explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1697: Intervocalic Fortition

2021-02-04T17:57:30Z

162.158.255.130:

{{comic
| number = 1697
| date = June 22, 2016
| title = Interfocalic Fortition
| image = intervocalic_fortition.png
| titletext = These pranks happen all the time. English doesn't allow one-syllable words to end in a lax vowel, so writers on The Simpsons decided to mess with future linguists by introducing the word "meh."
}}

==Explanation==
The linguistic processes of {{w|lenition}} ("weakening") and {{w|fortition}} ("strengthening") refer to a sound becoming, respectively, either more or less vowel-like. {{w|Intervocalic}} means "between two vowels." An unvoiced consonant like ''f'' in between two vowels (which are {{w|Voicelessness#Voiceless_vowels_and_other_sonorants|almost always}} voiced) is more noticeable and takes more effort to pronounce than the voiced version ''v'' of the same sound in that position, so a change from ''v'' to ''f'' in this context would be an example of fortition. As a rule, however, lenition is much more common, and in fact one of the most common regular changes observed across languages is the kind of lenition that is the precise opposite of Cueball's prank: An unvoiced consonant between two vowels comes to be spoken, over time, as a voiced consonant, such as the middle consonant in the word "butter" that in American English is now pronounced as a brief {{w|alveolar tap}} [ɾ] rather than [t]. Observing a pattern of fortition rather than lenition in that position (especially for just one particular consonant) would be a very puzzling phenomenon to future linguists.

'''Examples for the suggested change are:'''
*''"Beafer"'' instead of ''beaver''
*''"Nofember"'' instead of ''November''
*''"Luffing"'' instead of ''loving''
*''"Aardfark"'' instead of ''aardvark''

In some languages, like German and Dutch, V is often pronounced like F. But it is not always the case.

The title text refers to the fact that English {{w|phonotactics}} [http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/169429/are-there-any-words-in-english-pronounced-with-e-at-the-end tend to discourage final or unstressed /ɛ/]. Exceptions tend to be monosyllabic interjections, such as:
*meh
*heh
*eh
*yeh

The word 'meh', is an interjection used to express boredom or indifference. The suggestion that it was originated by the writers of the animated TV show, {{w|The Simpsons}}, [http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2013/09/06/meh_etymology_tracing_the_yiddish_word_from_leo_rosten_to_auden_to_the_simpsons.html is incorrect]. However, its use surged in popularity following its use in various episodes of the show, beginning with the 1994 episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts".

This is the second time in 2016 that [[Randall]] tries to spread linguistic misinformation, the first being [[1677: Contrails]], but since both are in the My Hobby series it is not so strange.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball holding his hands in front of his mouth is whispering into his Cueball-like friend's ear. The friend turns his head towards Cueball.]
:Cueball: Psst - Teach your kids to pronounce V's in the middle of words as F's, but don't write down why you're doing it.
:Cueball: Pass it on.

:My hobby: Playing pranks on future linguists

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

2208: Drone Fishing

2019-10-01T17:11:50Z

162.158.255.130: abandoned by the Dutch -- but what about the paramilitary arm of Foulcault Falconry?

{{comic
| number = 2208
| date = September 27, 2019
| title = Drone Fishing
| image = drone_fishing.png
| titletext = Today's consumers who order their drones off the internet don't know the joy of going out in nature and returning with a drone that you caught yourself, whose angry owners you fought off with your own two hands.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LINE-CAUGHT DRONE. The explanation lacks sufficient references to additional drone catching techniques. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Another comic in the [[:Category:My Hobby|My Hobby]] series.

This comic is a parody of the traditional activity of fishing for fish. Typically, a person who is fishing will sit as [[Cueball]] does in this comic, by some body of water and wait for a fish to bite their cast line. However, some fisherman will use a kite to allow them to cast their line further in the water, and this is called "{{w|Kite fishing}}". But it is also possible to use drones for this, as in [https://youtu.be/8sdUZqOoAq4 "drone fishing."] Other methods for fishing drones instead of fish involve [https://youtu.be/TseOHDBZ8MA French Army falconry] training of [https://www.parismatch.com/Actu/Insolite/En-images-Les-aigles-plus-forts-que-les-drones-1186391 golden eagles] (a technique [https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/16767000/police-netherlands-eagles-rogue-drones abandoned] by Dutch police) and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvdKNBSWPyU firing nets from other drones.]

[[Randall]], however, is interpreting "Drone fishing" not as fishing ''with'' drones but as fishing ''for'' drones ("drone fishing" as in "lobster fishing"). In fact, what Cueball (or Randall) is doing, is kite fishing for drones, by flying a kite with fishhooks attached over some drone enthusiasts in hopes of snagging their drones. This is quite likely illegal, especially if Cueball were to "reel" the caught drone in. It seems like he has already caught two that lies in front of his feet. All the drones are of the {{w|quadcopter}} type, as they are called in [[1630: Quadcopter]].

The title text parodies a common line about fishing, about the "joy of going out in nature", catching fish, and the struggle of reeling in large fish. However, instead of being about fishing, Randall has replaced the line to be about catching drones, and fighting off their owners. Considering that the two drone owners beneath his kite are children, [[Science Girl]] and a Cueball like kid, clearly smaller than Cueball/Randall in the chair, this should not be so tough in the pictured case.

Both [[:Category:Drones|drones]] and [[:Category:Kites|kites]] are recurring themes in xkcd, see more in the [[#Trivia|trivia section]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is seated in a leaning chair, with a tackle box behind it and two drones lying on the ground in front of him. He is holding a fishing rod from which he is flying a kite on a long string. The kite is high up in the air and far away from Cueball. On the long string there are three smaller lines dangling below the string closer to the kite that to Cueball. Each line has six hooks evenly spread out, from a bit beneath the string to the end of the lines. Three quadcopter type drones are in the air nearby, with Science Girl and a Cueball-like kid standing right beneath the kite holding remote-controls for their respective drones. They are facing each other, the Cueball-like kid looking up, whereas Science Girl seems to be looking at the drone right in front of her, between and just above the kids. It has just begun to rise up as shown by lines beneath it. The two other drones are on either side of the kite line, both flying towards the hooks. Whoever controls the third drone must be off panel, and it is not clear which of those two the kid is controlling. The only text is a caption below the panel:]
:My Hobby: Drone Fishing

==Trivia==
*Recently drones have taken over from kites in xkcd, as this is the 10th drone related comics since the last one with a kite.
**At the time of the last kite comic, [[1756: I'm With Her]] there where 10 kites comics vs. 6 drone comics.
***Now it is 11 kite vs. 16 drone comics. Times are changing.
**This is only the second time the two are in the same comic, but in [[1608: Hoverboard]] the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/ae/1608_0970x1077y_Kite_and_weird_bug.png kite] and the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/7c/1608_0950x1084y_Quadcopters_over_lava_lake_right.png drones] were not in the same part of the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/cf/1608_full_tiny.png huge image].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]

[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Kites]]
[[Category:Drones]]

2208: Drone Fishing

2019-10-01T17:08:31Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ clarify

{{comic
| number = 2208
| date = September 27, 2019
| title = Drone Fishing
| image = drone_fishing.png
| titletext = Today's consumers who order their drones off the internet don't know the joy of going out in nature and returning with a drone that you caught yourself, whose angry owners you fought off with your own two hands.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LINE-CAUGHT DRONE. The explanation lacks sufficient references to various drone catching techniques, as the (mostly failed) experiment of [https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/16767000/police-netherlands-eagles-rogue-drones drone-hunting eagles]. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Another comic in the [[:Category:My Hobby|My Hobby]] series.

This comic is a parody of the traditional activity of fishing for fish. Typically, a person who is fishing will sit as [[Cueball]] does in this comic, by some body of water and wait for a fish to bite their cast line. However, some fisherman will use a kite to allow them to cast their line further in the water, and this is called "{{w|Kite fishing}}". But it is also possible to use drones for this, as in [https://youtu.be/8sdUZqOoAq4 "drone fishing."] Other methods for fishing drones instead of fish involve [https://youtu.be/TseOHDBZ8MA training] [https://www.parismatch.com/Actu/Insolite/En-images-Les-aigles-plus-forts-que-les-drones-1186391 eagles] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvdKNBSWPyU firing nets from other drones.]

[[Randall]], however, is interpreting "Drone fishing" not as fishing ''with'' drones but as fishing ''for'' drones ("drone fishing" as in "lobster fishing"). In fact, what Cueball (or Randall) is doing, is kite fishing for drones, by flying a kite with fishhooks attached over some drone enthusiasts in hopes of snagging their drones. This is quite likely illegal, especially if Cueball were to "reel" the caught drone in. It seems like he has already caught two that lies in front of his feet. All the drones are of the {{w|quadcopter}} type, as they are called in [[1630: Quadcopter]].

The title text parodies a common line about fishing, about the "joy of going out in nature", catching fish, and the struggle of reeling in large fish. However, instead of being about fishing, Randall has replaced the line to be about catching drones, and fighting off their owners. Considering that the two drone owners beneath his kite are children, [[Science Girl]] and a Cueball like kid, clearly smaller than Cueball/Randall in the chair, this should not be so tough in the pictured case.

Both [[:Category:Drones|drones]] and [[:Category:Kites|kites]] are recurring themes in xkcd, see more in the [[#Trivia|trivia section]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is seated in a leaning chair, with a tackle box behind it and two drones lying on the ground in front of him. He is holding a fishing rod from which he is flying a kite on a long string. The kite is high up in the air and far away from Cueball. On the long string there are three smaller lines dangling below the string closer to the kite that to Cueball. Each line has six hooks evenly spread out, from a bit beneath the string to the end of the lines. Three quadcopter type drones are in the air nearby, with Science Girl and a Cueball-like kid standing right beneath the kite holding remote-controls for their respective drones. They are facing each other, the Cueball-like kid looking up, whereas Science Girl seems to be looking at the drone right in front of her, between and just above the kids. It has just begun to rise up as shown by lines beneath it. The two other drones are on either side of the kite line, both flying towards the hooks. Whoever controls the third drone must be off panel, and it is not clear which of those two the kid is controlling. The only text is a caption below the panel:]
:My Hobby: Drone Fishing

==Trivia==
*Recently drones have taken over from kites in xkcd, as this is the 10th drone related comics since the last one with a kite.
**At the time of the last kite comic, [[1756: I'm With Her]] there where 10 kites comics vs. 6 drone comics.
***Now it is 11 kite vs. 16 drone comics. Times are changing.
**This is only the second time the two are in the same comic, but in [[1608: Hoverboard]] the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/ae/1608_0970x1077y_Kite_and_weird_bug.png kite] and the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/7c/1608_0950x1084y_Quadcopters_over_lava_lake_right.png drones] were not in the same part of the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/cf/1608_full_tiny.png huge image].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]

[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Kites]]
[[Category:Drones]]

Talk:2208: Drone Fishing

2019-10-01T17:07:23Z

162.158.255.130: respond

So kite fishing is a thing for recreational deep sea fishing. I think some people are experimenting with using drones instead of kites. I think I've also read about using a drone to allow long "casts" when shore fishing. This seems to be Randall just mixing all that up in a fun (?) way.
[[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.105|172.69.63.105]] 16:04, 27 September 2019 (UTC)

What kind of bait do you use to attract a drone, anyway? Or would you use some kind of electronic lure? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:01, 27 September 2019 (UTC)
:Perhaps no bait is required and you either wait for the drone to fly into the streaming lines and foul itself; or fly the kite in such a manner as to 'snag' the drone similar to the way one snags salmon during the mating runs. [[User:RAGBRAIvet|RAGBRAIvet]] ([[User talk:RAGBRAIvet|talk]]) 17:43, 29 September 2019 (UTC)

