explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

808: The Economic Argument

2015-06-02T16:35:07Z

141.101.88.210: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 808
| date = October 20, 2010
| title = The Economic Argument
| image = the economic argument.png
| titletext = Not to be confused with 'making money selling this stuff to OTHER people who think it works', which corporate accountants and actuaries have zero problems with.
}}

==Explanation==
The image shows fields of human life that would be greatly improved and/or allowed a certain people to make a lot of money if some "weird phenomena" things (mostly {{w|paranormal}}) actually worked in reality or were testable and usable concepts. "Weird phenomena", in this case, means counter-intuitive things that usually go against "common sense" and which the science hasn't investigated to the full yet (or didn't find any evidence of in the first place, making claims completely unscientific). As the comic tries to prove, if there were commercial use for it and proofs of it working, there will be high investment made in the technology to use and harness such concepts.

So far, only {{w|Theory of relativity|relativity}} and {{w|quantum electrodynamics}} have found some use in the real world because they are scientific concepts, as compared to all the other ones.

Specifically, the theory of relativity allows your {{w|Global Positioning System|Global Positioning System (GPS)}} device to synchronize with satellites a hundred miles in the air and show your current position.

The design of modern circuit-boards and other electronic devices is influenced by quantum electrodynamics — smartphones or high capacity hard drives wouldn't be possible without that theory.

The non-scientific, disproved concepts trying to pass as real and scientific are as follows:

*'''{{w|Remote viewing}}:''' Alleged ability to see and know things far away with the strength of your mind, without physically being in that place and using technology (cameras, TV screens and so on).
*'''{{w|Dowsing}}:''' Alleged supernatural ability to sense, using two dowsing rods/sticks/pieces of metal where hidden valuables or underground water/oil supplies are.
**Both dowsing and remote viewing would have greatly cut costs to oil companies, because it would have made finding new oil sources easier.

*'''{{w|Aura (paranormal)|Auras}}:''' Non-scientific belief that every human has invisible "energy field" that can affect their health and feelings.
*'''{{w|Homeopathy}}:''' Non-scientific belief that the more diluted a remedy, the more effective it is, and that the remedy should, before dilution, cause similar symptoms to the disease it is said to cure. These "remedies" are often diluted so much that, on average, not even a single molecule of the original substance will remain. It is completely untrue and proven no more effective than a placebo, so one can instead use much cheaper glucose and have the same effect. It is often advertised as an "alternative medicine", which means it is not a medicine at all.
*'''{{w|Prayer#Prayer_healing|Remote Prayer}}:''' Non-scientific belief. Trying to help a person with their health problems by praying/pleading to a greater supernatural force to help them get better. While we're not ones to rag on anybody's religion, we don't have scientific proof or empirical evidence of it working; such prayer may sometimes have a ''detrimental'' effect if the person knew they were prayed for.
**All three would have revolutionized healthcare if proven to work, which is very, very unlikely.

*'''{{w|Astrology}}:''' Trying to predict the future by studying the motions of the planets for answers. Non-scientific and very popular belief that tries to look scientific; was a major focus of {{w|astronomy}} until science began to disprove it in the 1600s.
*'''{{w|Divinatory, esoteric and occult tarot|Tarot}}:''' Trying to predict the future through dealing a {{w|Tarot deck|special deck of cards}}.
**Both would have revolutionized our business planning, saving lots of money and lives, if true.

*'''{{w|Crystal healing|Crystal energy}}:''' Non-scientific belief that crystals can store {{w|Energy (esotericism)|"soul energy"}} which can be tapped into and used by human beings.
**If true and correct, it would have revolutionized the world's technology by replacing energy sources with crystals.

*'''{{w|Curse|Curses and hexes}}:''' Non-scientific belief that a person can cause supernatural harm to people and things by doing certain magical rituals and mouthing magical words.
**If it were true, the military use of such would have proliferated rather quickly.

The title text points out that many people still believe in non-scientific, unproven, and disproved phenomena. Thus, it's possible to make a lot of money by selling those (claimed) phenomena to such people.

