explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2813: What To Do

2023-08-12T23:34:56Z

162.158.74.47: /* Add background color to table? */

Top right kinda reminds me of https://piped.video/watch?v=5jKZ9KGtee0 [[User:Beanie|Beanie]] [[User talk:Beanie|talk]] 22:06, 9 August 2023 (UTC)

We don't need a dang [citation needed] on every single joke in the first column. Less is more. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.135.149|172.70.135.149]] 04:55, 10 August 2023 (UTC)
: Citation needed. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.127.132|172.70.127.132]] 05:13, 10 August 2023 (UTC)
: I wholeheartedly disagree, every one is funny [[User:Tiln|Tiln]] ([[User talk:Tiln|talk]]) 07:36, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

https://tiermaker.com/create/2813-xkcd-what-to-do-16046434 <- I made a tierlist for all the panels you can fill out! idk why thought it was funny [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 11:51, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

== Add background color to table? ==

Should we indicate the comic's table's red/green background colors in the description table? This could either be by changing the cells' background colors to match the comic, or adding "(Red background)" or "(Green background)" to the text. -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 15:07, 10 August 2023 (UTC)
:I don't know whether that's typical, but I think it's a good idea.
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 15:50, 10 August 2023 (UTC)
:For a moment I thought you meant the Transcript, to which I would have said it was inadvisable to place a colour, seeing as in my experience the Transcript is mainly for blind people using a reader program, and I'm not sure the reader program would mention the colour of text, definitely not the background. But in the description, I would agree, and I think changing the colour is more visually informative. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:02, 12 August 2023 (UTC)
::I'd match the #RGBs of the comic (rather than #F00/#0F0). Or perhaps even tone back to half saturation. We want it to be faithful in hue but not everly distracting. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.63|162.158.74.63]] 20:03, 12 August 2023 (UTC)
:::The green in the original comic is #A4E6A1; reducing its sat by half gives #C5E6C3. The original pink is #E6A1A1, reducing its sat by half gives #E6C3C3. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 20:45, 12 August 2023 (UTC)
::::Yeah, looked good. For what my opinion i worth on the matter, a decent choice. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.47|162.158.74.47]] 23:34, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

== Yelling at lightning ==
If we really need a citation about the futility of yelling at lightning, there's King Lear, Act 3, scene 2. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 23:13, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2814: Perseids Pronunciation

2023-08-11T23:31:10Z

162.158.74.47:

I'm afraid to google the Kentucky Meat Shower. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.139|162.158.158.139]] 14:43, 11 August 2023 (UTC)
:I can give you a very quick summary: when startled, vultures will sometimes regurgitate their last meal, both to lighten themselves for a quick escape, and make a potential predator lose its appetite. Apparently, something startled a bunch of vultures at the same time, and nobody knows exactly what. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.42|172.69.247.42]] 14:55, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_meat_shower [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 14:59, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

"can" is repeated in the title text. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.68.54|141.101.68.54]] 14:53, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

On August 11, 2023, XKCD was not the only web comic to reference the "Kentucky Meat Shower". It is the full subject of the day's Dinosaur Comics, at http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=4085. And August 11 is not even an anniversary of the event (March 3, 1876). Coincidence? Time travel? You be the judge. [[User:JohnB|JohnB]] ([[User talk:JohnB|talk]]) 15:32, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

This tells me neither how acceptable things like my default lazy pronunciation, nor the original ancient greek pronunciation of its namesake, are considered. How am I supposed to guess where combinations of variations like PEER-, -seh-, and -ides would affect placement in the list? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.142.35|172.71.142.35]] 19:12, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

It's not ''wrong'', per-se. (ed.)
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:40, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

*PER-see-ids: standard(ish, YMMV) 3-syllable verson of the word.
*PURSE-yids: standardish 2-(/2.5-)syllable version.
*Per-SEE-ids: yeah, I'd accept that emphisis, in a pinch.
*Per-SAY-ids: ok, so you like ''that'' version of the 'ei' digraph; might even be 'classical'.
*Per-SIDES: Germanic digraph and irregular (in this case) phomeme boundries, but each to their own.
*Per-ZAY-uds: I can see most of this, accent permitting; the '<schwa>ds' is a surprising twist.
*PER-suds: you dont care about the digraph at all, do you?
*Perky-ids: Back-formed through "C/S equivalence", I'm guessing, but from the wrong s(e)ide?
*Pewpewpews: Onomatopœia!!!
*Per-say-say: Bowdlerised, as if the original is a 'naughty' word.
*Percies: Shortened through familiarity.
*Purps: Shortened/perhaps linked to "perp(etrator)s".
*Pepsids: Sponsorship! (Did we also get the "Dracokids", 6-10 Oct?)
*Peeps: Anthopomorphised, the lot of 'em!
...my first thoughts, but I'm sure there are competing claims so I'll leave this down here for the time being. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.47|162.158.74.47]] 23:28, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2814: Perseids Pronunciation

2023-08-11T23:28:57Z

162.158.74.47:

I'm afraid to google the Kentucky Meat Shower. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.139|162.158.158.139]] 14:43, 11 August 2023 (UTC)
:I can give you a very quick summary: when startled, vultures will sometimes regurgitate their last meal, both to lighten themselves for a quick escape, and make a potential predator lose its appetite. Apparently, something startled a bunch of vultures at the same time, and nobody knows exactly what. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.42|172.69.247.42]] 14:55, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_meat_shower [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 14:59, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

"can" is repeated in the title text. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.68.54|141.101.68.54]] 14:53, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

On August 11, 2023, XKCD was not the only web comic to reference the "Kentucky Meat Shower". It is the full subject of the day's Dinosaur Comics, at http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=4085. And August 11 is not even an anniversary of the event (March 3, 1876). Coincidence? Time travel? You be the judge. [[User:JohnB|JohnB]] ([[User talk:JohnB|talk]]) 15:32, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

This tells me neither how acceptable things like my default lazy pronunciation, nor the original ancient greek pronunciation of its namesake, are considered. How am I supposed to guess where combinations of variations like PEER-, -seh-, and -ides would affect placement in the list? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.142.35|172.71.142.35]] 19:12, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

It's not ''wrong'', per-se. (ed.)
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:40, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

*PER-see-ids: standard(ish, YMMV) 3-syllable verson of the word.
*PURSE-yids: standardish 2-(/2.5-)syllable version.
*Per-SEE-ids: yeah, I'd accept that emphisis, in a pinch.
*Per-SAY-ids: ok, so you like ''that'' version of the 'ei' digraph; might even be 'classical'.
*Per-SIDES: Germanic digraph and irregulatr (in this case) phomeme boundries, but each to tgeir own.
*Per-ZAY-uds: I can see most of this, accent permitting; the '<schwa>-ds' is a surprising twist.
*PER-suds: you dont care about the digraph at all, do you?
*Perky-ids: Back-formed through "C/S equivalence, I'm guessing, but from the wrong s(e)ide?
*Pewpewpews: Onomatopœia!!!
*Per-say-say: Bowdlerised, as if the original is a 'naughty' word.
*Percies: Shortened through familiarity.
*Purps: Shortened/perhaps linked to "perp(etrator)s".
*Pepsids: Sponsorship! (Did we also get the "Dracokids", 6-10 Oct?)
*Peeps: Anthopomorphised, the lot of 'em!
...my first thoughts, but I'm sure there are competing clains so I'll leave this down here for the time being. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.47|162.158.74.47]] 23:28, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

Main Page/sandbox

2023-06-24T20:00:30Z

162.158.74.47:

If you get to this sandbox page, say hi! —[[User:EnderPlays|EnderPlays]] October 11, 2022
:Hi —[[User:While False|While False]] ([[User:While False/explain xkcd museum|'''museum''']] | [[User talk:While False|talk]] | [[special:Contributions/While_False|contributions]] | [[special:Log/While_False|logs]] | [[Special:UserRights/While_False|rights]]) {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (UTC)
:Hi
:Hi! [[User:Netherin5|“That Guy from the Netherlands”]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (UTC)
:Hi! {{User:PoolloverNathan/Signature}} {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (UTC)
:hi! [[User:JLZ0kTC5|JLZ0kTC5]] ([[User talk:JLZ0kTC5|talk]]) {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (UTC)
:Hi! [[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.22|172.69.68.22]] {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (UTC)Bumpf
:Hi again? Random is [[Special:Random|weird]]. {{User:PoolloverNathan/Signature}} 14:24, 14 November 2022 (UTC)
:Yea, random brought me back here too lol. {{User:EnderPlays}} 01:43, 17 November 2022 (UTC)
:Hi! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.46|162.158.2.46]] 20:42, 6 December 2022 (UTC)
Hi [[Special:Contributions/172.70.230.159|172.70.230.159]] {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (UTC)
Hi!
:Hi, random is fun. --RandomInternetViewer {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (UTC)
:Hi. Got here from random :) {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (UTC) -[[User:Theunlucky|Theunlucky]] ([[User talk:Theunlucky|talk]]) 21:04, 15 December 2022 (UTC)
:At this point, I feel like random is slightly biased. Aside: why does everyone's signature end in <code><nowiki>{{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}</nowiki></code>? {{User:PoolloverNathan/Signature}} 16:24, 3 May 2023 (UTC) (in case the same thing happens to me: 16:24, 3 May 2023)
Hi people [[Special:Contributions/162.158.146.209|162.158.146.209]] {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (UTC)

Hello from very slightly in the future! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.56|172.70.162.56]] {{#time:H:i, d F Y (e)|+1 minute}}
:That comment was so last year. {{User:PoolloverNathan/Signature}} {{#time:H:i, d F Y (e)|+1 year}}

Hi! [[User:WhatDoWeDoNow|WhatDoWeDoNow]] (visited Jan 17th, 2023)

:Hi!
Hello, future (and past) sandbox visitors! I got here from random too. :) [[User:LostXOR|LostXOR]] 2023-03-28
:I am here from the future. I come from March 31st, in the year of 2023 to say hello. [[User:WhatDoWeDoNow|WhatDoWeDoNow]] ([[User talk:WhatDoWeDoNow|talk]]) 03:13, 1 April 2023 (UTC)
'''Hello'''. This page is originally used for testing out the Main Page features. Don't spam! [[User:ClassicalGames|ClassicalGames]] ([[User talk:ClassicalGames|talk]]) 03:41, 14 April 2023 (UTC)

hello world! (random page sent me here) [[User:Sci09273.15|Sci09273.15]] ([[User talk:Sci09273.15|talk]]) 17:26, 14 April 2023 (UTC)

Hello. Got here the same way as everyone else (Random page). [[Special:Contributions/172.71.214.128]] {{CURRENTYEAR}}-{{CURRENTMONTH}}-{{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTTIME}} (UTC)

Greetings! (I wanted to be different (And I also got here via Random Page)) [[User:Trogdor147|Trogdor147]] ([[User talk:Trogdor147|talk]]) 18:34, 11 May 2023 (UTC)

Shalom! (randint too)
[[User:GetPunnedOn|GetPunnedOn]]
8:33 14/5/2023

Hello from Canada!