Isn't this comic a reference to How To? There was a comic in that book about fishing while suspended from drones. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.73|172.69.63.73]] 21:47, 27 September 2019 (UTC)

Could this comic possibly be a reference to [[2148: Cubesat Launch]]?--[[User:XRENEGADEx|XRENEGADEx]] ([[User talk:XRENEGADEx|talk]]) 23:11, 27 September 2019 (UTC)
:And/or the space junk removal experiments? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.143.18|172.68.143.18]] 03:23, 28 September 2019 (UTC)
::Those experiments are awesome. And Randall actually predicted one (kinda) by making a line go from solid to dotted at the right time, see trivia of [[1402: Harpoons]] --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:21, 30 September 2019 (UTC)

Nobody notices drone fishing is an actual thing? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.55.22|172.69.55.22]] 01:44, 28 September 2019 (UTC)

It isn't clear to me that this would be illegal, at least the "fishing" part, although caught drones would have to be returned. Unless the airspace has been reserved, kites and drones have equal access to the airspace. Perhaps the extra dangling strings could be seen as a deliberate attempt to trap drones, but any justification ("testing kite tail designs", "testing ion content in the air" etc.) could be sufficient to make these OK. Likewise, the kite owner could complain about the drones being "armed" with unjustifiably sharp propellers and such "designed" to damage the kite. Umm, are drone fights a thing (yet)?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.154|108.162.241.154]] 12:16, 28 September 2019 (UTC)
:Mini-drone racing has been a thing for years, but IRL fights are considered gauche in the extreme. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.134|172.69.22.134]] 16:51, 28 September 2019 (UTC)
: [http://unleashthebot.com/best-battle-drones/ Battle Drones] are a real thing. [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 04:13, 29 September 2019 (UTC)
:: What could possibly go wrong? Thank goodness income inequality is stabilizing globally. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.211|172.68.189.211]] 20:54, 29 September 2019 (UTC)

Alright ladies and gentlemen, I've come to [https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/16767000/police-netherlands-eagles-rogue-drones train eagles] and write content, and I'm [https://www.reddit.com/r/facepalm/comments/db5f2l/dutch_police_arrest_bird_for_participating_in/ all out of eagles.] [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.248|172.69.22.248]] 06:46, 30 September 2019 (UTC)

I believe 1523: Microdrones should be mentioned, as it also mentions stealing drones. [[User:Magic9mushroom|Magic9mushroom]] ([[User talk:Magic9mushroom|talk]]) 08:09, 30 September 2019 (UTC)

When I was much younger I remember seeing a documantary film where people use kites and hooks to "fish" for bats or megabats or fruit bats. However I don't remember where that scene has taken place. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.51.124|172.68.51.124]] 10:08, 30 September 2019 (UTC)
:Apperantly it is a interesting, but illegal (partly because fruit bats are endangered already), activity done in the philippines. [https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/publicaffairs/iwitness/246735/sandra-aguinaldo-explores-bat-fishing-on-i-witness/story/ See this source I found on Google.] --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 11:42, 30 September 2019 (UTC)

I feel like it would be much faster and easier to get a friend and string up some thin rope in-between the lines similar to barrage balloons. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.82|162.158.214.82]] 15:29, 30 September 2019 (UTC)

For fans of "Father Ted": are the characters on the right side small, or are they farther away? (I suppose either way makes for good fishing) rja.carnegie@excite.com [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.76|141.101.98.76]] 09:34, 1 October 2019 (UTC)
:They are kids. Science Girls and her friend. Not unusual for Randall to use kids in his comics, and then the small Cueball-like kid is of course not Cueball. This has been mentioned in the explanation and the transcript. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:03, 1 October 2019 (UTC)

Is it just me who, on reading the title "Drone fishing" started singing the Bing Crosby song "Gone Fishin'" - allusion to the popular phrase perhaps? --[[User:OliReading|OliReading]] ([[User talk:OliReading|talk]]) 12:35, 1 October 2019 (UTC)

I still feel like we should reference [https://what-if.xkcd.com/149/ What If? 149: Pizza Bird] which includes a discussion of what drones can do in the context of birds delivering pizza. But on reflection that does seem too tangental. Somehow, maybe as a short parenthetical? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.130|162.158.255.130]] 17:07, 1 October 2019 (UTC)

2202: Earth-Like Exoplanet

2019-09-14T00:59:34Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ hyphen

{{comic
| number = 2202
| date = September 13, 2019
| title = Earth-Like Exoplanet
| image = earth_like_exoplanet.png
| titletext = Fire is actually a potential biosignature, since it means something is filling the atmosphere with an unstable gas like oxygen. If we find a planet covered in flames, it might be an indicator that it supports life—or used to, anyway, before the fire.
}}

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

This comic is a reference to the recently discovered [https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49648746 exoplanet K2-18b], on which water vapor has been discovered. {{w|Extraterrestrial liquid water|Water}} is considered a biosignature, meaning it's an indicator that there could be life there. However, as Megan reveals the planet's other characteristics, it becomes clear that it is unlikely to actually support life, and in fact is actually a horrible hellscape. The question of habitability by higher forms of life is profoundly different than the way {{w|astrobiology|astrobiologists}} use the term for microbes. Even a smaller "survivable zone" doesn't help mitigate just how inhospitable this new wet planet would be to life as we know it, save for as-yet undiscovered {{w|extremophile}} organisms.

The planet being {{w|Tidal locking|tidally locked}} indicates that the same side would face the planet's star year-round, meaning half of the planet would be in constant day and the other half would be in constant night. Based on our (admittedly limited) understanding of life, {{w|abiogenesis}} can only occur in environments with liquid water; however, the day hemisphere would likely be so hot that all water found there would be in a gaseous state, and all water found in the night hemisphere would likely be frozen due to the sheer cold. If life were to be found on this exoplanet, it would be in the twilight strip, a thin ring around the edge separating the two hemispheres where sunlight can reach but is refracted by the atmosphere. The environment in the twilight strip would thus experience something akin to an eternal sunset, and temperatures there would be moderate enough to allow life to come about.

Unfortunately, the other characteristics of the exoplanet severely undermine our chances of finding life even in its twilight strip:
* [https://www.space.com/massive-stellar-flare-detected-from-distant-star.html Stellar flares] are ejections of energy and plasma from a star, and it's probable that a planet being blasted with these searing hot flares wouldn't readily support life.
* Meteors are chunks of material that enter a planet's atmosphere, and if the planet is "blasted" by them it is likely that many of them are impacting the surface, thus becoming meteorites. As we know from [https://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/Natural_Disasters/impacts.htm the extinction of the dinosaurs], meteorites can have a negative effect on a planet's habitability.
* Strong acids are present in some planetary atmospheres, [https://imaginecosmos.com/tag/sulfuric-acid/ including sulfuric acid in Venus's], and their hypothetical presence in the exoplanet's atmosphere would make life there even less likely. While life that evolves in a highly acidic environment might be able to withstand it, most life on Earth reacts poorly to strong acids.
* "Swinging blades" implies the entire surface of the planet is covered in some sort of continuously active blade trap or the like, which would be highly hazardous to the development of complex life. "Biosignatures in the form of screaming" suggests that any life that had developed on the planet would be in continuous pain or fear from the environmental conditions.

The title text mentions that fire could indicate the presence of oxygen, which is required for life on Earth. Here the joke is continued, since it's unlikely anything could survive on a flaming planet.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Side view of Megan standing behind a lectern, speaking to an audience:]
:Megan: We've discovered the most earth-like exoplanet yet!
:Off-screen (at least two audience members): Yay!!

:[Frontal view of Megan behind lectern:]
:Megan: Well, it's in the habitable zone. Habitable-ish. "Habitable."
:Megan: The survivable zone.

:[Frameless panel showing frontal view of Megan behind lectern with her left hand held out palm-side up:]
:Megan: It's tidally locked. And blasted with stellar flares. And probably meteors. And bathed in acid.

:[Closeup view of Megan, now holding up a finger on her left hand:]
:Megan: But we've detected water vapor! In between all the swinging blades.
:Off-screen: I see.
:Megan: We're hoping to find biosignatures in the form of screaming.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]][[Category:Exoplanets]]

2202: Earth-Like Exoplanet

2019-09-14T00:58:58Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ reword

{{comic
| number = 2202
| date = September 13, 2019
| title = Earth-Like Exoplanet
| image = earth_like_exoplanet.png
| titletext = Fire is actually a potential biosignature, since it means something is filling the atmosphere with an unstable gas like oxygen. If we find a planet covered in flames, it might be an indicator that it supports life—or used to, anyway, before the fire.
}}

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

This comic is a reference to the recently discovered [https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49648746 exoplanet K2-18b], on which water vapor has been discovered. {{w|Extraterrestrial liquid water|Water}} is considered a biosignature, meaning it's an indicator that there could be life there. However, as Megan reveals the planet's other characteristics, it becomes clear that it is unlikely to actually support life, and in fact is actually a horrible hellscape. The question of habitability by higher forms of life is profoundly different than the way {{w|astrobiology|astrobiologists}} use the term for microbes. Even a smaller "survivable zone" doesn't help mitigate just how inhospitable this new wet planet would be to life as we know it, save for as yet undiscovered {{w|extremophile}} organisms.

The planet being {{w|Tidal locking|tidally locked}} indicates that the same side would face the planet's star year-round, meaning half of the planet would be in constant day and the other half would be in constant night. Based on our (admittedly limited) understanding of life, {{w|abiogenesis}} can only occur in environments with liquid water; however, the day hemisphere would likely be so hot that all water found there would be in a gaseous state, and all water found in the night hemisphere would likely be frozen due to the sheer cold. If life were to be found on this exoplanet, it would be in the twilight strip, a thin ring around the edge separating the two hemispheres where sunlight can reach but is refracted by the atmosphere. The environment in the twilight strip would thus experience something akin to an eternal sunset, and temperatures there would be moderate enough to allow life to come about.

Unfortunately, the other characteristics of the exoplanet severely undermine our chances of finding life even in its twilight strip:
* [https://www.space.com/massive-stellar-flare-detected-from-distant-star.html Stellar flares] are ejections of energy and plasma from a star, and it's probable that a planet being blasted with these searing hot flares wouldn't readily support life.
* Meteors are chunks of material that enter a planet's atmosphere, and if the planet is "blasted" by them it is likely that many of them are impacting the surface, thus becoming meteorites. As we know from [https://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/Natural_Disasters/impacts.htm the extinction of the dinosaurs], meteorites can have a negative effect on a planet's habitability.
* Strong acids are present in some planetary atmospheres, [https://imaginecosmos.com/tag/sulfuric-acid/ including sulfuric acid in Venus's], and their hypothetical presence in the exoplanet's atmosphere would make life there even less likely. While life that evolves in a highly acidic environment might be able to withstand it, most life on Earth reacts poorly to strong acids.
* "Swinging blades" implies the entire surface of the planet is covered in some sort of continuously active blade trap or the like, which would be highly hazardous to the development of complex life. "Biosignatures in the form of screaming" suggests that any life that had developed on the planet would be in continuous pain or fear from the environmental conditions.

The title text mentions that fire could indicate the presence of oxygen, which is required for life on Earth. Here the joke is continued, since it's unlikely anything could survive on a flaming planet.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Side view of Megan standing behind a lectern, speaking to an audience:]
:Megan: We've discovered the most earth-like exoplanet yet!
:Off-screen (at least two audience members): Yay!!

:[Frontal view of Megan behind lectern:]
:Megan: Well, it's in the habitable zone. Habitable-ish. "Habitable."
:Megan: The survivable zone.

:[Frameless panel showing frontal view of Megan behind lectern with her left hand held out palm-side up:]
:Megan: It's tidally locked. And blasted with stellar flares. And probably meteors. And bathed in acid.

