explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1256: Questions

2022-09-09T21:20:52Z

162.158.34.221:

Another reason Poseidon is angry with Odysseus - early in the Odyssey, Odysseus blinds a cyclops who happens to be Poseidon's son.

Why did I just type the following in, when doubtless someone else has already done this..?
...a former great post just went to the main page.
They probably need error-checking/rearranging/something. And feel free to delete this entire comment if it becomes superfluous. [[Special:Contributions/178.104.103.140|178.104.103.140]] 10:19, 26 August 2013 (UTC)
:Just copied your comment into the transcript area. [[Special:Contributions/72.246.0.10|72.246.0.10]] 13:12, 26 August 2013 (UTC)
::I did delete it here, just because it's copied to the main page. Thanks for your great work!--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:18, 26 August 2013 (UTC)

Although I appreciate the LOTR reference, is this really the intent? What is Randall's wife's name? Delete if this is a bridge too far into personal life. --[[Special:Contributions/131.70.204.120|131.70.204.120]] 16:29, 26 August 2013 (UTC)

I answered [http://jlandl.blogspot.se/2013/08/answers-from-top-of-my-head.html all the questions], for my amusement. Feel free to use any answers you deem appropriate or accurate enough for the wiki. [[Special:Contributions/213.66.207.152|213.66.207.152]] 20:06, 26 August 2013 (UTC)

I'm confused that answers are being presented in different formats. Is the hyperlinked transcript a temporary state before answers are transferred to the table? Or is the transcript just a cleaner and more desirable alternative?{{unsigned ip|98.166.43.28}}

All answers here: http://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/1l3na7/questions/cbvigrd -- (Some signature that looks like spamlink)

Today's XKCD is good but it looks like the omitted the first Google suggestion when you begin to type "Why does " Go to google and begin to search that... Dont' see it in today's comic. {{unsigned|Glitch}}
:Google's suggestions can vary from user to user. At its most benign, this can be location based. For example, in Seattle, when I type "washington", I get suggestions related to Washington state and not the District of Columbia. At its most sinister, these suggestions can be based on what Google perceives your political beliefs to be. Try typing "gun" into Google. Did you get "gun show" or "gun control?" (Another thing that looks like a spamlink) --[[User:Rael|Rael]] ([[User talk:Rael|talk]]) 14:00, 28 August 2013 (UTC)
::How odd. I got gunbroker, and then as soon as I typed space, I got gun control as well. [[Special:Contributions/97.87.12.114|97.87.12.114]]
::: WHY do people complain about this? As long as you're going to get into a debate, in an open minded manner, and are going to critically evaluate the strength of arguments presented (regardless of source), then your starting inclinations shouldn't matter!

::: Moreover, the general internet user is only searching for zeitgeist terms so they know what websites to quote on a Facebook status, so that they can pat themselves on the back. Repeat for next topic.

::: Personalised results keep you comfy in your happy bubble.

::: In any case, the "fix" is simple. Enable do-not track requests, private browsing, or connect through proxies (Given the IPv4 saturation, most people are likely configured to have dynamic IP addresses anyway). If you're concerned about geographical location based filtering, just switch the domain name that you search on! [[Special:Contributions/220.224.246.97|220.224.246.97]]

Why doesn't Queen Anne count as a "woman who reigned as queen in her own right"? --[[User:Nick Douglas|Nick Douglas]] ([[User talk:Nick Douglas|talk]]) 21:50, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

:If I'm not mistaken, Queen Anne was queen dowager acting as a regent, rather than being queen in her own right. [[User:Sailorleo|Sailorleo]] ([[User talk:Sailorleo|talk]]) 03:54, 26 November 2014 (UTC)

:: You are mistaken. (Perhaps you're getting mixed Anne up with Mary II.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.37|141.101.99.37]] 20:31, 8 January 2016 (UTC)

----
Today's Comic was brought to you by the grep "why"''!'' [[Special:Contributions/98.195.202.130|98.195.202.130]] 18:24, 27 August 2013 (UTC)

It seems that Randall is confused about the meaning of life. All the questions he asked begin with why. I like what happens when you type "where is"... I got "where is chuck norris". --[[Special:Contributions/97.87.12.114|97.87.12.114]] 11:41, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

The term "King Consort" may not have been used in the UK, but i believe it was used before in pre Act of Unification England. When Mary Tudor married Philip II of Spain, he was accepted by Parliament and the court as King of England, but was not granted any power. It may not have been elevated to an official title yet, but he was king consort. [[User:Dr Pepper|Dr Pepper]] ([[User talk:Dr Pepper|talk]]) Dr Pepper

My question is "Why do we need to answer all the questions, when the answers have nothing to do with the comic?". The answers are fun and interesting, but they should be in the trivia section. The comic is explained well without them. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.217.125|108.162.217.125]] 21:36, 8 August 2014 (UTC)
:Maybe because this is a wiki and, as such, ALL information must be present. I'm not certain whether the answers help explain the comic but, as it is, I'm not entirely sure of Randall's objective with this one. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.148|108.162.219.148]] 04:20, 2 November 2014 (UTC)
:: The purpose of this page is to EXPLAIN the comic. If you don't know what the comic is about you probably should not be trying to EXPLAIN the comic, and you probably should not comment as well. The purpose of this comic is to demonstrate in a visually interesting way the questions that we, users of the internet, ask. But without this EXPLAINATION it is fairly obvious that finding the answers to these questions do nothing to EXPLAIN the comic, especially since the answers do not give the readers any further understanding into the comic. Adding random information to a page does not EXPLAIN anything. Wiki does not mean “ALL information must be present”. Adding unnecessary information DISTRACTS from the EXPLAINATION and confuses readers, this impairs the ability of this wiki to EXPLAIN the comic. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.209|108.162.216.209]] 21:44, 24 November 2014 (UTC)

The dinosaur ghost question was duplicated in the answer boxes so I deleted the extra one. Also been filling out a ton of fields.[[User:4jonah|4jonah]] ([[User talk:4jonah|talk]]) 01:35, 22 December 2014 (UTC)

Why is there an incomplete tag? What questions are unanswered? [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 19:10, 11 March 2015 (UTC)

I answered the last 2 remaining questions in section six. Can this be closed now?[[User:4jonah|4jonah]] ([[User talk:4jonah|talk]]) 21:00, 23 March 2015 (UTC)

Under "Why is outer space so cold?" it says "space is not cold", but then for "Why is there ice in space?" it begins with "space is cold".
This is somewhat confusing. Please clarify. Is space cold or isn't it? {{unsigned ip|162.158.255.120}}

No idea how to edit the actual article, but it might be worth mentioning that the succession laws of the UK are no longer male-preference, and are now absolute cognatic primogenture/ absolute primogeniture. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.107|141.101.106.107]] 12:45, 7 February 2016 (UTC)

Something's fishy. One question has the answer "Space is Cold." and another has the answer "Space is not cold." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.92|108.162.212.92]] 00:24, 11 September 2016 (UTC)

Using a search filter, "why" appears 301 times, to date. [[User:QATEKLYXM|Klyxm]] ([[User talk:QATEKLYXM|talk]]) 3:56, 5 March 2018 (UTC)

Just a random guy passing through. For the question "Why are there psychics?" the example answer seems very confusing. Perhaps someone thought the word was "physics" instead of "psychics"? (Timestamp 20:14 21 March 2019)

Histamines are not injected into the skin in a spider's saliva. 1. It's injecting venom, not saliva. 2. Histamines are generated by the body as part of its immune response. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.69|172.69.63.69]] 15:19, 7 April 2019 (UTC)

<s>I fully intended to reintegrate any useful changes from [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1256:_Questions&diff=294535&oldid=294532 this edit] into my own, independent and edit-conflicted, edit (that obviously took longer to go through) that I pushed in over the top so that I at least could then look at what I may also then re-alter. Once I had worked out the differences. But I cannot do it immediately, and I notice it took a different slant to my own attempt to further update so I beg your indulgance while I juggle the diffs, in a local copy, for maybe an hour or two. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.26|172.70.86.26]] 15:33, 9 September 2022 (UTC)</s>
:Ok, done and dusted. Anything still 'unimproved' is something I didn't think I could do anything about (or consider). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.221|162.158.34.221]] 21:20, 9 September 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2652: Proxy Variable

2022-07-30T19:15:23Z

162.158.34.221:

Maybe Randall is commenting on this recent article [https://www.nature.com/articles/s43588-022-00281-6 Nature Computational Science: Automated discovery of fundamental variables hidden in experimental data]?
02:10, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
suggested by a proxy editor

Might be tangentially related to the alleged Alzheimer's disease drug Aduhelm, the anti-amyloid therapy, that did show some success in proxy variable (biomarker), but no success at all in curing the disease or its symptoms (no efficacy), but which got accepted with a huge amount of controversy by NDA (which disregarded its advisory committee’s recommendation against approving Aduhelm). --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 07:32, 30 July 2022 (UTC)