==Transcript==
:[A three-column table. The headings are actually standing above the table.]

:{| class="wikitable alternance"
! Crazy phenomenon
! If it worked, companies would be using it to make a killing in...
! Are they?
|-
| Remote Viewing
| rowspan = 2 | Oil Prospecting
|
|-
| Dowsing
|
|-
| Auras
| rowspan = 3 | Health Care Cost Reduction
|
|-
| Homeopathy
|
|-
| Remote Prayer
|
|-
| Astrology
| rowspan = 2 | Financial/Business Planning
|
|-
| Tarot
|
|-
| Crystal Energy
| Regular Energy
|
|-
| Curses, Hexes
| The Military
|
|-
| Relativity
| GPS Devices
| ✓
|-
| Quantum Electrodynamics
| Semiconductor Circuit Design
| ✓
|}

:Eventually, arguing that these things work means arguing that modern capitalism isn't THAT ruthlessly profit-focused.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Physics]]

808: The Economic Argument

2015-06-02T16:34:04Z

141.101.88.210: /* Transcript */ made into an actual table

{{comic
| number = 808
| date = October 20, 2010
| title = The Economic Argument
| image = the economic argument.png
| titletext = Not to be confused with 'making money selling this stuff to OTHER people who think it works', which corporate accountants and actuaries have zero problems with.
}}

==Explanation==
The image shows fields of human life that would be greatly improved and/or allowed a certain people to make a lot of money if some "weird phenomena" things (mostly {{w|paranormal}}) actually worked in reality or were testable and usable concepts. "Weird phenomena", in this case, means counter-intuitive things that usually go against "common sense" and which the science hasn't investigated to the full yet (or didn't find any evidence of in the first place, making claims completely unscientific). As the comic tries to prove, if there were commercial use for it and proofs of it working, there will be high investment made in the technology to use and harness such concepts.

So far, only {{w|Theory of relativity|relativity}} and {{w|quantum electrodynamics}} have found some use in the real world because they are scientific concepts, as compared to all the other ones.

Specifically, the theory of relativity allows your {{w|Global Positioning System|Global Positioning System (GPS)}} device to synchronize with satellites a hundred miles in the air and show your current position.

The design of modern circuit-boards and other electronic devices is influenced by quantum electrodynamics — smartphones or high capacity hard drives wouldn't be possible without that theory.

The non-scientific, disproved concepts trying to pass as real and scientific are as follows:

*'''{{w|Remote viewing}}:''' Alleged ability to see and know things far away with the strength of your mind, without physically being in that place and using technology (cameras, TV screens and so on).
*'''{{w|Dowsing}}:''' Alleged supernatural ability to sense, using two dowsing rods/sticks/pieces of metal where hidden valuables or underground water/oil supplies are.
**Both dowsing and remote viewing would have greatly cut costs to oil companies, because it would have made finding new oil sources easier.

*'''{{w|Aura (paranormal)|Auras}}:''' Non-scientific belief that every human has invisible "energy field" that can affect their health and feelings.
*'''{{w|Homeopathy}}:''' Non-scientific belief that the more diluted a remedy, the more effective it is, and that the remedy should, before dilution, cause similar symptoms to the disease it is said to cure. These "remedies" are often diluted so much that, on average, not even a single molecule of the original substance will remain. It is completely untrue and proven no more effective than a placebo, so one can instead use much cheaper glucose and have the same effect. It is often advertised as an "alternative medicine", which means it is not a medicine at all.
*'''{{w|Prayer#Prayer_healing|Remote Prayer}}:''' Non-scientific belief. Trying to help a person with their health problems by praying/pleading to a greater supernatural force to help them get better. While we're not ones to rag on anybody's religion, we don't have scientific proof or empirical evidence of it working; such prayer may sometimes have a ''detrimental'' effect if the person knew they were prayed for.
**All three would have revolutionized healthcare if proven to work, which is very, very unlikely.

