discussion page.}}

This is yet another of [[Randall]]'s [[:Category:Compromise|compromise comics]]. A few mathematicians argue as to whether to use pi, which is the ratio between a circle's circumference and its diameter, or tau, which is the ratio between a circle's circumference and its radius.

Most will know π (Pi) by the approximation 3.14, but not knowing τ (tau) which is just twice as large as pi. Randall is suggesting using "pau", which is a portmanteau of "pi" and "tau", as a number situated, appropriately enough, halfway between pi and tau. But of course his number would be inconvenient, as there are currently no commonly used formulas that involve 1.5 pi (or 0.75 tau). Additionally, it is highly unlikely that substituting e+2 for pau would ever result in 'convenience'.

Some consider pi as being the wrong convention and are in favor of using tau as ''the'' circle constant (see the [http://tauday.com/tau-manifesto Tau Manifesto], which was inspired by the article "[http://www.math.utah.edu/~palais/pi.html Pi is wrong!]" by mathematician Robert Palais). Others consider proponents of tau to be foolish and remain loyal to pi (see the [http://www.thepimanifesto.com Pi Manifesto]). Of course, regardless of which convention is used, the fundamental mathematics will remain unaltered. But the choice of pi vs tau can affect the clarity of equations, analogies between different equations, and how easy various subjects are to teach.

===Title text===

The title text is a bunch of slightly-incorrect mathematical [[356: Nerd Sniping|nerd sniping]] that Randall included for seemingly no better reason than trolling us. It consists of some of advanced trigonometry and other assorted college-level concepts that will in all likelihood just bore you if you don't care about them already. You can walk away right now thinking "Randall is just nerd sniping us" and still get the joke. If you REALLY want to know what all the math means, we'll try and work through it below...

"Octal expansion" refers to writing out the number in base-8. In base-8, only the numerals 0-7 are used to express numbers. This does not mean that values such as 18, 19, 28, 29, and so on do not exist; rather, said values are represented with a more limited range of numerals.

For the sake of simplicity in this next demonstration, we will only acknowledge whole numbers with positive values.

In base-8, the numbers 1 through 7 have the same values as in base-10. The next number, eight, is written out as 10. This is because the "ones" digit has run out of unique numerals to express this value, so it rolls over to the "eights" digit. Nine is 11. Ten is 12. Numbering continues in this manner, up to fifteen (17). The "ones" digit must roll over to the "eights" digit again, so sixteen is 20. Seventeen is 21. After twenty-three (27), it rolls over again, giving us twenty-four (30).

Counting by eights, the next numbers are thirty-two (40), forty (50), forty-eight (60), and fifty-six (70). At sixty-three (77), both the "ones" and "eights" digit has run out of unique numerals, so the excess value must roll over to the "sixty-fours" digit, giving us sixty-four (100). If we keep counting, we will eventually reach five-hundred-eleven (777). A new "five-hundred-twelves" digit is created. The next number is five-hundred-twelve (1000).

As you can see, numbers written in base-8 tend to be longer and less economical to write than in base-10, but it does serve its purpose. Trust us on this.

In this next demonstration, we will look at how to write non-integers in base-8. Again, we will acknowledge only positive values.

In base-8, all the numerals that follow the period are not known as the "decimal", but as the "octal". This is because "decimal" specifically refers to tenths, while "octal" refers to eighths.

In decimal, the first place after the periods depicts "tenths", the next place "hundredths", the next "thousandths", and so on. In octal, the first place represents "eighths", the next "sixty-fourths", the next "five-hundred-twelfths", etc.

One eighth is 0.1. Two eighths, or one fourth, is 0.2. Four eighths, or one half, is 0.4.
One sixty-fourth is 0.01. Five sixty-fourths is 0.05. Nine sixty-fourths, or one eighth plus one sixty-fourth, is 0.11.
One five-hundred-twelfth is 0.001. Five-hundred-eleven five-hundred-twelfths is 0.777.

Unfortunately, this entire lesson has a very disappointing end. As it turns out, the title text for the comic is incorrect. The first 200 digits of 'pau' in octal are:
<pre>
4.5545743763144164432362345144750501224254715730156503147633545270030431677126116550546747570313312523403514716576464333172731124310201076447270723624573721640220437652155065544220143116155742515634462
</pre>
The sequence '666' does not occur at all in it.

Possibly, [[Randall]] used [http://www.wolframalpha.com/ Wolfram|Alpha] to calculate the result (he uses it a lot, for example [http://what-if.xkcd.com/70/ What-if 70: The Constant Groundskeeper] or [http://what-if.xkcd.com/62/ What-if 62: Falling With Helium]).
However, as of April 29, 2014, there's a bug in Wolfram|Alpha so that, when getting 200 octal digits from "pau", it just calculates the decimal value rounded to 15 significant digits (this is 4.71238898038469) and expands that as octal digits as far as needed.