I removed this paragraph:
:''Proxy variables are of interest to non-scientists as they provide a scientific way to indirectly monitor or improve the complex systems that affect their lives. For example, blood pressure is a causative factor for cardiovascular disease so it can be used as a proxy variable for healthy lifestyle. However, people need to remember that it isn't necessarily the proxy variable alone that is of concern. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is not the only gas released by humanity with global warming potential and other factors affect climate change; and it is not carbon dioxide but the impact of climate change that will cause major social, economic, cultural damage to the future of the planet. ''
because I want to discuss it. The first sentence needs a source, the second and third sentences claim blood pressure is used by non-scientists as a proxy for living a healthy lifestyle, which I'm not sure about on multiple levels, and the fourth and fifth sentences seem like PR for fossil fuel companies. #notallgreenhousegases Nevertheless, I feel as if there are likely one or two good ideas hidden in it. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.95|172.70.206.95]] 16:01, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
:I feel like the author doesn't know the work climate scientists go to to avoid using greenhouse gas concentration as a proxy for global warming (all the models of atmospheric water and its forms.) For blood pressure, it's easier to see what was attempted to be gotten at. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.90|172.70.211.90]] 16:37, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
::Yes: the ones who dangerously simplify the climate change to "we must stop produce carbon dioxide" are not scientists but politicians. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 16:53, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
:Definitely. We don't even KNOW all factors affecting climate change. Still, the link between rising carbon dioxide and temperature looks much more solid that the link between money spent on fighting climate change and levels of carbon dioxide. ... Wait, you didn't wanted to talk about climate did you? :-) (For record, I always though there are much better reasons to stop using fossil fuels than fighting global warming. Recently, for example, the energetic security from geopolitically problematic regions came under lot of attention.) -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 16:46, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
::I want to talk about climate. Do you think we will be able to transition to carbon neutral and negative technologies in time to avoid the {{w|Jevons paradox}}? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.185|172.70.214.185]] 17:00, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
:::The Jevons Paradox exists if the only forces affecting the consumption of a resource are supply and demand. If you're asking about carbon-neutral/negative technological process making sustainable technologies profitable faster than fossil fuel profits grow, then no, there's no hope even before the Jevons Paradox is considered. But if other options are considered, the Jevons Paradox doesn't really apply. (To take an extreme example: It doesn't matter how fuel-efficient internal combustion engines get, they'll never be the preferred choice if their manufacture is banned.) [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 18:14, 30 July 2022 (UTC)

:Everyone thinks this is about pharmacology, and maybe it is. But I've been taking economics courses this semester, so that's what I think of. "We can't measure this factor directly, so we made up a formula that should let us calculate it (if we've measured all relevant factors correctly and all our other assumptions and theories are valid)" is a pretty common thing in that field. [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 18:14, 30 July 2022 (UTC)

== this dude keeps spamming ==

Sorry for the mild crassness, especially as a new user, but some Nazi f*ck is vandalizing the page. May someone please ban them?{{unsigned ip|172.71.26.59|03:49, 30 July 2022}}

Nah, they're using multiple IPs. Someone could semi-protect it or something but there ain't any mods doing their job it seems.{{unsigned ip|172.70.147.47|03:55, 30 July 2022}}

Where are the mods, anyways?{{unsigned ip|172.71.82.65|03:59, 30 July 2022}}
:You can't always count on volunteer authorities. Even us lowly IP address editors can revert vandalism. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.199|172.69.33.199]] 04:09, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
::Yeah nah, we need it semi-protected {{unsigned ip|162.158.162.199|04:13, 30 July 2022}}
::: Funny if that were the goal of the vandalism. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.95|172.70.206.95]] 16:03, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
:::: One reason that I don't think it should be the go-to counter-vandalism approach being used. But not for me to say. Whilstsoever I'm capable of intervening ''at least'' as much as any vandal tries to, I support the mod actions (they are there, doing things, BTW).
:::: Without actually tolerating the vandal, we easily outnumber the person concerned (and the very few other spammers/bots that sneak through the clearly effective existing speedbumps) and this means that such nuisance edits are heavily mitigated. If you see the damaged bits then you're either a regular or a very unlucky occasional visitor.
:::: (This morning, I went to revert an ad-spam that I noted had been written over a page-redirect, to be told that someone else had just gotten there before me!)
:::: I've been on far more abused online resources, both web (early days, long before CAPTCHA technology) and elsewhere (having seen how Usenet was both before and after The Eternal September) and the interference here is extraordinarily given the generally open nature of the submission process.
:::: PS. Please do sign your posts ( with <code><nowiki>~~~~</nowiki></code> ), if only for the timestamp that makes the to and fro of conversations more understandable... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.221|162.158.34.221]] 19:01, 30 July 2022 (UTC)

:The rant gets replaced within two minutes of each revert. Presumably it's done by bot. We need a mod to take action. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.217|172.70.130.217]] 05:15, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
Article has been restored but some idiots keep spamming the page with random things. pls do something mods {{unsigned ip|172.70.147.47|03:59, 30 July 2022}}
:it's not "some idiots" it's all one person using different ips. he posted the exact same covid rant several times. i think he's schizophrenic or something and just really wants to be heard --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.69.40|172.69.69.40]] 04:39, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
::But why here? Like, this is such a weird place to try and be heard, I'm sure even Reddit posts would have more visibility than edits to a webcomic wiki. [[User:NErDysprosium|NErDysprosium]] ([[User talk:NErDysprosium|talk]]) 06:06, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
::: Don't underestimate the importance of the can't-get-jokes demographic for PSYOP recruitment. The invasion of Panama might not even have occurred if it weren't for people distracted by cartoons. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.185|172.69.33.185]] 17:16, 30 July 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2652: Proxy Variable

2022-07-30T19:06:41Z

162.158.34.221: That bit snuck back in. Hey, vandal-guy(/gal/whatever), why do you think we're interested?

Talk:2652: Proxy Variable

2022-07-30T19:04:25Z

162.158.34.221: /* this dude keeps spamming */ Pre-post edit ruined the grammar. Correcting, and now with an additional thought.

Talk:2652: Proxy Variable

2022-07-30T19:01:28Z

162.158.34.221: /* this dude keeps spamming */ Comment. And added {{unsigned ip|...}} stuff to those comments that really required it.

Maybe Randall is commenting on this recent article [https://www.nature.com/articles/s43588-022-00281-6 Nature Computational Science: Automated discovery of fundamental variables hidden in experimental data]?
02:10, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
suggested by a proxy editor

Might be tangentially related to the alleged Alzheimer's disease drug Aduhelm, the anti-amyloid therapy, that did show some success in proxy variable (biomarker), but no success at all in curing the disease or its symptoms (no efficacy), but which got accepted with a huge amount of controversy by NDA (which disregarded its advisory committee’s recommendation against approving Aduhelm). --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 07:32, 30 July 2022 (UTC)

I removed this paragraph:
:''Proxy variables are of interest to non-scientists as they provide a scientific way to indirectly monitor or improve the complex systems that affect their lives. For example, blood pressure is a causative factor for cardiovascular disease so it can be used as a proxy variable for healthy lifestyle. However, people need to remember that it isn't necessarily the proxy variable alone that is of concern. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is not the only gas released by humanity with global warming potential and other factors affect climate change; and it is not carbon dioxide but the impact of climate change that will cause major social, economic, cultural damage to the future of the planet. ''
because I want to discuss it. The first sentence needs a source, the second and third sentences claim blood pressure is used by non-scientists as a proxy for living a healthy lifestyle, which I'm not sure about on multiple levels, and the fourth and fifth sentences seem like PR for fossil fuel companies. #notallgreenhousegases Nevertheless, I feel as if there are likely one or two good ideas hidden in it. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.95|172.70.206.95]] 16:01, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
:I feel like the author doesn't know the work climate scientists go to to avoid using greenhouse gas concentration as a proxy for global warming (all the models of atmospheric water and its forms.) For blood pressure, it's easier to see what was attempted to be gotten at. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.90|172.70.211.90]] 16:37, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
::Yes: the ones who dangerously simplify the climate change to "we must stop produce carbon dioxide" are not scientists but politicians. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 16:53, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
:Definitely. We don't even KNOW all factors affecting climate change. Still, the link between rising carbon dioxide and temperature looks much more solid that the link between money spent on fighting climate change and levels of carbon dioxide. ... Wait, you didn't wanted to talk about climate did you? :-) (For record, I always though there are much better reasons to stop using fossil fuels than fighting global warming. Recently, for example, the energetic security from geopolitically problematic regions came under lot of attention.) -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 16:46, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
::I want to talk about climate. Do you think we will be able to transition to carbon neutral and negative technologies in time to avoid the {{w|Jevons paradox}}? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.185|172.70.214.185]] 17:00, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
:::The Jevons Paradox exists if the only forces affecting the consumption of a resource are supply and demand. If you're asking about carbon-neutral/negative technological process making sustainable technologies profitable faster than fossil fuel profits grow, then no, there's no hope even before the Jevons Paradox is considered. But if other options are considered, the Jevons Paradox doesn't really apply. (To take an extreme example: It doesn't matter how fuel-efficient internal combustion engines get, they'll never be the preferred choice if their manufacture is banned.) [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 18:14, 30 July 2022 (UTC)