:[Closeup view of Megan, now holding up a finger on her left hand:]
:Megan: But we've detected water vapor! In between all the swinging blades.
:Off-screen: I see.
:Megan: We're hoping to find biosignatures in the form of screaming.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]][[Category:Exoplanets]]

2202: Earth-Like Exoplanet

2019-09-14T00:55:30Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ anticedent

{{comic
| number = 2202
| date = September 13, 2019
| title = Earth-Like Exoplanet
| image = earth_like_exoplanet.png
| titletext = Fire is actually a potential biosignature, since it means something is filling the atmosphere with an unstable gas like oxygen. If we find a planet covered in flames, it might be an indicator that it supports life—or used to, anyway, before the fire.
}}

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

This comic is a reference to the recently discovered [https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49648746 exoplanet K2-18b], on which water vapor has been discovered. {{w|Extraterrestrial liquid water|Water}} is considered a biosignature, meaning it's an indicator that there could be life there. However, as Megan reveals the planet's other characteristics, it becomes clear that it is unlikely to actually support life, and in fact is actually a horrible hellscape. The question of habitability by higher forms of life is profoundly different than the way {{w|astrobiology|astrobiologists}} use the term for microbes. Even a smaller "survivable zone" doesn't help mitigate just how inhospitable this new wet planet would be to any forms of life other than {{w|extremophile}} organisms.

The planet being {{w|Tidal locking|tidally locked}} indicates that the same side would face the planet's star year-round, meaning half of the planet would be in constant day and the other half would be in constant night. Based on our (admittedly limited) understanding of life, {{w|abiogenesis}} can only occur in environments with liquid water; however, the day hemisphere would likely be so hot that all water found there would be in a gaseous state, and all water found in the night hemisphere would likely be frozen due to the sheer cold. If life were to be found on this exoplanet, it would be in the twilight strip, a thin ring around the edge separating the two hemispheres where sunlight can reach but is refracted by the atmosphere. The environment in the twilight strip would thus experience something akin to an eternal sunset, and temperatures there would be moderate enough to allow life to come about.

Unfortunately, the other characteristics of the exoplanet severely undermine our chances of finding life even in its twilight strip:
* [https://www.space.com/massive-stellar-flare-detected-from-distant-star.html Stellar flares] are ejections of energy and plasma from a star, and it's probable that a planet being blasted with these searing hot flares wouldn't readily support life.
* Meteors are chunks of material that enter a planet's atmosphere, and if the planet is "blasted" by them it is likely that many of them are impacting the surface, thus becoming meteorites. As we know from [https://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/Natural_Disasters/impacts.htm the extinction of the dinosaurs], meteorites can have a negative effect on a planet's habitability.
* Strong acids are present in some planetary atmospheres, [https://imaginecosmos.com/tag/sulfuric-acid/ including sulfuric acid in Venus's], and their hypothetical presence in the exoplanet's atmosphere would make life there even less likely. While life that evolves in a highly acidic environment might be able to withstand it, most life on Earth reacts poorly to strong acids.
* "Swinging blades" implies the entire surface of the planet is covered in some sort of continuously active blade trap or the like, which would be highly hazardous to the development of complex life. "Biosignatures in the form of screaming" suggests that any life that had developed on the planet would be in continuous pain or fear from the environmental conditions.

The title text mentions that fire could indicate the presence of oxygen, which is required for life on Earth. Here the joke is continued, since it's unlikely anything could survive on a flaming planet.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Side view of Megan standing behind a lectern, speaking to an audience:]
:Megan: We've discovered the most earth-like exoplanet yet!
:Off-screen (at least two audience members): Yay!!

:[Frontal view of Megan behind lectern:]
:Megan: Well, it's in the habitable zone. Habitable-ish. "Habitable."
:Megan: The survivable zone.

:[Frameless panel showing frontal view of Megan behind lectern with her left hand held out palm-side up:]
:Megan: It's tidally locked. And blasted with stellar flares. And probably meteors. And bathed in acid.

:[Closeup view of Megan, now holding up a finger on her left hand:]
:Megan: But we've detected water vapor! In between all the swinging blades.
:Off-screen: I see.
:Megan: We're hoping to find biosignatures in the form of screaming.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]][[Category:Exoplanets]]

2202: Earth-Like Exoplanet

2019-09-14T00:53:58Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ extremophiles

{{comic
| number = 2202
| date = September 13, 2019
| title = Earth-Like Exoplanet
| image = earth_like_exoplanet.png
| titletext = Fire is actually a potential biosignature, since it means something is filling the atmosphere with an unstable gas like oxygen. If we find a planet covered in flames, it might be an indicator that it supports life—or used to, anyway, before the fire.
}}

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

This comic is a reference to the recently discovered [https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49648746 exoplanet K2-18b], on which water vapor has been discovered. {{w|Extraterrestrial liquid water|Water}} is considered a biosignature, meaning it's an indicator that there could be life there. However, as Megan reveals the planet's other characteristics, it becomes clear that it is unlikely to actually support life, and in fact is actually a horrible hellscape. The question of habitability by higher forms of life is profoundly different than the way {{w|astrobiology|astrobiologists}} use it for microbes. Even a smaller "survivable zone" doesn't help mitigate just how inhospitable this new wet planet would be to any forms of life other than {{w|extremophile}} organisms.

The planet being {{w|Tidal locking|tidally locked}} indicates that the same side would face the planet's star year-round, meaning half of the planet would be in constant day and the other half would be in constant night. Based on our (admittedly limited) understanding of life, {{w|abiogenesis}} can only occur in environments with liquid water; however, the day hemisphere would likely be so hot that all water found there would be in a gaseous state, and all water found in the night hemisphere would likely be frozen due to the sheer cold. If life were to be found on this exoplanet, it would be in the twilight strip, a thin ring around the edge separating the two hemispheres where sunlight can reach but is refracted by the atmosphere. The environment in the twilight strip would thus experience something akin to an eternal sunset, and temperatures there would be moderate enough to allow life to come about.

Unfortunately, the other characteristics of the exoplanet severely undermine our chances of finding life even in its twilight strip:
* [https://www.space.com/massive-stellar-flare-detected-from-distant-star.html Stellar flares] are ejections of energy and plasma from a star, and it's probable that a planet being blasted with these searing hot flares wouldn't readily support life.
* Meteors are chunks of material that enter a planet's atmosphere, and if the planet is "blasted" by them it is likely that many of them are impacting the surface, thus becoming meteorites. As we know from [https://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/Natural_Disasters/impacts.htm the extinction of the dinosaurs], meteorites can have a negative effect on a planet's habitability.
* Strong acids are present in some planetary atmospheres, [https://imaginecosmos.com/tag/sulfuric-acid/ including sulfuric acid in Venus's], and their hypothetical presence in the exoplanet's atmosphere would make life there even less likely. While life that evolves in a highly acidic environment might be able to withstand it, most life on Earth reacts poorly to strong acids.
* "Swinging blades" implies the entire surface of the planet is covered in some sort of continuously active blade trap or the like, which would be highly hazardous to the development of complex life. "Biosignatures in the form of screaming" suggests that any life that had developed on the planet would be in continuous pain or fear from the environmental conditions.

The title text mentions that fire could indicate the presence of oxygen, which is required for life on Earth. Here the joke is continued, since it's unlikely anything could survive on a flaming planet.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Side view of Megan standing behind a lectern, speaking to an audience:]
:Megan: We've discovered the most earth-like exoplanet yet!
:Off-screen (at least two audience members): Yay!!

:[Frontal view of Megan behind lectern:]
:Megan: Well, it's in the habitable zone. Habitable-ish. "Habitable."
:Megan: The survivable zone.

:[Frameless panel showing frontal view of Megan behind lectern with her left hand held out palm-side up:]
:Megan: It's tidally locked. And blasted with stellar flares. And probably meteors. And bathed in acid.

:[Closeup view of Megan, now holding up a finger on her left hand:]
:Megan: But we've detected water vapor! In between all the swinging blades.
:Off-screen: I see.
:Megan: We're hoping to find biosignatures in the form of screaming.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]][[Category:Exoplanets]]

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T13:38:08Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ alternative possibilities

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In the comic, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain in a remote location. He sees a Wifi network name listed on his handheld device, perhaps a cellular telephone. Cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} (or Wifi) network names, called SSIDs, are the source of a joke about not knowing where the corresponding {{w|wireless router}} is located, suggesting they are unexplained phenomenon of some sort instead of wireless radio devices. The  history of WiFi spans [https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/20-years-of-wi-fi 20 years] as a subsequent but not successor development to 1990s short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}} and 1980s wireless internet broadband protocols like {{w|KA9Q}}. Some of earliest {{w|Internet of Things}} (IoT) devices, including printers and {{w|internet}} routers, advertised cryptic SSIDs. [https://techtalk.gfi.com/the-31-funniest-ssids-ive-ever-seen/ Humorous SSID names] are not uncommon.

The name of the network displayed, called its {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID, which stands for "service set,"}} is "Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ" -- 33 characters long, which is one character more than are allowed. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate manufacturing many products including untold multitudes of different kinds of printers over the years. Such devices often have embedded {{w|wireless access point|wireless access points}} including the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which has a sub-model number or operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ. That "Hz" is an abbreviation for {{w|Hertz}} suggests that designation may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the transmitting device operates. We don't know whether the SSID is connected to a network of more than one or is just one device. While the most likely explanation might be a printer plugged in somewhere nearby, other possibilities include a television, speaker, pacemaker, refrigerator, alarm system, fashion accessory, hobby project, surveillance device, vending machine, autonomous exoskeleton, visiting interstellar civilization, interstate power-to-gas pipeline valve, or any other "thing" in the IoT. Sometimes, the {{w|ionosphere}} reflects radio waves, vastly increasing the distance that they can travel to and from remote locations. The padlock icon indicates that a password is required to communicate.

Network names can be used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like [https://wigle.net/ wigle.net]. The {{w|Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for Wifi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes Wifi technologies come from different committees, like {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and depends on {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}. Alternatives include [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 bluetooth mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} to provide internet connectivity services.

The title text says that the first Wifi networking client displayed an unexpected SSID listed alongside the expected entries. If true, this could potentially rule out all of the alternative explanations other than an alien visitation, time travel, or the supernatural.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T13:30:06Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ tighten

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In the comic, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain in a remote location. He sees a Wifi network name listed on his handheld device, perhaps a cellular telephone. Cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} (or Wifi) network names, called SSIDs, are the source of a joke about not knowing where the corresponding {{w|wireless router}} is located, suggesting they are unexplained phenomenon of some sort instead of wireless radio devices. The  history of WiFi spans [https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/20-years-of-wi-fi 20 years] as a subsequent but not successor development to 1990s short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}} and 1980s wireless internet broadband protocols like {{w|KA9Q}}. Some of earliest {{w|Internet of Things}} (IoT) devices, including printers and {{w|internet}} routers, advertised cryptic SSIDs. [https://techtalk.gfi.com/the-31-funniest-ssids-ive-ever-seen/ Humorous SSID names] are not uncommon.

The name of the network displayed, called its {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID, which stands for "service set,"}} is "Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ" -- 33 characters long, which is one character more than are allowed. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate manufacturing many products including untold multitudes of different kinds of printers over the years. Such devices often have embedded {{w|wireless access point|wireless access points}} including the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which has a sub-model number or operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ. That "Hz" is an abbreviation for {{w|Hertz}} suggests that designation may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the transmitting device operates. We don't know whether the SSID is connected to a network of more than one or is just one device. While the most likely explanation might be a printer plugged in somewhere nearby, other possibilities include a television, speaker, pacemaker, refrigerator, alarm system, fashion accessory, hobby project, surveillance device, vending machine, autonomous exoskeleton, visiting interstellar civilization, interstate power-to-gas pipeline valve, or any other "thing" in the IoT. Sometimes, the {{w|ionosphere}} reflects radio waves, vastly increasing the distance that they can travel to and from remote locations.