This gives a periodically repeating number. In the first 200 digits of the octal expansion, the sequences 666 and 6666 do occur, but each only once. There are 4 occurrences, however, in the first 300 digits:
<pre>
4.554574376314416445676661714336617116240444076666510533533077631151350452060436452476274022621206136310000177621674175071262255702044274154476005744176002676623042402346036604733130522524127534777714554305412763636566643022106616734723661726160312772574551366370203115523402704104015532221722772357666</pre>
Expansion that long indeed does contain 666 (the {{w|Number of the beast|number of the beast}}) four times (with one instance as 6666). It also contains 0000, 222, 444, and 7777, but they only appear once in a run.

{{w|Mathematical coincidence|Coincidentally}}, e+2 is also very similar to 1.5pi, although only to a few digits.
<pre>
1.5π = 4.71238898038...
e+2 = 4.71828182845...
</pre>

The "Devil's Ratio" may be an allusion to the "{{w|Tritone|Devil's Interval}}", aka the "Devil's Chord" or 'Diabolus in Musica' ('The Devil in music'), which is the name sometimes given to the harmony between a root note and its tritone/augmented fourth/diminished fifth. This note is situated halfway between octaves, and is named for its dissonant quality. It is possibly a cross-reference between this and the "{{w|golden ratio}}".

==Transcript==
:[On the left is a "forbidden"-style slashed circle with the π symbol, captioned "Pi". On the right is a "forbidden"-style slashed circle with 2π, captioned "Tau". In the middle it reads 1.5π, captioned "Pau".]
:A compromise solution to the Pi Tau dispute

==Trivia==
*For Pi the sequence '666' occurs for the first time at position 2440. Many more occurrences can be found here: [http://www.angio.net/pi/ The Pi-Search Page].
* Note that pau is Catalan for peace, which is a good solution for the pi/tau dispute.
* In the discussion it has been theorized that Randall used [[356: Nerd Sniping|Nerd Sniping]]. In which case he was aware of the mistake in Wolfram!
*For an entertaining introduction to the concept, see this [https://www.khanacademy.org/math/recreational-math/vi-hart/pi-tau/v/pi-is--still--wrong Vi Hart video].

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

477: Typewriter

2014-03-12T15:09:54Z

108.162.250.219: Reworded and changed Ctrl+Tab to Alt+Tab due to the word "to" in "tabbing to firefox", indicating that he was previously using some other program.

{{comic
| number = 477
| date = September 17, 2008
| title = Typewriter
| image = typewriter.png
| titletext = Somewhere in the world, my actual grandmothers are reading this and angrily exclaiming that I never write even malformed thank-you notes. DEAR GRANDMOMS: I AM SORRY! YOU ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING LOVE reddit.com RANDALL.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|very brief}}
[[Randall]] is writing a letter to his grandmother on a typewriter, thanking her for taking them on a trip. However, due to a habit he's developed from using a computer for so long, Randall inadvertently litters the letter with website URLs. As if through muscle memory, Randall periodically attempts to check the latest news by pressing Alt+Tab to switch to Firefox, typing the URL of a specific website, then using the Alt+Tab command a second time to return to the message he was typing. The key combination that on a computer, would satisfy his somewhat hyperactive impulses, instead inserts a tab character, URL, and second tab character right in the middle of his letter.

==Transcript==
:[A typewriter is shown with the following letter in it:
:Dear Grandmom, cnn.com
: I hope this reddit.com letter
:finds you well. I wanted to say I
:really news.google.com enjoyed the
:trip you boingboing.net took us on,
:and am looking forward to bbc.co.uk
:visiting later fivethirtyeight.com
:this year.
: Love, slashdot.org
: Your grandson,]
:I didn't realize how bad my habit of tabbing to Firefox every few seconds to check news sites had gotten until I tried writing on a typewriter.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Randall Munroe]]

198: Perspective

2014-03-12T13:46:28Z

108.162.250.219: Removed outdated part of the incomplete reason.

{{comic
| number = 198
| date = December 18, 2006
| title = Perspective
| image = perspective.png
| titletext = I wonder what I was dreaming to prompt that. I hope it wasn't the Richard Stallman Cirque de Soleil thing again.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Please read this explain again before removing this tag. This explain is still bad. }}
{{w|Firefox}} is a popular browser and in 2006 it was the second most commonly used browser. Its more fervent supporters sometimes wrote as if there was a moral imperative to use Firefox rather than Internet Explorer.

[[Cueball]], presumably representing [[Randall]], begins each day with a reasonable perspective on the relative unimportance of an internet browser within the world at large, but quickly loses that perspective as his enthusiasm for nerdy things like Firefox gets the better of him. The humor stems from the irony that Cueball is relieved to trade a richer perspective for a simpler, browser-oriented world view.

