explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2638: Extended NFPA Hazard Diamond

2022-06-29T06:16:09Z

162.158.203.76: added an example of a prion lab story

{{comic
| number = 2638
| date = June 27, 2022
| title = Extended NFPA Hazard Diamond
| image = extended_nfpa_hazard_diamond.png
| titletext = With most labs, the hushed horror stories are about something like dimethylmercury or prions, but occasionally you'll get a weird lab where it's about the soda machine or the drop ceiling.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SUBSTANCE WORTH $500 IN STREET VALUE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic depicts an extension of [[wikipedia:NFPA 704|NFPA 704]], bringing it from 2x2 to 3x3 by adding 5 variously useful and humorous squares.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Squares and explanations
|-
! Square !! Color !! Comic text !! Explanation
|-
| Top || Red || Flammability (0) || [[http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/nfpa.html Real NFPA 704 square]]. Denotes flammability. 0 indicates "materials that will not burn."
|-
| Top Left || Blue || Health Hazard (4) || Real NFPA 704 square. Denotes the danger that the substance poses to living beings in ways other than flammability and reactivity. 4 indicates that "Very short exposure could cause death or serious residual injury even though prompt medical attention was given."
|-
| Top Right || Yellow || Instability/Reactivity (2) || Real NFPA 704 square. Denotes how easily the substance reacts with other substances. 2 indicates that "Normally unstable and readily undergo violent decomposition but do not detonate. Also: may react violently with water or may form potentially explosive mixtures with water."
|-
| Center || White || (Special Hazard) || Real NFPA 704 square. Contains a symbol with additional notes on the substance. After this point, all squares are made up by Randall. {{citation needed}}
|-
| Center Left || Green || Number of digits in the street value ($/gram) (2) || Describes the order of magnitude of the price (in USD) of one gram of the substance when sold illegally and informally. Most common illicit drugs would score 2 in this square.
|-
| Center Right || Dark Purple || How much of a hassle it is to dispose of (4) || While many things can be thrown in the trash with no additional procedures, substances that merit an NFPA 704 square often require additional procedures to avoid significant danger, damage to the environment, or hefty dumping fines. Biohazards that may carry diseases are often disposed of in special containers, and nuclear materials are notoriously difficult to safely dispose of. This square would be at least theoretically useful, though not as much as the actual disposal guidelines.
|-
| Bottom Left || Lilac || Number of federal agencies who want to know if you have any (3) || In many countries, including Randall's home country, the USA, the government has agencies dedicated to controlling or limiting the use of regulated substances, due to their use as drugs, weapons, etc. While any given substance might be of interest to one agency, something that is both an environmental hazard and a chemical weapon component could interest, for example, both the Chemical Safety Board and the FBI Counterterrorism Division.
|-
| Bottom Right || Orange || How many times you have to scrub your hands after touching it before they stop smelling weird (1) || While the real NFPA 704 chart describes properties ranging from unsafe to potentially deadly, this square describes a minor but very real inconvenience. Some things are harder to wash off your hands than others, and, given that most people don't often work with dangerous substances {{Citation Needed}}, this would be a more common, but less relevant, concern for many people.
|-
| Bottom || Black || Number of times it's caused one of those terrifying lab accidents that chemists tell scary stories about late at night (2) || The result of this square, although dependent on how much the substance is researched in labs, can show how scared someone should be in handling the substance in question, especially if the number is more than one. Though the description is vague, this number could show how easy it is to cause ''some'' kind of reaction of a terrifying magnitude with this substance.
|}