:Everyone thinks this is about pharmacology, and maybe it is. But I've been taking economics courses this semester, so that's what I think of. "We can't measure this factor directly, so we made up a formula that should let us calculate it (if we've measured all relevant factors correctly and all our other assumptions and theories are valid)" is a pretty common thing in that field. [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 18:14, 30 July 2022 (UTC)

== this dude keeps spamming ==

Sorry for the mild crassness, especially as a new user, but some Nazi f*ck is vandalizing the page. May someone please ban them?{{unsigned ip|172.71.26.59|03:49, 30 July 2022}}

Nah, they're using multiple IPs. Someone could semi-protect it or something but there ain't any mods doing their job it seems.{{unsigned ip|172.70.147.47|03:55, 30 July 2022}}

Where are the mods, anyways?{{unsigned ip|172.71.82.65|03:59, 30 July 2022}}
:You can't always count on volunteer authorities. Even us lowly IP address editors can revert vandalism. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.199|172.69.33.199]] 04:09, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
::Yeah nah, we need it semi-protected {{unsigned ip|162.158.162.199|04:13, 30 July 2022}}
::: Funny if that were the goal of the vandalism. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.95|172.70.206.95]] 16:03, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
:::: One reason that I don't think it should be the go-to counter-vandalism approach being used. But not for me to say. Whilstsoever I'm capable of intervening ''at least'' as much as any vandal tries to, I support the mod actions (they are there, doing things, BTW).
:::: Without actually tolerating the vandal, us easily outnumbering the person concerned (and the very few other spammers/bots that sneak through the clearly effective existing speedbumps) and this means that such nuisance edits are heavily mitigated. (This morning, I went to revert an ad-spam that I noted had been written over a page-redirect, to be told that someone else had just gotten there before me!)
:::: I've been on far more abused online resources, both web (early days, long before CAPTCHA technology) and elsewhere (having seen how Usenet was both before and after The Eternal September) and the interference here is extraordinarily given the generally open nature of the submission process.
:::: PS. Please do sign your posts ( with <code><nowiki>~~~~</nowiki></code> ), if only for the timestamp that makes the to and fro of conversations more understandable... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.221|162.158.34.221]] 19:01, 30 July 2022 (UTC)

:The rant gets replaced within two minutes of each revert. Presumably it's done by bot. We need a mod to take action. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.217|172.70.130.217]] 05:15, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
Article has been restored but some idiots keep spamming the page with random things. pls do something mods {{unsigned ip|172.70.147.47|03:59, 30 July 2022}}
:it's not "some idiots" it's all one person using different ips. he posted the exact same covid rant several times. i think he's schizophrenic or something and just really wants to be heard --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.69.40|172.69.69.40]] 04:39, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
::But why here? Like, this is such a weird place to try and be heard, I'm sure even Reddit posts would have more visibility than edits to a webcomic wiki. [[User:NErDysprosium|NErDysprosium]] ([[User talk:NErDysprosium|talk]]) 06:06, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
::: Don't underestimate the importance of the can't-get-jokes demographic for PSYOP recruitment. The invasion of Panama might not even have occurred if it weren't for people distracted by cartoons. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.185|172.69.33.185]] 17:16, 30 July 2022 (UTC)
I'd like to extend a formal invitation to https://soyjak.party for all of you. Post your best gems in the sharty [[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.28|162.158.107.28]] 17:41, 30 July 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2649: Physics Cost-Saving Tips

2022-07-22T20:27:01Z

162.158.34.221:

I don't recommend trying to make your voice squeeky by breathing He-2. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:57, 22 July 2022 (UTC)
: But breathing a helium-rich mixture in general... so long as it still has sufficient oxygen in it ...I would speak highly of it! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.221|162.158.34.221]] 20:27, 22 July 2022 (UTC)

2649: Physics Cost-Saving Tips

2022-07-22T20:21:28Z

162.158.34.221: /* Explanation */ Hydrogen is happily stable, vastly more so than deuterium, tritium... And we say "too many" or too few shortly anyway.

{{comic
| number = 2649
| date = July 22, 2022
| title = Physics Cost-Saving Tips
| image = physics_cost_saving_tips.png
| titletext = I got banned from the county fair for handing out Helium-2 balloons. Apparently the instant massive plasma explosions violated some local ordinance or something.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a FAKE VECTOR - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a list of "cost-saving tips" which humorously misinterpret physics terms in ways that would seem to reduce a cost or provide something for free, allowing physicists to save money in their experiments.

The prefix "pseudo-" refers to something that is a fake variation of something else. Fakes are usually cheaper than the original brand-name product, while often working just as well, so a {{w|pseudovector}} should be a less expensive substitute for a real vector. In reality pseudovectors, or axial vectors, are an alternative to ordinary, or polar vectors, usually involved with rotation or effects that share properties with rotation, similar to the relationship between angles and magnitudes. Pseudovectors are quantities that mostly behave like vectors, but have no real physical meaning to their direction. For example, rotational directions are described by a vector normal to the plane of rotation.

{{w|Fourier Analysis}} can be used to convert any periodic function into a series of {{w|sine waves}}. A {{w|square wave}} is transformed into an infinite series of sine waves. However these waves cannot be physically separated and used for other tasks, so this mathematical transformation does not really produce a "supply" of waves.

Chemical elements are identified by the number of positive protons in each atomic nucleus, which is also equal to the number of negative electrons in the shell (unless the atom is ionized) that dictates most of their chemical behaviour. {{w|Isotopes}} are variants of the element with different numbers of neutral neutrons in the nucleus where the potential chemical reactions are practically identical under most circumstances. The comic suggests that the neutrons don't serve any useful purpose so, if you're purchasing matter by weight, you can save money by buying isotopes with no neutrons at all. In reality, the right number of neutrons are needed to keep the atom stable, and atoms with too many or too few neutrons will decay more quickly than the common isotopes. The image shown is Helium-2, an {{w|Isotopes of helium|isotope of helium}} with a half-life of less than a nanosecond. It decays into two protons, releasing a large amount of energy - hence the explosion mentioned in the title text.

{{w|Charge_carrier|Free electrons}} are electrons which are not tightly bound to a solid material, which thus are ably to ''move'' freely. Randall interprets "free" in a different sense: "costing nothing". There is a second pun on electric charge vs monetary charge.

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

:[Title]
:Physics Cost-Saving Tips

:[A diagramatical spinning disc, at an angle]
:[It is identified with an 'I', with a dotted axial arrow labelled 'L' and a rotational movement labelled 'ω' (little omega)]
:[It sits on the left, and to the right of this is text...]
:Try replacing regular vectors with pseudovectors whenever possible

:[A square wave with three maxima (between four minima), and arrows pointing down into a collection of five sine waves]
:[One of the waves having the same frequency as the square wave and the rest of them are of shorter lengths with more peaks and troughs]
:[It sits on the right, and to the left of this is text...]
:A square wave can be broken down into an inginite supply of valuable sine waves

:[Two atomic models]
:[The left containing two protons (white with a "+" sign), two neutrons (black) and orbited by two electrons (small outlines, dotted orbits/movement lines), labelled below with the text of superscript atomic weight and element symbol]
:4He
:[The right model has just the two protons and the two electrons, laballed below with the text of an atomic weight and elemental symbol, and some subtext within brackets]
:2He
:(Decays fast - use quickly)
:[Both models sits on the left of the image, and to the right is text...]
:Cut waste by buying lighter isotopes that don't have any dead-weight neutrons

:[A flat rectangular bar, drawn in perspective with a scattering of dots/small circles on the top face and on the forward-facing one the label]
:Iron
:[An arrow points to the dots, from the text...]
:Free electrons
:[It sits to the right, and there is text to the left...]
:Conductors are a great source of free electrons
:(May carry charges)

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Tips]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]

2649: Physics Cost-Saving Tips

2022-07-22T20:18:55Z

162.158.34.221: /* Explanation */ Shifted the clause boundaries. Maybe "...<comma> so <bracket> if ... <closebracket> you can ..." if you really want that clause-break too.

{{comic
| number = 2649
| date = July 22, 2022
| title = Physics Cost-Saving Tips
| image = physics_cost_saving_tips.png
| titletext = I got banned from the county fair for handing out Helium-2 balloons. Apparently the instant massive plasma explosions violated some local ordinance or something.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a FAKE VECTOR - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a list of "cost-saving tips" which humorously misinterpret physics terms in ways that would seem to reduce a cost or provide something for free, allowing physicists to save money in their experiments.

The prefix "pseudo-" refers to something that is a fake variation of something else. Fakes are usually cheaper than the original brand-name product, while often working just as well, so a {{w|pseudovector}} should be a less expensive substitute for a real vector. In reality pseudovectors, or axial vectors, are an alternative to ordinary, or polar vectors, usually involved with rotation or effects that share properties with rotation, similar to the relationship between angles and magnitudes. Pseudovectors are quantities that mostly behave like vectors, but have no real physical meaning to their direction. For example, rotational directions are described by a vector normal to the plane of rotation.

{{w|Fourier Analysis}} can be used to convert any periodic function into a series of {{w|sine waves}}. A {{w|square wave}} is transformed into an infinite series of sine waves. However these waves cannot be physically separated and used for other tasks, so this mathematical transformation does not really produce a "supply" of waves.

