explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3070: Orogeny

2025-04-02T11:41:55Z

162.158.146.19:

If only "plutonic" meant "made with real plutonium," sigh. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.167.26|172.71.167.26]] 02:53, 1 April 2025 (UTC)
:But what does this mean in this context here? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:10, 1 April 2025 (UTC)
::In geology, "plutonic" means rock that solidified from magma that cooled beneath the Earth's surface, as opposed to "volcanic" which means rock that solidified from lava on the Earth's surface. In this case, Ponytail is indicating that the rocks that they are standing on were formed when magma solidified deep underground a billion years ago, but were uplifted and exposed by erosion much more recently (geologically speaking). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.137.59|162.158.137.59]] 18:28, 1 April 2025 (UTC)

xkcd. When technical issues interfer with reality correct the technical issues. That's usually easier than changing reality. Sure, the techs will say it's impossible and may even think they are correct but ... [[Special:Contributions/172.71.194.216|172.71.194.216]] 02:55, 1 April 2025 (UTC)

Hey this isn't an interactive april fools comic [[Special:Contributions/162.158.174.225|162.158.174.225]] 04:06, 1 April 2025 (UTC)
:No because this comic came out on March 31st. But it has been a while since Randall managed to let his April 1st comic come out on April 1st ;-) But this comic was the regular scheduled Monday March 31st release. We may still se an April Fools' comic come out later today or some time during April... However I have heard that due to the recent events in the world that all would have been funny if April Fool's then April Fool's Day has been canceled this year! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:10, 1 April 2025 (UTC)
::I have (lengthily) justified, as inline commentary, why I think it's nonense to consider this a "no April Fools' year" just yet. The comic is normal Monday March 31st fare (insofar as any comic is 'normal') and can only be considered valid for a "March Impetuousness's day" comic, should that be a thing. As pointed out by a prior editor, Machine was late (had the opportunity to be released on Monday 1st April, but seemingly needed a bit more time; and probably could have done with longer, given it had minor post-release tweaks) and is considered a 1/Apr 'special'. Longer waits for season-/occasion-specific comics have heen had.
::For people to assume this pre-April comic (by the usual measures) is sign that there's no such special release is... premature in at least three different ways. And there's no reason for anybody outside Randall and (as with the trend over recent years) any hypothetical collaborators involved to ''know'' if this year is going to be bountiful or barren at this early stage. There's almost ⅓ of a day before ''my'' April 1st is over (ignoring the "all japes need to be made/concluded before noon" stipulation, which remains difficult to enforce on a worldwide basis) longer still for Randall's, and that's if he's sticking to the usual "release day" schedule and ''not'' having to worry about more than just a single static comic that (give or take particular topicality) could be substituted for a backup 'casual' joke even if he's not entirely happy with its finished status yet.
::Maybe it'll be (very early, Randall-time) on Wednesday, as compromise with the rest of the logistics. Maybe not. Give it a week before making too many assumptions. And, even then, if it's a ''good'' one that just needs more fiddling with, don't be surprised to find a 'special' release later on. (Whilst accepting that there may still not be one, of course.) To paraphrase Frank N. Furter, in the Rocky Horror (Picture) Show, perhaps you all should try to "shiver with Antici-
:: 
:: 
:: 
::-pation".... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.93|172.69.194.93]] 15:54, 1 April 2025 (UTC)