The title text (which references "scary stories" of the Black square) refers to {{w|dimethylmercury}} and {{w|prions}}. Dimethylmercury, C2H6Hg, is an organic form of mercury with an NFPA score of 4-4-3 (contact can be fatal, will burn below 73° F (22 °C), will combust if put under pressure). In 1997, an American chemist, {{w|Karen Wetterhahn}}, died 298 days after a few drops of C2H6Hg on her latex gloves were absorbed into her hand through the gloves, causing fatal mercury poisoning. Despite her having followed all safety protocols of the time, it was not then understood that the chemical was so toxic, nor that latex was so permeable to it. Prions are misfolded proteins that are responsible for a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including {{w|mad cow disease}} and {{w|chronic wasting disease}} in non-human animals and {{w|Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease}} in humans. These would indeed be the kind of substances that would scare those working with them in their labs; if an accident occurred, the results could be calamitous. See for example the case of [https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/07/second-lab-worker-with-deadly-prion-disease-prompts-research-pause-in-france/ Émilie Jaumain], a lab technician who died after accidentally coming into contact with prions in mouse tissue.

But a few labs have apparently had accidents involving a soda machine or {{w|dropped ceiling}}. The latter may be a reference to {{w|1978 smallpox outbreak in the United Kingdom|the death of Janet Parker}}: One inquiry found that she was infected with {{w|smallpox}} when a sample traveled upward from a lab on the floor below hers; however, other investigations have challenged that finding. There are occasional instances of vending machines causing injury or death, usually caused by people trying to shake or tilt the machines to get product out and having the machine tip and fall on them. On average, [https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/1996/CPSC-Soda-Vending-Machine-Industry-Labeling-Campaign-Warns-Of-Deaths-And-Injuries a couple of Americans per year] are killed in this way. Reagents obtained in this way tend to have more impurities than those usually used in labs, but are relatively safe to shake.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:Know your extended NFPA hazard diamond:

:[The diamond is divided into 3x3 squares.]
:Flammability: 0 (top, red)
:Health hazard: 4 (top-left, blue)
:Instability/reactivity: 2 (top-right, yellow)
:Number of digits in the street value ($/gram): 2 (left, green)
:(Special hazard) (center, white)
:How much of a hassle it is to dispose of: 4 (right, purple)
:Number of federal agencies who want to know if you have any: 3 (bottom-left, pink)
:How many times you have to scrub your hands after touching it before they stop smelling weird: 1 (bottom-right, orange)
:Number of times it's caused one of those terrifying lab accidents that chemists tell scary stories about late at night: 2 (bottom, black)

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

Talk:2633: Astronomer Hotline

2022-06-16T11:08:03Z

162.158.203.76: /* Trivia: US UFO helpline */

Someone really needs to check on the bot. This is the second day in a row where I have had to begin the article! [[User:SqueakSquawk4|SqueakSquawk4]] ([[User talk:SqueakSquawk4|talk]]) 13:06, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

The fact that this is the Astronomer Helpline seems like commentary on the frequency with which astronomers are asked about mysterious objects, and/or the fact that astronomers (who tend to spend a lot of time looking at the sky) rarely report seeing unidentified objects. It could also be noted that calling fireflies a UFO would technically be accurate, as they are objects which are flying that the observers apparently could not readily identify. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.82.121|172.71.82.121]] 13:36, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
:There is about 2000 species of fireflies. OF COURSE I can't identify which one it is, considering it's so dark I only see the light. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 18:22, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

Title text probably referes to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodical_cicadas Periodical cicadas] that appears every 17 years.
[[Special:Contributions/172.71.98.99|172.71.98.99]] 13:58, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

As someone from a country without fireflies, is "Ground Stars" a normal word for fireflies or a joke? (similar to how planets are "wandering stars", so to an astronomer everything is a star, similar to [[2017: Stargazing 2]]) [[User:Sqek|Sqek]] ([[User talk:Sqek|talk]]) 14:17, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
:A joke. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.115.4|172.70.115.4]] 14:54, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

The second last paragraph is extremely confusing. Someone should fix it. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.38|162.158.203.38]] 15:17, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

