explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3159: Continents

2025-10-24T18:32:59Z

164.90.218.225: A very productive addition

FIRST (ignore the timestamps) --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]][[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|converse]] 13:59, 24 October 2025 (UTC)
:More first. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 15:26, 24 October 2025 (UTC)
::Firstest (don't ignore the timestamps) [[Special:Contributions/164.90.218.225|164.90.218.225 (via pigeon mail)]] 10:35, 23 June 1508 (UTC)

hi - [[Special:Contributions/97.64.61.191|97.64.61.191]] 13:40, 24 October 2025 (UTC)

I added a transcription. [[User:Artem|Artem]] ([[User_talk:Artem|talk]]) 14:00, 24 October 2025 (UTC)

Related: [https://youtube.com/watch?v=T1-cES1Ekto Continental Drift: Alfred Wegener Song by The Amoeba People] [[User:Solomon|Solomon]] ([[User talk:Solomon|talk]]) 15:55, 24 October 2025 (UTC)
:Related: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3159:_Continents&diff=prev&oldid=389482 comment drift]. [[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 18:31, 24 October 2025 (UTC)

997: Wait Wait

2025-10-13T10:11:57Z

164.90.218.225: /* Explanation */ Mark as incomplete as it's really not up to explainxkcd standards and could use some attention

{{comic
| number = 997
| date = December 30, 2011
| title = Wait Wait
| image = wait_wait.png
| titletext = You can't stab Carl Kasell. He sounds all slow and stentorian, but he moves like a snake.
}}

==Explanation==

{{incomplete|Provide a detailed explanation for all panels.}}

''{{w|Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me}}'' is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by {{w|Chicago Public Radio}} and {{w|National Public Radio}}. The show is hosted by {{w|playwright}} and actor {{w|Peter Sagal}}. Each episode ends with the panelists making up a potential future news story, usually with implausible "facts". This comic is making puns on the title of the show based on what Peter Sagal might have done that was newsworthy.

{{w|Carl Kasell}}, who also served as the news anchor on {{w|Morning Edition}}, was the show's official judge and scorekeeper until May 2014 (after this comic was published), when he retired and was replaced by Bill Kurtis.

The 1st row, 4th paper may refer to the {{w|Michael_Richards#2006_Laugh_Factory_incident| Laugh Factory Incident}} of 2006.

In the 3rd row, first paper, {{w|Lakshmi Singh}} is NPR's national midday newscaster. This paper leads to the second paper on the third row, in which Sagal's wife divorces him over his affair with Singh.

In the 3rd row, 3rd paper is a reference to a protest at {{w|UC Davis}} (on the campus of University of California, Davis) protests in early 2012 in which sitting, peaceful protesters were calmly pepper-sprayed in their faces by a police officer. That spawned an [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/casually-pepper-spray-everything-cop internet meme of epic proportions].

In the 4th row, 2nd paper is a reference to the movie, ''{{w|Ghostbusters}}''.

In the 4th row, 3rd paper is a reference to {{w|Granny Weatherwax}} of Terry Pratchett's ''{{w|Discworld}}'' novels; Granny Weatherwax is a witch who carries a sign saying "[https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=i%20aten't%20ded I ATEN'T DED]"(sic) when having out-of-body experiences.

In the 5th row, 2nd paper is a reference to another internet meme in where someone leaves out the verb in the sentence. The implication is that the verb is something bad, but ''which'' bad thing is left as an exercise to stew in the reader's mind. See the [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-accidentally I Accidentally ___ meme] for more information.

In the 5th row, 3rd paper is a reference to stories and myths in which an entity can be summoned, awoken, or alerted to someone's presence when its name is spoken. A well-known example of this is the entity Cthulhu in the Lovecraft mythos.

Two years later another New Years comic, [[1311: 2014]], took a similar look at what could happen in 2014, just as this does for 2012. Interesting enough the title of that comic (just the year it was looking at) is more related to the title of the next comic after this one, which is also a New Year comic, and the title is also just the number of the year: [[998: 2012]].

==Transcript==
:Headlines

:Stockpiled in case Peter Sagal, host of NPR's ''Wait Wait Don't Tell Me'', does something newsworthy in 2012.

:[Series of above-the-fold newspapers follows; Each has a headline, picture in most of them, and an explanation.]

:[First row, first paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Shoot Me
:[A fierce Peter Sagal in a balaclava brandishes a gun in a supermarket.]
:NPR's Sagal in Whole Foods hostage standoff.

:[First row, second paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Vote For Me
:Peter Sagal quits race for GOP top spot
:[A sullen and defeated Peter Sagal surrounded by supporters admits defeat.]

:[First row, third paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Judge Me
:Sagal opens up about his Kermit fantasy.
:[Stock profile images of Peter Sagal and Kermit the Frog.]