Network names can be used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like [https://wigle.net/ wigle.net]. The {{w|Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for Wifi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes Wifi technologies come from different committees, like {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}. Alternatives include [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 bluetooth mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} to provide internet connectivity services.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T13:24:41Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ save work

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In the comic, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain in a remote location. He sees a Wifi network name listed on his handheld device, perhaps a cellular telephone. Cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} (or Wifi) network names, called SSIDs, are the source of a joke about not knowing where the corresponding {{w|wireless router}} is located, suggesting they are unexplained phenomenon of some sort instead of wireless radio devices. The  history of WiFi spans [https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/20-years-of-wi-fi 20 years] as a subsequent but not successor development to 1990s short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}} and 1980s wireless internet broadband protocols like {{w|KA9Q}}. Some of earliest {{w|Internet of Things}} (IoT) devices, including printers and {{w|internet}} routers, advertised cryptic SSIDs. [https://techtalk.gfi.com/the-31-funniest-ssids-ive-ever-seen/ Humorous SSID names] are not uncommon.

The name of the network displayed, called its {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID, which stands for "service set,"}} is "Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ" -- 33 characters long, which is one character more than are allowed. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate manufacturing many products including hundreds of different kinds of printers. Such devices often have embedded {{w|wireless access point|wireless access points}} including the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which has a sub-model number or operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ. That "Hz" is an abbreviation for {{w|Hertz}} suggests that the designation may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the transmitting device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate. We don't know whether the SSID is a network of more than one or just one device. While the most likely explanation might be a printer plugged in somewhere nearby, other possibilities include a television, speaker, pacemaker, refrigerator, alarm system, fashion accessory, hobby project, surveillance device, vending machine, autonomous exoskeleton, hypothetical visiting interstellar civilization, interstate power-to-gas pipeline valve, or any other "thing" in the IoT. Sometimes, the {{w|ionosphere}} reflects radio waves, vastly increasing the distance that they can travel to and from remote locations far from the crowded radio frequency landscapes.

Network names can be used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like [https://wigle.net/ wigle.net]. The {{w|Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for Wifi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes Wifi technologies come from different committees, like {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}. Alternatives include [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 bluetooth mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} to provide internet connectivity services.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T13:14:33Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ other examples

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In the comic, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain in a remote location. He sees a Wifi network name listed on his handheld device, perhaps a cellular telephone. Cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} (or Wifi) network names, called SSIDs, are the source of a joke about not knowing where the corresponding {{w|wireless router}} is located, suggesting they are unexplained phenomenon of some sort instead of wireless networks or devices. [https://techtalk.gfi.com/the-31-funniest-ssids-ive-ever-seen/ Humorous SSID names] are not uncommon.

The  history of WiFi spans [https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/20-years-of-wi-fi 20 years] as a subsequent but not successor development to 1990s short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}} and 1980s wireless internet broadband protocols like {{w|KA9Q}}. Some of earliest {{w|Internet of Things}} (IoT) devices connected to Wifi networks advertised cryptic SSIDs. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on WiFi technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network displayed, called its {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID, which stands for "service set,"}}) is "Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ" -- 33 characters long, which is one character more than are allowed. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate manufacturing many products including hundreds of different kinds of printers. Such devices often have embedded {{w|wireless access point|wireless access points}} including the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which has a sub-model number or operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ. That "Hz" is an abbreviation for {{w|Hertz}} suggests that the designation may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the transmitting device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate. We don't know whether the SSID is a network of more than one or just one device. While the most likely explanation might be a printer plugged in somewhere nearby, other possibilities include a television, speaker, pacemaker, refrigerator, alarm system, fashion accessory, hobby project, surveillance device, vending machine, autonomous exoskeleton, hypothetical visiting interstellar civilization, interstate power-to-gas pipeline valve, or any other "thing" in the IoT. Sometimes, the {{w|ionosphere}} reflects radio waves, vastly increasing the distance that they can travel to and from remote locations far from the crowded radio frequency landscapes.

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO#Mathematical description|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T13:07:26Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ deets

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In the comic, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain in a remote location. He sees a Wifi network name listed on his handheld device, perhaps a cellular telephone. Cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} (or Wifi) network names, called SSIDs, are the source of a joke about not knowing where the corresponding {{w|wireless router}} is located, suggesting they are unexplained phenomenon of some sort instead of wireless networks or devices. [https://techtalk.gfi.com/the-31-funniest-ssids-ive-ever-seen/ Humorous SSID names] are not uncommon.

The  history of WiFi spans [https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/20-years-of-wi-fi 20 years] as a subsequent but not successor development to 1990s short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}} and 1980s wireless internet broadband protocols like {{w|KA9Q}}. Some of earliest {{w|Internet of Things}} (IoT) devices connected to Wifi networks advertised cryptic SSIDs. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on WiFi technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network displayed (or {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID, which stands for "service set,"}}) is "Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ" which is 33 characters long, or one character more than is allowed in SSIDs. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate manufacturing many products including hundreds of different kinds of printers. Such devices often have embedded {{w|wireless access point|wireless access points}} including the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ, which is a number reminiscent of frequency, and may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the hypothetical device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate. We don't know whether the SSID is a network of more than one or just one device like a printer, television, speaker, pacemaker, refrigerator, alarm system, fashion accessory, hobby project, surveillance device, vending machine, autonomous exoskeleton, or any other "thing" in the IoT. Sometimes, the {{w|ionosphere}} reflects radio waves, vastly increasing the distance that they can travel to and from remote locations far from the crowded radio frequency landscapes.

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO#Mathematical description|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T13:04:59Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ save work

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In the comic, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain. Checking his phone, he sees a Wifi network name listed on his handheld device in a remote mountainous location. Cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} (or Wifi) network names, called SSIDs, are the source of a joke about not knowing where the corresponding {{w|wireless router}} is located, suggesting they are unexplained phenomenon of some sort instead of wireless networks or devices.

The  history of WiFi spans [https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/20-years-of-wi-fi 20 years] as a subsequent but not successor development to 1990s short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}} and 1980s wireless internet broadband protocols like {{w|KA9Q}}. Some of earliest {{w|Internet of Things}} (IoT) devices connected to Wifi networks advertised cryptic SSIDs. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on WiFi technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network displayed (or {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID, which stands for "service set,"}}) is "Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ" which is 33 characters long, or one character more than is allowed in SSIDs. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate manufacturing many products including hundreds of different kinds of printers. Such devices often have embedded {{w|wireless access point|wireless access points}} including the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ, which is a number reminiscent of frequency, and may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the hypothetical device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate. We don't know whether the SSID is a network of more than one or just one device like a printer, television, speaker, pacemaker, refrigerator, alarm system, fashion accessory, hobby project, surveillance device, vending machine, autonomous exoskeleton, or any other "thing" in the IoT. [https://techtalk.gfi.com/the-31-funniest-ssids-ive-ever-seen/ Humorous SSID names] are not uncommon. Sometimes, the {{w|ionosphere}} reflects radio waves, vastly increasing the distance that they can travel to and from remote locations far from the crowded radio frequency landscapes.

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO#Mathematical description|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T12:51:36Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ humor?

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

There are in many places cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} (or Wifi) networks that pop up in strange places and it may not be obvious where the router is located. In this comic, [[Randall]] is joking that those networks are an unexplained phenomenon (as opposed to the more probable explanation that they come from widespread servers or wireless devices).

In the picture, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain. Checking his phone, he sees a Wifi network in this remote location. While the  history of WiFi spans 20 years, manifesting as the subsequent but not successor to 1990s short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}} and 1980s wireless internet broadband protocols like {{w|KA9Q}}. Some of earliest {{w|Internet of Things}} (IoT) devices connected to Wifi networks advertising cryptic SSIDs. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on WiFi technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network displayed (or {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID, which stands for "service set,"}}) is "Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ" which is 33 characters long, or one character more than is allowed in SSIDs. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate manufacturing many products including hundreds of different kinds of printers. Such devices often have embedded {{w|wireless access point|wireless access points}} including the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ, which is a number reminiscent of frequency, and may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the hypothetical device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate. We don't know whether the SSID is a network of more than one or just one device like a printer, television, speaker, pacemaker, refrigerator, alarm system, fashion accessory, hobby project, surveillance device, vending machine, autonomous exoskeleton, or any other "thing" in the IoT. [https://techtalk.gfi.com/the-31-funniest-ssids-ive-ever-seen/ Humorous SSID names] are not uncommon.

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO#Mathematical description|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T12:44:35Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ "service set" (SSID)

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

There are in many places cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} networks that pop up in strange places and it may not be obvious where the router is located. In this comic, [[Randall]] is joking that those networks are an unexplained phenomenon (as opposed to the more probable explanation that they come from widespread servers or wireless devices).

In the picture, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain. Checking his phone, he sees a WiFi network in this remote location. While the  history of WiFi spans 20 years, manifesting as the subsequent but not successor to 1990s short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}} and 1980s wireless internet broadband protocols like {{w|KA9Q}}. Some of earliest things from the {{w|Internet of Things}} connected to WiFi networks and advertising cryptic wireless network addresses were printers. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on WiFi technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network displayed (or {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID, which stands for "service set,"}}) is "Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ". {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate. Toshiba makes many products, including large office printers. It's very common for devices to have embedded {{w|wireless access point|wireless access points}} that include the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The maximum length of an SSID is 32, Randall's has 33 characters. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ, which is a number reminiscent of frequency, and may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the hypothetical device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate. We don't know whether the SSID is a network of more than one or just one device like a printer, television, speaker, pacemaker, refrigerator, alarm system, hobby project, surveillance device, vending machine, autonomous exoskeleton, or other .

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO#Mathematical description|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T12:40:11Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ typo

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

There are in many places cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} networks that pop up in strange places and it may not be obvious where the router is located. In this comic, [[Randall]] is joking that those networks are an unexplained phenomenon (as opposed to the more probable explanation that they come from widespread servers or wireless devices).

In the picture, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain. Checking his phone, he sees a WiFi network in this remote location. While the  history of WiFi spans 20 years, manifesting as the subsequent but not successor to 1990s short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}} and 1980s wireless internet broadband protocols like {{w|KA9Q}}. The earliest things from the {{w|Internet of Things}} connected to WiFi networks and advertising cryptic wireless network addresses tended to be printers. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on wireless network technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network (or {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID}}) is Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate. Toshiba makes many products, including large office printers. It's very common for devices to have embedded wireless access points that include the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The maximum length of an SSID is 32, Randall's has 33 characters. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ, which is a number reminiscent of frequency, and may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the hypothetical device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate. We don't know whether the SSID is a network of more than one or just one device.

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO#Mathematical description|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T12:37:59Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ comment link

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

There are in many places cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} networks that pop up in strange places and it may not be obvious where the router is located. In this comic, [[Randall]] is joking that those networks are an unexplained phenomenon (as opposed to the more probable explanation that they come from widespread servers or wireless devices).

In the picture, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain. Checking his phone, he sees a WiFi network in this remote location. While the  history of WiFi spans 20 years, manifesting as the subsequent but not successor to 1990s short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}} and 1980s wireless internet broadband protocols like {{w|KA9Q}}. The earliest things from the {{w|Internet of Things}} connected to WiFi networks and advertising cryptic wireless network addresses tended to be printers. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on wireless network technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network (or {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID}}) is Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate. Toshiba makes many products, including large office printers. It's very common for devices to have embedded wireless access points that include the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The maximum length of an SSID is 32, Randall's has 33 characters. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ, which is a number reminiscent of frequency, and may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the hypothetical device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate. We don't know whether the SSID is a network of more than one or just one device.