*'''{{w|Astrology}}:''' Trying to predict the future by studying the motions of the planets for answers. Non-scientific and very popular belief that tries to look scientific; was a major focus of {{w|astronomy}} until science began to disprove it in the 1600s.
*'''{{w|Divinatory, esoteric and occult tarot|Tarot}}:''' Trying to predict the future through dealing a {{w|Tarot deck|special deck of cards}}.
**Both would have revolutionized our business planning, saving lots of money and lives, if true.

*'''{{w|Crystal healing|Crystal energy}}:''' Non-scientific belief that crystals can store {{w|Energy (esotericism)|"soul energy"}} which can be tapped into and used by human beings.
**If true and correct, it would have revolutionized the world's technology by replacing energy sources with crystals.

*'''{{w|Curse|Curses and hexes}}:''' Non-scientific belief that a person can cause supernatural harm to people and things by doing certain magical rituals and mouthing magical words.
**If it were true, the military use of such would have proliferated rather quickly.

The title text points out that many people still believe in non-scientific, unproven, and disproved phenomena. Thus, it's possible to make a lot of money by selling those (claimed) phenomena to such people.

==Transcript==
:[A three-column table.]

:{| class="wikitable alternance"
! Crazy phenomenon
! If it worked, companies would be using it to make a killing in...
! Are they?
|-
| Remote Viewing
| rowspan = 2 | Oil Prospecting
|
|-
| Dowsing
|
|-
| Auras
| rowspan = 3 | Health Care Cost Reduction
|
|-
| Homeopathy
|
|-
| Remote Prayer
|
|-
| Astrology
| rowspan = 2 | Financial/Business Planning
|
|-
| Tarot
|
|-
| Crystal Energy
| Regular Energy
|
|-
| Curses, Hexes
| The Military
|
|-
| Relativity
| GPS Devices
| ✓
|-
| Quantum Electrodynamics
| Semiconductor Circuit Design
| ✓
|}

:Eventually, arguing that these things work means arguing that modern capitalism isn't THAT ruthlessly profit-focused.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Physics]]

1501: Mysteries

2015-03-20T19:41:24Z

141.101.88.210:

{{comic
| number = 1501
| date = March 20, 2015
| title = Mysteries
| image = mysteries.png
| titletext = At the bottom left: The mystery of why, when I know I needed to be asleep an hour ago, I decide it's a good time to read through every Wikipedia article in the categories 'Out-of-place artifacts', 'Earth mysteries', 'Anomalous weather', and 'List of people who disappeared mysteriously'.
}}

==Explanation==

The X axis in this graph is weirdness. We assume that the far left is 0% (not that weird) and the far right is 100% (weird as hell).

The Y axis is explainability. We assume that the bottom is 100% (pretty clear) and the top is 0% (no explanation).