:Hi!!.! [[User:Trogdor146|“Person whose both more and less related to Trogdor147 than you would think”]] {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (UTC)
::"who is"/"who's", not "whose"... (I'm only here because of the above edit, that I wished to comment about the .sig for, but Hi from me too anyway.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.47|162.158.74.47]] 20:00, 24 June 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2793: Garden Path Sentence

2023-06-24T19:50:42Z

162.158.74.47:

The bot didn't upload the most recent comic so I tried to do it myself, but I think I screwed it up :([[User:Szeth Pancakes|Szeth Pancakes]] ([[User talk:Szeth Pancakes|talk]]) 18:31, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

I think the term "bird strikes" should be interpreted as a plural noun, given the two Xs on the map. Something like "After bird strikes, judge ... overturned but rights and lands safely" [[Special:Contributions/172.69.59.8|172.69.59.8]] 20:30, 23 June 2023 (UTC)
: Or it could be the bird strikes judge... You know, the one who was the judge in an important and well-known "bird strikes" case, possibly environmental, possibly an insurance scam case or something.[[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 21:46, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

I don't think the current interpretation is wrong, but "olive garden" could be the lower-case-when-not-a-comics-headline descriptor for, you know, an actual garden of olive trees. That makes more sense when referring to green walkways. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 20:33, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

Can someone also parse the alt-text? I still can't figure it out. -[[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.176|162.158.154.176]] 20:39, 23 June 2023 (UTC)
:I think it's saying the arboretum owner (who is appealing the case) is himself appealing. I'm still having trouble with the grounds grounds portion though. :([[User:*anonymouse*|*anonymouse*]] ([[User talk:*anonymouse*|talk]]) 20:48, 23 June 2023 (UTC)
::He was ''appealing'' the lawsuit on the ''grounds'' that the ''grounds'' were ''appealing'' [[User:Ahecht|Ahecht]] ([[User talk:Ahecht|talk]]) 22:06, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

Going by the picture I think the "bird" that struck the judge may be the plane.
:Disagree, "{{w|bird strike}}" is a term used for an incident where a bird strikes a vehicle, usually a plane. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.155|172.70.211.155]] 20:50, 23 June 2023 (UTC)
:But all these conflicting interpretations proves Randall's point that this is a garden path sentence :) [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 20:52, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

[[User:*anonymouse*|*anonymouse*]] please reconsider your edits; before them, I think I understood the meaning, but your supposed clarification messed it up :( the paragraph you removed seemed more plausible to me, and it also contained some useful wiki links to {{w|bird strike}} and {{w|vacated judgement}}. [[User:Torzsmokus|Torzsmokus]] ([[User talk:Torzsmokus|talk]]) 20:47, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

As I understood it, birds hit the plane piloted by the judge that gave the Olive Garden path sentence, overturning it (!!!), but he righted it and managed to land. [[User:J Petry|J Petry]] ([[User talk:J Petry|talk]]) 20:49, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

A [[wikipedia:bird strike]] is an aviation thing. Given the airplane in the photo and the path to what appears to be runways, I think that these are the bird strikes it's referring to. "Rights and lands safely" also would refer to the judge piloting an airplane. "Overturned" thus should also refer to the flight, but I would expect it to be something like "overturns", not "overturned", given "rights and lands". Thus: "After bird strikes, the judge who ordered the sentence overturned in the olive garden path case, his plane overturned, but rights the aircraft and lands it safely." [[User:SheeEttin|SheeEttin]] ([[User talk:SheeEttin|talk]]) 20:53, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

I see what you're saying, and I think you're right. After (multiple) bird strikes the (plane being flown by the judge) overturned but was able to right itself. :([[User:*anonymouse*|*anonymouse*]] ([[User talk:*anonymouse*|talk]]) 20:57, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

I feel certain that "olive" refers to the shade of green, because otherwise why specify "green" walkways? This makes "Olive Garden" a red herring, which seems likely. -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.244|108.162.245.244]] 21:01, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

:I disagree. I read "olive garden" as a literal garden of olive trees. Randall is exploiting our familiarity with the Olive Garden restaurant to construct the sentence. The path would be a footpath or something through this garden. What makes the walkways green? No idea, maybe they're the kind that are actually solar panels. [[User:SheeEttin|SheeEttin]] ([[User talk:SheeEttin|talk]]) 22:10, 23 June 2023 (UTC)

:: I would interpret "green walkway" as meaning a picturesque walkway going through a forest, public gardens, or similar, which fits in with the olive trees. Searching for the term on Wikipedia suggests this expression is more commonly used in England than in the US. [[User:Hmj|Hmj]] ([[User talk:Hmj|talk]]) 05:29, 24 June 2023 (UTC)

I still don't like "overturned but rights and lands" - why would the first verb be in the past tense and the others present tense, if they are describing events that happened within a very short time of each other? Wouldn't a headline be entirely in the present tense? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.102|162.158.159.102]] 05:10, 24 June 2023 (UTC)
: Because it had to overturn first (in the past) before it could right and land. It's a valid use of tense, using the past tense helps establish the sequence of events. Simpler sentences only use 3 tenses: past, present, and future, so in such a sentence, since none of the three events are in the future, two must share a tense. It could also have been "overturned, righted, and lands safely.", with two being past tense and the last being present. Getting less simple would be "had overturned, then righted so it lands safely", to give each term its own tense. Alternatively, because they're separate parts of the sentence: "Overturned" is that a court case sentence was overturned, which was further in the past, before this flight, but the most current event - that the judge rights the plane and lands the plane - is being listed in present tense, as the most current thing to happen. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 07:13, 24 June 2023 (UTC)

: This bothers me as well, but I don't see a way around it. It's possible that the case was "the case of the green walkways vacated," but then we need a valid parsing of "After bird strikes judge who ordered sentence overturned but rights and lands safely." Failing that, I'm prepared to conclude that the mixed case is either an error or a deliberate fudging of the norm for the sake of making it more confusing. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.147.140|172.71.147.140]] 18:52, 24 June 2023 (UTC)

This also suggests the plane was overturned by some external factor, rather than just overturning by itself.

I had understood that an actual flying animal - a bird - bounced off the judge's head - in present tense, the bird strikes the judge - which made it flip over, but it managed to right itself and properly land, as if that's important. I honestly feel like this interpretation of "bird" makes more sense than an airplane being involved. Also that it adds humour, since how is the bird important enough to care that it recovered, and care ENOUGH that it should be mentioned in the headline. :) (I hadn't gotten around to trying to figure out the rest, felt too difficult until I read the concept of a garden path sentence) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 07:03, 24 June 2023 (UTC)
: Check that, JUST noticed the PICTURE of a judge standing in front of a plane, LOL! [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 15:29, 24 June 2023 (UTC)

I can't help but feel a better (worse?) sentence would be "After bird strikes judge who ordered olive garden path sentence in case of emergency exits vacated overturned but rights and lands safely", playing off familiarity with the phrase "in case of emergency" and the fact that "exit" is both a verb and a noun. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.223|172.71.242.223]] 13:39, 24 June 2023 (UTC)

I'm usually the one seeking explanation here. All the discussion above is actually the funny part because Garden Path sentences can't be properly parsed!

I think a useful addition to all the "the whole sentence could be" ideas, which could subsume all the "this bit could be rea as...", would be to do a table or header-list of how each sequential chain of words might be interpreted. Such as:
:... ''bird'': a dinosaur; ''bird strikes'': ''strikes'': something or someone impacting a target, or an idea suddenly occuring to a person; several {{w|Bird strike|aviation incidents}}; ''strikes judge'': a justice of the peace who adjudicated, or took part in, {{w|industrial action}}; ''Judge Who'': a person's name/honorific; ''who ordered olive garden path'': a possible question; ''ordered Olive'': commanded someone called Olive to do something; ''olive garden'': an area for growing {{w|Olive|Olea Europaea}} shrubs; ''garden path'': a trail or access through an aesthetically-designed space of cultivation; ''garden path sentence'': <ibid>; ''sentence in case'': a ruling made following a legal hearing; ''in case of'': indicates a conditional statement''; ...
Here squashed together (and many omissions made, even within that sub-chain), just to get the idea together. Perhaps, in table form, indexed by "(OPTIONAL)FOO <one or more adjacent words> (OPTIONAL)BAR" with something like "the FOO <undergoes an action of> some BAR", and add a reference to each (<placing of start-word>.<number of words>(<optional alpabetic index to distinguish exact overlaps of different distinctions>?), then a valid complete sentence (or composite partial section) can be described like "1.1 2.1 3.2b 5.2 7.1 8.1 9.3c 12...", or any another variation that a reader might want to then summarise/expand with a "plain English"/unambiguous 'translation'. And all existing work/exposition can be folded into this in a more structured and less randomly-conversational manner. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.47|162.158.74.47]] 19:50, 24 June 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2793: Garden Path Sentence

2023-06-24T09:11:40Z

162.158.74.47: Expanded discussion of "overturned".

2791: Bookshelf Sorting

2023-06-19T23:12:11Z

162.158.74.47: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 2791
| date = June 19, 2023
| title = Bookshelf Sorting
| image = bookshelf_sorting_2x.png
| imagesize = 425x255px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Of course, I sort all my bookshelves the normal way, alphabetically (by first sentence).
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOOKSHELF SORTED THE NORMAL WAY - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Some people sort their bookshelves by color, which is pleasing to the eyes but unhelpful when [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYxmPHLU9oA trying to find a specific book]. Randall proposes a much more infuriating way to sort books - to separate each book into its pages and organize them into groups by page number. All the covers are on the left side, being effectively "page 0", then all the page 1s, the page 2s, et cetera. This method, like sorting by color, has no practical use in most situations. It damages the books and makes it much harder to find information.

The comic shows a bookshelf sorted by page numbers, meaning that all books are taken apart into covers and single pages and then everything is sorted by page numbers.

There are a lot of different-sized front covers on the left side of the shelf (meaning they start with low numbers on the left).
Afterward, there is a repeating pattern of taller and shorter pages, with each a page of the same number from a differently sized book.
After a while, the first back covers are sorted in, and at the end, there are only the last pages of the longest book left, now all uniformly in size.

The caption claims that this is a way of sorting that "book people" hate, even more so than sorting by colour of the cover/spine.
It is not clear if the spine part is thrown away or just not visible, maybe being sorted towards the wall. This would make it a sort of antithesis to colour sorting, not only is it not sorted by colour, but the spines that usually define the colour sorting are either to the back or fully removed.

Also, these are either books without any frontmatter or the sorting goes by absolute page count, not by numbers printed on pages.

It might be the intent to have "the absolute opposite" of colour sorting and follow this idea ad absurdum.

Sorting by page number has the following drawbacks:
* It is impossible to pick up one specific book quickly in one go.
* It is easy conceptually, but tedious in practice to find a specific page. Going back to the frontmatter question, if they are not sorted separately, it might be actually very hard to find a page with a specific page number printed as they would not necessarily be in one "wave".
* Sorting might vary wildly for the same book in different editions (as it would in colour-sorting, too, maybe one of the reasons they are unpopular with the mentioned "book people")
* Without a secondary sorting rule, it is unclear in what order the pages of the same number are sorted. Since the height pattern seems repetitive, it seems as if at least the order of books is kept the same, but this is not a necessary feature of the basic premise.

Possible advantages:
* For someone using physical books to look up citations, it might be a quicker search. (Only if the frontmatter is counted separately)
* The block of front covers is a quick, nearly reference card system view of what books are on a particular shelf (Only if the frontmatter count is ignored)
* Just like the colour sorting, possibly this is meant to be an aesthetic, instead of a practical choice of sorting. With the right kind of height distribution of different books, it can be a nice art piece, maybe of a seascape.

In the title text Randall begins by saying that he sorts his bookshelf alphabetically, but then states that he sorts books by first '''sentence''' instead of the book title. This is somewhat practical, but a very unusual and uncommon{{citation needed}} way of sorting books.

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

[A bookshelf is shown. From left to right, there are 11 pairs of covers in different sizes and shades of gray. To the left, one of each pair of covers is arranged side-by-side with all the others. Going rightwards, many leaves of paper (with a similar set of differing heights) lead up to the partner cover to the last of these initial covers. More paper, for varying amounts, another cover, and repeat with more leaves and a cover until the outermost paired-cover at the end of the shelf.]

Book people hate seeing books sorted by colors, but it turns out they get ''way'' more angry if you sort the pages by number

{{comic discussion}}

2126: Google Trends Maps

2020-09-19T01:17:27Z

162.158.74.47: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 2126
| date = March 20, 2019
| title = Google Trends Maps
| image = google_trends_maps.png
| titletext = It's early 2020. The entire country is gripped with Marco Rubio fever except for Alaska, which is freaking out. You're frantically studying up on etiquette and/or sexting.
}}

==Explanation==
[https://trends.google.com/ Google Trends] is a website for visualizing Google search activity by date and region. Used properly, it can give a picture of what topics people are interested in (as evidenced by what they search for) at particular times and in different places. Used improperly, it can simply [[1845:_State Word Map|amplify random noise]].