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO#Mathematical description|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} which is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T12:34:43Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ 80s and 90s

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

There are in many places cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} networks that pop up in strange places and it may not be obvious where the router is located. In this comic, [[Randall]] is joking that those networks are an unexplained phenomenon (as opposed to the more probable explanation that they come from widespread servers or wireless devices).

In the picture, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain. Checking his phone, he sees a WiFi network in this remote location. While the [https://www.wi-fi.org/download.php?file=/sites/default/files/private/Infographic_20_years_of_Wi-Fi_0.pdf history of WiFi spans 20 years,] manifesting as the subsequent but not successor to 1990s short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}} and 1980s wireless internet broadband protocols like {{w|KA9Q}}. The earliest things from the {{w|Internet of Things}} connected to WiFi networks and advertising cryptic wireless network addresses tended to be printers. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on wireless network technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network (or {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID}}) is Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate. Toshiba makes many products, including large office printers. It's very common for devices to have embedded wireless access points that include the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The maximum length of an SSID is 32, Randall's has 33 characters. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ, which is a number reminiscent of frequency, and may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the hypothetical device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate.

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO#Mathematical description|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} which is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T12:34:07Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ KA9Q

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

There are in many places cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} networks that pop up in strange places and it may not be obvious where the router is located. In this comic, [[Randall]] is joking that those networks are an unexplained phenomenon (as opposed to the more probable explanation that they come from widespread servers or wireless devices).

In the picture, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain. Checking his phone, he sees a WiFi network in this remote location. While the [https://www.wi-fi.org/download.php?file=/sites/default/files/private/Infographic_20_years_of_Wi-Fi_0.pdf history of WiFi spans 20 years,] manifesting as the subsequent but not successor to short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}} and 1980 wireless internet broadband protocols like {{w|KA9Q}}. The earliest things from the {{w|Internet of Things}} connected to WiFi networks and advertising cryptic wireless network addresses tended to be printers. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on wireless network technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network (or {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID}}) is Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate. Toshiba makes many products, including large office printers. It's very common for devices to have embedded wireless access points that include the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The maximum length of an SSID is 32, Randall's has 33 characters. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ, which is a number reminiscent of frequency, and may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the hypothetical device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate.

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO#Mathematical description|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} which is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T12:31:34Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ run-on sentence

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

There are in many places cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} networks that pop up in strange places and it may not be obvious where the router is located. In this comic, [[Randall]] is joking that those networks are an unexplained phenomenon (as opposed to the more probable explanation that they come from widespread servers or wireless devices).

In the picture, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain. Checking his phone, he sees a WiFi network in this remote location. While the [https://www.wi-fi.org/download.php?file=/sites/default/files/private/Infographic_20_years_of_Wi-Fi_0.pdf history of WiFi spans 20 years,] manifesting as the subsequent, but not successor, to short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}}. The earliest things from the {{w|Internet of Things}} connected to WiFi networks and advertising cryptic wireless network addresses tended to be printers. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on wireless network technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network (or {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID}}) is Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate. Toshiba makes many products, including large office printers. It's very common for devices to have embedded wireless access points that include the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The maximum length of an SSID is 32, Randall's has 33 characters. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ, which is a number reminiscent of frequency, and may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the hypothetical device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate.

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}}, designing the 60 GHz Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} working on {{w|MIMO#Mathematical description|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement. Sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} which is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T12:29:25Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ describe

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

There are in many places cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} networks that pop up in strange places and it may not be obvious where the router is located. In this comic, [[Randall]] is joking that those networks are an unexplained phenomenon (as opposed to the more probable explanation that they come from widespread servers or wireless devices).

In the picture, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain. Checking his phone, he sees a WiFi network in this remote location. While the [https://www.wi-fi.org/download.php?file=/sites/default/files/private/Infographic_20_years_of_Wi-Fi_0.pdf history of WiFi spans 20 years,] manifesting as the subsequent, but not successor, to short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}}. The earliest things from the {{w|Internet of Things}} connected to WiFi networks and advertising cryptic wireless network addresses tended to be printers. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on wireless network technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network (or {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID}}) is Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate. Toshiba makes many products, including large office printers. It's very common for devices to have embedded wireless access points that include the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The maximum length of an SSID is 32, Randall's has 33 characters. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ, which is a number reminiscent of frequency, and may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the hypothetical device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate.

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}} (Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) standard at 60 GHz) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} ({{w|MIMO#Mathematical description|multiple input, multiple output}} (MIMO) bandwidth enhancement) but sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} which is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T12:28:02Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ subcommittees

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

There are in many places cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} networks that pop up in strange places and it may not be obvious where the router is located. In this comic, [[Randall]] is joking that those networks are an unexplained phenomenon (as opposed to the more probable explanation that they come from widespread servers or wireless devices).

In the picture, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain. Checking his phone, he sees a WiFi network in this remote location. While the [https://www.wi-fi.org/download.php?file=/sites/default/files/private/Infographic_20_years_of_Wi-Fi_0.pdf history of WiFi spans 20 years,] manifesting as the subsequent, but not successor, to short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}}. The earliest things from the {{w|Internet of Things}} connected to WiFi networks and advertising cryptic wireless network addresses tended to be printers. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on wireless network technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network (or {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID}}) is Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate. Toshiba makes many products, including large office printers. It's very common for devices to have embedded wireless access points that include the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The maximum length of an SSID is 32, Randall's has 33 characters. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ, which is a number reminiscent of frequency, and may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the hypothetical device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate.

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}} (Multiple Gigabit Wireless System (MGWS) standard at 60 GHz) and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}} ({{w|MIMO#Mathematical description|multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO)}}bandwidth enhancement) but sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} which is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2199: Cryptic Wifi Networks

2019-09-07T12:23:51Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ IEEE

{{comic
| number = 2199
| date = September 6, 2019
| title = Cryptic Wifi Networks
| image = cryptic_wifi_networks.png
| titletext = They actually showed up on the first scan by the first WiFi-capable device.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

There are in many places cryptic {{w|Wi-Fi}} networks that pop up in strange places and it may not be obvious where the router is located. In this comic, [[Randall]] is joking that those networks are an unexplained phenomenon (as opposed to the more probable explanation that they come from widespread servers or wireless devices).

In the picture, a character with a knit cap is on top of a high mountain. Checking his phone, he sees a WiFi network in this remote location. While the [https://www.wi-fi.org/download.php?file=/sites/default/files/private/Infographic_20_years_of_Wi-Fi_0.pdf history of WiFi spans 20 years,] manifesting as the subsequent, but not successor, to short-range wireless networks like {{w|Bluetooth}}. The earliest things from the {{w|Internet of Things}} connected to WiFi networks and advertising cryptic wireless network addresses tended to be printers. Today, new [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20861948 mesh networks] and other {{w|wireless ad hoc network|''ad hoc'' networks}} are building on wireless network technology to provide internet connectivity services.

The name of the network (or {{w|Service set (802.11 network)|SSID}}) is Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ. {{w|Toshiba}} is a multinational electronics conglomerate. Toshiba makes many products, including large office printers. It's very common for devices to have embedded wireless access points that include the manufacturer name in the SSID. Many network names contain words like Net, Office or Link. The maximum length of an SSID is 32, Randall's has 33 characters. The code might indicate a model U2178 device from Toshiba named (or having an interface program named) OfficeLink, which operates on a wireless network designated 46UHZ, which is a number reminiscent of frequency, and may or may not have something to do with the frequency on which the hypothetical device operates, or on which it wishes it might some day operate.

Network names are used to track the geographic locations of mobile devices, for example in the {{w|Wi-Fi positioning system}}. Google {{w|street view}} equipment records locations of networks to assist with {{w|geolocation}}. {{w|Spyware}} such as "war-drivers" collects network location information, which can be searched in tools like https://wigle.net/ . The {{w| Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers}} (IEEE) committee number for WiFi is 802.11. That committee is composed of sub-committees such as {{w|IEEE 802.11ad|802.11ad}} and {{w|IEEE 802.11ay|802.11ay}}, but sometimes WiFi technologies come from different committees, such as {{w|IEEE 802.20}}. The {{w|List of router firmware projects|software which produces SSID listings}} which is administered by {{w|List of wireless community networks by region|network communities}} and {{w|Wireless mesh network|mesh configurations}}.

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

:[A human with a knit cap and a backpack is checking his phone at the highest mountain in a mountainous landscape.]

:Phone: Available WiFi Networks
:Phone: Toshiba-U2187-OfficeLink-Net46UHZ
:Phone: [in gray] Join other network

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Tech Trivia: No one actually knows what devices produce those cryptic WiFi networks. They just appear at random across the Earth's surface.

{{comic discussion}}

2198: Throw

2019-09-05T21:57:39Z

162.158.255.130: /* Throwers and throw items */

{{comic
| number = 2198
| date = September 3, 2019
| title = Throw
| image = throw.png
| titletext = The keys to successfully throwing a party are location, planning, and one of those aircraft carrier steam catapults.
}}
<div class="toclimit-3">{{TOC}}</div>
*To experience the interactivity of this game, visit the {{xkcd|2198|original comic}}.
==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THOR, GOD OF THUNDER. Add the equation for throwing? Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is an interactive comic made to celebrate the release of [[Randall|Randall's]] new book, ''[[How To]]''. The comic is based on a chapter in the book.

As the comic celebrates the book, which was released on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019, the comic was thus also released on a [[:Category:Tuesday comics|Tuesday]] to coincide with the release day, replacing that week's normal Wednesday release. This was the same timing used for another of Randall's book releases, when [[1608: Hoverboard]] came out on the Tuesday when [[Thing Explainer]] came out. Although the Hoverboard comic is much more complex than this one, they are both [[:Category:Dynamic comics|dynamic]] and [[:Category:Interactive comics|interactive]], with [[:Category:Comics with animation|animations]] a part of them.

In this comic the viewer can select a person/{{w|Pikachu}}/god/squirrel as the thrower and an object (including a person, Pikachu, or squirrel) to be thrown, and get an animation of how the selected throw would work out, along with an estimated distance of the throw (both in SI units and in other very arbitrary units; see [[#Table of distance units|table]] below) if the throw was possible. Impossible throws include ones in which the thrower is smaller than the thrown object. The formula/guideline is apparently based on a chapter from the book. One special case to the calculations is Thor's hammer, which is enchanted such that only those deemed "worthy" are able to lift it. As such, despite its mass being liftable by many of the characters, only Thor, God of Thunder (who is canonically worthy), and self-created characters who are well over the human records for height ({{w|List of tallest people|272 cm}}) and/or weight ({{w|List of heaviest people|635 kg}}) are shown to actually be able to throw it. Also Thor is the only one who uses {{w|furlongs}} to measure his distances.

Interestingly, Thor can throw a squirrel 257 meters. If a Custom Thrower is created, and they are 200 meters tall and 150 KG, they can throw the squirrel 256 meters (1 meter less than Thor). Thor can throw an acorn 136 meters, and the Custom Thrower will throw it 133 meters. Now, Thor can throw Thor's Hammer 19 meters. The Custom Thrower can throw it 44 meters! Apparently there is more to the enchantment of Thor's Hammer than meets the eye, as it would have been expected that if Thor can throw a squirrel and an acorn farther than an extraordinary human, then certainly he could throw his own enchanted Hammer a longer distance.

There are 7 throwers + 1 open option and 15 + 1 things to throw, giving a total of 105 different combinations for the static elements; see the [[#Table of throw distances|table]] below plus those for the open option. The open option can be defined by height, weight and a 1-4 scale of athleticism. But only Thor (or an unrealistically tall and heavy custom character) can throw all 15, with three of the objects (George Washington, hammer, and car) unthrowable by any of the other premade characters. The smaller critters can throw only a few things, so the total number of throws is much less than 100. Still, there is an animation for all 105 combinations, but with no throw distance for some. An object with negative weight (you, probably) flies backward.