Items near the top-right corner (such as the {{w|Malaysia Airlines Flight 370|MH 370}} disappearance) are both mysterious and strange. Items near the bottom-left corner (such as Randall's absent-mindedness regarding ice cream) have a clear explanation and are not really strange either. Items near the top-left corner (such as the meaning of ''{{w|You're So Vain}}'') are mysterious but not really strange. Items near the bottom-right corner (such as the {{w|Dyatlov Pass incident}}) have a clear explanation but are quite strange.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Entry
!Weirdness
!Explainable
!Further Details
|-
|Who Carly Simon is singing about in ''You're So Vain''
|9%
|4%
|The ironically self-referential lyrics of the 1972 song include "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you." There has been {{w|You%27re_So_Vain#Subject_of_the_song|much speculation}} regarding the person or persons to whom Simon was referring.
|-
|Lindbergh Baby
|17%
|25%
|The {{w|Lindbergh kidnapping}} was the kidnapping and murder of 20-month old Charles Lindbergh Jr. in 1932. Various {{w|Lindbergh kidnapping#Controversy|conspiracy theories}} surround the event.
|-
|UVB-76
|40%
|23%
|{{w|UVB-76}} is a mysterious shortwave radio station, apparently originating from Russia, that has broadcast a monotonous buzz tone since 1982 with occasional other content.
|-
|Toynbee Tiles
|25%
|34%
|{{w|Toynbee tiles}} are colorful ceramic tiles with cryptic messages that have been found embedded in asphalt in the streets of various midwestern-to-eastern cities in the United States and four South American cities.
|-
|Jimmy Hoffa
|10%
|42%
|{{w|Jimmy Hoffa}} was an American labor union leader who disappeared in 1975. He is widely believed to have been murdered.
|-
|The WOW Signal
|55%
|20%
|The {{w|Wow! signal}} was a strong and clean radio transmission near 1420 MHz received by the Big Ear Radio Observatory at Ohio State University in 1977 that appears to have originated from interstellar space [http://www.universetoday.com/93754/35-years-later-the-wow-signal-still-tantalizes/]. This is the strongest evidence to date of radio signals transmitted by extraterrestrial intelligent beings.
|-
|Mary Celeste
|70%
|43%
|The ''{{w|Mary Celeste}}'' was a sailing ship found adrift, mysteriously abandoned yet otherwise undisturbed, in 1872. No explanation for these events has ever been determined. Its name has become a watchword for mysteriously abandoned ships.
|-
|DB Cooper
|76%
|20%
|{{w|D. B. Cooper}} was an airplane hijacker who jumped from a plane after successfully extorting a large ransom in 1971. No trace of him was ever found. Previously referenced in [[1400: D.B. Cooper]]; note that this comic was published shortly after Tommy Wiseau did a Reddit AMA.
|-
|Salish Sea Feet
|96%
|31%
|Over a dozen dismembered human feet {{w|Salish Sea human foot discoveries|were found}} between 2007 and 2014 on the coasts of the Salish Sea in British Columbia (Canada) and Washington (United States).
|-
|Lead Masks Case
|99%
|12%
|In 1966 two Brazilian electricians were found dead on a hill top. No injuries. {{w|Lead Masks Case|Both were wearing lead masks}}.
|-
|MH370
|100%
|0%
|On 8 March 2014, {{w|Malaysia Airlines Flight 370}} cut off radio contact and diverted from its flight path with 227 passengers aboard, eventually heading over open ocean towards Antarctica. No trace has been found.
|-
|Voynich Manuscript
|35%
|68%
|The {{w|Voynich manuscript}} is an illustrated codex hand-written in an unknown writing system. It came to public attention in the early 20th century and probably was written in Italy in the early 15th century. See also [[593: Voynich Manuscript]].
|-
|Why I keep putting ice cream back in the fridge instead of the freezer
|0%
|96%
|Apparently, Randall absent-mindedly puts his ice cream container into the refrigerator rather than into the freezer.
|-
|JFK
|38%
|86%
|The 1963 {{w|Assassination of John F. Kennedy|assassination of President John F. Kennedy}} has inspired many conspiracy theories, beginning almost immediately after the event. The subsequent murder of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald added fuel to the fire by encouraging speculation that he was silenced to cover up the true story.
|-
|Oak Island Money Pit
|32%
|98%
|An indentation in the ground on {{w|Oak Island}} (off the east coast of Nova Scotia, Canada), led to over 200 years of treasure hunting, with the excavations repeatedly hampered by flooding pit collapses. A few flagstones, and periodic layers of logs are all that have been found. Rumours abound as to what it conceals: Marie Antoinnette's jewels, pirate treasure and Shakespeare's manuscripts have all been suggested. It is called The Money Pit, because of all the money that has been wasted in trying to solve the mystery.
|-
|Zodiac Letters
|62%
|62%
|A set of letters were written by the so-called {{w|Zodiac Killer}}, a serial killer who was active in California in the 1960s and 1970s. The letters are available at [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Zodiac_Killer_letters Wikisource]. Some of the letters are encoded, only some of which have been deciphered. The killings remain unsolved.
|-
|Amelia Earhart
|56%
|74%
|{{w|Amelia Earhart}} and her navigator tried to circumnavigate the earth along the equator in a small airplane in 1937, but {{w|Amelia Earhart#Speculation on disappearance|disappeared}} over the Pacific Ocean without any trace. See also [[950: Mystery Solved]].
|-
|Lost Colony
|74%
|83%
|The {{w|Roanoke Colony}} was the first English attempt to establish a permanent settlement in the New World. The colony of over a hundred settlers disappeared some time in the late 1580s, with no signs of violence and few clear clues as to what happened. An oft cited oddity is the word "Croatoan" carved into a fencepost.
|-
|Bigfoot
|60%
|98%
|{{w|Bigfoot}} is a supposed animal or hominid that reputedly inhabits the Pacific Northwest region of North America.
|-
|Loch Ness Monster
|64%
|100%
|The {{w|Loch Ness Monster}} is a supposed animal that reputedly inhabits Loch Ness, a lake in Scotland.
|-
|Kentucky Meat Shower
|85%
|93%
|In 1876, a number of chunks of meat {{w|Kentucky meat shower|fell from the sky}} in Kentucky; this was possibly projectile vomit from vultures [http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/running-ponies/2014/12/01/the-great-kentucky-meat-shower-mystery-unwound-by-projectile-vulture-vomit/].
|-
|Dyatlov Pass Incident
|93%
|96%
|On 2 February 1959, nine skiers in the northern Ural Mountains apparently {{w|Dyatlov Pass Incident|fled their tents without taking time to put on winter clothing}}. They were found dead, some with physical injuries. There are in fact a number of theories regarding this event, and it is not clear which one Randall regards as being obviously correct.
|}