[[Randall]] has created several Google Trends maps of search activity in the US. Each map colors in states according to which of two (or more) search queries was more popular. As noted at the top of the comic, all of these based on real queries (though not reflecting the same time period across all maps). However, none of them seem to show any especially ''useful'' comparisons. States in gray did not return enough data for Google Trends to consider it significant.

* '''"Frostbite" vs "heat stroke":''' This is probably the most sensible comparison of the lot, showing which of these two risks of exposure people search up more often. However, the results are fairly obvious: in the colder northern and eastern states, "frostbite" is the more common search, while across the south and west, it's "heat stroke". In the map, a tiny part of North Carolina is miscolored red compared to the rest of the state being blue.
* '''"Best church" vs "best strip club":''' This map would seem to indicate people in Nevada (and only in Nevada) are more interested in strip clubs than religion. This may have something to do with the fact that Las Vegas is in Nevada.
* '''"Bigfoot" vs "Mike Pence":''' Apparently, everywhere except for Indiana, people in the US are more interested in a mythical hairy creature than in the current (at the time of this comic's release) Vice President of the United States. Since Mike Pence was once the governor of Indiana, this makes more sense if the time period covered precedes his nomination as Trump's running mate.
* '''"Etiquette" vs "{{w|sexting}}":''' Similar to the church/strip club example, this map contrasts search interest in polite behavior against risqué behavior.
* '''"Little dog" vs "big cat":''' The Trend map contrasts two searches for unidentified and briefly glimpsed wildlife that often snatch household pets left outside. The smallest canid in the wilds of America is the coyote, ''Canis latrans'', which are often smaller than the American wild dog, ''Canis lupus''. They are known for being scavenger/hunters and for the ululating "songs" their packs break into in the middle of the night. By contrast, "big cat" is a term for the largest members of the cat family (''Felidae''). Except for the jaguar, which is a roaring cat of the ''Panthera'' genus that inhabits Mexico and sometimes Arizona, the largest wild cat in North America is the mountain lion, ''Puma concolor''. It is also known as cougar, puma, catamount, ghost cat, over seventy other regional names, and the misnomer panther. (The cougar is ironically of the Felinae subfamily, all of which purr, and not Pantherinae, which roar. Black panthers in Africa are black-coated leopards, while black panthers in the Americas are black-coated jaguars, and both are Pantherinae. No black-coated pumas have been verified, leading zoologists to believe such sightings are misidentified.) "Little Dog" is also a Canadian television series, set in Newfoundland, which explains the larger number of searches for Little Dog in Maine, the state closest to Newfoundland.
* '''"Shark attack" vs "childbirth":''' While both of these things might be considered risky, there is not much of a relationship between them. As might be expected, the "shark attack" search is more common in most coastal states (and, for some reason, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Nevada, despite being landlocked).
* '''"Snakes" vs "ants" vs "bees" vs "alligators":''' These are all dangerous animals that cause occasional human fatalities (mainly from allergic reactions for ants and bees). There is no noticeable pattern in which animal is searched most often, though only Florida has alligators as the most common search of the four. Florida presumably has Alligators as the most searched item on this list as it is where the Everglades are located, a vast area of swamp and marsh that, aside from maintaining the ecosystem and the water supply of Florida, also is home to an obscene number of alligators.
* '''"Retirement planning" vs "[[wikipedia:bungee jumping|bungee jumping]]":''' The implication here is that people in some states are more concerned with short-term fun rather than long-term planning. The contrast is more striking since bungee jumping is a potentially dangerous activity and people practising it might be seen as likely to die young enough not to need a retirement plan. However, bungee jumping is actually a quite safe activity due to most operators following rigorous safety procedures.
* '''"Super Bowl" vs "funeral home":''' This is an attempt to contrast interest in a popular sports (and media) event against a rather somber topic.
* '''"Resume tips" vs "skateboard tricks":''' Another comparison between learning a "serious", goal-oriented skill (career advancement) and a "silly", fun skill (skateboarding). It is also an imperfect rhyme. Interestingly, of the states with enough data for a result, only Arizona had more hits for "skateboard tricks".
* '''"Donald Trump" vs "What do I do":''' The implication here seems to be that people in some states are more likely to ask Google "what do I do?", either in panic or in ignorance, than they are to look up the latest doings of the US President. The split shown is not too different to the actual split between states voting for Trump and for his opponent, Hillary Clinton.
* '''"Existential crisis" vs "Marco Rubio":''' Senator Marco Rubio was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Everywhere but Alaska, people were more likely to look up his name than to search for "existential crisis". This may be due to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabin_fever Cabin Fever], which is common in Alaska due to the long, dark winters and frequent isolation.

The title text uses two of these maps to paint a picture of the year 2020 (implying that these search patterns are both meaningful and likely to continue into the future). In this scenario, most of the country continues to read about Marco Rubio (except for Alaskans, still searching for help with their existential crises), and individuals are trying to learn about etiquette, sexting, or both, depending on their location.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Add the colored states. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:The least informative
:'''Google Trends Maps'''
:I've created over the years

:(All are real but not all cover the same date range)

:[12 maps of the United States are shown with the states colored. There are labels for the colors.]

:[Map 1]
:[Blue:] Frostbite
:[Red:] Heat stroke
:[Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington are red. All other states are blue.]

:[Map 2]
:[Blue:] Best church
:[Red:] Best strip club
:[Nevada is red. Alaska, North Dakota, and Wyoming are gray. All other states are blue.]

:[Map 3]
:[Blue:] Bigfoot
:[Red:] Mike Pence
:[Indiana is red. All other states are blue.]

:[Map 4]
:[Blue:] Etiquette
:[Red:] Sexting
:[Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, and West Virginia are red. All other states are blue.]

:[Map 5]
:[Blue:] Little dog
:[Red:] Big cat
:[Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming are blue. All other states are red.]

:[Map 6]
:[Blue:] Shark attack
:[Red:] Childbirth
:[California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia are blue. All other states are red.]

:[Map 7]
:[Blue:] Snakes
:[Red:] Ants
:[Yellow:] Bees
:[Green:] Alligators
:[Florida is green. Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are red. Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming are yellow. All other states are blue.]

:[Map 8]
:[Blue:] Retirement planning
:[Red:] Bungee jumping
:[Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are gray. Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin are blue. All other states are red.]

:[Map 9]
:[Blue:] Super Bowl
:[Red:] Funeral home
:[Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Washington are blue. All other states are red.]

:[Map 10]
:[Blue:] Resume tips
:[Red:] Skateboard tricks
:[Arizona is red. Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are gray. All other states are blue.]

:[Map 11]
:[Blue:] Donald Trump
:[Red:] What do I do
:[California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin are blue. All other states are red.]

:[Map 12]
:[Blue:] Existential crisis
:[Red:] Marco Rubio
:[Alaska is blue. All other states are red.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Maps]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Bees]]
[[Category:Sharks]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]]

1930: Calendar Facts

2020-09-19T01:16:31Z

162.158.74.47: /* Transcript */ sharks

{{comic
| number = 1930
| date = December 18, 2017
| title = Calendar Facts
| image = calendar_facts.png
| titletext = While it may seem like trivia, it (causes huge headaches for software developers / is taken advantage of by high-speed traders / triggered the 2003 Northeast Blackout / has to be corrected for by GPS satellites / is now recognized as a major cause of World War I).
}}

==Explanation==
[[Randall]] presents what appears to be a generator of 156,000 facts [20 x 13 x (8 + 6 x 7) x 12], about calendars, most of which are false or have little meaning{{Citation needed}}. The facts are seeded by a mishmash of common tidbits about the time of year.

The formula for each generated fact goes as follows: "Did you know that '''[a recurring event]''' '''[occurs in an unusual manner]''' because of '''[phenomena or political decisions]'''? Apparently '''[wild card statement]'''."

This is [[:Category:Supermoon|the fifth time]] that Randall has referred to the phenomenon of a {{w|supermoon}}, which he typically makes fun of, most prominently in [[1394: Superm*n]].

The title text continues the chart with supposed real-life consequences of the trivia in the comic.

There are multiple online generators of Calendar 'facts' using this formula [https://www.pibweb.com/xkcd_calendar.php here] and [http://yahel.com/calendarfacts/ here].

All 156 000 possible combinations can be found [https://www.dropbox.com/s/866fwtpwvd0z9hq/combinations%20xkcd%201930.txt?dl=0 here], lovingly assembled by hand (or rather, by a python script) for your entertainment. A random fact generator (including title text), written in Python, can be found [https://gist.github.com/petersohn/6c8f9d124bd961e909d2dc9a967ade2e here].