Chemical elements are identified by the number of positive protons in each atomic nucleus, which is also equal to the number of negative electrons in the shell (unless the atom is ionized) that dictates most of their chemical behaviour. {{w|Isotopes}} are variants of the element with different numbers of neutral neutrons in the nucleus where the potential chemical reactions are practically identical under most circumstances. The comic suggests that the neutrons don't serve any useful purpose so, if you're purchasing matter by weight, you can save money by buying isotopes with no neutrons at all. In reality, neutrons are needed to keep the atom stable, and atoms with too many or too few neutrons will decay more quickly than the common isotopes. The image shown is Helium-2, an {{w|Isotopes of helium|isotope of helium}} with a half-life of less than a nanosecond. It decays into two protons, releasing a large amount of energy - hence the explosion mentioned in the title text.

{{w|Charge_carrier|Free electrons}} are electrons which are not tightly bound to a solid material, which thus are ably to ''move'' freely. Randall interprets "free" in a different sense: "costing nothing". There is a second pun on electric charge vs monetary charge.

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

:[Title]
:Physics Cost-Saving Tips

:[A diagramatical spinning disc, at an angle]
:[It is identified with an 'I', with a dotted axial arrow labelled 'L' and a rotational movement labelled 'ω' (little omega)]
:[It sits on the left, and to the right of this is text...]
:Try replacing regular vectors with pseudovectors whenever possible

:[A square wave with three maxima (between four minima), and arrows pointing down into a collection of five sine waves]
:[One of the waves having the same frequency as the square wave and the rest of them are of shorter lengths with more peaks and troughs]
:[It sits on the right, and to the left of this is text...]
:A square wave can be broken down into an inginite supply of valuable sine waves

:[Two atomic models]
:[The left containing two protons (white with a "+" sign), two neutrons (black) and orbited by two electrons (small outlines, dotted orbits/movement lines), labelled below with the text of superscript atomic weight and element symbol]
:4He
:[The right model has just the two protons and the two electrons, laballed below with the text of an atomic weight and elemental symbol, and some subtext within brackets]
:2He
:(Decays fast - use quickly)
:[Both models sits on the left of the image, and to the right is text...]
:Cut waste by buying lighter isotopes that don't have any dead-weight neutrons

:[A flat rectangular bar, drawn in perspective with a scattering of dots/small circles on the top face and on the forward-facing one the label]
:Iron
:[An arrow points to the dots, from the text...]
:Free electrons
:[It sits to the right, and there is text to the left...]
:Conductors are a great source of free electrons
:(May carry charges)

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Tips]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]

2649: Physics Cost-Saving Tips

2022-07-22T20:16:31Z

162.158.34.221: /* Explanation */ Obviously weight can dictate propensity to move around, and decaying can skew everything, but I think the explanation just needs to know that isotopes are very much the same as each other chemically.

{{comic
| number = 2649
| date = July 22, 2022
| title = Physics Cost-Saving Tips
| image = physics_cost_saving_tips.png
| titletext = I got banned from the county fair for handing out Helium-2 balloons. Apparently the instant massive plasma explosions violated some local ordinance or something.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a FAKE VECTOR - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a list of "cost-saving tips" which humorously misinterpret physics terms in ways that would seem to reduce a cost or provide something for free, allowing physicists to save money in their experiments.

The prefix "pseudo-" refers to something that is a fake variation of something else. Fakes are usually cheaper than the original brand-name product, while often working just as well, so a {{w|pseudovector}} should be a less expensive substitute for a real vector. In reality pseudovectors, or axial vectors, are an alternative to ordinary, or polar vectors, usually involved with rotation or effects that share properties with rotation, similar to the relationship between angles and magnitudes. Pseudovectors are quantities that mostly behave like vectors, but have no real physical meaning to their direction. For example, rotational directions are described by a vector normal to the plane of rotation.

{{w|Fourier Analysis}} can be used to convert any periodic function into a series of {{w|sine waves}}. A {{w|square wave}} is transformed into an infinite series of sine waves. However these waves cannot be physically separated and used for other tasks, so this mathematical transformation does not really produce a "supply" of waves.

Chemical elements are identified by the number of positive protons in each atomic nucleus, which is also equal to the number of negative electrons in the shell (unless the atom is ionized) that dictates most of their chemical behaviour. {{w|Isotopes}} are variants of the element with different numbers of neutral neutrons in the nucleus where the potential chemical reactions are practically identical under most circumstances. The comic suggests that the neutrons don't serve any useful purpose, so if you're purchasing matter by weight, you can save money by buying isotopes with no neutrons at all. In reality, neutrons are needed to keep the atom stable, and atoms with too many or too few neutrons will decay more quickly than the common isotopes. The image shown is Helium-2, an {{w|Isotopes of helium|isotope of helium}} with a half-life of less than a nanosecond. It decays into two protons, releasing a large amount of energy - hence the explosion mentioned in the title text.

{{w|Charge_carrier|Free electrons}} are electrons which are not tightly bound to a solid material, which thus are ably to ''move'' freely. Randall interprets "free" in a different sense: "costing nothing". There is a second pun on electric charge vs monetary charge.

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

:[Title]
:Physics Cost-Saving Tips

:[A diagramatical spinning disc, at an angle]
:[It is identified with an 'I', with a dotted axial arrow labelled 'L' and a rotational movement labelled 'ω' (little omega)]
:[It sits on the left, and to the right of this is text...]
:Try replacing regular vectors with pseudovectors whenever possible

:[A square wave with three maxima (between four minima), and arrows pointing down into a collection of five sine waves]
:[One of the waves having the same frequency as the square wave and the rest of them are of shorter lengths with more peaks and troughs]
:[It sits on the right, and to the left of this is text...]
:A square wave can be broken down into an inginite supply of valuable sine waves

:[Two atomic models]
:[The left containing two protons (white with a "+" sign), two neutrons (black) and orbited by two electrons (small outlines, dotted orbits/movement lines), labelled below with the text of superscript atomic weight and element symbol]
:4He
:[The right model has just the two protons and the two electrons, laballed below with the text of an atomic weight and elemental symbol, and some subtext within brackets]
:2He
:(Decays fast - use quickly)
:[Both models sits on the left of the image, and to the right is text...]
:Cut waste by buying lighter isotopes that don't have any dead-weight neutrons

:[A flat rectangular bar, drawn in perspective with a scattering of dots/small circles on the top face and on the forward-facing one the label]
:Iron
:[An arrow points to the dots, from the text...]
:Free electrons
:[It sits to the right, and there is text to the left...]
:Conductors are a great source of free electrons
:(May carry charges)

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Tips]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]

Talk:2647: Capri Suns

2022-07-22T19:08:02Z

162.158.34.221:

The title text could also be referring to a catheter. I'm not sure which is funnier, but one is certainly grosser. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.115|172.70.85.115]] 18:15, 18 July 2022 (UTC)

That is definitely a urine collection bag from the end of a catheter. The colour would make it doubly "mistakable" for a Capri-Sun with primary flavour/colour being orange. And urine (when collected and undiluted) is usually orange in colour. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.156.215|172.69.156.215]] 18:38, 18 July 2022 (UTC)
:Actually, Capri Sun drinks are generally completely colorless, since the pouches are opaque and the liquid is therefore never really seen, so there's no need for artificial coloring to be added (which is the only reason other similar drinks have a color to them). [[User:Dansiman|Dansiman]] ([[User talk:Dansiman|talk]]) 21:27, 18 July 2022 (UTC)
:: Depends on the flavor, because they have actual fruit juice. The drinks with cherry juice, for example, are red, and deeper than the drinks with orange juice are orange/yellow, because of the strength of pigment in the juices. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.213|172.70.206.213]] 01:41, 19 July 2022 (UTC)
:: https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/as0vpa/caprisun_in_a_cup/ [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.163|172.70.206.163]] 10:46, 19 July 2022 (UTC)

I feel like these are more likely saline bags, given that 1) they've got a substantial amount of text on them, more consistent with saline bags' photos (https://www.google.com/search?q=saline+bag&tbm=isch) than with urine bags, which generally are blank. The tiny label text on the bag also seems to read saline -- would it be all right to change this to the preferred interpretation? [[User:Lorea|Lorea]] ([[User talk:Lorea|talk]]) 18:56, 18 July 2022 (UTC)
:In the larger version, the text clearly says "Saline" [[Special:Contributions/172.71.30.123|172.71.30.123]] 21:38, 18 July 2022 (UTC)
::Zooming in on the larger version the text clearly says "saline". I've updated the transcript to reflect that. I've also cleaned up the explanation to incorporate that update.[[User:The Cat Lady|-- The Cat Lady]] ([[User talk:The Cat Lady|talk]]) 00:12, 19 July 2022 (UTC)