The title text refers to Randall staying up late to read Wikipedia articles, which is apparently not very unusual for him and has an obvious explanation (following up on an idea that eventually led to today's cartoon).

Some of these mysteries have already been explored in xkcd. See [[950: Mystery Solved]] where Randall "solves" Amelia Earhart, Lost Roanoke Colony, Jimmy Hoffa; [[593: Voynich Manuscript]]; and [[1400: D.B. Cooper]]

==Transcript==

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1355: Airplane Message

2014-04-15T02:19:13Z

141.101.88.210: Added brief reply.

How can Iry-Hor, who's name comes from a ''written record'', be considered "prehistoric"? History begins with the written record. By definition, Iry-Hor would be the earliest historical name we know. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.38|108.162.216.38]] 13:51, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

:I agree. In fact, the Hebrew Bible goes even farther back, making the beginning of recorded history a much earlier date. I've always thought that the term "prehistoric" was farcical.
:The Hebrew Bible contains the names of many individuals alive before Iry-Hor was born. The man Adam would then qualify as the oldest named individual in history. Even if Adam isn't accepted (and I can't see why not; the Hebrew Scriptures being as much a historical document as any Egyptian papyrii) then take your pick of the many others named well before the Eqyptians came on the scene. [[User:Fiddlinmacx|Fiddlinmacx]] ([[User talk:Fiddlinmacx|talk]]) 14:18, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

::The text (glyphs, really) about Iry-Hor were written during his lifetime. The Hebrew Scriptures were not written until around 2,500 years later, literally eons after the Egyptians had been 'on the scene.' Claiming that characters in Genesis are historical figures from 4000 BC is approximately as scientific as claiming that Tumok (from the 1940 film 'One Million B.C.') is actually the oldest human whose name we know. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.73|108.162.221.73]] 14:47, 14 April 2014 (UTC)Oz

::: +1 -- Religious scripts are not reliable as historical records. [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 16:23, 14 April 2014 (UTC)
:::: Not the ones in the Pentateuch, anyway. Once they get to the book of Joshua they start getting their facts straight. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.65|199.27.128.65]] 18:16, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

The explanation seems complete. Can the incomplete tag be removed? [[User:Cheeselord99|Cheeselord99]] ([[User talk:Cheeselord99|talk]]) 17:32, 14 April 2014 (UTC)
:DONE, but please check the language and the layout first before calling on this. I'm not native English, so I can't be better than native speakers. Couldn't believe...--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:48, 14 April 2014 (UTC)
::Done. Editing on a mobile, though, so anyone else want to double-proof? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.88.210|141.101.88.210]] 02:19, 15 April 2014 (UTC)

