Talk:403: Convincing Pickup Line

2024-01-04T11:11:33Z

141.101.76.6:

I'm more intrigued by the {{w|Erdős–Bacon number}}, where {{w|Natalie Portman}} and {{w|Carl Sagan}} both have a six (5+1 and 4+2 respectively). [[User:Hogtree Octovish|Hogtree Octovish]] ([[User talk:Hogtree Octovish|talk]]) 06:47, 16 February 2013 (UTC)
:Wikipedia and erdosbaconsabbath.com say that Natalie Portman's EB is 7, not six. (Bacon 2, not 1.) Still awesome. [[User:gijobarts|gijobarts]] ([[User Talk:gijobarts|talk]]) 03:36, 2 March 2016 (UTC)
:Stephen Hawking has a lower Bacon number than Erdos number. (2 and 4) [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 17:39, 13 March 2019 (UTC)

There's some irony here that they both think that they are terrible matches with each other, but both like the logic of making the graph symmetrical, indicating that they probably would be a good match [[User:Zachweix|Zachweix]] ([[User talk:Zachweix|talk]]) 16:57, 5 November 2018 (UTC)

One could argue that graphs that represent "(consensually) sleeping with each other" are always symmetric, making this a rather tautological pick-up line. 23:06, 21 March 2023 (UTC)
:Not every undirected graph is symmetric. 11:10, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

2461: 90's Kid Space Program

2021-05-18T10:44:03Z

141.101.76.6: /* Explanation */ Having both "are" and "were" is confusing and ruduntant. Since the 90s are behind us, so no-one is a 90s kid anymore, wherefore I let "were" remain.

{{comic
| number = 2461
| date = May 10, 2021
| title = 90's Kid Space Program
| image = 90s_kid_space_program.png
| titletext = NASA may not want to admit it, but at this point they ARE the 90's Kid Space Program.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ORBITAL LAUNCH SYSTEM. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The "launch system" is just one of the {{w|Eye popper|rubber popper toys}} popular in the 1990s. These toys are little rubber hemispheres, about 1" (25 mm) in diameter and 1/8" (3 mm) thick. When turned inside-out and placed on a hard surface, they will, after a short wait, snap back to their original shape, popping up into the air. The joke is that kids who grew up with these toys will think they're a great idea to propel a space ship to orbit, when in fact the toys launch at mere tens of kilometers per hour, far short of the thousands needed to reach {{w|orbital speed}}. But now kids playing with these are those that make rockets, hence the title 90's Kid Space Program (KSP).

Even if the popper-based propulsion system could generate enough acceleration to reach orbit, the abrupt impulse would likely cause serious harm to any astronauts.

The title text implies that many working now at {{w|NASA}} were in fact 90's kids. Both categories would include [[Randall]], as he was born in 1984 and previously worked at NASA.

The title is a reference to the {{w|Kerbal Space Program}} (KSP) which has been a [[:Category:Kerbal Space Program|recurring theme]] on xkcd, and it has previously been hinted at that NASA's employees uses this program in [[1244: Six Words]] and [[2204: Ksp 2]]. And also that you learn more about orbital Mechanics by using KSP than from being hired by NASA in [[1356: Orbital Mechanics]].

==Transcript==
:[A command and service module representing the tip of a spacecraft, is attached by four long trusses to four equidistant points on the edge of a giant light green popper (a green "hill" with a round raised edge around it). The popper is in its inverted configuration, ready to pop. There is a caption beneath the panel:]
:The 90's Kid Space Program prepares for their first orbital launch

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Kerbal Space Program]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:403: Convincing Pickup Line

2461: 90's Kid Space Program