At the title text we have {{w|Richard Matthew Stallman|Richard Stallman}}, an American software freedom activist and computer programmer. {{w|Cirque de Soleil}} is an entertainment company specializing in bit-top circus performances. Such an odd fusion is considerably normal in dreams.

==Transcript==
:Sometimes, when I first wake up, I am caught in the horrible grip of perspective.
:[Cueball sitting up in bed.]
:Cueball: It may be a jewel of open source, but Firefox is '''just a browser.''' It shows '''webpages.''' What the hell is '''wrong''' with us?
:Fortunately, this subsides quickly.

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

Talk:259: Clichéd Exchanges

2014-03-12T13:32:40Z

108.162.250.219:

Is this correction satisfactory? Can I remove the tag? [[User:ImVeryAngryItsNotButter|ImVeryAngryItsNotButter]] ([[User talk:ImVeryAngryItsNotButter|talk]]) 00:54, 8 March 2014 (UTC)
:I removed it, because it looks good to me. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 13:32, 12 March 2014 (UTC)

I thought the cliche being referred to was "wrecked 'em? I hardly knew 'em!" (a double entendre on "rectum" ) http://ask.metafilter.com/122210/JokeFilter-What-is-the-origin-of-the-joke-with-the-punchline-rectum-damn-near-killed-him [[Special:Contributions/66.202.132.250|66.202.132.250]] 14:25, 5 April 2013 (UTC)
:In my experience it's a general "<tagword>, I hardly knew(/know) her(/him)", where the tagword is an -er/-im word and can (by sheer force of will, often groan-worthy) be taken as a double-entendre spawn. e.g. "Which cathedral is that in the picture?" "Chester." "Chester? I hardly know 'er!" (The worse the better, arguably, but that example's probably too flat.)
:Your form follows alongside of that. But this cliché is the mismatched follow-up, only sparked off (albeit by deliberate disassociation) by the "O RLY?" cliché as feed-line. [[Special:Contributions/178.98.31.27|178.98.31.27]] 10:30, 20 June 2013 (UTC)

The double entendre in this case is O RLY ~ orally? [[User:Undee|Undee]] ([[User talk:Undee|talk]]) 11:24, 18 October 2013 (UTC)

259: Clichéd Exchanges

2014-03-12T13:30:58Z

108.162.250.219: Removed the incomplete tag, thanks to ImVeryAngryItsNotButter's edits.

{{comic
| number = 259
| date = May 9, 2007
| title = Clichéd Exchanges
| image = cliched exchanges.png
| titletext = It's like they say, you gotta fight fire with clichés.
}}

==Explanation==
Another entry into the [[My Hobby]] series.

"{{w|O RLY?}}" is an Internet meme typically used to express sarcastic agreement with or feigned surprise at a statement. The typical response to "O RLY" is usually "YA RLY", "NO WAI" or "SRSLY?" These exchanges are SMS abbreviations for "Oh really?", "Yeah really", "No way!", and "Seriously?" respectively.

However, [[Cueball]]'s response avoids this typical exchange, instead replying with another cliché, the double entendre. A double entendre is a phrase which has two intended meanings: one innocent, the other lewd. The comedy comes from the ambiguous meaning.

A classic example of a double entendre: "If I told you you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?" The innocent meaning of this phrase is "If I complimented you on your looks, would you be off-put by my forward behavior?" The lewd meaning of the phrase is "You look incredibly sexy, and I would like to make out/have sex with you."

Another classic double entendre is to respond to a statement containing a word ending with '-er', and turn it into a sex reference. The setup is as follows:

: '''Alan:''' ''"Do you want to come over to my house? My wife and I are playing poker."''
: '''Bob:''' ''"Poker? I hardly KNOW her!"''

Such a double entendre makes no sense in the context of an O RLY exchange. In the case of the comic, the non-sequitur will likely baffle the person on the left and derail the conversation, to the amusement of the person on the right. The reason [[Randall]] makes this a hobby is because it bores him when people fall back on clichés for comedy, and he seeks inventive ways to humor himself in these situations.

The title text takes the real cliché "fight fire with fire," and combines it with the more literal "fight clichés with clichés." The resulting statement follows a very similar principle to the situation in the comic proper.

==Transcript==
:My Hobby:
:Derailing clichéd exchanges by using the wrong replies

:Friend: O RLY?
:Cueball: O RLY? I 'ardly know 'er!

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

Talk:846: Dental Nerve

2014-02-28T09:56:34Z

108.162.250.219:

Modern science has yet to come up with any plausible theories as to ''why'' Ke$ha would even want to brush her teeth with a bottle of Jack Daniel's in the first place. [[Special:Contributions/71.201.53.130|71.201.53.130]] 20:33, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

How important is brushing and flossing really? Take a look at these Before & After images courtesy of a Shellharbour Dentist (http://shellharbourcitydental.com.au)