1355: Airplane Message

2014-04-15T02:11:24Z

141.101.88.210: /* Explanation */ Grammar edits

{{comic
| number = 1355
| date = April 14, 2014
| title = Airplane Message
| image = airplane_message.png
| titletext = PHARAOH IRY-HOR, FROM THE 3100s BC, IS THE FIRST HUMAN WHOSE NAME WE KNOW.
}}

==Explanation==
Large banners are sometimes flown behind airplanes to advertise a product or event to a large number of people. Here, [[Randall]] suggests replacing the ad with some interesting facts. This one would let people, who see the banner, learn something new and interesting about the world, rather than trying to sell them something. He presents two possible facts: {{w|Adriamycin}}, a cancer therapy, and {{w|Iry-Hor}}, the oldest human we know by name.

The {{w|chemotherapy}} drug {{w|doxorubicin}}, trade name Adriamycin, is based on a strain of the bacterium ''{{w|Streptomyces peucetius}}'', first isolated from a soil sample taken at {{w|Castel del Monte, Apulia|Castel del Monte}} in {{w|Andria}}, Italy.

As mentioned at the title text Iry-Hor was an ancient, {{w|Dynasty 0|predynastic}} pharaoh of ancient Egypt — no earlier documents exist today.

==Transcript==
:There is a plane with a banner behind
:Banner: Adriamycin, one of our most potent chemotherapy drugs, comes from the dirt from an Italian castle.

:My hobby: Breaking into airplane hangars and replacing the ads on their giant banners with cool facts.

==Trivia==
*This is one of several comics dealing with cancer and its treatment. [[Randall]]'s fiancée (now his wife) [http://blog.xkcd.com/2011/06/30/family-illness/ was diagnosed] with Stage III breast cancer in October of 2010, and it has been a [[:Category:Cancer|recurring topic]] ever since.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Cancer]]

1337: Hack

2014-04-08T18:25:57Z

141.101.88.210: Removed a duplicated line

<noinclude>:''"1337", this comic's number, redirects here. For the 2007 storyline of the same name, starting with [[341|comic 341]], see [[:Category:1337]].''</noinclude>
{{comic
| number = 1337
| date = March 3, 2014
| title = Hack
| image = hack.png
| titletext = HACK THE STARS
}}

==Explanation==
{{Incomplete|merge the two sections that talk about ISEE-3, eliminate duplication, follow the news thru June at least}}
The probe {{w|International Cometary Explorer|ISEE-3/ICE}} is a spacecraft launched on August 12, 1978. The original mission was to study the interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and the solar wind. It was later sent to visit Comet {{w|21P/Giacobini–Zinner|Giacobini-Zinner}} and became the first spacecraft to do so by flying through a comet's tail.

Its trajectory will bring it close to Earth on August 2014. A status check of the spacecraft has revealed that many of its instruments are still working and that it contains plenty of fuel. At first it was reported that the hardware to communicate with ISEE-3/ICE had been decommissioned, but after this comic was published, it was established that an 18-meter satellite dish at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory does still have the right hardware, and NASA gave them approval to try to achieve contact.

The characters Crash and Burn (and the catchphrase, "Mess with the best, die like the rest") are allusions to the 1995 movie [[wikipedia:Hackers (film)|Hackers]]. Since the movie predates the shutdown-signal (1997), the characters should both possess the skills and 'outdated' equipment to understand and hack the signal to the probe.

In the comic, Burn has hacked into the satellite and left the catchphrase to be shown to those who would log into the satellite regularly. She has also rerouted its path to enter the atmosphere at a certain time. She then uses this knowledge to tell Crash in advance at just the right time that a "falling star" will appear in the sky.

The title text "Hack the stars" is also an allusion to the movie [[wikipedia:Hackers (film)|Hackers]] where the Phrase "Hack the Planet!" is used on multiple occasions.

Not coincidentally, this is comic number 1337, which in {{w|leet speak}} means ''elite'' (elite hacking, in this case).