The athleticism scale does not define the character used for the animation.

The title text refers to throwing a party (a colloquial synonym of hosting a party) and first makes the assumption of actually giving hints for giving a party, and then switching to suggest a mechanism to literally throw a huge object, such as a house with a party going on inside. An {{w|Aircraft_catapult#Steam_catapult|aircraft steam catapult}} is a mechanism to launch aircraft from ships, typically used on aircraft carriers.

==Throwers and throw items==
George Washington, Pikachu, and a squirrel are both throwers and throw items, as are "You".

{| class="wikitable" |
! Image
! Name
! Explanation
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - quarterback.png]]
|'''An NFL {{w|quarterback}}'''
|A quarterback in the National Football League is a highly athletic individual. Gridiron football is a full-contact sport that requires durability, speed, and precision. One of the primary skills required of quarterbacks is to be able to throw the football far with precision accuracy.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - george.png]]
|'''{{w|George Washington}}'''
|He was the first president of the United States of America. There is a myth that a young George Washington threw a silver dollar across the Potomac River, which is more than a mile wide for much of its length; or alternatively that he would throw rocks across the Rappahannock River, which was about 300 feet wide near George's boyhood home. http://kenmore.org/education/kidstuff/legends.html. He is also used as a throwing item to represent the likelihood of a thrower distance with an average human as the projectile. George Washington is shown as a very powerful thrower; the comic makes fun of the flagrant embellishment of Washington's life.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - pikachu.png]]
|'''{{w|Pikachu}}'''
|Pikachu is a species of Pokémon and the mascot of the Pokémon franchise as a whole. Although Pikachu are not normally shown to throw things, the ''Super Smash Bros'' series shows they are perfectly capable of picking things up that do not significantly out-size them. That said, Pikachu is capable of throwing a wide variety of objects through the move Fling, which allows the user to deal damage by throwing its held item (and, incidentally, a Fling TM). Its presence as a throwing item appears to reference the most recently released Pokémon games as of the comic's release, ''Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu'' and ''Pokémon Let's Go Eevee'', where the partner Pokémon of the respective title is not kept in a Poké Ball but thrown into battle when deployed. According to Pokédex entries throughout the series, the average Pikachu is 1'04" (0.4m) tall and weighs 13.2 lbs (6kg). Randall appears to have done his research, as a custom thrower with these stats and default athleticism will have near-identical results to Pikachu for both thrower and thrown item.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - carly.png]]
|'''{{w|Carly Rae Jepsen}}'''
|A Canadian music artist.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - thor.png]]
|'''{{w|Thor}}'''
|Thor is the god of thunder in Norse mythology, wielding a hammer that returns to its wielder when thrown. He is also {{w|Thor (Marvel Comics)|featured in Marvel comics}} and is portrayed by Chris Hemsworth (listed below) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series of films. Thor was previously referenced in [[2097: Thor Tools]].
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - chris hemsworth.png]]
|'''{{w|Chris Hemsworth}}'''
|He is an Australian film actor, best known for his role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - squirrel.png]]
|'''A {{w|squirrel}}'''
|It is a small mammal of the family ''Sciuradae'', known for hoarding acorns. Squirrels have been a [[:Category:Squirrels|recurring topic]] on xkcd and have been used in ''What if?'' in lieu of a subject that Randall really doesn't want to draw. Due to their small size, a squirrel is also selectable as a throwing item.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - you.png]]
|'''{{w|human|You}}'''
|The viewer may also choose to create a custom thrower, for instance, themself, inputting a name, height, weight, and general level of athleticism, as measured on a scale from "[[Black Hat]]" to "championship athlete" (a swimmer is pictured). The custom thrower is also selectable as a throwing item, presumably to provide more variety compared to the fixed values of George Washington.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - microwave.png]]
|'''A {{w|microwave oven}}'''
|A common household appliance in most American homes, used to heat or reheat food for consumption.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - basketball.png]]
|'''A {{w|basketball (ball)|basketball}}'''
|An inflated sphere used as a projectile in the sport of the same name.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - blender.png]]
|'''A {{w|blender}}'''
|It is a common household appliance in most American homes, used to shred food or ingredients into slush for consumption or baking.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - gold_bar.png]]
|'''A {{w|gold bar}}'''
|It is the form in which gold is cast for storage.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - cake.png]]
|'''A {{w|wedding cake}}'''
|It is traditionally a layer cake used for wedding receptions with copious amounts of frosting and figurines of the bride and groom standing upon the top layer. The figurines appear to have been removed before the cake is thrown, as they are before the cake is cut and served.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - pingpong.png]]
|'''A {{w|ping pong ball}}'''
|A small plastic sphere designed to bounce, used as a projectile in the sport of table tennis or "ping pong". Notably the ball is much more difficult to throw than the acorn, as its larger size yet much lighter weight causes it to lose more momentum due to air resistance.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - acorn.png]]
|'''An {{w|acorn}}'''
|A small nut which serves as a squirrel's primary form of nourishment.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - hammer.png]]
|'''{{w|Mjolnir (comics)|Thor's hammer}}'''
|This hammer refers to Mjolnir, an enchanted hammer in the {{w|Marvel universe}} which belongs to {{w|Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor from Marvels comics}} and can only be lifted by those deemed worthy. It is based on {{w|Mjölnir}} the hammer of Norse God {{w|Thor}}, God of Thunder. In this comic, though, it appears that Mjolnir is just incredibly heavy, and Thor is able to throw it because he is very strong. The custom thrower is also able to throw it if their size and strength are set high enough. Setting aside this customization, Thor is the only standard thrower to be able to throw Thor's hammer. In the movies based on the Marvel universe, Thor is played by Chris Hemsworth, who is also one of the throwers, but in real life, he would of course not be able to throw such a weighty hammer.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - javelin.png]]
|'''A {{w|javelin}}'''
|An aerodynamic polearm thrown in Olympic sport.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - silver_spin.png]]
|'''A {{w|Dollar coin (United States)|silver dollar}} spinning'''
|A silver coin representing one (1) US dollar in value, as would have been common when George Washington was president. The coin is given two trajectories to choose from when thrown; Here '''spinning''', as one would properly throw a discus.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - silver_tumble.png]]
|'''A {{w|Dollar coin (United States)|silver dollar}} tumbling'''
|The coin's other possible trajectory, '''tumbling''', as might result from flipping a coin to make a decision. The spinning coin always goes farther than the tumbling one, since facing the air edge-on leads to a smaller area facing the wind and therefore less air resistance.
|-
|[[File:2198 Throw - car.png]]
|'''A {{w|car}}'''
|It is the most common form of long-distance transport in several well-developed countries.
|}

==Safety Considerations==
Many of the items, even if technically possible to throw, may not be able to be thrown safely.

For example:
* Depending on how the microwave oven is damaged when it hits the ground, it may still be able to appear to function, but no longer seal properly, and therefore leak dangerously high amounts of microwave radiation.
* Blenders have blades and glass. Even if no one is struck by the flying blender, the broken pieces would be hazardous later if they are not properly disposed of.
* Cars have gasoline and battery acid which may spill if one is thrown.
* A squirrel might bite the person attempting to throw it, which is dangerous as some squirrels have rabies.
* Pikachu could shock (possibly fatally) someone trying to throw it.
* If a person is thrown, that person may be badly injured.

==Table of throw distances==
{| class="wikitable"
!Item / Thrower
!NFL Quarterback
!George Washington
!Pikachu
!Carly Rae Jepsen
!Thor
!Chris Hemsworth
!Squirrel
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Microwave oven'''
|10.32 m
|7.76 m
|N/A
|3.67 m
|181.57 m
|6.15 m
|N/A
|-
|33.85 feet
|25.46 feet
|N/A
|82.65 rack units
|1.99 football fields
|138.40 rack units
|N/A
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Basketball'''
|40.18 m
|33.22 m
|2.34 m
|19.11 m
|113.67 m
|27.99 m
|N/A
|-
|16.74 horses
|19.54 smoots
|75.90 attoparsecs
|11.24 smoots
|1.42 Manhattan blocks
|16.46 smoots
|N/A
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Blender'''
|16.58 m
|12.45 m
|N/A
|5.89 m
|333.25 m
|9.86 m
|N/A
|-
|9.75 smoots
|40.85 feet
|N/A
|132.51 rack units
|1.66 furlongs
|32.34 feet
|N/A
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Gold bar'''
|9.73 m
|7.23 m
|N/A
|3.36 m
|549.28 m
|5.69 m
|N/A
|-
|31.93 feet
|23.73 feet
|N/A
|75.65 rack units
|2.73 furlongs
|128.11 rack units
|N/A
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Wedding cake'''
|8.96 m
|6.75 m
|N/A
|3.2 m
|146.25 m
|5.35 m
|N/A
|-
|29.40 feet
|22.14 feet
|N/A
|72.00 rack units
|1.60 football fields
|120.45 rack units
|N/A
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Ping-pong ball'''
|11.8 m
|11.63 m
|9.28 m
|11.25 m
|12.53 m
|11.41 m
|4.95 m
|-
|38.72 feet
|38.17 feet
|30.46 feet
|36.92 feet
|41.10 feet
|37.44 feet
|111.37 rack units
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Acorn'''
|83.00 m
|75.84 m
|28.16 m
|62.85 m
|135.98 m
|67.91 m
|6.53 m
|-
|1.04 Manhattan blocks
|0.95 Manhattan blocks
|16.57 smoots
|26.19 horses
|1.49 football fields
|28.30 horses
|146.85 rack units
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Thor's Hammer'''
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|19.32 m
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|11.36 smoots
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Javelin'''
|56.10 m
|42.04 m
|N/A
|20.12 m
|3028.75 m
|33.09 m
|N/A
|-
|23.37 horses
|17.51 horses
|N/A
|11.84 smoots
|15.06 furlongs
|19.46 smoots
|N/A
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''George Washington'''
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|136.65 m
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|1.49 football fields
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Pikachu'''
|15.22 m
|11.41
|N/A
|5.39 m
|332.52 m
|9.03 m
|N/A
|-
|49.94 feet
|37.45 feet
|N/A
|121.18 rack units
|1.65 furlongs
|29.63 feet
|N/A
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Car'''
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|27.22 m
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|16.01 smoots
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Spinning dollar'''
|177.09 m
|143.96 m
|16.91
|92.63 m
|1331.21 m
|115.89 m
|2.20 m
|-
|1.94 football fields
|1.57 football fields
|9.95 smoots
|1.16 Manhattan blocks
|6.53 furlongs
|1.45 Manhattan blocks
|71.41 attoparsecs
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Tumbling dollar'''
|58.17 m
|53.77 m
|13.92 m
|44.08 m
|84.82 m
|49.03 m
|2.14 m
|-
|24.24 horses
|22.41 horses
|45.67 feet
|18.37 horses
|1.06 Manhattan blocks
|20.43 horses
|69.42 attoparsecs
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Squirrel'''
|58.64 m
|46.92 m
|2.92 m
|25.44 m
|256.54 m
|38.50 m
|N/A
|-
|24.43 horses
|19.55 horses
|65.71 rack units
|14.97 smoots
|1.28 furlongs
|16.04 horses
|N/A
|}