==Table==
{| class="wikitable"
! Entry
! What it is
! Relation to other entries
|-
! colspan="3" | Recurring Events
|-
| The [Fall/Spring] {{w|Equinox}}
| The time of year at which the apparent position of the overhead sun passes the equator. During the equinox, the time that the Sun is above the horizon is 12 hours across the globe.
| Before the adoption of the {{w|Gregorian calendar}} in 1582, the equinoxes fell on earlier and earlier dates as the centuries went by, due to the {{w|Julian calendar}} year being 365.25 days on average compared to the tropical Earth year of 365.2422 days. {{w|Pope Gregory}}'s decision to remove the leap days on years that were multiples of 100 but not 400 corrected the average length of the calendar year to 365.2425 days.
|-
| The [Winter/Summer] {{w|Solstice}}
| The time of year when the apparent position of the overhead sun reaches its most extreme latitude. During the Winter and Summer solstices the days are the shortest and longest respectively.
| Similar to the equinoxes, the solstices were also falling on earlier dates every year before the Gregorian calendar.
|-
| The [Winter/Summer] {{w|Olympics}}
| The Olympic Games occur during the summer and the winter, alternating between the two seasons every two years.
| The Olympic Games do not have any set dates, and seem to only be included humorously as something else that alternates between occurring during the summer and winter.
|-
| The [latest/earliest] [sunset/sunrise]
| The extremes of times that the sun crosses a horizon according to a clock that keeps a fixed 24 hours as opposed to varying with the sun like a sundial.
| The latest sunset and earliest sunrise occur around the summer solstice; the latest sunrise and earliest sunset occur around the winter solstice. They do not occur exactly on these dates due to the {{w|equation of time}} causing drift in the times that sunsets and sunrises occur.
|-
| Daylight [saving/savings] time
| {{w|Daylight saving time}}, commonly referred to as daylight savings time, is the practice of setting clocks ahead, typically by one hour, during the summer months of the year.
| Daylight saving time will push the time of certain events such as sunrise and sunset past their "natural" times. For example, solar noon will occur around 1:00 PM instead of 12:00 noon when daylight saving time is active, making it the "wrong" time.
|-
| Leap [day/year]
| Because the durations of celestial events are not generally nice multiples of each other, they will tend to fall out of sync with each other. Leap days are days inserted into specific years to bring the calendar back into sync, and the years on which these {{w|leap day}}s occur are called {{w|leap year}}s.
|
|-
| {{w|Easter}}
| Easter is a holiday celebrating the death and resurrection of {{w|Jesus}}. It is defined as the Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. This complicated formula has a long tradition behind it, known as {{w|Computus}}.
| When Pope Gregory decided to change the calendar in 1582, it was because the spring equinox was putting Easter on unexpectedly early dates.
|-
| The [harvest/super/blood] moon
|
* The {{w|harvest moon}} is the full moon that appears closest to the autumnal equinox.
* The {{w|supermoon}} is a phenomenon in which the moon is full at its closest approach to the Earth.
* The {{w|blood moon}} is a moon that appears tinted red during a total lunar eclipse because of light refracted from the Earth's atmosphere. It can also refer to the {{w|hunter's moon}}, the full moon directly after the harvest moon.
| Each of these lunar events happens approximately once a year.
* The harvest moon appears exactly once because it has a particular definition based on the time of year.
* The cycle of the distance of the full moon lasts about 13.5 months (14 full moons). However, because a supermoon is defined as any full moon that is within 10 percent of the closest relative distance possible (with 0 being perigee and 1 being apogee), it happens multiple times a cycle, for a total of usually 3 to 4 times per year.
* The blood moon during a lunar eclipse appears between zero to two times a year. The hunter's moon appears exactly once like the harvest moon.
|-
| Toyota Truck Month
| Toyota offers a discount for {{w|Toyota Tacoma|Tacoma}} trucks one month a year. Mainly notable because radio and television ads hype this discount up as "Toyota Truck Month".
|
|-
| {{w|Shark Week}}
| Every year, the {{w|Discovery Channel}} dedicates a week during the summer to programming featuring or about sharks.
|
|-
! colspan="3" | Unusual manners in which the events occur
|-
| happens [earlier/later/at the wrong time] every year
| colspan="2" | The solstices and equinoxes happened earlier every year ''before'' the decree by Pope Gregory in 1582. The earliest sunrise happens one hour later than it "should" happen due to daylight saving time having turned the clocks forward one hour.
|-
| drifts out of sync with the [sun/moon]
| colspan="2" | The Sun and Moon are generally what calendars are based on. If something were to drift out of sync, some corrective mechanism would have to be put in to put it back. This is the motivation behind leap years, leap months (in countries with lunisolar calendars) and leap seconds.
|-
| drifts out of sync with the zodiac
| colspan="2" | The dates on which the Sun crosses the constellations in the traditional zodiac has shifted in the past centuries due to the precession of the Earth's axis. In the period of time traditionally known as {{w|Aries}} (March 21–April 20), for example, the Sun actually points to {{w|Pisces}} instead.
|-
| drifts out of sync with the [Gregorian/Mayan/lunar/iPhone] calendar
| colspan="2" |
*The {{w|Gregorian calendar}} is a solar calendar with a mean calendar year length of 365.2425 days.
*The {{w|Mayan calendar}} is based on two cycles or counts, with a 260-day count combined with a 365-day "vague" solar year.
*A {{w|lunar calendar}} is based on Moon's phases, with each {{w|lunation}} being approximately 29.5 days, and a lunar year lasting roughly 354 days. An example of a lunar calendar is the {{w|Islamic calendar}}.
*The {{w|iPhone calendar}} is listed humorously due to its data synchronization issues.
|-
| drifts out of sync with the atomic clock in {{w|Colorado}}
| colspan="2" |
{{w|NIST-F1}} is an {{w|Atomic clock}} used as a reference for official time in the USA.
|-
| might [not happen/happen twice] this year
| colspan="2" | Some events may have a period of slightly more or slightly less than one year. If an event has a period of slightly less than one year (e.g. the Islamic calendar), it can occur twice in the same year (e.g. the year 2000 had two {{w|Eid al-Fitr}}s—one on January 8, and one on December 28). If an event has a period of slightly more than one year, there can be a year in which it does not occur at all, instead occurring near the end of the previous year and the beginning of the next.
|-
! colspan="3" | Cause (phenomena or political decisions)
|-
| time zone legislation in [Indiana/Arizona/Russia]
| Some states or provinces have time zone legislation that sets the standard time to something other than what the natural longitude of that location would suggest.
|
* The state of {{w|Arizona}} generally does not observe daylight saving time, keeping their clocks on {{w|UTC-7:00}} Mountain Standard Time year round. However, the {{w|Navajo nation}} reservation inside Arizona does observe it, causing the two regions to have different times in the summer and the same time in the winter.
* Time zones in Russia are all one hour ahead of what their longitude would suggest, which puts them in a "permanent" state of daylight saving time. (For example, {{w|St. Petersburg}} is 30°E, which means that its natural time zone is {{w|UTC+2:00}}, but its time zone is actually {{w|UTC+3:00}}.) From 1981 until 2011 Russia used to have the daylight saving time on top of it as well. The other changes include the abolition of the one-hour shift in 1991 and a return it back in 1992, and an increase to two hours in 2011 and a restoration back to one hour in 2014.
* {{w|Indiana}} has {{w|Time in Indiana|a complicated history}} with daylight saving time, likely related to the state being split between two time zones.
|-
| a decree by the Pope in the 1500s
| In 1582, Pope Gregory introduced the Gregorian Calendar, the calendar we use today, to replace the Julian Calendar. The calendar applied retroactively to the birth of Jesus Christ, which means that they had to skip 10 days, going straight from October 4 to October 15, 1582, during the switchover.
| The introduction of the Gregorian calendar brought Easter and the dates that months started back in sync with what they were in the 3rd century AD.
|-
| the precession of
| The Earth's axis is slowly changing position, in a phenomenon called the {{w|Axial precession|precession of the equinoxes}}.
| The precession of the equinoxes causes the seasons to occur about 20 minutes earlier than would be expected with the Earth's position relative to the stars, which could be construed as the equinox happening "later every year" if you use the stars as your frame of reference.
|-
| the libration of
| The Moon is {{w|tidal locking|tidally locked}} to its orbit around the Earth, which means that the same side of it tends to face the Earth at any given point in time. However, there are slight variations in the angle over the course of a month, which are known as {{w|libration}}.
| The libration of the Moon does not affect anything else in the chart, and seems only be included humorously as another example of a celestial phenomenon.
|-
| the nutation of
| Besides precession, there is also a smaller wobbling effect called {{w|Astronomical nutation|nutation}}.
|
|-
| the libation of
| A {{w|libation}} is a drink, often used in the context of a ritual offering of liquid to a deity by pouring it onto the ground or into something that collects it.
| This entry seems to have been included simply as a humorous misspelling of the word "libration". Certainly libation of any of the entities listed would be inadvisable.{{Citation needed}}
|-
| the eccentricity of
| Orbital eccentricity is the deviation of a body's orbit from a perfect circle. Orbital travel is faster when it's closer to the body being orbited and slower when farther away.
| The Earth's eccentric orbit causes the equinoxes and solstices to occur at irregular intervals. For example, summer in the northern hemisphere lasted 93 days in 2017, while fall only lasted 90 days.
|-
| the obliquity of
| The tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the ecliptic is also known as its obliquity.
|
|-
| the Moon
| The Moon is the primary satellite of the Earth.
|
|-
| the Sun
| The Sun is the star that the Earth orbits around.
| The Sun is the basis for many timekeeping events, such as the day and year.{{Citation needed}}
|-
| the Earth's axis
| The Earth's axis of rotation defines the Geographic North and South Pole, as well as the lines of latitude.
|
|-
| the Equator
| The Equator is the line on the Earth's surface which is equidistant from both poles of the Earth's axis.
|
|-
| the Prime Meridian
| The Prime Meridian is the line that starts at the geographic North Pole, runs through the {{w|Royal Observatory, Greenwich|Greenwich Royal Observatory}} in London, and ends at the South Pole. It is the basis for longitude when calculating coordinates for positions on the surface of the Earth.
| The Prime Meridian (and in particular the Greenwich Observatory) gives us Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which is the basis for UTC and the time zone system.
|-
| the International Date Line
| The International Date Line is a line on the opposite side of the Earth as the Prime Meridian that separates regions that use time set behind UTC versus regions that are set ahead of UTC. It has many irregularities due to political changes that put certain countries or islands on either side of the divide contrary to their natural longitude.
| The irregular shape of the International Date Line means that certain regions of the Pacific Ocean (such as Kiribati) are more than 24 hours ahead of some other regions (such as Baker Island and American Samoa), which may cause problems with timekeeping.
|-
| the Mason-Dixon Line
| The Mason-Dixon line is a line delineating a portion of the border between Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware.
| The Mason-Dixon line is included as a humorous example as another imaginary geographic line.
|-
| magnetic field reversal
| The Earth's magnetic field has been reversed several times in its geologic history, so that what we would currently call the "magnetic North Pole" was near the geographic South Pole about 780,000 years ago, before the most recent reversal.
|
|-
| an arbitrary decision by Benjamin Franklin
| Benjamin Franklin wrote [http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/franklin3.html a letter to the Journal of Paris in 1784] in which he advised them to rise with the sun in order to save candlelight, after he observed that the Parisians were getting up at the same time by the clock and burning a lot of candles in the winter as a result.
An "arbitrary decision by Benjamin Franklin" also likely refers humorously to Franklin having defined positive charge to be that which is left on a glass rod by rubbing it with silk. As described in [[567: Urgent Mission]], this had the unfortunate consequence of assigning a negative value to the charge of the electron, which was later identified as the fundamental carrier of electric charge.
| Benjamin Franklin is often touted as "the father of daylight saving time", despite him never actually proposing to alter the clocks.
|-
| an arbitrary decision by Isaac Newton
| Possibly a reference to how Newton divided the colour spectrum into the now-familiar seven colours of the rainbow, on a somewhat arbitrary basis. Newton did spend time working on the problem of calendar reform, but it's unlikely that any decisions he made as a result would affect anything, since he never published his work, and by the time it gained attention the Gregorian Calendar had been widely adopted.
| The spectrum fact is one of those standard bits of trivia of the kind the chart alludes to. Although it has nothing to do with time-keeping, Newton is the sort of person who seems like he should have made decisions like this.
|-
| an arbitrary decision by FDR
| Franklin Delano Roosevelt set all time zones one hour ahead year-round during World War II. The law was repealed after the war ended.
Additionally, he changed the date of Thanksgiving from the last Thursday in November to the third Thursday in November as a way to increase the length of the Christmas shopping season. It was later changed to the fourth Thursday after his death.
| Setting the time permanently one hour ahead would make everything happen at the "wrong" time celestially.
|-
! colspan="3" | Related 'fact'
|-
| It causes a predictable increase in car accidents.
| colspan="2" | The week following daylight saving time, car accidents increase by about 5-7%<ref>http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/end-of-daylight-saving-time-2015-6-eye-opening-facts-1.3296353</ref>.
|-
| That's why we have leap seconds.
| colspan="2" | Leap seconds occur because the time required for one rotation of the Earth is actually slightly longer than the 86,400 seconds in a standard UTC day. The Earth's rotation is slowing down by about 2 × 10-5 seconds every year due to tidal friction caused by the Moon's gravity; however, this is not one of the possible entries in the list of phenomena.
|-
| Scientists are really worried.
| colspan="2" |
|-
| it was even more extreme during the [Bronze Age/Ice Age/Cretaceous/1990s].
| This may be reference to debates over climate change, where global temperature changes during these periods are frequently cited as supposedly proving / disproving human-related change.
| Solar events, such as sunspot activity, are often invoked as explaining temperature change in these debates. However, while there are a number of potential sun-related 'facts' that could be generated, none touch on sunspots.
|-
| There's a proposal to fix it, but it [will never happen/actually makes things worse/is stalled in Congress/might be unconstitutional].
| colspan="2" | Time zone reform is surprisingly a very controversial and politicized issue, with special interests on either side looking to modify it to fit their needs. Examples of proposals to modify the scheme include:

* Extend the duration of daylight saving time by one month, which was done in 2007 in many states as part of an energy-saving proposal by George W. Bush.
* Reduce the duration of daylight saving time back to its original span, or further.
* Eliminate daylight saving time altogether, going back to using standard time.
* Abolish daylight saving time but advance the time zone by one hour, effectively instating daylight saving time year round. This was done during World War II, and is also done in certain areas of Canada like Saskatchewan (which from 1966 onwards has observed Central Standard Time despite the entire province being squarely in the Mountain longitudes).
* Abolish daylight saving time and advance the time zone by 30 minutes, splitting the difference between the current standard time and daylight saving time.
* Abolish daylight saving time, but make government offices open one hour earlier in the summer, encouraging private businesses to do the same. This was done by Warren G. Harding in 1922 because he felt that changing the clocks was a "deception", but was rolled back the next year as it caused mass chaos in terms of what businesses decided to do to adapt to the change in business hours.
* Reduce the number of time zones in the United States to two, consolidating Pacific time into Mountain time (UTC-7:00), and Eastern time into Central time (UTC-6:00). This was proposed in a [https://qz.com/142199/the-us-needs-to-retire-daylight-savings-and-just-have-two-time-zones-one-hour-apart/ 2013 article in Quartz] by Allison Schrager.