Gonna need a new category tag for Geology + Real Estate/Home Ownership comics at this point - this is the 4th I believe. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.255.133|172.71.255.133]] 04:29, 1 April 2025 (UTC)
:I think that's [[:Category:Home Inspections]] -- [[User:Ken g6|Ken g6]] ([[User talk:Ken g6|talk]]) 05:47, 1 April 2025 (UTC)
::We might want to rebrand that category then: something more general for a combination of real estate and geology --[[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 11:21, 1 April 2025 (UTC)
:::Maybe yes, but I think the two home inspection comics are so clearly a stand alone series! And have thus removed the category from this comic. And made a note of this comic on the home inspection category and made a link to it from this comic. If Randall continues there could be a new series where the inspection series would then become a sub category. But for that we need to have more comics like this one. Also in this comic it seems like they joke, where in the other it seems to be taken serious by the characters. At least at the moments the explanation also says that they are running along with the joke. Especially the punch line. Also it is only the third comic not the fourth as far as I can tell? Ah sorry there is also [[3051: Hardwood]]. Yes maybe we should make some other category. But still think the two home inspection would still need to be seen as a special sereis where the home and the inspector needs to be part of any further comics to be added --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:25, 1 April 2025 (UTC)
::::I'm minded to think that it's just dubious to attempt to classify a set of two as a 'theme'. Given a set of random points (say, stars in the sky), it would be pre-emptive to suggest that any two seemingly close together are "a group", in anticipation that as yet unseen/uncatalogued stars will trivially fit into any such pair-group when you get round to them. Three is better (such that ''any'' of them have more in common with the other two than they have with any neighbour), but even that's potentially a problem (loads of "triangles" up in, or even betwixt, the constellations!) and subject to reinterpretation.
::::I'm thinking that "home inspection" is just a fleeting subset within a more "geological home" (plucking that from mid-air, probably just as wrong) wider theme. Though whether even Randall has consciously grouped any/all of those as we have (and will continue to, as further comics further establish or redefine the extent of his imagination in these matters) is a question we probably couldn't get a good answer to. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.104|141.101.99.104]] 12:15, 1 April 2025 (UTC)
::::: Well, yes - it is wrong - you should have plucked it from the earth.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.160.218|172.70.160.218]] 08:20, 2 April 2025 (UTC)
::::Either have a category for all four or none at all, but with only the two home inspection comics I don't think there should be a category just for them - Cueball's checkup in [[1839]] and [[1840]] is connected through the general [[:Category:Doctor Ponytail]] with the explanations referencing each other. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.146.19|162.158.146.19]] 11:41, 2 April 2025 (UTC)

Is it possible the next comic will be an April Fools'? [[User:Ozymandias|Ozymandias]] ([[User talk:Ozymandias|talk]])
:Yes, but see above reply --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:10, 1 April 2025 (UTC)

I don't understand the part about ancient collision ... what is meant here? Did tectonic plates come from interstellar events? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.68|172.68.54.68]] 09:34, 1 April 2025 (UTC)
:Ancient collision refers to tectonic plates colliding millions of years ago.[[User:Ozymandias|Ozymandias]] ([[User talk:Ozymandias|talk]])
::And it may be an ongoing collision, as for instance Himalaya which are still rising from the collision of India with the rest of Asia --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:10, 1 April 2025 (UTC)

Heated driveways and sidewalks aren't unheard of in areas that get snow/ice. I feel like Randall isn't using "Most" in quite as absurd a way as is typical. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.38.199|172.70.38.199]] 18:03, 1 April 2025 (UTC)
:Separately from that, but sort of related, I find that bit of the Explanation a bit too focused on ''only'' the outside being heated, when it's probably going to affect [[735: Floor|indoor floors]] just as much, give or taken the point at which 'indoors' (if not the entire structure of any house) becomes moot against the general and widespread {{tvtropes|ConvectionSchmonvection|environmental effects}} involved. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.205|172.69.194.205]] 21:59, 1 April 2025 (UTC)

From the timing, Randall could only have used prescience in gaining inspiration from this particular occurance... but, ''within hours'' of the comic being published, there was an outbreak of "[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqj4rg1kd52o hot property]" issues. Probably just coincidence, so not threading this into the Explanation narrative... [[Special:Contributions/172.71.241.19|172.71.241.19]] 22:24, 1 April 2025 (UTC)

Anyone know how to comment? I’m new [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!|Aprilfoolsupdate!]] ([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 09:49, 2 April 2025 (UTC)

2844: Black Holes vs Regular Holes

2023-10-20T18:45:03Z

162.158.146.19:

{{comic
| number = 2844
| date = October 20, 2023
| title = Black Holes vs Regular Holes
| image = black_holes_vs_regular_holes_2x.png
| imagesize = 525x743px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Created by the collapse of: [massive stars] [Florida limestone bedrock]
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BLACK HOLE CREATED BY CHILDREN AT THE BEACH - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is a comparison between {{w|Black Holes}} and regular, everyday {{w|Hole|holes}}.