I have removed the paragraph referenced in the above comment; it was confusing, and seemed focused on explaining the reasons for cicadas having prime-numbered year cycles. While this is interesting, it is not relevant to understanding any of the jokes, especially since two helpful links to periodical cicadas and Brood X were already included earlier in the article. Parties interested in learning cicada facts may follow those links; to explain the joke, it is enough to acknowledge that periodical cicadas are a thing, not explore the ecology or evolution of such a trait. If I overstepped, feel free to reinstate with a clearer explanation. [[User:Dextrous Fred|Dextrous Fred]] ([[User talk:Dextrous Fred|talk]]) 16:16, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

== I just got a message from the Odd Perfect Number hotline! ==

I was trying to explain to someone today that the question of whether there are any {{w|odd number|odd}} {{w|perfect number}}s is an open problem, so I asked {{w|Google Assistant}} and was informed that https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.07176 proves that there aren't! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.235|162.158.166.235]] 21:15, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

== Cosmic Ray Phenomena ==
When I started reading the comic, I was sure it's referring to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_ray_visual_phenomena cosmic ray phenomena]. Reading further it made less sense, though I feel it should be mentioned in this explanation.

== Trivia: US UFO helpline ==

AFAIK you can only report UFOs to the ''Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group'' (AOIMSG) if you're in the military. They really want to have sensor data, too. But with a smartphone, you can get apps to identify astronomical objects or airplanes by pointing your phone at them. metabunk.org does a lot of UFO identification. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.76|162.158.203.76]] 11:07, 16 June 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2633: Astronomer Hotline

2022-06-16T11:07:40Z

162.158.203.76: /* Trivia: US UFO helpline */ new section

Someone really needs to check on the bot. This is the second day in a row where I have had to begin the article! [[User:SqueakSquawk4|SqueakSquawk4]] ([[User talk:SqueakSquawk4|talk]]) 13:06, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

The fact that this is the Astronomer Helpline seems like commentary on the frequency with which astronomers are asked about mysterious objects, and/or the fact that astronomers (who tend to spend a lot of time looking at the sky) rarely report seeing unidentified objects. It could also be noted that calling fireflies a UFO would technically be accurate, as they are objects which are flying that the observers apparently could not readily identify. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.82.121|172.71.82.121]] 13:36, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
:There is about 2000 species of fireflies. OF COURSE I can't identify which one it is, considering it's so dark I only see the light. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 18:22, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

Title text probably referes to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodical_cicadas Periodical cicadas] that appears every 17 years.
[[Special:Contributions/172.71.98.99|172.71.98.99]] 13:58, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

As someone from a country without fireflies, is "Ground Stars" a normal word for fireflies or a joke? (similar to how planets are "wandering stars", so to an astronomer everything is a star, similar to [[2017: Stargazing 2]]) [[User:Sqek|Sqek]] ([[User talk:Sqek|talk]]) 14:17, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
:A joke. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.115.4|172.70.115.4]] 14:54, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

The second last paragraph is extremely confusing. Someone should fix it. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.38|162.158.203.38]] 15:17, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

I have removed the paragraph referenced in the above comment; it was confusing, and seemed focused on explaining the reasons for cicadas having prime-numbered year cycles. While this is interesting, it is not relevant to understanding any of the jokes, especially since two helpful links to periodical cicadas and Brood X were already included earlier in the article. Parties interested in learning cicada facts may follow those links; to explain the joke, it is enough to acknowledge that periodical cicadas are a thing, not explore the ecology or evolution of such a trait. If I overstepped, feel free to reinstate with a clearer explanation. [[User:Dextrous Fred|Dextrous Fred]] ([[User talk:Dextrous Fred|talk]]) 16:16, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

== I just got a message from the Odd Perfect Number hotline! ==

I was trying to explain to someone today that the question of whether there are any {{w|odd number|odd}} {{w|perfect number}}s is an open problem, so I asked {{w|Google Assistant}} and was informed that https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.07176 proves that there aren't! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.235|162.158.166.235]] 21:15, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

== Cosmic Ray Phenomena ==
When I started reading the comic, I was sure it's referring to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_ray_visual_phenomena cosmic ray phenomena]. Reading further it made less sense, though I feel it should be mentioned in this explanation.