===Truth & Fiction Explained===
This comic involves some truth and some fiction. There is an {{w|International Cometary Explorer|ISEE-3/ICE}} probe. According to the Wikipedia article, it was launched in August 12, 1978 and tasked to study Earth's magnetic field and the solar wind. After completing its original mission the probe was repurposed on June 10, 1982 to study the interaction between the solar wind and a cometary atmosphere. This put it in a {{w|heliocentric orbit}}. According to an article by [http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2014/02070836-isee-3.html Emily Lakdawalla] at Planetary.org, the Deep Space Network (DSN) detected the probe again in 2008 because NASA mistakenly left its transmitters on.
From [http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsndocs/810-005/101/101E.pdf this NASA JPL paper], the Madrid DSS complex still has the special filter required to communicate with the ICE satellite, but because of frequency conflicts S-band uplink is not supported.

On March 1st and 2nd, 2014 radio amateurs were able to detect the beacon signal from the retired NASA deep space probe ICE (International Cometary Explorer) using the 20m radio telescope at the Bochum Observatory (Germany). However, the probe was only transmitting the carrier signal at that time. [http://amsat-uk.org/2014/03/09/radio-amateurs-receive-nasa-isee-3ice-spacecraft/]

==Transcript==
:[Panel 1 shows an image of the ISEE-3/ICE spacecraft]
:Narration: The ISEE-3/ICE probe was launched in 1978. Its mission ended in 1997 and it was sent a shutdown signal.
:Narration: In 2008, we learned-to our surprise-that the probe didn't shut down. It's still running and it has plenty of fuel. ...and in 2014, its orbit brings it near earth.
:[Panel 3 shows Megan and Ponytail talking to each other.]
:Megan: We could send it on a new mission... Except we no longer have the equipment to send commands to it.
:Ponytail: Can't we...
:Megan: NASA won't rebuild it. "Too Expensive"
:Ponytail: Seriously?
:Megan: I know, right? So the Internet found the specs and we went to work.
:[Panel 5 shows Megan and Ponytail have walking into an area where a girl and Cueball both are sitting at desks looking at laptops.]
:Narration: We've convinced them to give us time on the Madrid DSN transmitter and hacked the maser to support the uplink. And today's the big day.
:Cueball: Transmitting... We have a signal! We have control!
:Megan: OK, transmit the new comet rendezvous maneuver sequen-
:[Cueball, off panel]: What the hell?
:Megan: What?
:Cueball: My console went dead!
:Girl: Mine too!
:Megan: What's happening?!
:Cueball: There's a new signal going out over the transmitter!
:[Megan, off panel]: A bug?
:Cueball: Someone else is in the system!
:Girl: Kill the connection!
:[Cueball, off panel]: I can't find it!
:Girl: They're firing the probe's engines!
:[Cueball, off panel]: NO!
:[Megan, off panel]: Who's doing this?? Stop them!
:[Girl, off panel]: I'm trying!
:Cueball, pointing to his screen: Look! My screen!
:[Text, on Cueball's laptop screen]: M-E-S-S-W-I-T-H-T-H-E-B-E-S-T D-I-E-L-I-K-E-T-H-E-R-E-S-T
:[Panel 13 shows two people in a pool at night.]
:[Panel 14 zooms out to reveal the pool is on top of a skyscraper in a vertically developed, downtown setting.]
:Burn: Crash?
:Crash: Yeah, Burn?
:Burn: Make a wish.
:[Panel 16 shows the spacecraft streaking across the sky, indistinguishable from a meteoroid.]

==Trivia==
*There are several pools in the movie as well. There is a subplot involving a mythical pool on the roof of the high school where several of the characters are students. Additionally, a scene in the movie [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcHBsB0igrg Hackers ending] shows Crash and Burn swimming in a rooftop pool, while several buildings light up with the words "CRASH AND BURN", the result of their friends' latest hack. This scene is similar to the last four panels of the comic.
*The number of the comic is also significant, in that [[:Category:1337|1337]] is a common numeric form of {{w|leet}}, again referring to hackers.

{{comic discussion}}

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