At best, these time zone proposals will be fraught with controversy, with both sides arguing for the benefits of their time system. Some proposals, such as the 30-minute and 20-minute suggestions, would put the minute hands of the entire United States out of sync with the rest of the world, defeating the purpose of time zones with hourly UTC offsets in the first place, which could be construed as "making things worse".
|-
| It's getting worse and no one knows why.
| colspan="2" |
|-
! colspan="3" | Title Text: Consequences
|-
| causes huge headaches for software developers
| colspan="2" | Trying to support time zones correctly for all dates present and historic is a mishmash of different regional laws, time zones, and DST changes. The headache is best exemplified in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5wpm-gesOY this video] by Tom Scott.
|-
| is taken advantage of by high-speed traders
| colspan="2" | A leap second must be taken into account by trading software, and may cause bugs if not accounted properly. Because leap seconds happen at midnight UTC, it might happen in regular trading hours for somebody living in Seattle, where the time zone is UTC-08:00. Somehow, a high-frequency trader may try to take advantage of any bugs in the software if they are not built to handle this particular case. This scenario is relatively unlikely because the market software can keep its own "market-official time" and synchronize with the correct time while the market is closed.
|-
| triggered the 2003 Northeast Blackout
| colspan="2" | The {{w|Northeast blackout of 2003}} was caused by a race condition in the energy management software at a power plant in Ohio. In a race condition the result of a computation is different depending on the order of completion of the operations, even though the result is supposed to be independent of that order. Race conditions can theoretically be caused by mismatched timestamps.
|-
| has to be corrected for by GPS satellites
| colspan="2" | Because {{w|Global Positioning System}} (GPS) satellites are further from the earth than surface receivers, their clocks run faster than clocks on the surface due to general relativity. But they are also slower because they are moving faster than surface receivers, as explained by special relativity. Also, their clocks are not updated for leap seconds. All these factors mean that GPS satellites have a different timekeeping standard than clocks on the ground which are generally synchronized to Greenwich solar time.
|-
| is now recognized as a major cause of World War I.
| colspan="2" | Daylight saving time was first implemented in World War I as a fuel-saving measure. Randall seems to be humorously implying that World War I was started in order to implement these fuel-saving measures during peacetime as well.
|-
|}
<references />

==Examples of true complete statements==

# Did you know that '''the spring equinox''' '''drifts out of sync with the zodiac''' because of '''the precession of the Earth's axis'''? Apparently '''it was even more extreme during the Ice Age'''.
# Did you know that '''daylight saving time''' '''might happen twice this year''' because of '''time zone regulation in Russia'''? Apparently '''there's a proposal to fix it, but it actually makes things worse'''. (True in Russia in 1981)
# Did you know that '''leap year''' '''might not happen this year''' because of '''a decree by the pope in the 1500s'''? Apparently '''there's a proposal to fix it, but''' '''it will never happen'''. While it may seem like trivia, '''it causes huge headaches for software developers'''. (The Pax calendar proposes that 2018 be a leap year. If anyone finds a calendar in which 2017 is a leap year, I'd love to see it!)

==Transcript==

:<big>-Calendar Facts-</big>

:[Shown below is a branching flow chart of sorts that begins at the phrase "Did you know that", then flows through various paths to build up a sentence. (Note that the "→" arrow symbol is used below to indicate a new branch with no intermediate text from a previous branch.)]

:Did you know that:
::the ( Fall | Spring ) Equinox
::the ( Winter | Summer ) ( Solstice | Olympics )
::the ( Earliest | Latest ) ( Sunrise | Sunset )
::Daylight ( Saving | Savings ) Time
::Leap ( Day | Year )
::Easter
::the ( Harvest | Super | Blood ) Moon
::Toyota Truck Month
::Shark Week
:→
::happens ( earlier | later | at the wrong time ) every year
::drifts out of sync with the
:::Sun
:::Moon
:::Zodiac
:::( Gregorian | Mayan | Lunar | iPhone ) Calendar
:::atomic clock in Colorado
::might ( not happen | happen twice ) this year
:because of
::time zone legislation in ( Indiana | Arizona | Russia )
::a decree by the pope in the 1500s
::( precession | libration | nutation | libation | eccentricity | obliquity ) of the
:::Moon
:::Sun
:::Earth's axis
:::equator
:::prime meridian
:::( International Date | Mason-Dixon ) Line
::magnetic field reversal
::an arbitrary decision by ( Benjamin Franklin | Isaac Newton | FDR )
:?
:Apparently
::it causes a predictable increase in car accidents.
::that's why we have leap seconds.
::scientists are really worried.
::it was even more extreme during the
:::Bronze Age.
:::Ice Age.
:::Cretaceous.
:::1990s.
::there's a proposal to fix it, but it
:::will never happen.
:::actually makes things worse.
:::is stalled in congress.
:::might be unconstitutional.
::it's getting worse and no one knows why.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Daylight saving time]]
[[Category:Time]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Supermoon]]
[[Category:Sharks]]

1910: Sky Spotters

2020-09-19T01:15:10Z

162.158.74.47: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1910
| date = November 1, 2017
| title = Sky Spotters
| image = sky_spotters.png
| titletext = Where I live, one of the most common categories of sky object without a weird obsessive spotting community is "lost birthday party balloons," so that might be a good choice—although you risk angering the marine wildlife people, and they have sharks.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic explores how people with various hobbies notice strange things in the sky.

In first panel the plane enthusiasts [[White Hat]] and [[Hairy]] notice that there is a {{w|Piper PA-24 Comanche}} in the sky (apparently the most recent of several), belonging to a holding company that has filed no flight plans. Flight plans do not need to be filed for many short flights at lower altitudes in good weather, so for a small aircraft like the PA-24 the missing flight plan alone should not be unusual. Many government or company planes used for secret purposes, like [https://www.buzzfeed.com/peteraldhous/hidden-spy-planes FBI planes registered to fake companies], go a step further and are blacklisted from major databases. Regardless, it makes White Hat and Hairy wonder why, enough that they decide to post about it on their {{w|Aircraft spotting|plane spotter}} forums. (See [[1669: Planespotting]]). The reference to red trim on the Piper PA-24 Comanche could be a reference to the livery of {{w|Janet (airline)|Janet Airlines}} which operates clandestine flights between {{w|Las Vegas}}, {{w|Area 51}}, and {{w|Janet (airline)#Destinations|other desert military bases}}, although these planes are in fact registered to the {{w|Department of the Air Force}}, rather than a holding company.

In the second panel [[Hairbun]] and a male bird enthusiast are wondering why there is a {{w|broad-winged hawk}} in the area in November, when many broad-winged hawks should have migrated south to areas like Florida and Central America. They decide to send a message to their {{w|birdwatching}} e-mail list. (See [[1824: Identification Chart]] and [[1826: Birdwatching]]). The two birdwatchers in this panel look like the old version of [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] in [[572: Together]].

In the last panel, a committee from what appears to be the {{w|National Security Agency}} wonders how to disguise their {{w|Unmanned aerial vehicle|drones}} so that people will not pay attention to them. The boss at the end of table is lamenting the fact that both their bird- and plane-disguised drones have been noticed because of all these people constantly checking out the sky, also indicating that there are even more subcultures who are obsessed with things in the sky than the two mentioned already. [[Ponytail]] asks what else they could disguise their (secret) surveillance drones as, and Cueball suggests a {{w|weather balloon}}. But Ponytail shoots this down, since such a disguise would attract both the {{w|UFO}} enthusiasts and the "weather people" (presumably some regulation board that checks unauthorized use of meteorological survey balloons, or otherwise hobbyist meteorologists or perhaps even members of the [https://cloudappreciationsociety.org/ Cloud Appreciation Society]). She then jokes that she doesn't know which is worse. Since most people consider UFO enthusiasts to be in to conspiracies, the "weather people" may be annoyed by this. Maybe [[Randall]] is indicating that people trying to predict the weather are correct as often as those claiming to have seen a UFO...

There are numerous instances of weather balloons being labeled as UFOs by enthusiasts, one of the most notable being the {{w|Roswell UFO incident}}, which for years was explained by the US military as a weather balloon crash, but turned out to be a nuclear test surveillance balloon. It is now known as the ''most thoroughly debunked UFO claim''.

In the title text it is suggested that "lost birthday party balloons" should not attract too much attention. But then it is noted that it might make marine wildlife people angry, their concern probably being that balloons ultimately end up in some water body, which causes marine wildlife to get trapped in plastic and other synthetic material that was dumped in the water. (see {{w|Marine debris}}) "Marine wildlife people with sharks" may be a reference to [[585: Outreach]], which also features a balloon carrying a shark. Another possible issue with disguising drones as "lost balloons" is that such balloons are quite rarely seen, and a sudden increase in the number of "lost balloons" seen would certainly raise suspicion even without a "spotting community" that focuses on them.

Among other types of people looking at the sky, the comic doesn't even get around to mentioning the subject of comic [[1644: Stargazing]].

==Transcript==
:[White Hat and Hairy are standing in front of some buildings. White Hat points to the sky while holding his smartphone in the other hand, while Hairy holds his smartphone up in both hands as he looks at the screen.]
:White Hat: That's odd—another PA-24 Comanche with red trim. Registered to a holding company, no recent flight plans.
:Hairy: I'll ask the forums if anyone knows who operates those.

:[Hairbun and an old man with white sailor cap, are standing in a field with rolling hills behind them. Hairbun is looking at the sky through her binoculars, that she has in a string around her neck. The man also looks up but he is holding his string attached binoculars down in front of him.]
:Hairbun: Goodness, I think that's a broad-winged hawk!
:Man with sailor cap: In November?! They should be long gone by now!
:Hairbun: I'll email the list.

:[Five people sit around a table in a boardroom, which presumably belongs to the government as the table has a circular insignia with an eagle in the center and unreadable text in the ring around the eagle and beneath the insignia. A man with slick black hair is sitting at the end of the table in an office chair. The other four are sitting behind the long side of the table; from left they are Cueball, Megan, another version of Hairy with spikier hair, and to the right, Ponytail.]
:Man at the end of the table: Dammit, why are there so many different subcultures obsessed with staring at the sky?
:Ponytail: What else could we disguise our surveillance drones as?
:Cueball: Weather balloons?
:Ponytail: No, that gets the UFO people ''and'' the weather people.
:Ponytail: Don't know who's worse.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Characters with Hats]]
[[Category:Drones]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Sharks]]

1387: Clumsy Foreshadowing

2020-09-19T01:14:06Z

162.158.74.47:

{{comic
| number = 1387
| date = June 27, 2014
| title = Clumsy Foreshadowing
| image = clumsy_foreshadowing.png
| titletext = '... hosts were unexpectedly fired from ABC's 'The View' today. ABC will likely announce new...'
}}

==Explanation==
Many action/thriller movies, during the first few minutes, have a background [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChekhovsNews news] [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CoincidentalBroadcast report] that foreshadows the onset of some kind of danger, such as shark attacks, nuclear warfare etc.

[[Randall]] suggests taking the same approach to random news stories from real life, in order to make them more ominous.

In this case we see three random headings from news stories, which could all be made even more interesting if the setting is correct.

The first of the three stories mentioned above the frame ''[http://www.northkoreannews.net/index.php/sid/223255811/scat/08aysdf7tga9s7f7/ht/Angry-North-Korea-threatens-war-if-US-shows-film-mocking-its-leader North Korea threatens U.S. over upcoming movie]'' comes from {{w|North Korea|North Korea's}} official {{w|Korean Central News Agency}} who a few days before this comic was released threatened the US with war over the {{w|Seth Rogen}} movie {{w|The Interview (2014 film)|The Interview}}, promising "stern" and "merciless" retaliation if the film is released. The threat generated some hype for the at-the-time unreleased movie. No one, however, really took North Korea's threat seriously, but if you put this into such a news report at the beginning of a film, this could be a film about a film leading to a new war with North Korea. (Note: In late 2014 North Korea was accused of carrying out a devastating cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio responsible for the film. These accusations were widely believed initially, though independent analysists have since cast doubt. This news report would likely have been seen in a film about the real life attack or film that features a similar fictional attack for its plot. This is an example of an xkcd comic coming true.)