How do you see the double size image?
:I used the Zoom function on my TV screen :P [[User:The Cat Lady|-- The Cat Lady]] ([[User talk:The Cat Lady|talk]]) 21:33, 19 July 2022 (UTC)
:https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/capri_suns_2x.png [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.103|108.162.241.103]] 00:38, 20 July 2022 (UTC)
:If you're into reading the HTML source, you'll see something (not got it in front of me) in the <img>-tag that points the correctly responding browser (based upon detection of available screen resolution/size within the browser page area, IIRC) to load up the hi-res version.
:But if you don't want to go into that, just click on the image permalink at the bottom (the .png/.whatever one) to get that direct then edit the name in the address bar from ".../image_name.png" to ".../image_name_2x.png" (add underscore-two-ex in there) and ''usually'' that'll load the larger file.
:Won't work with the more interactive comics. I also believe (at least originally) the non-2x and the 2x versions have been uploaded as the same on at least one occasion. But it works well enough on this particular comic (because I did it to confirm the SALINE detail to my own satisfaction), as the prior poster also indicates. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.80|172.70.91.80]] 01:10, 20 July 2022 (UTC)

Yeah, it's definitely an IV bag, not a urine bag. I would say to change it back. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.185|172.70.214.185]] 19:01, 18 July 2022 (UTC)

All I can say is "thank goodness for explainXKCD" otherwise I had no idea as Capri Sun isn't a thing in many countries [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.49|172.69.62.49]] 23:19, 18 July 2022 (UTC)

There was I thinking it was blood
[[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.78|172.70.91.78]] 07:34, 19 July 2022 (UTC)

Heat wave in Europe and drought conditions provide this Twitter user to imagine Capri Sun as IV Drip [https://twitter.com/cleveleysnews/status/635186028790288385] [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 17:08, 19 July 2022 (UTC)

; IV sucrose solutions aren't that bad

Regarding whether IV Capri Sun is potentially dangerous, please see [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1998290/] which discusses IV injection of 100 ml of 50% sucrose solution as a therapeutic, and [https://journals.physiology.org/doi/epdf/10.1152/ajplegacy.1935.112.1.97] which states sucrose is quickly cleared by the kidneys. The other simple sugars aren't going to hurt. Citric acid is "a common ingredient used in [injected] pharmaceutical formulations."[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33888605/]. What's in Capri Sun which could cause IV toxicity? Its ingredients are, per [https://www.caprisun.com/product/capri-sun-juice-drink/capri-sun-tropical-punch-flavored-juice-drink-blend-10-ct-box-6-fl-oz-pouches-00087684001028#id_pdpNutritionContainer], "WATER; SUGAR; APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE; CITRIC ACID; GRAPE, PINEAPPLE AND CHERRY JUICE CONCENTRATES; NATURAL FLAVOR; MUSHROOM EXTRACT." It's pasteurized.

I'm trying to find some quantification of the level at which undigested fruit juices are harmful when injected. They can cause temporary loss of liver and kidney function along with clotting resulting in pulmonary embolism, but it's not clear at what concentrations they become dangerous, and I can't find good sources. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.32|172.69.34.32]] 09:27, 19 July 2022 (UTC)

: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-47623816 will have to do for now. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.95|172.70.214.95]] 09:33, 19 July 2022 (UTC)

"The investigation is still ongoing. Please overlook this minor oversight." "Oh, disgusted nurse, you are so very sexy! Would you like a higher paying job at a competing facility?" [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.87|162.158.62.87]] 22:58, 19 July 2022 (UTC)

Well, some barrel of laughs decided to vandalize the front of the page with the n word. 162.158.107.220, in case anybody's wondering. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.217|172.70.130.217]]`
: That address belongs to Cloudflare (Which is the CDN ExplainXKCD uses), not sure why someone is using their hosts to browse here. If you're sure the defacement came from there, you should report it to abuse@cloudflare.com [[User:MAP|MAP]] ([[User talk:MAP|talk]]) 04:33, 22 July 2022 (UTC)
:: ''Everyone'' is 'coming from' Cloudflare hosts. Because that's what channelling through Cloudflare does for everyone. (It's all built into the configuration being used.) What's often more interesting is ''which'' Cloudflare intermediary (or group of them) it comes in through - whether openly as an IP (like me) or in the hidden behind a username (like you).
::Reporting to the abuse@ might (though I doubt it) help to isolate any given true origin and prevent it at the traffic-shaping level. e.g. massive DDOS trying to come in from a given geographically static true origin, which CF might also prefer to try to bounce before overloading one of their own gateway servers... though I bet anything they want to do happens only because their massively over-capable systems already are set up to be self-protecting of their own limitation
::There are other things that can be done (known to those who might like to do them), but they're beyond the lower-level people on here. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.223|172.70.90.223]] 09:41, 22 July 2022 (UTC)
:::Mediawiki can get the real IP address: https://serverfault.com/a/526551 I should mention this on the admin page.... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.134|172.70.211.134]] 15:41, 22 July 2022 (UTC)
::::I believe that's been suggested already (you may have been told that already, I think I saw newer edits in that vicinity when I started to check just now). This may or may not be immediately practical to do (and it's certainly an old request) and it's neither the only thing that can be done (given the access to do it) nor would be the ultimate panacea. AIUI, from reading things out here on the fringes. (i.e. Not a bad suggestion, but not entirely sure if it's immediately available to be done.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.221|162.158.34.221]] 19:08, 22 July 2022 (UTC)

2598: Graphic Designers

2022-07-03T15:42:40Z

162.158.34.221: Undo revision 288119 by 172.70.131.106 (talk) Go away, 'Eric'. Your targetting is all wrong,vwhich clearly shows that your business is bunk. Would not go to it, even if it were needed.

{{comic
| number = 2598
| date = March 25, 2022
| title = Graphic Designers
| image = graphic_designers.png
| titletext = They might make it past that first line of defense. For the second, you'll need some picture frames, a level, and a protractor that can do increments of less than a degree.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] is inviting [[Knit Cap]] into his newly repainted residence. Knit Cap is a {{w|graphic designer}} and he simply can't enter because of the [[#Colors|color scheme]] used. The caption explains that if you paint each wall a slightly different shade of off-white, a graphic designer will be so repulsed that they are physically unable to enter the room. This is analogous with a specific bit of vampire lore: {{w|Vampires}} cannot {{w|Vampire#Protection|enter a dwelling uninvited}}.

Being presented with visual information that is ''just not quite right'' is known to cause feelings of unease and revulsion, particularly when presented with CGI human faces, a concept known as the {{w|uncanny valley}}.

In the title text, it mentions a contingency against the designer managing to actually overcome this disgust. In this case, Cueball sets up a second way to troll his graphic designer friend using some picture frames, a {{w|Level (instrument)|level}}, and a {{w|protractor}} that can measure increments of less than a degree. Cueball can then skew his picture frames by an extremely small amount, noticeable only to the designer friend, to disgust him even further — similar to the effect of [[1015: Kerning|bad kerning]]. This could thus be applied like the use of {{w|Christian cross|crosses}} or {{w|Garlic|garlic}}, which vampires are famously repulsed by.

Although the window ledges are slightly inclined, falling subtly from left to right, it is unlikely this is a deliberate aspect of the room so much as a side-effect of Randall's imprecise stick-figure drawing style.

===Colors===
True to the comic's joke, [[Randall]] has actually colored each segment of the comic differently to each other, even though normal persons would just perceive all walls as slightly gray (off-white).
The hexadecimal color codes are:
* Floor: #FFFFFF [[https://www.colorhexa.com/ffffff White]]
* Ceiling: #F3F7F8 [[https://www.colorhexa.com/f3f7f8 Light Grayish Cyan]]
* Walls (left-to-right)
** #F2F0EE [[https://www.colorhexa.com/f2f0ee Light Grayish Orange]]
** #F3F4F2 [[https://www.colorhexa.com/f3f4f2 Light Grayish Green]]
** #F2F3F4 [[https://www.colorhexa.com/f2f3f4 Light Grayish Blue]]
** #F3F2F4 [[https://www.colorhexa.com/f3f2f4 Light Grayish Violet]]
* Door: #F1F3F1 [[https://www.colorhexa.com/f1f3f1 Light Grayish Lime Green]]
* Left window frame/ledge: #F2EEF2 [[https://www.colorhexa.com/f2eef2 Light Grayish Magenta]]
* Right window frame/ledge: #F3F3F1 [[https://www.colorhexa.com/f3f3f1 Light Grayish Yellow]]
* Box seat top: #EEF1EC [[https://www.colorhexa.com/eef1ec Light Grayish Green]]
* Box seat front: #F2EEF0 [[https://www.colorhexa.com/f2eef0 Light Grayish Pink]]
* Rug outer ring: #F0F2F1 [[https://www.colorhexa.com/f0f2f1 Light Grayish Cyan - Lime Green]]
* Rug inner panel: #F0EFF1 [[https://www.colorhexa.com/f0eff1 Light Grayish Violet]]

Whilst this subtle difference may be undetectable to humans without a graphic design qualification, it can be made clearer by increasing the saturation value of the image, as shown in this [https://i.imgur.com/gMpmJlp.png rendering with an exaggerated color saturation].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball stands in a lightly adorned room of a house, facing an open doorway. Each surface is painted an almost imperceptibly different shade of off-white, except the floor which is white. There is a rug, a couch with a pillow (white) and a book. There are two windows, in the right there is a potted plant. Knit Cap stands in the open doorway, as if about to enter the house, one foot at the threshold, but not on the floor inside. Cueball is reaching towards the doorway, inviting Knit Cap to enter.]
:Cueball: Come on in! We just repainted.
:Knit Cap: I... can't.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:If you want to set up a vampire-style barrier to keep graphic designers from entering your house, just paint every surface a slightly different shade of off-white.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Knit Cap]]

2629: Or Whatever

2022-06-08T15:37:56Z

162.158.34.221: Changed another instance of inhabitable to habitable.