== Trivia: US UFO helpline ==

AFAIK you can only report UFOs to the ''Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group'' (AOIMSG) if you're in the military. They really want to have sensor data, too. But with a smatphone, you can get apps to identify astronomical objects or airplanes by pointing your phone at them. metabunk.org does a lot of UFO identification. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.76|162.158.203.76]] 11:07, 16 June 2022 (UTC)

2614: 2

2022-05-04T22:50:42Z

162.158.203.76: revert vandalism to latest good version

{{comic
| number = 261Ϫ
| date = May Ϫth, 202Ϫ
| title = Nostalgic Critique
| image = Doug_Walker_and_Mike_Mozart_%2815132005215%29.jpg
| titletext = Hello, I'm the Nostalgia Critic, I remember it so you don't have to.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by 2 squared - Please change this comment when editing this page. The titletext needs to be worked in there, but I think I got everything else in some sort of order, pending general improvements. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

'''The Nostalgia Critic''' is an American review comedy web series created, directed by and starring web comedian Douglas "Doug" Walker. The series initially launched on YouTube on July 3, 2007, before moving to Walker's own site, That Guy with the Glasses, then to Channel Awesome. The show follows Walker as the title character, a bitter and sarcastic critic who mostly reviews films and television shows from his childhood and recent past, usually with comically exaggerated rage. The show often alternates the Critic's angry rants and humor with analysis of the episode's subject. Some of the films he reviewed (such as Exorcist II: The Heretic, The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, and Batman & Robin) are generally considered as the worst films ever made.

Walker briefly retired the series on August 14, 2012, to work on other projects, even writing the character out of existence in the Channel Awesome film To Boldly Flee. On January 22, 2013, Walker announced the show's return in a narrative video called "The Review Must Go On". The show subsequently returned with a more narrative and sketch-driven sixth season, beginning on February 5, 2013, with a review of The Odd Life of Timothy Green. Most episodes still retain the original clip using format.

'''Fingerboys''' are a species of monstrous soyjak that draw inspiration from modern horror games such as slenderman and other games popular with streamers. They have been sighted in Capitol Reef National Park.

They are very dangerous to the average Soyjak, but sometimes juvenile fingerboys are taken out of the nests for food. The hunting of their babies has led to an increase in fingerboy attacks. The only Soyjak that has been capable of defeating an adult fingerboy in unarmed combat is Swolesome Soyjak.