The second one is about ''[http://dailydigestnews.com/2014/06/north-atlantic-ocean-great-white-shark-population-booms/ Shark populations booming off east coast]''. The news in the link is from a week before this comic was released, and is about the preservation of the {{w|Great white shark|Great white sharks}}. Not that terrifying, especially since sharks are way less dangerous than people tend to fear, in part due to movies like {{w|Jaws (film)|Jaws}}. However, if you put this headline into a news report running in the background, as when [[Cueball]] leaves the house with a bathing towel in the main frame of the comic, as if he was going to the beach, then it suddenly becomes a {{w|Sharknado|very ominous story}}, that will not bode well for Cueball and his friends.

The last of the three stories is about ''[http://www.orbcomm.com/networks/og2-launch SpaceX to attempt new rocket launch today]''. {{w|SpaceX}} is a space transport services company and on March 13, 2014 they reported a launch date for their first {{w|Orbcomm satellites#Orbcomm-OG2|OG2}} mission containing 6 satellites on a dedicated {{w|Falcon 9}} rocket. This date was April 30, 2014 as can be read at the bottom of the news link, which is the news list for this OG2 mission. The launch continued to be postponed several times, and the last date given before this comic was released was June the 24th, three days before this comic was released. This launch was canceled on the 23rd and the day before this comic was released it was yet again postponed, this time until July 14 (almost three weeks, after the previous four proposed launch dates had been 20, 21, 22 and 24 June). So at this point in time, any news regarding SpaceX attempting to launch a rocket, will not generate much fuss, as they are most likely postponing again, but if you put the news bite into the start of a movie, then the launch would probably stay on schedule - but would then go horribly wrong, setting the action packed story in progress.
Just over a year later on June 28, 2015 {{w|SpaceX CRS-7|SpaceX mission CRS-7}} exploded just after launch. The preliminary findings of the investigation however point to a failure of a steel strut, which would be hard to turn into a good story.

The title text news ''[http://nypost.com/2014/06/26/sherri-shepherd-jenny-mccarthy-leave-the-view/ hosts were unexpectedly fired from ABC's 'The View' today]'' references {{w|American Broadcasting Company|ABC's}} ''{{w|The View (U.S. TV series)|The View}}'' where two of the co-hosts, {{w|Sherri Shepherd}} and {{w|Jenny McCarthy}}, were simultaneously reporting leaving the program (fired or resigned? - sources vary), the day before this comic appeared. Sherri after seven years, Jenny after less than one year as co-host. According to the news link above there were "no word on who will be replacing the hosts, but the network says they will have a team together when the show launches its new season this fall." Again a not very interesting news story. The title text though continues the news by saying: ''ABC will likely announce new...'' The humorous suggestion is that the news about ''The View'' will go on to foreshadow some looming disaster, a comically unlikely premise for an action/thriller movie.

==Transcript==
:[Heading and text above the panel:]
:'''Today's News'''
:North Korea threatens U.S. over upcoming movie
:Shark populations booming off east coast
:SpaceX to attempt new rocket launch today
:[Arrow pointing down towards the comics only panel.]

:[Cueball, holding a towel, walks past a TV with a news report shown on-screen.]
:Cueball: Bye! See you tonight!
:Offscreen person: Have a good day!
:TV: ''Researchers are reporting record numbers of sharks...''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:To make news stories seem way more ominous, imagine you're hearing them from a background TV in a movie as the main character leaves.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Sharks]]
[[Category:News anchor]]

2361: Voting

2020-09-19T01:08:18Z

162.158.74.47: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 2361
| date = September 18, 2020
| title = Voting
| image = voting.png
| titletext = 'Wait, our state has mail voting. The forms are literally on the kitchen table.' 'Not now, I'm busy researching which channels have sharks in them.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by SHARK-FILLED BROKEN GLASS. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball makes a series of hyperbolic statements to Megan about the trials he would be willing to endure in order to vote in the upcoming elections. Megan, although also informed about their voting area, informs Cueball that none of the things he's willing to do are necessary to vote. Unable to bring him back to reality, she closes the final panel by asking if he'd be willing to put off all this crazy stuff until after voting.

The run-up to the {{w|2020 United States elections}}, occurring on November 3, 2020 (about 2 months from the time of the comic's publication), has been fraught with various overlapping worries about the legitimacy of the forthcoming result. The {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}} has created a new interest in {{w|postal voting|voting by mail}}, at a historically large scale. See {{w|Postal voting in the United States}} for more detail.

Although he never explicitly says ''how'' he intends to vote, Megan interprets Cueball's claims to mean he will be voting in person. Broken glass, hot coals and sharks aside, Cueball faces the risk of contracting COVID-19 from being in close proximity to so many other voters.

The sun, currently a yellow dwarf star on the main sequence, will eventually expand into a red giant, then collapse down to a white dwarf when its fuel is exhausted. This will not happen for billions of years, as Megan points out.

In the title text, Megan tells Cueball that he does not need to go to such lengths to vote, as their state has mail-in voting (and sent forms, either to cast a ballot, or to apply for mail-in ballots). Cueball ignores her, and continues looking for shark-filled channels to swim through.

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

:[Cueball staring at his phone and talking to Megan.]
:Cueball: I will crawl across broken glass to vote this year if I have to.
:Megan: ...Why would there be broken glass?
:Megan: There aren't even any big windows at our polling place.

:[Cueball raising a finger triumphantly.]
:Cueball: I will wait in line till the sun burns out.
:Megan: Ok, some places have lines, which is awful, but it's usually pretty quick here?
:Megan: Definitely not 5 billion years.

:[Cueball raising a fist.]
:Cueball: I will walk barefoot across hot coals to cast my ballot!
:Megan: Where would you even '''''find''''' coals?
:Megan: You can wear shoes to vote. This makes no sense.

:[Cueball raising a finger, and walking off-panel to the left]
:Cueball: I will swim across a shark-filled channel!
:Megan: That'll take you '''''way''''' outside our precinct.
:Cueball: '''''Then I'll swim back!'''''
:Megan: Can you do all this stuff '''''after''''' voting?

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

2361: Voting

2020-09-19T01:07:28Z

162.158.74.47: /* Explanation */ ce

2361: Voting

2020-09-19T01:04:22Z

162.158.74.47: /* Explanation */ clarify

{{comic
| number = 2361
| date = September 18, 2020
| title = Voting
| image = voting.png
| titletext = 'Wait, our state has mail voting. The forms are literally on the kitchen table.' 'Not now, I'm busy researching which channels have sharks in them.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by SHARK-FILLED BROKEN GLASS. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball makes a series of hyperbolic statements to Megan about the trials he would be willing to endure in order to vote in the upcoming elections. Megan, although also informed about their voting area, informs Cueball that none of the things he's willing to do are necessary to vote. Unable to bring him back to reality, she closes the final panel by asking if he'd be willing to put off all this crazy stuff until after voting.

The run-up to the {{w|2020 United States elections}}, occurring on November 3, 2020 (about 2 months from the time of the comic's publication), has been fraught with various overlapping worries about the legitimacy of the forthcoming result. The {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}} has created a new interest in {{w|postal voting|voting by mail}}, at a historically large scale. See {{w|Postal voting in the United States}} for more detail.

Although he never explicitly says ''how'' he intends to vote, Megan interprets Cueball's claims to mean he will be voting in person. Broken glass, hot coals and sharks aside, Cueball faces the risk of contracting COVID-19 from being in close proximity to so many other voters.

In the title text, Megan tells Cueball that he does not need to go to such lengths to vote, as their state has mail-in voting (and sent forms, either to cast a ballot, or to apply for mail-in ballots). Cueball ignores her, and looks for shark-filled channels to swim through.

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

:[Cueball staring at his phone and talking to Megan.]
:Cueball: I will crawl across broken glass to vote this year if I have to.
:Megan: ...Why would there be broken glass?
:Megan: There aren't even any big windows at our polling place.

:[Cueball raising a finger triumphantly.]
:Cueball: I will wait in line till the sun burns out.
:Megan: Ok, some places have lines, which is awful, but it's usually pretty quick here?
:Megan: Definitely not 5 billion years.

:[Cueball raising a fist.]
:Cueball: I will walk barefoot across hot coals to cast my ballot!
:Megan: Where would you even '''''find''''' coals?
:Megan: You can wear shoes to vote. This makes no sense.

:[Cueball raising a finger, and walking off-panel to the left]
:Cueball: I will swim across a shark-filled channel!
:Megan: That'll take you '''''way''''' outside our precinct.
:Cueball: '''''Then I'll swim back!'''''
:Megan: Can you do all this stuff '''''after''''' voting?

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

2361: Voting

2020-09-19T01:03:39Z

162.158.74.47: more

{{comic
| number = 2361
| date = September 18, 2020
| title = Voting
| image = voting.png
| titletext = 'Wait, our state has mail voting. The forms are literally on the kitchen table.' 'Not now, I'm busy researching which channels have sharks in them.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by SHARK-FILLED BROKEN GLASS. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball makes a series of hyperbolic statements to Megan about the trials he would be willing to endure in order to vote in the upcoming elections. Megan, although also informed about their voting area, informs Cueball that none of the things he's willing to do are necessary to vote. Unable to bring him back to reality, she closes the final panel by asking if he'd be willing to put off all this crazy stuff until after voting.

The run-up to the {{w|2020 United States elections}}, occurring on November 3, 2020 (about 2 months from the time of the comic's publication), has been fraught with various overlapping worries about the legitimacy of the forthcoming result. The {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}} has created a new interest in {{w|postal voting|voting by mail}}, at a historically large scale. See {{w|Postal voting in the United States}} for more detail.

Although he never explicitly says ''how'' he intends to vote, Megan interprets Cueball's claims to mean he will be voting in person. Broken glass, hot coals and sharks aside, Cueball faces the risk of contracting COVID-19 from being in close proximity to so many other voters.

In the title text, Megan tells Cueball that he does not need to go to such lengths to vote, as his state has mail-in voting. Cueball ignores her, and looks for shark-filled channels to swim through.

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

:[Cueball staring at his phone and talking to Megan.]
:Cueball: I will crawl across broken glass to vote this year if I have to.
:Megan: ...Why would there be broken glass?
:Megan: There aren't even any big windows at our polling place.

:[Cueball raising a finger triumphantly.]
:Cueball: I will wait in line till the sun burns out.
:Megan: Ok, some places have lines, which is awful, but it's usually pretty quick here?
:Megan: Definitely not 5 billion years.

:[Cueball raising a fist.]
:Cueball: I will walk barefoot across hot coals to cast my ballot!
:Megan: Where would you even '''''find''''' coals?
:Megan: You can wear shoes to vote. This makes no sense.

:[Cueball raising a finger, and walking off-panel to the left]
:Cueball: I will swim across a shark-filled channel!
:Megan: That'll take you '''''way''''' outside our precinct.
:Cueball: '''''Then I'll swim back!'''''
:Megan: Can you do all this stuff '''''after''''' voting?

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

2361: Voting

2020-09-19T00:50:23Z

162.158.74.47: /* Transcript */ ce

2361: Voting

2020-09-19T00:49:35Z

162.158.74.47: transcript

2361: Voting

2020-09-19T00:41:15Z

162.158.74.47: categories

2360: Common Star Types

2020-09-19T00:30:49Z

162.158.74.47: /* Transcript */ title text not part of transcript

{{comic
| number = 2360
| date = September 16, 2020
| title = Common Star Types
| image = common_star_types.png
| titletext = This article is about Eta Carinae, a luminous blue hypergiant with anomalous Fe[ii] emission spectra. For the 1998 Brad Bird film, see The Iron Giant (film).
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an INDIGO BANSHEE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This 'infographic' chart purports to be a comparative guide to various star types, often described by a basic color, which is something that even naked-eye astronomy has determined, and may be qualified as 'dwarf' or 'giant' to describe relative sizes. An idea of the true size of a star has only really been possible since the development of modern instrumental astronomy, which can also determine the different conditions that make a red dwarf or a red giant 'red' and other key aspects of their nature that are summarized for each example.

In true xkcd tradition, this is taken beyond reality. The pantheon of stars illustrated extend the use of 'dwarf' and 'giant' as if describing mythical or fictional beings, drawing upon others from the fantasy ilk with hues and shades that may not be typically described, or even encountered, by astronomers. The aspect information provided for these 'star' types is based upon the respective mythologies.