{{comic
| number = 2629
| date = June 6, 2022
| title = Or Whatever
| image = or_whatever.png
| titletext = Oh yeah, I didn't even know they renamed it the Willis Tower in 2009, because I know a normal amount about skyscrapers.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BUILDING OR STRUCTURE OR WHATEVER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The {{w|Willis Tower}} (formerly the Sears Tower) is a 108-story, 442.1 meter skyscraper in Chicago. It is currently the third tallest building in North America, and was indeed the tallest building in the world for 25 years, surpassing the {{w|World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center}} upon opening in 1973, and being surpassed by the Petronas Towers upon their opening in 1998.

[[White Hat]] conveys some interesting historical trivia to [[Cueball]], regarding the {{w|Sears Tower}}. Cueball then sets the record straight by correcting White Hat's use of the word tower: In the category of 'tower', the Willis Tower was never the tallest. Cueball then realizes he just one-upped White Hat with what ''he'' knows about tall structures in general, which might make him sound obsessive, so he tags on the meaningless caveat of "or whatever".

This is meant to diffuse the tension he may have added by his well-meaning contradiction, but could also be taken as a passive-aggressive behaviour by interlocutors who may already be touchy about the original 'correction'.

In the title-text, being already self-conscious that he has overstepped the mark for polite smalltalk, he then hypercorrects the self-perceived tone of his response by explicitly denying that he knows far more about the tower, but only by providing the very facts that he is trying to claim not to know. Alternately, this could be White Hat responding to something else Cueball said, as an annoyed way to either get Cueball to stop, or to make a point that Cueball knows more than in "noraml" about skyscrapers.

This comic hinges on the [https://www.engineersupply.com/What-is-the-difference-between-building-and-construction.aspx debate] about the tallest structure vs tallest ''building''. A {{w|building}} is generally defined as a human-built structure ''fit for human habitation'' when it is fit for human habitation, while a {{w|structure}} is generally defined as anything humans make. (Or in some cases, anything an animal makes, like [[2418: Metacarcinization|crab shells.]])

It is far from unusual for the tallest building (habitable) to be shorter than the tallest structure (uninhabitable), such as in 1974 when the tallest structure was the {{w|Warsaw radio mast}} at 646.38 meters. The radio mast was uninhabitable,{{Citation needed}} so the tallest building was (sort-of coincidentally) the Sears Tower at 442.1 meters. The Warsaw tower collapsed in 1991, so it was not the tallest structure for the majority of the '90s.

After the Warsaw Tower's demise, the {{w|KVLY-TV mast}}, which stood at 629 meters, held the record of tallest structure until either 2000 or 2010, with the opening of the {{w|Petronius (oil platform)|Petronius platform}} and {{w|Burj Khalifa}} respectively. (The date depends on whether you count underwater towers, as the Petronius platform is an oil rig and only 75 meters of the platform are above water). It was also the tallest Guyed mast up until 2019, when it was reduced to 605.6 meters, giving the {{w|KRDK-TV mast}} the record.

The {{w|CN tower}} stands at 553.3 meters (Measured from top of spire), which is higher than the Sears/Willis tower but shorter than the KVLT-TV mast. It is mentioned as is has some habitable space but not much, causing debate about whether it is a building (Referenced below). It was never the tallest structure, but if it's a building it would have been the tallest in the world from it's opening in 1976 until the {{w|Canton Tower}}'s in 2009. It is currently the 9th tallest building.

The debate surrounding the tallest building does not stop at building vs structure. Architects have long argued about what the height definition of a building should be. Should it include antennas sitting at the top of the building? How about spires that form part of the architectural design of the building but are not part of the habitable space? Should we focus instead on the highest habitable floor? The debate has historically had relevance every time a new record is claimed by developers eager to reach new heights using any means possible ([https://www.npr.org/2013/11/08/243714332/size-does-matter-at-least-in-the-tallest-building-debate Size Does Matter, At Least In The Tallest Building Debate]).

There is yet more debate about what counts as a building vs a structure. While some people would say that any structure with any habitable space is a building, most people in the field agree that there is a certain threshold of habitable space, below which there is not enough habitable space to count as a "building", even if there is some.

A main point in this debate are {{w|Radio masts and towers|TV towers}}, which are often tall towers with little habitable space in them, but with an observation deck at the top. Examples include the {{w|tokyo skytree}}, {{w|Fernsehturm Stuttgart}}, and CN tower. A similar structure is the {{w|Dubai Creek Tower}}, a tower under construction in Dubai, set to become the world's tallest structure. (The Dubai Creek Tower will not, however, broadcast tv signals).

TV towers are sometimes counted as buildings as they do have some habitable space. However, they are often not as they are commonly considered to not have enough habitable space to be buildings, hence Cueball's line "The CN tower isn't always considered a building"

{{w|List of tallest structures|Wikipedia lists}} the tallest structures, and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkMWb_8IiB4 this YouTube video] explains a bit more about tall buildings/structures. Since 2010 the Burj Kalifa has been both the tallest structure and the tallest building in the world.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball and White Hat looking out on a skyline.]
:White Hat: You know, back in the 90s, the Sears Tower was the world's tallest tower.
:Cueball: Yeah! Or "building." The CN Tower and the KVLY-TV Antenna were taller, but the CN Tower isn't always considered a building and the antenna is supported by guy wires or whatever.

:[Caption below the panel]:
:Whenever I get self-conscious about how obsessive I sound about some random topic, I panic and tack on "or whatever."

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]

Talk:2613: Bad Map Projection: Madagascator

2022-04-29T22:04:44Z

162.158.34.221:

Hopefully the vandal won't bother this one. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.18|172.70.211.18]] 17:23, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

Anyone else want to play this (and the other bad map projections) as maps in a 4X/Grand Strategy game? [[User:Mazz0|Mazz0]] ([[User talk:Mazz0|talk]]) 18:02, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

Clicking on the original comic brings up the actual projection used, it looks like.

this page is kinda sussy tbh [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.81|172.70.214.81]] 18:11, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

Why was this page mentioning Among Us? The game has no relation to map projections at all[[Special:Contributions/172.70.251.112|172.70.251.112]] 18:16, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

among us has many relations to map projections tho [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.35|172.69.33.35]] 18:17, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

- Among Us: deception based video game
- Map projections: how to put the globe on a flat surface
I see no relations at all, what are you on? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.246.65|172.70.246.65]] 18:33, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

no among us is actually very related, take a look at the wikipedia page [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.18|172.70.211.18]] 18:36, 29 April 2022 (UTC)
I have looked at the Wikipedia pages, and there is _no_ reference to Among Us on any map-related pages (and vice versa). What is your problem? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.242.195|172.70.242.195]] 18:43, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

maybe you didnt look hard enough [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.72|172.70.211.72]] 18:45, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

I take it you're the vandal... [[User:Something|Something]] ([[User talk:Something|talk]]) 19:00, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

ID does imply they are the vandal, they were adding the lyricis earlier today...[[User:Mapron01|Mapron01]] ([[User talk:Mapron01|talk]]) 19:23, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

I'm on an old machine here (because it usually doesn't matter), and clicked on the image on the xkcd site to get the image, to be told that ''Your browser does not support WebGL :'('' by the URL https://mrgris.com/projects/merc-extreme/#-4.64274,55.45253 - I will have to check from a less 'primitive' device, but it looks like it's got a special click-through, which might be worth mentioning in the Explanation. I can check myself in a few minutes, but noting here first in case I get delay. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.11|141.101.98.11]] 19:38, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

I have added the click. It opens an website app showing a Mercator with the North Pole set to wherever you want, with this one in particular set Mahé just as Randall said. [[User:Mapron01|Mapron01]] ([[User talk:Mapron01|talk]]) 19:40, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

Added a table, based upon some rapid pixel-analysis I did. No, I didn't include Indonesia, etc, and the "Africa size probably includes Madagascar" sort of thing could need sorting, but I mentioned that below so nobody is under misapprehension. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.221|162.158.34.221]] 22:04, 29 April 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2613: Bad Map Projection: Madagascator

2022-04-29T22:02:20Z

162.158.34.221: You're a dickhead.

2613: Bad Map Projection: Madagascator

2022-04-29T21:58:56Z

162.158.34.221: Trying this, after a broad pixel-by-pixel analysis and some very quick research. Also removed duplicate Bad Map Projection category label.