There is evidence that Fingerboys may have a weakness to Sproke. It is also possible that prolonged exposure to Sproke can cause harmful mutations in Fingerboys.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Melvin, Melvin, brother of the Joker! Melvin, Melvin, brother of the Joker! Melvin, Melvin, brother of the Joker! I’m cool! Hello! Hi, I am Melvin, the brother of the Joker! I'm sure a lot of you haven't heard of me...but, I am the brother of, yes the infamous Joker, y'know, 'why so serious' y’know, all that stuff...uh, actually I too have been working on my own catchphrase, um...Sploopity Sploosh! May not be as catchy, but uh I-I think it works. So, yeah! Alright uhh first of all I'd like to welcome all the newcomers to my blog, hello! Uh, hopefully we're going to talk a lot about evil! Lots of nasty evil evil! ...did I repeat myself- I guess it doesn't matter, umm, y'know cause evil does repeat itself, it's all about getting that massive....I dont know where I'm going with that. Anyway, okay, so uhh today's secret subject- or not secret it’s not- I mean this is all secret don’t tell anybody but, y’know today’s uh - big I should say, big subject is...Rayguns! Now, the th…. The thing about rayguns is that they are very very expensive as I found out! So- Mmmeeeelllvviiiiinnnn! ...So what you’re gonna wanna do, if you wanna get a raygun- Mmmmeellllvviiiiiinnnn!!!!! There-there’s uh, all sorts of rayguns that you can get! There’s um- Mmmmellllvvvviiiinnn what are you doing?! There’s uh- laser! Uh, there’s uh solar, There’s uh- Mmmeellllviiiiinnnn I want some hot chocolate. There’s uh, ones that fire bullets I guess that would just be a gun! There’s uh- Mmmelllllviiinnnnnn! Meeeellllllvviiiinnn!!! Little busy right now! Uh, there’s the ones that um, shoot raisins I haven’t seen that as much, uh, but they do exist I saw it on eBay! (Meeellvvviiiinnnnn!! Meeeelllllvvvviiiiin! Mmmeeeellllllvvviiiiiin! MelvIIIiiiiIIIIiiiIIIIiiiiIIIIiiiIIIIiiiiiIIIiiiinnn!) WHAT?! I’m thirsty, make me some hot chocolate! No, I’m busy! Busy doing what! I’m busy- that’s my um, uhh secretary, she is uh...very, very evil indeed! Mmmeellvviiin why haven’t you taken out the garbage yet! MOOOMM, PLEEEEASSEE DON’T ANNOY ME!!! Well then keep it down, Melvin! NO, I HAVE TO DO THIS MOM I- Keep it down, I’m trying to watch Glumbomerry Smetlock! I will try to keep it down, mother. Okay? Whaaat? I didn’t hear you. I SAID I WILL TRY TO KEEP IT DOWN- OWWWW YOU’RE HURTING MY EAARS MELVIN, YOU’RE HURTING MY EEAARS! So anyway! Such a failure! MOM!!! Why can’t you stop, I want my hot chocolate! I WILL NOT STOP, I NEED TO DO THIS MOM, I HAVE PEOPLE WATCHING! Oh wait, I had some hot chocolate the whole time! Where was I…? Isn’t that funny, Melvin? Oh, uh, r-r-r-rayguns! Yes, rayguns! Um, now, I have someone who is actually working on a raygun as we speak! ...And no it is not my mother…. I should probably address that! Uh, I do in fact live with my mother, I’m not ashamed to say that, uhh I just take a little longer to get going...uh, as opposed to other people. Uh, I see no shame in it...even though she constantly does. So, uh, basically what I would li- MEELLVIIN IT’S TOO HOT! [cut] Okay! I just slipped her about 50 vicodin so I think we’re good! Ahem, now one of the thi- MMEELLVIIN WHY IS THE ROOM SPINNING! My god, she’s like an ox! [cut] Okay, I just uh slipped a whole packet of nyquil into her milk, she’s gonna take a little nap now. Uh, so yeah, rayguns! Uh, I see a lot of villains using them, but um...let’s be honest, people. You don’t need them! Uh, what is it that a laser gun can do that a normal gun...can’t do! ...Destroy cities, sure, but if you get a gun that’s big enough...it could do that! I-I don’t know where you’d buy the bullets but I’m sure they’re out there! I’m sure they are out there - massive, massive bullets.... Okay maybe a raygun would be a very very good thing to get, I don’t know, uh...but, uh, I do not have the money for some, uh I’ve been debating whether or not how to uh, I’ve been uh, uh, thinking-thinking how to get uh, some-some-some bullets, uh, not bullets- god my mind I just can’t…. [Sighs] I’m sorry I just uh...I’ve just been under a lot of stress, you know, I uh...I still...haven’t gotten a job...y’know, uh…. What am I talking about, evil is my job! Yes, cause I am