{| class="wikitable"
!Star !! Description
|-
| {{w|Yellow dwarf star|Yellow Dwarf}} || A real star type. This is the type of star that {{w|Sun|our sun}} is, with a lifespan measured in billions of years. The title "dwarf" is a misnomer, as the Sun is actually larger than most stars, but it was once thought to be smaller than average as larger stars turn out to be more visible than smaller stars over a given distance.
|-
| {{w|Red giant|Red Giant}} || A real star type. When stars at about the Sun's size begin to run out of fusion fuel, they expand to become red giants, and the outer shells expand and cool. When our sun enters this phase in a few billion years, it will consume Mercury, Venus, and possibly the Earth.
|-
| {{w|White dwarf|White Dwarf}} || A real thing, though not a true star, but a remnant of one. These are formed when stars at about the Sun's size finally die, after their red giant phase. They are extremely dense and no longer undergo nuclear fusion. They are responsible for type 1A supernovae, a {{w|Cosmic Distance Ladder|standard candle}} of astronomy.
|-
| {{w|Red dwarf|Red Dwarf}} || A real star type. The most common, smallest, and coolest type of true star in the universe. ({{w|Brown dwarf|Brown dwarfs}} are smaller and cooler, but do not undergo hydrogen-hydrogen fusion.) These can live for trillions of years; the first red dwarfs to form in the universe are still alive today and will be alive long after the Sun reaches its end. Also, note that {{w|Red Dwarf}} is a science fiction TV series being produced in UK since 1988, named after the eponymous mining ship. This ship is ''small'' (compared to a star) and {{w|Cat_(Red_Dwarf)|one of the characters}} is indeed very ''cool'', but ''dim''-witted. It would be hard to characterize Red Dwarf (the series) as ''ancient'', at least compared to a star.
|-
| Green Elf || An invention of Randall's, and a reference to the elves of {{w|Tolkien's legendarium}}. Tolkien's elves are immortal but slowly diminish over time, and leave Middle Earth, (where ''The Lord of the Rings'' is set) emigrating to the West as magic fades.
|-
| {{w|Blue giant|Blue Giant}} || A real star type. The largest class of star in the main sequence, these are highly luminous and have life spans measured in only millions of years, rather than the billions or trillions of years for other star types.
|-
| Teal Sphynx || An invention of Randall's; likely a form of the Greek {{w|Sphinx#Riddle_of_the_Sphinx|sphinx}}, which presents riddles to hapless travelers. One can only imagine what stellar riddles would be like. {{Original research}} May be a reference to {{w|Teal Swan}}.
|-
| Gray Wizard || An invention of Randall's, and also a reference to ''Lord of the Rings''. {{w|Gandalf the Grey}}, a wizard, is a protagonist and the main mentor figure in ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'', guiding and assisting the journeys within the books, often in mysterious ways that could be described as "{{wiktionary|mercurial#Adjective|mercurial}}". Gandalf later falls in battle and returns as Gandalf the White, much as stars (up to ~10 solar masses) will evolve into white dwarfs, but this evolution is not shown on this chart. Interestingly, the Elvish word for "wizard" is ''istar'' (plural: ''istari'').
|-
| Indigo Banshee || An invention of Randall's, and a reference to {{w|banshees}}, a type of Irish spirit or ghost which wails loudly at a person's death. {{w|Indigo}} may also be considered a particularly {{wiktionary|loud#Adjective|loud color}}. May or may not be a reference to {{w|Indigo children}}, a pseudoscientific term used by some to describe children with unusual personalities or learning abilities.
|-
| Beige Gorgon || An invention of Randall's, and a reference to {{w|Gorgons}} in {{w|Greek Mythology}}. "Dangerous to observe at optical wavelengths" refers to the property of a Gorgon in which anyone who gazes upon her face will turn to stone. However, seeing a Gorgon's reflection is safe, so [[1791: Telescopes: Refractor vs Reflector|most astronomers should be fine.]] This is probably why its color is known, unlike other Gorgons, whose observers have a high mortality rate. The choice of the color "beige" for this kind of "star" may be a reference to {{w|cosmic latte}}, the "average color" of the universe.

In reality, the star {{w|Algol}} and other nearby stars in the constellation of Perseus were historically referred to as the "Gorgonea", representing Medusa's head after Perseus cut it off. Medusa is also the namesake of {{w|Medusa Nebula|a nebula}}, {{w|NGC 4194|a pair of colliding galaxies}}, and {{w|149 Medusa|an asteroid}}. No observers of any of these celestial bodies have been petrified.{{Citation needed}}
|}

The title text is in the style of a Wikipedia page's hatnote / reference note. A page might have a title that is too easily landed upon by a search term that might also be expected to lead to one under a quite different subject, such as the {{w|Red Dwarf|case-sensitive example}} of "This article is about the British comedy franchise. For the type of star, see {{w|Red dwarf}}." In this case, it was written as if the page {{w|Iron Giant}} redirected to {{w|Eta Carinae}}, a large {{w|luminous blue variable}} star which has a relatively high level of {{w|Iron(II)|ferrous ions}}. Although there is a vaguely plausible reason for the star to to be called an "iron giant", astronomers do not commonly use that particular name (the alternative of "{{w|iron star}}" is used for an article about hypothesized class of stellar-mass object, though the description allows that there is a separate usage that relates to Eta Carinae) and you are currently only redirected straight upon ''{{w|The Iron Giant}}'', that first movie directed by Brad Bird. This note [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eta_Carinae&oldid=978789727 was added] to Wikipedia, but quickly removed.

==Transcript==
[A chart, with circles representing stars of different colors and sizes. At the top:]
:Common star types

[A small yellow star.]
:Yellow dwarf
:Warm, stable, slowly-growing

[An even smaller white star.]
:White dwarf
:Small, hot, dim

[A very large red-orange star squishing the previous two stars into the corners of the chart.]
:Red giant
::Huge, cool, luminous

[A small red star.]
:Red dwarf
::Small, cool, ancient, dim

[An olive green, medium-sized star.]
:Green elf
::Old, diminishes into the west

[A fairly large pale blue star.]
:Blue giant
::Large, hot, short-lived

[A blue-green, medium-sized star.]
:Teal sphynx
::Cryptic, eternal

[A small silver-colored star.]
:Gray wizard
::Wise, powerful, mercurial

[A tiny blue star.]
:Indigo banshee
::Bright, portentous, extremely loud

[A beige, medium-sized star.]
:Beige gorgon
::Dangerous to observe at optical wavelengths.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

1148: Nothing to Offer

2020-09-12T17:48:52Z

162.158.74.47: add quote marks

{{comic
| number = 1148
| date = December 17, 2012
| title = Nothing to Offer
| image = nothing to offer.png
| titletext = cerebrospinal fluid, pericardial fluid, sputum, aqueous humor, perilymph, chyme, hydatid fluid, interstitial fluid, rheum, and gin.
}}

==Explanation==
"I have nothing to offer but {{w|blood, toil, tears, and sweat}}" is a famous phrase in a speech given by {{w|Winston Churchill}}, which would be heard on the radio in the 1940s. The comic then goes on to list numerous other increasingly obscure {{w|body fluid|bodily fluids}}, including through the title text, ending humorously with {{w|gin}} (which Churchill was partial to).

The fluids in order: {{w|blood}}, {{w|tears}}, {{w|sweat}}, {{w|saliva|spit}}, {{w|bile}}, {{w|vomit}}, {{w|urine}}, {{w|mucus}}, {{w|semen}}, {{w|earwax}}, {{w|lymph}}, {{w|gastric acid}}, {{w|sebum}}, {{w|pus}}, {{w|endolymph}}, {{w|intracellular fluid}}, {{w|blood plasma}}, {{w|vitreous humor}}, {{w|feces}}, {{w|pleural cavity fluid}}, {{w|chyle}}, {{w|synovial fluid}}, {{w|peritoneal fluid}}, {{w|cerebrospinal fluid}}, {{w|pericardial fluid}}, {{w|sputum}}, {{w|aqueous humor}}, {{w|perilymph}}, {{w|chyme}}, {{w|hydatid fluid}}, {{w|interstitial fluid}}, and {{w|rheum}}. The partially obscured ones near the end are taken by process of elimination. CHLY- seems to be a typo for CHYL(E).

==Transcript==
:[Radio on a dresser.]
:Radio: I have nothing to offer
:Radio: But

:Radio: Blood, toil, tears, sweat,

:Radio: spit, bile, vomit, urine,

:[Text is now bleeding through the background and gets obscured then cut off.]
:Radio: mucus, semen, earwax, lymph, gastric acid, sebum, pus, endolymph, intracellular fluid, blood plasma, vitreous humor, feces, pleural cavity fluid, chlye, synovial fluid, peritoneal fluid,
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Biology]]

Talk:2306: Common Cold

2020-05-18T12:30:17Z

162.158.74.47:

WHEN COVID19 IS DONE KEEP UP WITH THE HAND WASHING![[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.122|108.162.216.122]] 23:16, 13 May 2020 (UTC)

I saw a thing reshared some time last month claiming that after the hand-sanitizer-and-masks outbreak in Japan, some regions were recording record low numbers of influenza hospitalisations for this time of year. Thought that would be nice; but could only find unsourced claims. Would be nice to think there really was that kind of silver lining. [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 23:30, 13 May 2020 (UTC)
:Since people are really staying away from each other, the only way flu and common cold can spread has also been eliminated. So of course the rate has dropped. But yes, would be nice to see some citations. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:13, 14 May 2020 (UTC)
::Found this [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-17/coronavirus-numbers-flu-tracking-data/12134082 Coronavirus isolation measures are reducing all flu-like diseases, not just COVID-19].--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:15, 14 May 2020 (UTC)
::And this is more up to date: [https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/coronavirus-doctors-see-huge-drop-in-flu-common-cold-diarrhoea-and-conjunctivitis Coronavirus: Doctors see huge drop in flu, common cold, diarrhoea and conjunctivitis cases since circuit breaker measures]. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:16, 14 May 2020 (UTC)
:::While this SEEMS good news, I have wondered for a while now if, by eliminating harmless cold viruses that our immune systems are more or less accustomed to as "collateral damage", we might not accidentally open up new ecological niches, which then get occupied by MORE new pathogens that our immune systems are NOT accustomed to. So, it may actually a good idea to consider that deal.... --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.122|162.158.159.122]] 13:50, 14 May 2020 (UTC)
::::I don't think cold viruses are thought to be part of healthy gut flora (or [[1471: Gut Fauna|gut fauna]]), but the "{{w|hygiene hypothesis}}" posits that failure to properly seed the microbiome in early childhood (i.e. not enough dirt in life) may lead to increased prevalence of allergies and other autoimmune disorders, because (perhaps) the immune system is under-exercised and so some of its regulatory mechanisms are under-developed. --[[User:NotaBene|NotaBene]] ([[User talk:NotaBene|talk]]) 15:02, 14 May 2020 (UTC)
::::: Stepping up the speculativeness up a notch, an immune systeme permanently on the alert by flu might be good against cancer. That said, maybe the poor virii should just try to look more cute? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.90|162.158.159.90]] 08:09, 15 May 2020 (UTC)

::::By social distancing, we are not harming cold viruses more than anything else ; what we are doing is basically shrinking the ecological niche containing it. So, no ... unless we will be so good in it we really eliminate cold viruses and when we do, we will then stop social distancing and grow the ecological niche again. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:16, 14 May 2020 (UTC)

You guys are engaging in uneducated speculation. PLEASE STOP! Viruses are nothing at all like bacteria (which make up the gut biome). The mere fact that we need new influenza vaccines every year should make it clear that exposure to flu virus does nothing to generate "multi-capable antibodies" . Yes, playing in dirt may build up the immune system's ability to handle bacterial loads, but no it has nothing to do with viruses. [[User:Cellocgw|Cellocgw]] ([[User talk:Cellocgw|talk]]) 11:08, 15 May 2020 (UTC)

According to Taiwan National Infectious Disease Statistics System, the [https://nidss.cdc.gov.tw/en/SingleDisease.aspx?dc=1&dt=4&disease=487a&position=1 number of severe influenza cases in Taiwan] was 109 on week 1 of 2020, then drop to zero since March. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.58|172.69.34.58]] 04:54, 14 May 2020 (UTC)

Based on the railroad's Twitter feed which announces when service is suspended because someone got hit by a train, it seems that deaths from being hit by trains are down where I live. I'd expect some reduction in accidental deaths due to fewer trains per day running. However, the reduction in deaths is greater than the reduction in train service, so that's not the full explanation, especially since most of the deaths were suicides.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.250|108.162.215.250]] 05:27, 14 May 2020 (UTC)
: Has the general rate of suicide changed? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:35, 14 May 2020 (UTC)
:: In Finland the sucide rate has been up [https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11351803 15% this spring].