{{comic
| number = 2613
| date = April 29, 2022
| title = Bad Map Projection: Madagascator
| image = bad_map_projection_madagascator.png
| titletext = The projection's north pole is in a small lake on the island of Mahé in the Seychelles, which is off the top of the map and larger than the rest of the Earth's land area combined.
}}

{{Talk:2613: Bad Map Projection: Madagascator}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by MADAGASCAR (2005) - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is another comic in the [[:Category:Bad Map Projections|Bad Map Projections]] series. This time, Randall used the classic {{w|Mercator projection}} but instead of placing the North Pole on top and the South Pole on the bottom it is oriented so that the top is the island of {{w|Mahé, Seychelles|Mahé}}. This is valid, as Earth is pretty much symmetrical{{citation needed}}, but the axis choice is unusual. Since the Mercator projection tends to visually distort areas near the top and bottom of the resulting map, this gives some areas, notably Madagascar, very unusual shapes.

The Mercator projection became the standard projection for world maps during the 1800s because it is conformal - the angle between two places on the map is the same as the angle between them in the real world. During the age of sail, when navigation was performed by compass - this was a very valuable feature, since one could plot a course between two locations by measuring the direction from one to another on the map and then accounting for the difference between the magnetic and actual north poles to determine what direction to sail in. In the mid-20th century this trend was {{w|Mercator_projection#Criticism|criticized}} because the distortion towards the north and south poles gave an inaccurate impression of relative sizes. The most common example given of this distortion is that on a Mercator map of the world Greenland looks to have more area than Africa, when in real life Africa covers 14 times that of Greenland. Thus the reference to making Madagascar larger in this projection. Madagascar is a large island off the south east coast of the main African continent, but has only a quarter the coverage of Greenland. Greenland is often listed as the largest island in the world (which excludes continents in their own right, e.g. Australia) followed by New Guinea, Borneo and then Madagascar in fourth place.

Mahé, mentioned in the title text as the north pole's new location, is the largest island in Seychelles, with an area of 60.7 square miles. The claim in the title text, however, that it is "larger than the rest of the Earth's land area combined", is hard to verify when it is not actually displayed in the projection. That is, if you limit yourself to the comic. Clicking on the actual comic will open a website that displays Mercator projections with the North Pole transplanted to various locations, with the location of the one opened set to Mahé. With this, it is possible to see that the island is indeed larger than the rest of the map's land area combined, with a single national park within the island rivalling Africa in size, and eventually reaching a scale of distortion where a road is thicker than Panama. This also reveals that the location of the North Pole, the lake mentioned by Randall, is the Rochon Dam.

===Comparison of actual/proportional areas===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
! Landmass !! Status !! Official Area (in Millions of Km²) !! Proportion in image (as % of listed areas)
|-
| Africa || Continent 2nd largest || 30.3 || 35%
|-
| Eurasia || Continent Largest || 55.0 || 30%
|-
| North America || Continent 3rd largest || 24.709 || 15%
|-
| South America || Continent 4th largest || 17.840 || 7.8%
|-
| Antarctica || Continent 5th largest || 14.2 || 5.3%
|-
| Madagascar || Island 4th largest || 0.587 || 2.9%
|-
| Australia || Continent smallest || 7.6 || 2.5%
|-
| Greenland || Island Largest || 2.13 || 0.87%
|-
| Borneo || Island 3rd largest || 0.748 || 0.37%
|-
| New Guinea || Island 2nd largest || 0.786 || 0.32%
|-
| Japan || Island 7th largest || 0.377 || 0.10%
|-
| Mainland Britain || Island 9th largest || 0.208 || 0.10%
|-
| Island of Ireland || Island 20th largest || 0.084 || 0.03%
|}

* Comic measurements are strictly only of contiguous 'mainland' or main-island areas (outlined area plus outline itself)
** Excludes various off-shore islands (often significant, e.g. Baffin Island)
** Also excludes any drawn internal lakes/seas (except their drawn lines) where large enough to show such a gap
* Real-world areas are compiled from Wikipedia
** Land areas only, where established (accuracy is dubious in the case of those with significant ice-sheets)
** These figures usually including all islands, and no attempt has been made to subtract any other listed area
* For the purposes of this table, "Eurasia" continent is the whole of Europe, Asia, India, etc and was clipped from Africa in the area of Suez (and Straits Of Gibraltar, where the drawn lines touch!)
* Similarly, North/South Americas are clipped from each other in the vicinity of Panama 

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Bad map projection #248: Madagascar

Mercator projection but with the North Pole in the Indian Ocean so it exaggerates the size of Madagascar instead of Greenland

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Bad Map Projections]]

Talk:2605: Taylor Series

2022-04-13T09:32:05Z

162.158.34.221:

I should point out that Taylor Series expansions can end - for polynomials [[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.157|172.70.114.157]] 17:23, 11 April 2022 (UTC)
:Pics or it didn't happen. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.206|172.68.132.206]] 04:45, 12 April 2022 (UTC)
:Tried to improve the text, including polynomial functions and approximation. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.121|172.68.110.121]] 18:53, 12 April 2022 (UTC)

Most Physicists only like seasons 1 and 2. [[User:Fephisto|Fephisto]] ([[User talk:Fephisto|talk]]) 17:44, 11 April 2022 (UTC)
: I feel it really jumped the shark in the third term. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.69.182|172.69.69.182]] 19:29, 11 April 2022 (UTC)
:: Yeah, it does get a bit repetitive. It feels like the writers just started following a formula. [[User:Fephisto|Fephisto]] ([[User talk:Fephisto|talk]]) 19:37, 11 April 2022 (UTC)

Non-mathematician here: what I don't get (and would appreciate having explained) is why he chose this specific instance of an {{w|Series_(mathematics)|infinite series}}. Is there something special about a Taylor series that makes it work best for this joke? Some deeper pun here that "Taylor Series" brings, over just using "(Laurent|Fourier|Dirichlet|Infinite) series" or even "Zeno's Paradox"? --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.69.182|172.69.69.182]] 19:44, 11 April 2022 (UTC)

:Taylor series is approximation of arbitrary function. Fourier serie is also approximation of arbitrary function, although in different way. Those others are something completely different, though. For example, Taylor serie is not DEFINED as infinite - it just usually is. Saying that Laurent series is infinite is like, well, sure it is, it's defined that way, saying that about Taylor series approximating specific function is actually nontrivial statement. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:36, 12 April 2022 (UTC)

:I feel like he could have worked in at least one Taylor Swift pun
::I thought Taylor series referred to Liz's husbands? (The gag comes far better in German, due to the double meaning of "Glied".) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.119|141.101.105.119]] 08:35, 12 April 2022 (UTC)

DuckDuckGo's search on "taylor series expansion taken to extremes" is remarkably unsatisfying, the first result being https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/taylor-series.html which nonetheless may be of use in the explanation. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.206|172.68.132.206]] 04:42, 12 April 2022 (UTC)

Can this be a reference to the Neverending Story? There the protagonist wishes that the books he love would, well, never end. --[[User:JezebelCeasedToExist|JezebelCeasedToExist]] ([[User talk:JezebelCeasedToExist|talk]]) 05:30, 12 April 2022 (UTC)

I deleted the following passage:
:; It could also reference the term, in office, of US President {{w|Zachary Taylor}}, who died after serving fifteen months, or the political career of {{w|Charles_Taylor_(Liberian_politician)|Charles Taylor}}, whose first term ended in civil war and exile.

Does anyone believe that those theories of the joke could have been made intentionally? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.131|172.69.134.131]] 08:21, 12 April 2022 (UTC)
: I actually added that sentence. When someone talks about "the Taylor term", I specifically think of Zachary Taylor's term in office. The idea of a dead man continuing to a second term is amusing. Admittedly, Charles Taylor was seriously unlikely,but I included it because the joke could also apply. [[User:Cwallenpoole|Cwallenpoole]] ([[User talk:Cwallenpoole|talk]]) 12:52, 12 April 2022 (UTC)

Rather than explaining the pun in the title text as referring to cancelling a TV series after the first season, which is a little weak because it misses the pun on the word "term". A better explanation would have the title text make a pun on a college course, i.e. "The college course, 'The Taylor series', should have been canceled after the first term." where 'term' is commonly used for the duration of a college class. This fits the context of the comic much better than a TV show. The TV show pun would possibly work if there was a TV series called "Taylor", but I don't think there was one. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 13:00, 12 April 2022 (UTC)
:But we don't talk about cancelling courses after N terms, while this is a very common phrase regarding TV series. And television uses the word "series". [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 13:35, 12 April 2022 (UTC)
::I think this is specifically referring to the common scenario where a TV series has a strong, well-liked, self-contained first series, which is then spoilt by the financial imperative to make follow-up series which artificially stretch the concept beyond its limits. As opposed to the implication of the current explanation - that it should have been cancelled because the first series wasn't any good.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.221|162.158.34.221]] 09:32, 13 April 2022 (UTC)

Are we entirely sure there's *not* a Taylor Swift joke here? I mean, is there some lyric like "I love this $X$ and I wish it would never end!", where $X$ is something like "night" or "feeling" or whatever? [[User:Kenahoo|Kenahoo]] ([[User talk:Kenahoo|talk]]) 03:03, 13 April 2022 (UTC)

User talk:BlackHat

2022-03-30T10:45:39Z

162.158.34.221: /* */

{{kick}}
<3 [[User:BlackHat|BlackHat]] ([[User talk:BlackHat|talk]]) 05:50, 28 February 2021 (UTC)

How do you hack something I don't have?