Melvin! The brother of the Joker! I-I- MEELLVIIIINNNN, MMELLVIIIIINNNNNN, MMMMMELLLLLVIIIIINNNNN!!!!! (She woke up, my god, how did she wake up? ) I’ll be in a minute, mom! So um, yeah, uh rayguns I don’t see the necessity of them! Such a failure! MOM!!! …So, uh, I do not see the necessity, uh, but I will somehow get one, I actually, I have a friend who was um, actually building me one, he uh- he works at circuit city I think I will just give him a call, right now! It’s ringing. Hey, B how you doin’! Melvin. The-th...Melvin Pothorn...the brother of the Joker? Yeah, yeah, that’s right haha I didn’t think you’d forget me! So, um, yeah how’s our uh, how’s our um, raygun doin’ there? Uh-huh. Oh what’d uh...I see. Well, does it still shoot lasers like we thought? Oh...Well, how large is it? 2 in- so that’s like, th-that could fit in my pocket. That’s not really a gun, that’s more of a toy. We-well what does it fire? It fires cashews. Well tha-that’s not gonna be very threatening to the...hero, is it? No it is not. I don’t care if the hero is allergic to nuts, it’s not gonna work! Okay, okay, calm down, calm down...I’m not talking to you I’m talking to me! N-no no I didn’t, I didn’t mean to yell at you, no-no I- no.... Do you really want me to sing it now, I...alright…. There’s a place, All over the world, Tonight. We will see each other, All throughout the night, Out of sight. Okay, so I can’t remember the words, alright? I-I-I don’t care! I-I y’know what? Y’know what? I don’t care, I don’t care, uh, I am evil and I’m going to destroy you, with or without your cashew gun. Goodbye! No- goodb-...yeah I’ll see you Tuesday. [Sigh] Kids! [cut] So yeah, um, I’m realizing this wasn’t a very good beginning, uh- uh blog, if you would, um, but uh my guess is that the next ones are gonna be better cause, uh, gonna do a lot more robbing, a lot more uh, uh stealing of things, and maybe, just maybe, I might pants somebody. Huh? Maybe a uh, certain somebody with pointed ears and wears, uh, all black? That’s right! The Human Ant, I’m gonna get him! Yeah…. Okay, Human Ant he’s not as big as someone like Batman or Superman but he is still a very impressive superhero! I mean, I-I don’t think it matters that he lives right next door to me, I think that’s still very very impressive- I know a superhero that can obliterate - no not obliterate that’s what I do - that can save people from me, uh, obliterating the world! Yes, yes, that is very impressive, I’m sure that’s a lot better than half the people you know! So, uh, just to reiterate: uh rayguns waste of time, uh, the human ant is my narch- arch, nemesis- god I can’t talk today, uhh, I think that’s it! Uh, this will be the first of many evilness that will be coming, so uh, again, this is Melvin, uh, brother of the Joker, signing off, and I- MMEELLLVIIIINNNNNN!!! MOM!!!!!! [cut] Come kiss me goodnight! Yeah, I’m comin’ mom! I’m comin’! Melvin, Melvin, brother of the Joker! Melvin, Melvin, brother of the Joker! Melvin, Melvin, brother of the Joker! I’m cool!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Doug Walker]]
[[Category:Nostalgia Critic]]
[[Category:Channel Awesome]]
[[Category:Soyjaks]]
[[Category:Fingerboys]]
[[Category:Religion]]

Talk:2587: For the Sake of Simplicity

2022-03-01T10:07:25Z

162.158.203.76:

--[[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 23:04, 28 February 2022 (UTC)
So many modern board games are made complex by complex rules, but remain simplistic. Go is very simple (grid of nineteen lines, two types of pieces, and about three rules, but is arguably the most inherently complex game in existence. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 23:04, 28 February 2022 (UTC)

Schwarzschild's radius of a mass is the radius of a black hole with equivalent mass. So a Swarchtnhsnthn orchid has similar space warping properties to a black hole. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.223|172.69.33.223]] 23:16, 28 February 2022 (UTC)

Why do people always mangle Schwarzschild's name? it's so appropriate for what he's famous for!

Oh. I just realized that it's the name of someone. As a German, I always assumed the term just refers to the radius of a "black shield" from which no light can escape. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.76|162.158.203.76]] 10:07, 1 March 2022 (UTC)