==Table of distance units==
*This is a table of the alternative distance units shown and their lengths in meters.
**Three of the units shown here are listed in the Wikipedia articles {{w|List of humorous units of measurement}}
**Five the units shown here are listed in the Wikipedia article {{w|List of unusual units of measurement}}.
***Only Furlong and Feet are not in any of the lists (although a different type of feet is in the last list).
**There are ten alternative units in the source code for the comic. However, the wiffle unit cannot be used, and the light-nanosecond unit is inaccessible except by customization.
**Two of the units are off by an order of magnitude.
{| class="wikitable"
!Unit name
!Length in comic in meters
!Explanation
|-
|{{w|List_of_humorous_units_of_measurement#Wiffle|Wiffles}}
|0.0089
|A Wiffle, also referred to as a WAM for Wiffle (ball) Assisted Measurement, is equal to a sphere 0.089 m (3.5 inches) in diameter – the size of a {{w|Wiffle ball}}, a perforated, light-weight plastic ball frequently used by marine biologists as a size reference in photos to measure corals and other objects. Randall is thus a factor 10 off. While wiffles should be the next unit after rack-units and before feet, the unit conversion typo seems to prevent it from being accessible by any thrower-object combination, as it is now even smaller than the wrong measure for light-nanoseconds. Wiffles have thus only been discovered in the data of the comic, as it seems to be impossible to get it displayed in the comic itself.
|-
|{{w|List of unusual units of measurement#Light-nanosecond|Light-nanoseconds}}
|0.0299
|The light-nanosecond was popularized by Grace Hopper, referring to the length light could travel in a nanosecond. The actual length of a light-nanosecond is 0.299 m, about a foot long, but it seems that [[Randall]] was off by an order of magnitude. This measurement is used for lengths from 1 to 1.06 m, but none of the standard throwers or objects can be thrown for this short a distance, so it is not included in the table above. But with the custom user it is possible to get down to 1 m where it will then be used, but of course, since it says 33 light-nanoseconds instead of 3 it is wrong.
|-
|{{w|List_of_humorous_units_of_measurement#Attoparsec|Attoparsecs}}
|0.03086
|The parsec is a unit of length used to measure large distances to astronomical objects outside the Solar System. A parsec is defined as the distance at which one {{w|astronomical unit}} subtends an angle of one {{w|arcsecond}}. One parsec is equal to about 3.26 light-years or 31 trillion kilometers (31×1012 km) or 19 trillion miles (19×1012 mi). Atto- is a unit prefix in the metric system denoting a factor of 10−18 or 0.000000000000000001. Together the two-unit exponents will almost cancel out, as 31 trillion kilometers can be written as 3.1×1018cm, meaning that an attoparsec is 3.1 cm. The unit is only used three times in non-customized settings: once for Pikachu and twice for the squirrel. It is used for lengths from 1.06 to 2.69 meters.
|-
|{{w|List_of_unusual_units_of_measurement#Rack_unit|Rack units}}
|0.0445
|A {{w|Rack unit}} (abbreviated U or RU) is a unit of measure defined as 1 3⁄4 inches (44.45 mm). Mainly used to measure the overall height of the likes of {{w|19-inch rack}} frames or the equipment put in there. It is used for lengths from 2.69 to 6.67 meters.
|-
|{{w|Foot (unit)|Feet}}
|0.3048
|One foot is defined as 0.3048 meters. In customary and imperial units, the foot comprises 12 inches and three feet compose a yard. It is used for lengths from 6.67 to 16 meters.
|-
|{{w|List_of_humorous_units_of_measurement#Smoot|Smoots}}
|1.7000
|The {{w|Smoot}} is a nonstandard, humorous unit of length created as part of an MIT fraternity prank. One smoot is equal to Oliver Smoot's height at the time of the prank, 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m). Mr. Smoot was used to measure the length of the Harvard Bridge (connecting Boston and Cambridge) by being repeatedly laid down along the length of the bridge; the markings indicating distances in smoots along the bridge have been maintained by the fraternity. The smoot is used for lengths from 16 to 36 meters. While the smoot is a nonstandard unit of length, Oliver Smoot has been chairman of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and President of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ANSI and ISO are among the world's main standardizing bodies, so Randall may indirectly be making the pun that while Smoot's body isn't a standard measure, Smoot has been in charge of bodies that standardize measurements.
|-
|{{w|List_of_unusual_units_of_measurement#Horse|Horses}}
|2.4
|The length of a {{w|horse}} varies a lot with the horse type, breed, age, and genes. In the Wikipedia article on horses, the length of a horse is not even mentioned, only the height and weight. But Randall has used horses for measurements before. A {{w|horse length}} is approximately 8 feet (2.4 m). It is used for lengths from 36 to 75 meters.
|-
|{{w|List_of_unusual_units_of_measurement#Block|Manhattan blocks}}
|80.0
|The numbered streets in {{w|Manhattan}} run east-west and are generally 60 feet (18 m) wide, with about 200 feet (61 m) between each pair of streets. With each combined street and {{w|City block|block}} adding up to about 260 feet (79 m), there are almost exactly 20 blocks per mile. The typical block in Manhattan is 250 by 600 feet (76 by 183 m). When driving in a grid-like city, the {{w|Manhattan distance}} between two points is a concept, although it is also called {{w|Taxicab geometry}}. It seems like it is indeed the combined street and block distance. This measurement is used for lengths from 75 to 131 meters.
|-
|{{w|List_of_unusual_units_of_measurement#Football_field_(length)|Football fields}}
|91.44
|An {{w|American football field}} is 100 yards or 91.44 m long. It is used for lengths from 131 to 201 meters.
|-
|{{w|Furlongs}}
|201.168
|A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile. It is part of the {{w|List_of_humorous_units_of_measurement#FFF_units|FFF_units}} of the {{w|FFF system}} for furlong/firkin/fortnight, length, mass and time. One furlong should therefore be 201.168 meters, though the United States does not uniformly use this conversion ratio. Older ratios are in use for surveying purposes in some states. Only Thor's distances are given in furlongs. The unit is used for distances of 201 meters (1 furlong) up. For the standard throwers and items only Thor can throw over 200 m, thus only he uses Furlongs to measure his throws. Given that this is an old unit, and Thor is based on ancient Nordic Mythology, this may seem appropriate.
|}

==Transcript==
:[As this is an interactive comic, not all possible text should be given in this transcript. Also, it is not possible to see all the different throwers or objects in one image. This transcript here includes the text that can be found when loading the page, without changing the thrower or object (the default), but also includes the text that can be found by scrolling in the two select "windows" as that would be similar to a long comic where you need to scroll as well as customization options. For further differences that occur by changing the objects refer to a table of all combinations.]

:[A heading with a subheading is above a line, beneath which are a sentence, that is generated by the selections in the two windows beneath this sentence:]
:<big>'''Throw Calculator'''</big>
:This calculator implements the approximate throwing distance estimation model from ''How To'' Chapter 10: ''How to throw things''.

:How far could George Washington throw a Microwave oven?

:[Beneath this sentence are two "windows" with a frame around them, one to the left and one to the right, each with a heading breaking the top frame. Each also has a scroll bar to the right, which allows one to scroll down through 8 different possible selections in the left window and 16 in the right window. There are, depending on the browser zoom level, one or two selections on each line. Each window's content is given here under their respective headings. Each possible selection is a drawing with a caption beneath it.]
:Select a thrower

:*You
:*An NFL Quarterback
:*George Washington
:*Pikachu
:*Carly Rae Jepsen
:*Thor, God of Thunder
:*Chris Hemsworth
:*A squirrel

:Select an object to be thrown
:*You
:*A microwave oven
:*A basketball
:*A blender
:*A gold bar
:*A wedding cake
:*A ping-pong ball
:*An acorn
:*Thor's Hammer
:*A javelin
:*George Washington
:*Pikachu
:*A car
:*A silver dollar (spinning)
:*A silver dollar (tumbling)
:*A squirrel

:[Below the two windows is the result of the animation that will happen when a selection has been made. An animation of the selected thrower throwing (or failing to throw) the selected object is shown, and the object's traveling distance is measured out both in meters (SI units) and in some other unit in brackets below. If the distance is not too long compared to the size of the object and thrower, then both can be seen, and in case the object is soft it may break from the throw.]

:[In the pre-selected version, George Washington throws a microwave oven, which ends up several meters from him lying on a corner broken with its wire lying beneath it. The distance is given under the ruler along which the throw has occurred, with markings for approximately every meter. In this case, there are seven steps even though the distance is above 7 meters:]
:7.76 meters
:(25.46 feet)

:[Clicking on "You" in the thrower box opens a new window over the above described comic parts. some of the comic can still be seen including the thrower and his item, and a new throw occurs every time something is changed in this new window. It is a customization box with several options shown below.]

:Your Name
:____You_____ [can be changed]

:Height
:5.8 ft [number can be changed; ft can be changed to m]

:Mass
:160 lb [number can be changed; lb can be changed to kg]

:Athleticism
:[Below is a scale showing Black Hat, the character depicting You with a knit cap, George Washington, and a person with goggles and a helmet. A marker is set at You, but can be changed. Below the characters are descriptions.]
:Black Hat: Moving objects around is for suckers.
:Minimal
:You: I'm in decent shape and have pretty good form.
:Decent
:George Washington: I'm so good at throwing they made me president.
:Extremely High
:Goggles: I use a time machine to train for 36 hours a day.
:Champion Athlete

:[Once done the box can be clicking on a cross at the top right or just clicking outside the window on the comic behind it. Now the thrower you (and the object you) will have the weight, length and strength chosen and will be able to throw (or be thrown) with these stats. ]

==Trivia==
*The comic refers to Thor as the character from the Marvel comics and movies (and other media), who is himself a reference to the ancient Norse god. In Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, Thor is played by Chris Hemsworth.
*Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, bears an enchantment that prevents any living being from lifting it unless they are "worthy." This is reflected in the simulation by giving Mjölnir a mass of 2,000 kg.
**In-universe, Thor's hammer weighs [https://urbandud.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/detail-128-thors-hammer.jpg?w=550 42.3 pounds].
*The option to customize your own character was added to the comic later.
*Due to a bug, the calculations for the customized person ('you') are incorrect when the mass is specified in pounds
*When the comic came out there was a mistake so the item to be thrown was named the same as the thrower, except for the coins and for when Pikachu and George Washington tried to throw themselves in which case it for instance said:
**How far could George Washington throw himself?
**But if he picked another object it would write:
***How far could George Washington throw George Washington?

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with animation]] 
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:Physics]] 
[[Category:American football]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]] 
[[Category:Pokémon]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]] 
[[Category:Religion]] 
[[Category:Squirrels]]
[[Category:Food]] 
[[Category:Basketball]]
[[Category:Sport]] 
[[Category:Book promotion]]
[[Category:How To]]

2193: Well-Ordering Principle

2019-08-24T08:43:55Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ grammar

{{comic
| number = 2193
| date = August 23, 2019
| title = Well-Ordering Principle
| image = well_ordering_principle.png
| titletext = We could organize a nationwide old-photo-album search, but the real Worst McFly is probably lost to time.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BAD MARTY MCFLY COSTUME. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Marty McFly}}, played by actor Michael J. Fox, is the main character of the film series ''{{w|Back to the Future (franchise)|Back to the Future}}''. As it is a popular film and series, many people may dress up as Marty McFly or Doc Brown, the other main character of the series, on {{w|Halloween}}, a holiday on October 31 where it is traditional to dress up in {{w|Halloween costume|different costumes}}.

In the comic, Megan has found a genie lamp. A genie in a lamp is a supernatural being in many stories known to give one or more wishes to its finder. Instead of wishing for multiple wishes, flight, money, or other "traditional" wishes, Megan instead wishes to see the picture of the worst costume of Marty McFly on Halloween. Marty McFly's outfit in the films is relatively simple, consisting of little more than an orange vest, jean jacket, shirt, jeans, and sneakers. It would seem difficult to get this wrong.