{| class="wikitable"
!
! scope="col"| Black Hole
! scope="col"| Regular Hole
! Scope="col"| Explanation
|-
! scope="row" | Usually formed by...
| Supernovas, colliding stars
| Shovels, small mammals
| Black holes are created by stars going into supernova, and occasionally by two stars colliding. On the contrary, regular holes are often created by humans using shovels, as well as small animals such as ants, moles, and dogs.
|-
! scope="row" | Falling in is...
| Definitely fatal
| Sometimes fatal
| Falling into a black hole is almost always fatal.{{citation needed}} On the other hand, if a regular hole is deep enough, it is possible for someone to die by falling into it.
|-
! scope="row" | Created by the Big Bang
| Maybe
| No
| Like many other celestial objects, black holes may have been created by the {{w|Big Bang}}, however ordinary holes were almost definitely not created this way.
|-
! scope="row" | Created by children playing at the beach
| I ''REALLY'' hope not
| Yes
| Children commonly dig holes in sand at beaches, however if one were to create a black hole at the beach, this could prove cataclysmic.
|-
! scope="row" | Source of many precious metals
| Indirectly
| Yes
| Both the supernovae that create black holes and various events involving black holes, such as black hole/neutron star mergers, produce large quantities of heavy elements, including precious metals found on Earth. Those metals are often underground, and are thus recovered by a mine, i.e. a regular hole.
|-
! scope="row" | Einstein imagined falling into one
| Yes
| Probably at least once
| The thought experiments of {{w|Albert Einstein}}, particularly in relation to {{w|General Relativity}}, involve consideration of what happens when one falls through gravitationally-curved space. Aside from this, almost everyone has had a reason to consider the possibility of falling into a normal hole.
|-
! scope="row" | A component of Dark Matter
| Maybe
| Probably not
| {{w|Dark Matter}} is a theoretical part of the universe, a large amount of its total calculated mass which cannot (yet) be directly seen. It is considered possible that at least some of this 'missing mass' is in the form of black holes. It is not generally considered an option that ordinary holes have anything to do with this.
|-
! scope="row" | Created by the Large Hadron Collider
| No
| Yes
| There were concerns when the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was initially put into operation that it would create a black hole that would destroy the Earth. This did not happen.{{Citation needed}} However, the LHC is mostly underground, and its construction required the digging of many holes.
|-
! scope="row" | Massive stars often collapse into them
| Yes
| No
| If a star is large enough, when the star dies, it may still have enough gravity to collapse back into itself, commonly creating black holes. This does not happen with regular holes, and would likely mean the end of the world.
|-
! scope="row" | Explored by humans in famous sci-fi stories
| Yes
| Yes
| Many sci-fi stories and movies explore black holes and regular holes alike.
|-
! scope="row" | Fatal to get a big one in your body
| Yes
| Yes
| If a black hole appeared inside of a person's body, they would almost definitely die instantly.{{citation needed}} The same goes for a regular hole - if you cut out a massive section of a human's body, they would likely bleed out.
|-
! scope="row" | Some of them are the mouths of wormholes
| Maybe
| Yes
| Black holes are commonly portrayed to be the entrances of {{w|Wormholes}}, especially in sci-fi stories. On the other side, many species of worms live in shallow holes, with a "mouth" on the surface - the "mouth" of the "worm hole".
|-
! scope="row" | Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne argued that any information that falls into them is lost forever
| Yes
| No
| The {{w|Black hole information paradox}} is a paradox arising from the storage of information within black holes. Scientist {{w|Stephen Hawking}}, who is famous for his research into black holes, said that black holes release their energy over time, eventually disappearing, through {{w|Hawking Radiation}}. According to this theory, if information was also to enter the black hole, it would be released alongside this radiation. On the other hand, the {{w|No-hair theorem}} states that all black holes are completely identical outside of three key features: mass, spin, and electric charge. If information that fell into a black hole is released with Hawking radiation, then that means that there ''must'' be more than three properties of black holes. 
On the other hand, information that falls into a normal hole is not lost forever, and can likely still be reobtained, especially if the information is stored physically.
|-
! scope="row" | Commonly inhabited by Meerkats
| Undetermined
| Yes
|Meerkats commonly live in holes underground. It is highly unlikely that Earth mammals live in black holes, but because it is impossible to know what lies beyond the event horizon it is technically possible that there are meerkats.
|-
! scope="row" | '''(Title Text)''' Created by the collapse of
| Massive stars
| Florida limestone bedrock
| As mentioned before, Black holes are often created by the collapse of massive stars. On the other hand, many {{w|Sinkholes}} in Florida are caused due to most {{w|bedrock}} in the state being made of {{w|Limestone}}, which is naturally soluable - that is, easily dissolved in water. The collapse of this limestone is commonly attributed to many sinkholes in the state.
|}