:[First row, fourth paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Fire Me
:[Stock profile image of Peter Sagal.]
:Peter Sagal let go after racist tirade.

:[Second row, first paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Cancel Me
:NPR axing news quiz.
:[NPR spokesperson delivering announcement.]

:[Second row, second paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Interrupt Me
:Sagal stabs Carl Kasell in on-air dispute.
:[Peter Sagal mid-attack with a knife.]

:[Second row, third paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Look At Me
:[Peter Sagal with a skin condition.]
:Peter Sagal's Poison Ivy Ordeal
:Peter Sagal: "My 'Nam"

:[Second row, fourth paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Friend Me
:Peter Sagal deletes his Facebook account.
:[Person holding up a laptop with an "Facebook account not found" screen.]

:[Third row, first paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Seduce Me
:How Lakshmi Singh stole Sagal's Heart.
:[A wistful Lakshmi Singh being left by a sullen Peter Sagal.]

:[Third row, second paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Leave Me
:[A wistful Peter Sagal being left by a furious Beth Sagal.]
:Sagal's wife out after affair

:[Third row, third paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Spray Me
:Police Raid Sagal's Occupy NPR protest
:[Scummy policeman in riot gear spraying Peter Sagal in the face point blank.]

:[Third row, fourth paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Indict Me
:Sagal, five others named in cash-for-tote-bags scandal
:[Peter Sagal doing a perp walk.]

:[Fourth row, first paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Clone Me
:Peter Sagal 'Outraged' over DNA harvesting.
:[Fiery Peter Sagal, missing a small amount of DNA, at a lectern.]

:[Fourth row, second paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Bust Me
:Peter Sagal's ghost captured
:[Ghostbusters, careful not to cross the streams, capture the ghost of Peter Sagal.]

:[Fourth row, third paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Dissect Me
:Snoozing Sagal nearly snuffed in autopsy snafu
:[Peter Sagal running away from from a very surprised pathologist.]
:Peter Sagal: "I aten't dead"

:[Fourth row, fourth paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Objectify Me
:Peter Sagal is more than just a piece of meat

:[Fifth row, first paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Beatify Me
:[Peter Sagal shakes his fist at a picture of the pope.]
:Peter Sagal Rebukes Pope

:[Fifth row, second paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Me
:Peter Sagal Accidentally
:[Peter Sagal on a blank background upside-down.]

:[Fifth row, third paper.]
:Wait Wait Don't Speak Its Name
:[eyes... Eyes... AAAHHH.]
:Peter Sagal wakes Eldritch terror
:Peter Sagal:"AAAAAAAA"

:[Fifth row, fourth paper.]
:Wait Wait Even For NPR This Is A Bit Much
:''This American Life'' to document the road to recovery for those who suffer the trauma of losing on Wait Wait

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:New Year]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Ghostbusters]]
[[Category:Ghosts]]

Talk:2767: Recipe Relativity

2025-10-11T17:20:27Z

164.90.218.225:

Just curious, does anyone know what the dimensions of the onion measure in the recipe when adjusting for contraction? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.175.179|172.70.175.179]] 02:55, 25 April 2023 (UTC)

Not so easy to correct for length contraction, as you have to know in which direction the author is moving (the length contraction only applies in that direction). Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.169|172.68.110.169]] 15:23, 25 April 2023 (UTC)

Is it worth explicitly saying in the explanation that this is the correct equation for time distortion in Special Relativity? [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 03:31, 25 April 2023 (UTC)

Which observer timed the recipe at 35 minutes? The equations only make sense if the observer was moving in approximately the same inertial frame as Randall's, but I doubt such an observer could track a chef over 592 billion meters. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.142.107|172.71.142.107]] 06:13, 25 April 2023 (UTC)

I had something similar, turns out the I used the wrong pan. Using a better one helped.
[[Special:Contributions/172.71.102.5|172.71.102.5]] 07:02, 25 April 2023 (UTC)

The first non-sponsored Google hit on cooking black beans says, "Cook soaked beans for about 45 to 60 minutes and unsoaked for about 50 to 65 minutes." However, my half-used 32 oz. bag of "Great Value" (Walmart) black beans says a "quick soak" takes an hour after a two minute boil, and then cooking soaked beans requires additional simmering for "1 - 1/2 to 2 hours". Can we agree that given the title and estimated time of the recipe, it almost certainly assumed the use of canned beans, but Randall had only dried beans? [https://i.ibb.co/sWJR8Vq/Screenshot-2023-04-25-6-28-35-AM.png The circumstantial evidence seems quite compelling.] [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.242|172.69.134.242]] 13:34, 25 April 2023 (UTC)