== ==

Hi -[[User:Donthaveusername|Donthaveusername]][[User talk:Donthaveusername|talk]]
 

Why hello, Donthaveusername! [[User:BlackHat|BlackHat]] ([[User talk:BlackHat|talk]]) 23:08, 28 October 2020 (UTC)

Warning to future visitors to this page: Turn your phone to airplane mode. Trust me. --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 17:06, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

:I believe you mean boat mode. [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 17:10, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
::stapler mode! ka-'''CHUNK'''! --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 18:16, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

Why are you yelling? Danish said she'd let you off the ceiling by the end of the year. --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 18:28, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
:That is completely inaccurate! I said ''next'' year. [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 18:30, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
::Don't worry, I can throw lug nuts up at you for food. [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 18:31, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
:::They don't actually- *ow* taste- *oww* that bad *ow*. --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 18:33, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
::::''steals them back'' [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 18:36, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
:::::Should we feed him newspapers then? --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 18:38, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
::::::Why d'ya think I stole them back?  [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 18:41, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
:::::::Although I'm not sure if he ''can'' eat them; I tried one yesterday and had to spit it out.  --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 18:45, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
::::::::Do you have any that isn't dependant on that one outlet? [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 19:32, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
:::::::::Yes, but only chicken noodle. Beret's off on a [https://xkcd.com/1812/ business] trip to find out where Mr. Lin-Manuel Miranda went. --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 19:34, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
::::::::::Okay, bring some over and we'll try it. [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 20:08, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
:::::::::::Here! <s>File:SoupCable.jpg</s> Did you bring a cable with you? Any soup-compatible cables work. --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 20:13, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
:::::::::::Oops. Could you install it for me? You can find it in [https://xkcd.com/1293/ here!]. I think they removed my installation permissions after I installed a few little things with my staple gun. Maybe [[User:BlackHat|Black Hat]]'s hat doesn't match the decor? --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 20:22, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
:::::::::::I did it! [[File:job_interview_2x.png]] --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 21:11, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
::::::::::::''sprays soup at my bf'' heh, thanks char [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 21:24, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
:::::::::::::I ''almost'' forgot that you two are sociopaths for a second... --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 21:34, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
::::::::::::::I sure wish there was a place outside of my talk page for you all to mess around. If only there were a secret xkcd chatroom, whose link is buried in the archives, in which you could participate... but no, I'm sure that's too fanciful. Hehe. [[User:BlackHat|BlackHat]] ([[User talk:BlackHat|talk]] 04:15, 13 March 2021 (UTC
::::::::::::::I'd be positively *euphoric* if you all were to drop by. Hehehe. [[User:BlackHat|BlackHat]] ([[User talk:BlackHat|talk]] 04:17, 13 March 2021 (UTC
:::::::::::::::Dammit I am ''not'' getting nerd-sniped by you)))) [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 16:07, 13 March 2021 (UTC)
:::::::::::::::And I've ''read'' all the archives already, didn't find one except the IRC (nope) [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 16:11, 13 March 2021 (UTC)
::::::::::::::::You've read through ''every'' word of ''every'' comic explanation? Impressive. [[User:BlackHat|BlackHat]] ([[User talk:BlackHat|talk]] 16:47, 13 March 2021 (UTC
:::::::::::::::::It is, isn't it?)) [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 17:00, 13 March 2021 (UTC)
::::::::::::::::::There ''is'' a secret chatroom; I've seen it but haven't actually checked it out.  On another note, I'm prone to nerd-sniping sometimes, but most of the time I don't catch it. --[[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte49]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 18:07, 13 March 2021 (UTC)

== *NEW* Welcome template ==

{{Welcome|BlackHat}} — [[User:Sqrt-1|The 𝗦𝗾𝗿𝘁-𝟭]] [[User talk:Sqrt-1|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/Sqrt-1|stalk]] 03:16, 14 December 2020 (UTC)

2591: Qua

2022-03-22T11:31:50Z

162.158.34.221: /* Explanation */ We already have a (proper) Wiktionary link, at the start there. If you want to credit thenexample (I assume) there are better markups/indicators available.

{{comic
| number = 2591
| date = March 9, 2022
| title = Qua
| image = qua.png
| titletext = Qua qua qua is the sine qua non of sine qua non qua sine qua non.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Please expand the explanation, and clarify the definition of "qua". Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[wikt:qua|Qua]] is a relatively rare, formal word, from Latin, roughly meaning "in the capacity of". For instance "In essence, military regimes are autocracies in which the military qua organization performs many of the functions performed by the ruling party in single-party regimes".

Saying something is "X qua X" (e.g. "entertainment qua entertainment") means when X is being viewed in its most typical capacity (eg, entertainment as something that entertains, rather than as a business, a form of propaganda, or whatever).


For example, "A copy, qua copy, can never be the equal of the exemplar, and it may be much its inferior." [https://www.yourdictionary.com/qua]

[[Cueball]] claims that people only use ''qua'' to "sound pretentious" without properly understanding its meaning. Thus, people do not use "qua ''qua'' qua", or "qua for the sake of qua". However, [[Megan]] one-ups this with a series of seven ''qua''s: she compliments Cueball's successful use of "qua qua qua ''qua'' qua qua qua", or "the phrase 'qua qua qua' for its correct meaning".

The joke is that, for the reader, the conversation has likely dissolved into gibberish because of unfamiliar terminology and {{w|semantic satiation}}. This is similar to other complex sentences such as {{w|Buffalo buffalo|"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo"}}, {{w|That that is is that that is not is not is that it it is|"That that is is that that is not is not is that it it is"}}, and {{w|Had had had|"James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher"}}. Following this trend, you can create a grammatically correct sentence that includes 'qua' a consecutive number of times equal to (2n-1), where n is a natural number.

The title text goes further with this, using a Latin phrase {{w|sine qua non}} (meaning literally "without which not"), commonly rendered as "that which is absolutely necessary" or "essential". Thus, the title text says that "the word 'qua' in its real meaning is essential to the phrase 'sine qua non' used correctly".

However, the **qua** in title text phrase is a demonstrative pronoun ("which"), unlike the other **qua** which is an adverb, so the similarity is only coincidental.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan are speaking to each other.]
:Cueball: People mostly use "qua" to sound pretentious. You rarely hear qua ''qua'' qua.
:Megan: Nice use of qua qua qua ''qua'' qua qua qua.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]

Talk:2592: False Dichotomy

2022-03-12T01:09:14Z

162.158.34.221:

This is my second explanation ever, it probably isnt great but its good for others to have something to start from. if anybody who knows how to do the links and everything, for all of the characters and the fancy words, please do that. [[User:ElijahRock|ElijahRock]] ([[User talk:ElijahRock|talk]]) 17:57, 11 March 2022 (UTC)

And here I thought it was a pun on tracheotomy...

I’m pretty sure the cannibalism joke is based on the idea that we have to create a “false dichotomy” between humans and non-human living things, or else we can’t say that it’s okay to eat some things (maybe the line is drawn at plants, maybe at animals) but not others (a category that usually includes humans). [[User:Pablo360|Pablo360]] ([[User talk:Pablo360|talk]]) 19:03, 11 March 2022 (UTC)
:I don't think it's that specific. Often false dichotomies use something horrible or unthinkable as the alternative, and cannibalism is about as taboo as it gets. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]])

: no, that's delving too far into a fairly simple joke. "Embracing dichotomies and Cannibalism" is a false dichotomy itself! He could have said anything "skydiving", "poison swallowing", anything... It's the fact it's a false dichotomy used to justify false dichotomies. GET IT?!?!?

I think the title text joke is more based on "There are 2 hard problems in computer science: cache invalidation, naming things, and off-by-1 errors." [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:29, 11 March 2022 (UTC)

Trichotomy is not a portmanteau but a real word by itself, and it means what is supposed to mean, i.e., division in three categories. [[User:Vdm|Vdm]] ([[User talk:Vdm|talk]]) 21:36, 11 March 2022 (UTC)
:I had not read this comment, when I dove in myself. I agree, though it is an artificial and (slightly) incorrect swap of di- to tri- so is a relative neologism. I've endeavoured to summarise what I understand of it (wiktionary lacks some of the depth, as you try to drill down, and I'm not sure I can provide full references for my version!) and removed the presumption of being a portmanteau. Which I would rather apply to two independent words being melded together, not a replacement of one prefix (or suffix) with another equivalently elemental fragmentary affix.
:But that's just my opinion. Open to further editing. (Maybe shoving in a Trivia section, also!) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.221|162.158.34.221]] 01:09, 12 March 2022 (UTC)

It may be a stretch, but Cueball’s dialogue could be a reference to A Modest Proposal, which satirically creates an extended false dichotomy between poverty and cannibalism [[User:Lordoftheroboflies|Lordoftheroboflies]] ([[User talk:Lordoftheroboflies|talk]]) 23:11, 11 March 2022 (UTC)