==Transcript==
{| class="wikitable"
!
! scope="col"| Black Hole
! scope="col"| Regular Hole
|-
! scope="row" | Usually formed by...
| Supernovas, colliding stars
| Shovels, small mammals
|-
! scope="row" | Falling in is...
| Definitely fatal
| Sometimes fatal
|-
! scope="row" | Created by the Big Bang
| Maybe
| No
|-
! scope="row" | Created by children playing at the beach
| I ''REALLY'' hope not
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Source of many precious metals
| Indirectly
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Einstein imagined falling into one
| Yes
| Probably at least once
|-
! scope="row" | A component of Dark Matter
| Maybe
| Probably not
|-
! scope="row" | Created by the Large Hadron Collider
| No
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Massive stars often collapse into them
| Yes
| No
|-
! scope="row" | Explored by humans in famous sci-fi stories
| Yes
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Fatal to get a big one in your body
| Yes
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Some of them are the mouths of wormholes
| Maybe
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne argued that any information that falls into them is lost forever
| Yes
| No
|-
! scope="row" | Commonly inhabited by Meerkats
| Undetermined
| Yes
|}

{{comic discussion}}

2844: Black Holes vs Regular Holes

2023-10-20T18:42:47Z

162.158.146.19:

{{comic
| number = 2844
| date = October 20, 2023
| title = Black Holes vs Regular Holes
| image = black_holes_vs_regular_holes_2x.png
| imagesize = 525x743px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Created by the collapse of: [massive stars] [Florida limestone bedrock]
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BLACK HOLE CREATED BY CHILDREN AT THE BEACH - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is a comparison between {{w|Black Holes}} and regular, everyday {{w|Hole|holes}}.