I thought "burrito bowl" was just a fancy, more compelling neologism for "bean salad", but apparently the experts do draw a distinction: https://www.mexicali-blue.com/is-a-burrito-bowl-a-salad-examining-the-differences/ Not sure that's worth including, though. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.231|162.158.166.231]] 13:55, 25 April 2023 (UTC)
:Is this one of those "Is cereal a soup?" issues?[[Special:Contributions/172.71.30.82|172.71.30.82]] 14:00, 25 April 2023 (UTC)

It's not just online recipes that give false and misleading times. Items packaged for retail sales also give misleading "ready-to-eat" times. A Florida woman is suing Kraft Heinz Foods Company, saying their microwave mac and cheese takes longer to make than advertised. https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/28/business/florida-kraft-velveeta-mac-and-cheese-lawsuit/index.html [[User:TCMits|TCMits]] ([[User talk:TCMits|talk]]) 15:12, 25 April 2023 (UTC)

My understanding is that both Munroe and R. Author share a reference frame in which the kitchen which the R. Author observed to write his post was moving at relativistic speed. This would explain why, when Munroe (foolishly) prepares the dish in the same reference frame where he lives, it takes longer. My issue is with the onion dimension calculation here: length contraction means that R. Author observes onions to be longitudinally shorter than they "really" are, by a factor gamma=3. Then, if we *let Munroe cook* in his own reference frame, he will need to cut onions longitudinally (this requires knowing the direction of motion of the kitchen) longer by gamma, so 3/4", in order to replicate the kitchen's work. Note that he should still cut the onion to 1/4" in the transverse directions, which experience no length contraction. --[[User:Henrynester|Henrynester]] ([[User talk:Henrynester|talk]]) 15:34, 25 April 2023 (UTC)

This also works for https://howlongtobeat.com/. I'm fully convinced they're either speedrunners over there or moving at a significant fraction of c. [[Special:Contributions/164.90.218.225|164.90.218.225]] 17:20, 11 October 2025 (UTC)

Talk:3149: Measure Twice, Cut Once

2025-10-02T10:44:50Z

164.90.218.225:

FIRST!!!11 [[Special:Contributions/2001:67C:89C:702:1CE:1CE:BABE:3|2001:67C:89C:702:1CE:1CE:BABE:3]] 00:38, 2 October 2025 (UTC) a
:TH1RD! [[User:RadiantRainwing|RadiantRainwing]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 00:57, 2 October 2025 (UTC)

Measure once, shame on you. Cut twice, shame on me!
[[User:StapleFreeBatteries|StapleFreeBatteries]] ([[User talk:StapleFreeBatteries|talk]]) 00:57, 2 October 2025 (UTC)
:You know, that's not a bad proverb! [[User:RadiantRainwing|RadiantRainwing]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 00:58, 2 October 2025 (UTC)
:: I will cut you! Shame on me. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:49, 2 October 2025 (UTC)

This is my first XKCD explained! [[Special:Contributions/108.254.160.57|108.254.160.57]] 00:59, 2 October 2025 (UTC)
:Hip hip hooray for you! You did a great job. [[User:RadiantRainwing|RadiantRainwing]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 01:02, 2 October 2025 (UTC)
: OK - but how many times did you check it before saving? [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:49, 2 October 2025 (UTC)

A fundamental problem with this comic is that a "good carpenter" really means "an efficient carpenter" (true of any craftsman, really). Economy of motion, skilled enough to know when to be really precise and to know when precision doesn't matter and is a waste of time. The efficient carpenter doesn't need to measure twice, he or she gets it right on the first try. Or, consistent with the above, knows their capabilities well enough so they can only measure twice when it's truly necessary. And, of course, some of the best efficiencies come from not "measuring" at all — using an end stop or a jig so the cut is easy and repeatable without measurement. Drawing a line (or cutting without a line) against the actual reference point rather than against an intermediate measurement tool (some might call this "scribing," but that suggests a level of precision that isn't what I mean). Effectively, "measure zero times, cut once." And in the opposite, sometimes the most efficient approach is not to measure at all (whether numerically or against a reference object), but to make a rough cut and then a finish cut — effectively, "measure zero times, cut twice." Also possible is if you are gang cutting a stack of N boards, you measure 0 times or once and then make 1 cut, so on a per-board basis it's measure once, cut 1/N. I don't know that all of these things are obvious, per se, but I can't help feel surprised that they don't seem to have been considered. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 06:38, 2 October 2025 (UTC)
: That seems to be more of an issue with the proverb, rather than the comic. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:49, 2 October 2025 (UTC)

Somewhat disappointed there's no joke about quantum mechanics, even in the title text. I guess figuring out how to fit the uncertainty principle here is left as exercise to the reader? [[Special:Contributions/164.90.218.225|164.90.218.225]] 10:44, 2 October 2025 (UTC)