In the final panel, the genie questions why she would wish for something so mundane, when he has the power to grant wishes beyond her wildest dreams. Megan, being savvy of tropes used in fiction since biblical times, points out that encounters with wish-granting entities often turn out to be traps; genies in fiction will often interpret wishes in ways the wisher did not intend, and particularly mean-spirited ones will {{tvtropes|JackassGenie|twist a mortal's desire into their own personal hell}}. So Megan tries to play it safe by wishing for something innocuous and with little room for harmful side-effects.

The {{w|well-ordering principle}} is a mathematical fact stating that every non-empty set of positive integers contains a least element. This principle would apply to Megan's request if there was guaranteed to be an "absolute worst" costume of Marty McFly. However, subjective {{w|preference}}, while [[wikipedia:Reflexive relation|reflexive]] and [[wikipedia:Transitivity|transitive]], is not [[wikipedia:Well-founded relation|well-founded]] (or [[wikipedia:Symmetric relation|symmetric]], [[wikipedia:Antisymmetric relation|antisymmetric]], or [[wikipedia:Connex relation|connex]], for that matter) and is therefore considered to be a {{w|preorder}}, also called a quasiorder. This means that the genie may not be able to fulfill Megan's wish if the selection were based on the preferences of any one person. For example, the genie may have no opinion on the quality of any McFly costume, or might judge them on criteria completely different from Megan's. While Megan isn't explicitly wishing for a widely-shared opinion, the title text contemplates a "nationwide" search. People's preferences can be combined into a {{w|mean opinion score}} which, while not strictly well-ordered, is usually able to identify a single worst costume, or at least identify a set of costumes tied for worst according to aggregate subjective preferences. There are [https://www.docdroid.net/bcKvZmM/preference-aggregation.pdf many other ways to combine preferences] (e.g. voting) but none of them meet all of the criteria considered desirable, as demonstrated by {{w|Arrow's impossibility theorem}}.

The title text may explain why Megan is interested in this wish: any means available to her would be restricted to a geographic area's (nationwide) photographs or drawings from memory. It is likely the worst costume was either never photographed, or isn't remembered accurately by those who saw it (it is lost to time). By asking the genie to show her, she would be able to see the truly worst costume, without being restricted to those for which evidence remains.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan rubs a lamp held in her hands. A genie appears from the end of the lamp. The genie resembles the top half of Cueball's body, with a head, torso, and arms, but with a squiggle representing a puff of smoke in place of his legs.]
:Genie: Greetings, mortal. You have freed me. I will grant you one wish.
:Megan: Hmm.

:[Megan holding the lamp to her side. The genie is off-panel.]
:Megan: It's been over 30 years since ''{{w|Back to the Future}}'' came out. Since then, probably hundreds of thousands of people have tried to dress as Marty McFly for Halloween.
:Genie: OK, and?

:[Megan, holding the lamp to her side, talking to the genie, who is floating in the air.]
:Megan: Of those people, one of them must have done the worst job.
:Megan: My wish is to see their costume.

:[Megan still holding the lamp and talking to the genie.]
:Genie: Not a billion dollars? Flight? Infinite wishes?
:Megan: These wish things are always traps.
:Megan: Just show me the worst McFly and we'll call it even.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Fiction]]

2193: Well-Ordering Principle

2019-08-24T08:42:52Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ not really a parenthetical; reword

{{comic
| number = 2193
| date = August 23, 2019
| title = Well-Ordering Principle
| image = well_ordering_principle.png
| titletext = We could organize a nationwide old-photo-album search, but the real Worst McFly is probably lost to time.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BAD MARTY MCFLY COSTUME. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Marty McFly}}, played by actor Michael J. Fox, is the main character of the film series ''{{w|Back to the Future (franchise)|Back to the Future}}''. As it is a popular film and series, many people may dress up as Marty McFly or Doc Brown, the other main character of the series, on {{w|Halloween}}, a holiday on October 31 where it is traditional to dress up in {{w|Halloween costume|different costumes}}.

In the comic, Megan has found a genie lamp. A genie in a lamp is a supernatural being in many stories known to give one or more wishes to its finder. Instead of wishing for multiple wishes, flight, money, or other "traditional" wishes, Megan instead wishes to see the picture of the worst costume of Marty McFly on Halloween. Marty McFly's outfit in the films is relatively simple, consisting of little more than an orange vest, jean jacket, shirt, jeans, and sneakers. It would seem difficult to get this wrong.

In the final panel, the genie questions why she would wish for something so mundane, when he has the power to grant wishes beyond her wildest dreams. Megan, being savvy of tropes used in fiction since biblical times, points out that encounters with wish-granting entities often turn out to be traps; genies in fiction will often interpret wishes in ways the wisher did not intend, and particularly mean-spirited ones will {{tvtropes|JackassGenie|twist a mortal's desire into their own personal hell}}. So Megan tries to play it safe by wishing for something innocuous and with little room for harmful side-effects.

The {{w|well-ordering principle}} is a mathematical fact stating that every non-empty set of positive integers contains a least element. This principle would apply to Megan's request if there was guaranteed to be an "absolute worst" costume of Marty McFly. However, subjective {{w|preference}}, while [[wikipedia:Reflexive relation|reflexive]] and [[wikipedia:Transitivity|transitive]], is not [[wikipedia:Well-founded relation|well-founded]] (or [[wikipedia:Symmetric relation|symmetric]], [[wikipedia:Antisymmetric relation|antisymmetric]], or [[wikipedia:Connex relation|connex]], for that matter) and is therefore considered a {{w|preorder}}, also called a quasiorder. This means that the genie may not be able to fulfill Megan's wish if the selection were based on the preferences of any one person. For example, the genie may have no opinion on the quality of any McFly costume, or might judge them on criteria completely different from Megan's. While Megan isn't explicitly wishing for a widely-shared opinion, the title text contemplates a "nationwide" search. People's preferences can be combined into a {{w|mean opinion score}} which, while not strictly well-ordered, is usually able to identify a single worst costume, or at least identify a set of costumes tied for worst according to aggregate subjective preferences. There are [https://www.docdroid.net/bcKvZmM/preference-aggregation.pdf many other ways to combine preferences] (e.g. voting) but none of them meet all of the criteria considered desirable, as demonstrated by {{w|Arrow's impossibility theorem}}.

The title text may explain why Megan is interested in this wish: any means available to her would be restricted to a geographic area's (nationwide) photographs or drawings from memory. It is likely the worst costume was either never photographed, or isn't remembered accurately by those who saw it (it is lost to time). By asking the genie to show her, she would be able to see the truly worst costume, without being restricted to those for which evidence remains.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan rubs a lamp held in her hands. A genie appears from the end of the lamp. The genie resembles the top half of Cueball's body, with a head, torso, and arms, but with a squiggle representing a puff of smoke in place of his legs.]
:Genie: Greetings, mortal. You have freed me. I will grant you one wish.
:Megan: Hmm.

:[Megan holding the lamp to her side. The genie is off-panel.]
:Megan: It's been over 30 years since ''{{w|Back to the Future}}'' came out. Since then, probably hundreds of thousands of people have tried to dress as Marty McFly for Halloween.
:Genie: OK, and?

:[Megan, holding the lamp to her side, talking to the genie, who is floating in the air.]
:Megan: Of those people, one of them must have done the worst job.
:Megan: My wish is to see their costume.

:[Megan still holding the lamp and talking to the genie.]
:Genie: Not a billion dollars? Flight? Infinite wishes?
:Megan: These wish things are always traps.
:Megan: Just show me the worst McFly and we'll call it even.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Fiction]]

2193: Well-Ordering Principle

2019-08-24T08:38:26Z

162.158.255.130: /* Explanation */ break out into further detail

{{comic
| number = 2193
| date = August 23, 2019
| title = Well-Ordering Principle
| image = well_ordering_principle.png
| titletext = We could organize a nationwide old-photo-album search, but the real Worst McFly is probably lost to time.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BAD MARTY MCFLY COSTUME. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Marty McFly}}, played by actor Michael J. Fox, is the main character of the film series ''{{w|Back to the Future (franchise)|Back to the Future}}''. As it is a popular film and series, many people may dress up as Marty McFly or Doc Brown, the other main character of the series, on {{w|Halloween}}, a holiday on October 31 where it is traditional to dress up in {{w|Halloween costume|different costumes}}.

In the comic, Megan has found a genie lamp. A genie in a lamp is a supernatural being in many stories known to give one or more wishes to its finder. Instead of wishing for multiple wishes, flight, money, or other "traditional" wishes, Megan instead wishes to see the picture of the worst costume of Marty McFly on Halloween. Marty McFly's outfit in the films is relatively simple, consisting of little more than an orange vest, jean jacket, shirt, jeans, and sneakers. It would seem difficult to get this wrong.

In the final panel, the genie questions why she would wish for something so mundane, when he has the power to grant wishes beyond her wildest dreams. Megan, being savvy of tropes used in fiction since biblical times, points out that encounters with wish-granting entities often turn out to be traps; genies in fiction will often interpret wishes in ways the wisher did not intend, and particularly mean-spirited ones will {{tvtropes|JackassGenie|twist a mortal's desire into their own personal hell}}. So Megan tries to play it safe by wishing for something innocuous and with little room for harmful side-effects.

The {{w|well-ordering principle}} is a mathematical fact stating that every non-empty set of positive integers contains a least element. This principle would apply to Megan's request if there was guaranteed to be an "absolute worst" costume of Marty McFly. However, subjective {{w|preference}}, while [[wikipedia:Reflexive relation|reflexive]] and [[wikipedia:Transitivity|transitive]], is not [[wikipedia:Well-founded relation|well-founded]] (or [[wikipedia:Symmetric relation|symmetric]], [[wikipedia:Antisymmetric relation|antisymmetric]], or [[wikipedia:Connex relation|connex]], for that matter) and is therefore considered a {{w|preorder}}, also called a quasiorder. This means that the genie may not be able to fulfill Megan's wish if the selection were based on the preferences of any one person. For example, the genie may have no opinion on the quality of any McFly costume, or might judge them on criteria completely different from Megan's. While Megan isn't explicitly wishing for a widely-shared opinion, the title text contemplates a "nationwide" search. People's preferences can be combined into a {{w|mean opinion score}} which, while not strictly well-ordered, is usually able to identify a single worst costume, or at least identify a set of costumes tied for worst according to aggregate subjective preferences. (There are [https://www.docdroid.net/bcKvZmM/preference-aggregation.pdf many other ways] to combine preferences (e.g. voting) but none of them obtain all of the criteria considered desirable, as demonstrated by {{w|Arrow's impossibility theorem}}.)

The title text may explain why Megan is interested in this wish: any means available to her would be restricted to a geographic area's (nationwide) photographs or drawings from memory. It is likely the worst costume was either never photographed, or isn't remembered accurately by those who saw it (it is lost to time). By asking the genie to show her, she would be able to see the truly worst costume, without being restricted to those for which evidence remains.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan rubs a lamp held in her hands. A genie appears from the end of the lamp. The genie resembles the top half of Cueball's body, with a head, torso, and arms, but with a squiggle representing a puff of smoke in place of his legs.]
:Genie: Greetings, mortal. You have freed me. I will grant you one wish.
:Megan: Hmm.

:[Megan holding the lamp to her side. The genie is off-panel.]
:Megan: It's been over 30 years since ''{{w|Back to the Future}}'' came out. Since then, probably hundreds of thousands of people have tried to dress as Marty McFly for Halloween.
:Genie: OK, and?

:[Megan, holding the lamp to her side, talking to the genie, who is floating in the air.]
:Megan: Of those people, one of them must have done the worst job.
:Megan: My wish is to see their costume.

:[Megan still holding the lamp and talking to the genie.]
:Genie: Not a billion dollars? Flight? Infinite wishes?
:Megan: These wish things are always traps.
:Megan: Just show me the worst McFly and we'll call it even.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category: Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category: Fiction]]