{| class="wikitable"
!
! scope="col"| Black Hole
! scope="col"| Regular Hole
! Scope="col"| Explanation
|-
! scope="row" | Usually formed by...
| Supernovas, colliding stars
| Shovels, small mammals
| Black holes are created by stars going into supernova, and occasionally by two stars colliding. On the contrary, regular holes are often created by humans using shovels, as well as small animals such as ants, moles, and dogs.
|-
! scope="row" | Falling in is...
| Definitely fatal
| Sometimes fatal
| Falling into a black hole is almost always fatal.{{citation needed}} On the other hand, if a regular hole is deep enough, it is possible for someone to die by falling into it.
|-
! scope="row" | Created by the Big Bang
| Maybe
| No
| Like many other celestial objects, black holes may have been created by the {{w|Big Bang}}, however ordinary holes were almost definitely not created this way.
|-
! scope="row" | Created by children playing at the beach
| I ''REALLY'' hope not
| Yes
| Children commonly dig holes in sand at beaches, however if one were to create a black hole at the beach, this could prove cataclysmic.
|-
! scope="row" | Source of many precious metals
| Indirectly
| Yes
| Both the supernovae that create black holes and various events involving black holes, such as black hole/neutron star mergers, produce large quantities of heavy elements, including precious metals found on Earth. Those metals are often underground, and are thus recovered by a mine, i.e. a regular hole.
|-
! scope="row" | Einstein imagined falling into one
| Yes
| Probably at least once
| The thought experiments of {{w|Albert Einstein}}, particularly in relation to {{w|General Relativity}}, involve consideration of what happens when one falls through gravitationally-curved space. Aside from this, almost everyone has had a reason to consider the possibility of falling into a normal hole.
|-
! scope="row" | A component of Dark Matter
| Maybe
| Probably not
| {{w|Dark Matter}} is a theoretical part of the universe, a large amount of its total calculated mass which cannot (yet) be directly seen. It is considered possible that at least some of this 'missing mass' is in the form of black holes. It is not generally considered an option that ordinary holes have anything to do with this.
|-
! scope="row" | Created by the Large Hadron Collider
| No
| Yes
| There were concerns when the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was initially put into operation that it would create a black hole that would destroy the Earth. This did not happen.{{Citation needed}} However, the LHC is mostly underground, and its construction required the digging of many holes.
|-
! scope="row" | Massive stars often collapse into them
| Yes
| No
| If a star is large enough, when the star dies, it may still have enough gravity to collapse back into itself, commonly creating black holes. This does not happen with regular holes, and would likely mean the end of the world.
|-
! scope="row" | Explored by humans in famous sci-fi stories
| Yes
| Yes
| Many sci-fi stories and movies explore black holes and regular holes alike.
|-
! scope="row" | Fatal to get a big one in your body
| Yes
| Yes
| If a black hole appeared inside of a person's body, they would almost definitely die instantly.{{citation needed}} The same goes for a regular hole - if you cut out a massive section of a human's body, they would likely bleed out.
|-
! scope="row" | Some of them are the mouths of wormholes
| Maybe
| Yes
| Black holes are commonly portrayed to be the entrances of {{w|Wormholes}}, especially in sci-fi stories. On the other side, many species of worms live in shallow holes, with a "mouth" on the surface - the "mouth" of the "worm hole".
|-
! scope="row" | Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne argued that any information that falls into them is lost forever
| Yes
| No
| The {{w|Black hole information paradox}} is a paradox arising from the storage of information within black holes. Scientist {{w|Stephen Hawking}}, who is famous for his research into black holes, said that black holes release their energy over time, eventually disappearing, through {{w|Hawking Radiation}}. According to this theory, if information was also to enter the black hole, it would be released alongside this radiation. On the other hand, the {{w|No-hair theorem}} states that all black holes are completely identical outside of three key features: mass, spin, and electric charge. If information that fell into a black hole is released with Hawking radiation, then that means that there ''must'' be more than three properties of black holes. 
On the other hand, information that falls into a normal hole is not lost forever, and can likely still be reobtained, especially if the information is stored physically.
|-
! scope="row" | Commonly inhabited by Meerkats
| Undetermined
| Yes
|Meerkats commonly live in holes underground, although it is unknown if this includes black holes.
|-
! scope="row" | '''(Title Text)''' Created by the collapse of
| Massive stars
| Florida limestone bedrock
| As mentioned before, Black holes are often created by the collapse of massive stars. On the other hand, many {{w|Sinkholes}} in Florida are caused due to most {{w|bedrock}} in the state being made of {{w|Limestone}}, which is naturally soluable - that is, easily dissolved in water. The collapse of this limestone is commonly attributed to many sinkholes in the state.
|}

==Transcript==
{| class="wikitable"
!
! scope="col"| Black Hole
! scope="col"| Regular Hole
|-
! scope="row" | Usually formed by...
| Supernovas, colliding stars
| Shovels, small mammals
|-
! scope="row" | Falling in is...
| Definitely fatal
| Sometimes fatal
|-
! scope="row" | Created by the Big Bang
| Maybe
| No
|-
! scope="row" | Created by children playing at the beach
| I ''REALLY'' hope not
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Source of many precious metals
| Indirectly
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Einstein imagined falling into one
| Yes
| Probably at least once
|-
! scope="row" | A component of Dark Matter
| Maybe
| Probably not
|-
! scope="row" | Created by the Large Hadron Collider
| No
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Massive stars often collapse into them
| Yes
| No
|-
! scope="row" | Explored by humans in famous sci-fi stories
| Yes
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Fatal to get a big one in your body
| Yes
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Some of them are the mouths of wormholes
| Maybe
| Yes
|-
! scope="row" | Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne argued that any information that falls into them is lost forever
| Yes
| No
|-
! scope="row" | Commonly inhabited by Meerkats
| Undetermined
| Yes
|}

{{comic discussion}}