Was this comic posted a day late? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.130.10|172.69.130.10]] 11:36, 14 May 2020 (UTC)
:No. But the DGBRt bot that uploads the comic is in the wrong time zone and there it was May 14th. But in the archive on xkcd it is listed as a May 13 release. I have corrected the wrong date. This has happened with two comics now over the last few releases. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:11, 14 May 2020 (UTC)

Current transcript indicates he is shouting the "no" in the last frame. I read this significantly more as an extremely forceful spoken word, not so much "THIS IS SPARTA!" [[User:OhFFS|OhFFS]] ([[User talk:OhFFS|talk]]) 16:04, 14 May 2020 (UTC)
:Agree. Fixed. [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 21:21, 14 May 2020 (UTC)

I AM THE DREAD FAUCET ROBERTS. THERE WILL BE ''NO SURVIVORS''! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.67|108.162.250.67]] 00:45, 15 May 2020 (UTC)

In the end, the only way to eliminate it *finally,* for good, is either almost everyone has immunity, or social distancing, contact tracing and similar measures. No matter how difficult. If immunity doesn't last long, then you've got a permanent problem unless social distancing can be maintained INDEFINITELY. And I want to point out that the problem becomes not just permanent but gains the potential to kill faster than people can breed. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.251|108.162.246.251]] 10:26, 15 May 2020 (UTC)

Now it seems there are correlations between antibodies to common colds and to C-19

https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0092-8674%2820%2930610-3&utm_medium=email&utm_source=CampaignMonitor_Editorial&utm_campaign=LNCH%20%2020200515%20%20Facebook%20%20SM+CID_262b5ad3cf7ba8cf30318d3392774724

What the fuck. Respirational viruses are NOT spread via contact/smear infections. It is theoretically possible, if you finger sth that a sick person freshly coughed on, and directly dig your nose afterwards. You certainly get measels this way, where twenty or thirty virus particles are enough to give you a 50% chance to catch an infection, BUT NOT coronaviruses, where you need to breathe in ten thousands of particles for the same effect.

Dear Mr. Monroe, it is disgusting to now read this fakenews from your comic. Handwashing is good against all sorts of gastrointestinal maladies. Which is why hospitals are so strict on it. One day of diarrhoea and fluid loss is a deadly threat to anyone with a weakened body. But this has nothing to do with the flu or covid-19. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.33|162.158.93.33]] 18:16, 15 May 2020 (UTC)
:He (probably) doesn't read this, and nothing he put here as entertainment is "fake news" in any practical way. It's artistic licence without claiming authority. Viruses also aren't macroscopic, sentient and capable of conversation to the level of being able to ask for a boon. (Also, IME, those who shout most about fake news are believers or even instigators of actual fake news being touted as 'truth', so perhaps find a better term to argue with than that particularly devalued one. Just my general advice, which won't change very many people's minds, I know.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.222|141.101.98.222]] 14:21, 17 May 2020 (UTC)

I don't think it much matters whether the handwashing helps against coronavirus. The fact is: more people are washing their hands and doing it properly than ever before. And the point he is trying to make is that (regardless of it's effect on coronavirus) it is likely helping to fight things like the common cold.

1741: Work

2016-10-06T22:57:55Z

162.158.74.47: Added Prop 65 citations. If someone else knows how to do them better, that's be great.

{{comic
| number = 1741
| date = October 3, 2016
| title = Work
| image = work.png
| titletext = Despite it being imaginary, I already have SUCH a strong opinion on the cord-switch firing incident.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Citation for California in particular having more rules than other US states, both in the explanation and in the table.}}

This comic details a set of theoretical examples of how much work went into the design and manufacture of everyday objects. See explanation of [[#Individual design elements|individual design elements]] below.

The joke centers around the fact that most people in modern times are constantly surrounded with human-built objects, which we generally use without giving them much thought. [[Randall]] implies that he occasionally imagines what went into seemingly simple objects around him (in this case his desk and the water glass and the desk lamp on top of it), and finds it overwhelming. This is because there are so many built items around us, many of which are inexpensive and mass-produced, which nonetheless resulted from a great deal of human effort.

This is similar to the thesis of the classic essay ''[http://www.econlib.org/library/Essays/rdPncl1.html I, Pencil]'', except that while ''I, Pencil'' idealizes manufacture and commerce to argue for the free market and against regulation, the comic focuses on details that are far more human or based in bureaucratic or government red tape.

Presumably, this kind of realization is more likely for people who've worked in design and engineering, like Randall, because they have some insight into what's involved in bringing a product to market. Also people who sit around all day wondering what could be funny, like Randall, could also end up in such a thought spiral. The comment about California recalls is based on the tags on products that often state "This item has been known by the state of California to cause..."[http://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65]

There's a double joke in the title as the first thing most people will think of, when seeing such a table with a typical desk lamp, is that this is a ''work desk'' rather than about all the '''work''' put into making the desk and lamp. The potential implication is that Randall is so distracted imagining the work that went into creating his workspace that he can't get his own work done, hence the title. (Interestingly, but without being related to this comic, the next comic was called [[1742: Will It Work|1742: Will It '''Work''']]).

The argument over putting the switch on the cord getting someone fired hits on another aspect of the design issue. Companies that design and manufacture goods will inevitably have human conflicts, where decisions will be argued over, and human personalities and office politics will impact the final design.

In the title text Randall states that this incidence is imaginary (based on his imagination) but still he has apparently come up with an entire fictional narrative about the conflict over whether to put the lamp's switch on the lamp body itself, or to attach it to the lamp's power cord. And now he has SUCH a strong opinion about the firing incident.

This may because he already had a strong opinion about who was right, which could make him angry if that person was the one getting fired. Randall's distaste for lamps where the switch is on the cord was mentioned in the title text of [[1036: Reviews]]. As the lamp on this desk is with the switch on the cord, and as it seems Randall really dislikes such lamps, this would make sense, as it would probably be the one wishing to put the switch on the body who were fired. Alternatively it could have been the one who put the switch on the wire that was fired later, when they got poor on-line reviews...

Using the lamp as shown on this desk would make it annoying with the switch on the cord, as it will be hard to reach under the table, when sitting at the desk. Often such lamps have the switch either at the main body or on the head of the lamp. That would make it easy to reach it while sitting at the desk.

A similar theme of the unseen contributions of engineers is found in [[277: Long Light]], including the title text: "You can look at practically any part of anything manmade around you and think 'some engineer was frustrated while designing this.' It's a little human connection." This fits in well with Randall's annoyance with a switch on the cord, as he might believe it was a frustrated engineer that is the cause of such an inconvenient placement of the switch.

===Individual design elements===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Individual Design Elements
!Description
!Explanation
|-
|An engineer worked late drawing this curve in AutoCAD || {{w|AutoCAD}} is a popular software package for doing computer-aided design. Curves in three dimensions are notable for being much more difficult than straight lines, and this curve in particular needs to be revolved around a line and the engineer would need to ensure it correctly interfaces with the remainder of the body.
|-
|Extra vents added to avoid California safety recall || Lamps can get very hot, especially if an {{w|incandescent bulb}} is installed, possibly causing injury if the shade is touched. Additional vents can improve air circulation, allowing the lamp to run cooler. The US state of {{w|California}} is known for its many safety regulations[http://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65]. California is notable for having strict safety requirements for every product, to the point that Disneyland's front entrance is recently required to have a cancer warning{{Citation Needed}}.
|-
|9 hours of meetings || Any product development requires several meetings about coordination for any aspect of the design, especially critical ones that can affect other subsystems in the device, such as the flexible stem in this lamp. Its size is affected by the wiring requirements, strength requirements, intersections with both the base and the lamp head. The material, properties, color, manufacturing process, and so on also have to be determined for something as simple as this.
|-
|Ongoing debate || Designers frequently disagree about what is important enough to be put on the label, where the label needs to be put, which laws apply, and so on.
|-
|Years-long negotiation with glass supplier || Many products have to go through many stages of negotiations before the company can have the required supplies to build the product. This is a commentary on how long it takes to negotiate with other supplier businesses about things that the average consumer sees trivial: it ''can'' take months or years when outsourcing to determine and contract which kind of glass, how much, what price, what happens when base materials change in price, what other kinds of glass are acceptable, what compounds are allowed around the glass during production, etc. etc.
|-
|4 hours of meetings || It takes several meetings for the design team to fully determine and justify what size is best for the market, and to relay this information to the rest of the company. Then, they receive feedback on what is or isn't acceptable, frequently by people who don't know exactly ''why'', so they have to return again for another meeting for further clarification.
|-
|Months of tip-over testing || The thicker the base of a glass is, the lower its center of gravity is, and the heavier it is. A balance between stability and ease of handling must be reached. In addition, testing generally takes longer than the consumer expects, and every variation must be tested to determine which one performs the most acceptably.
|-
|Wood source changed due to 20 year legal fight over logging in the Great Bear rainforest || The {{w|Great Bear Rainforest}} is a temperate rainforest on {{w|Vancouver Island}} in {{w|British Columbia}}, {{w|Canada}}. The government of British Columbia recently announced an agreement to {{w|Great Bear Rainforest|protect 85% of this forest}} from commercial logging.
|-
|Argument over putting switch on cord got someone fired || Some people are really passionate about how convenient minor features are, while other people see those features as useless or that they make the product worse. If the designers can't come to a compromise or a consensus, the disagreement will eventually escalate into an argument until the supervisor eventually figures the heated and passive-aggressive disagreements aren't worth the value of the passionate designers. Randall's distaste for lamps where the switch is on the cord has been mentioned in the title text of [[1036: Reviews]].
|}

==Transcript==
:[A table is shown with a glass of water to the left and a lamp standard type desk lamp on the right. There are nine labels in relation to different parts of these three items. For each label, one or two arrows points to the relevant part. Five labels are written above the table, two on the table and two below the table between the front legs. These last two labels are causing the table legs to the rear to disappear, and also cuts the lamp cord, going beneath the table, in two. Below each label will be written under a description of what they point to going in normal reading order from left to right, two lines above, one line on and one line below the table.]

:[Arrow points a line that follow the curve of the lamps shade:]
:An engineer worked late drawing this curve in AutoCAD

:[Arrow points to back of lamp shade just above the stem. The shade has four visible vents on the front. The part the arrow points to is not visible:]
:Extra vents added to avoid California safety recall

:[Arrow points to glass:]
:Years-long negotiation with glass supplier

:[A double arrow is placed above the center of the glass, ending on two lines above the edges of the glass:]
:4 hours of meetings

:[Two arrow points on either side of the lamp's stem:]
:9 hours of meetings

:[Two arrow, one pointing up at the bottom and the other down at the inside bottom of the glass:]
:Months of tip-over testing

:[An arrow points to the lamp information sticker on the bottom part of the lamps base. Unreadable text can be seen as thins lines on the sticker:]
:Ongoing debate

:[An arrow points to the front edge of the desk, ending in a starburst on the edge:]
:Wood source changed due to 20 year legal fight over logging in the Great Bear rainforest

:[Arrow points to the switch on the lamps cord which can be seen going over the right edge of the table and hanging down below the table. The switch can be seen just under the table edge:]
:Argument over putting switch on cord got someone fired

:[Caption under the panel:]
:Sometimes I get overwhelmed thinking about the amount of work that went into the ordinary objects around me.

{{comic discussion}}