explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2811: Free Fallin'

2023-08-05T13:36:53Z

172.68.174.242: reply

Is it just me, or does the caption cast a shadow?
:I didn't spot it, but when I zoomed in, yup, there's a grey "shadow", particularly the top line, particularly "onto" and the W in "law" (looks like the black version the W is sloppier). I think Randal does a draft first - in physical form this would be pencil, not sure if XKCD is purely digital - to plan out, like checking letter spacing, then does the final version over the draft, and the grey is that draft. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:04, 5 August 2023 (UTC)
::Aye, we've seen it before, possibly even enough for it to be Catagoried. I suspect he does (at least one) draft-layer for text (as well as whatever layers he uses to plan and redraw the lines/other artwork, e.g. to replicate actual acurately generated maps "in line-drawn approximation" style) and then sometimes ''only'' drags the transparency up to the high-0%s/opacity into low single digit%s rather than the whole way. Or perhaps he normally drags them to "still notably visible" which reminds him to de-visible/delete the unwanted layers, but the remaining 'onion skin' effect is too muted to remind him. Obviously, we only get to see the flattened image not the 'working copy', so it's speculation (does he even say he uses a particular software, Photoshop/GIMP/whatever, as well as what technique he employs?), but this might well be considered a revealing detail (of interest to those who are interested in such details, tautologically) worth at least this quick Talk-page ramble. ;) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.194|172.71.242.194]] 09:08, 5 August 2023 (UTC)

The DMB song referenced in the tooltip is "Crash Into Me" [[User:Jdavis103|Jdavis103]] ([[User talk:Jdavis103|talk]]) 20:53, 4 August 2023 (UTC)

Okay, other than name-dropping Reseda, Ventura Blvd., and Mulholland, I'm not sure how those lyrics would translate to THAT flight path, :) (for example, why is THAT "the shadows"? Looks mountainous, is that a name/nickname for those mountains? Why is the skywriting incident THERE, and spirals?) And WEIRD coincidence, lately I've been looking into a Family Guy joke about Dave Matthews! Peter has Dave's head as a punching bag, punching it does a scat I find familiar, I'm sure it's famous, but I'm having trouble identifying it (then he switches it for David Lee Roth doing Just A Gigolo, THAT one is easy) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:12, 5 August 2023 (UTC)
: Those are the western mountains. The song takes place later in the day presumably ('it's a long day livin' in Reseda' implies the day is ending) so the sun would be setting in the west, mountains to the east would be in sunlight, the mountains to the west would cast shadows into the area of the map. Time of day is further supported by the vampires moving west down Ventura, as vampires are not normally cool with bright sunlight. The skywriting part takes place immediately after gliding over Mulholland If you assume the song is in chronological order. The line 'I wanna glide down over Mulholland' is immediately followed by the line 'I wanna write her name in the sky' --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.242|172.68.174.242]] 13:36, 5 August 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2675: Pilot Priority List

2023-07-30T04:03:33Z

172.68.174.242:

Who else googled 'words ending with ate' and had an extra chuckle at what could have been? My favorites: circumnavigate, excommunicate, disarticulate. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.175.30|172.70.175.30]] 05:08, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
:I was disappointed not to see 'conjugate' on the list. [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 09:16, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
:Not to mention 'copulate'. I guess he wanted to keep it G-rated. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:10, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
:On the top of my list would be "Procrastinate": Attending to all other tasks in reverse order. [[User:Mumiemonstret|Mumiemonstret]] ([[User talk:Mumiemonstret|talk]]) 11:13, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
:"Deliberate": Think about what to do next. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.185|172.68.174.185]] 20:58, 13 October 2022 (UTC)

How about 'exterminate'? [[User:MarquisOfCarrabass|MarquisOfCarrabass]] ([[User talk:MarquisOfCarrabass|talk]]) 05:13, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
:: Only if the pilot is a Dalek. {{unsigned ip|172.70.135.118|14:12, 27 September 2022 (UTC)}}
: My thoughts exactly! (Note: I moved your signature up) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:19, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

What categories does this kind of list belong in. I guess Randall has made similar lists before? Should there be a category for this kind of comics, that do not easily belong in any other. I added Food category because of the cake, but that was just for the title text... Also if anyone has a better link to a good picture of a layered cake, as [https://3brothersbakery.com/product/wedding-white-chandelier-tier/ the one currently] in the title text explanation please add that. But it is a good picture resembling the airspace diagram inverted very much --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:53, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
:I can see that for instance this comic with a list, [[1957: 2018 CVE List]], has been added to the [[:Category:Charts]]. In that case this comic should also, but to me this is not really a chart. Maybe a Category:Lists would work? Should it be "lists" rather than "list"? Not native English speaker. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:56, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
::::(On List/Lists, yes, I would say Category:Lists would be a categorical list of all lists. Any such Category:List would be appropriate if ''a particular'' list (henceforth "it's that list again!") has multiple appearances (perhaps in rationed fractions, like the "things not to do" one) across comics that thus need to be categorised. If that ever happens though then the List might be better "Category:The List", leaving room for The Other List, A Further Different List, all those categories maybe needing to be added to a category of all "List"s (which of course qualifies them for being under "Lists"), but we'll cross those bridges if we come to them. :P ) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.77|172.70.162.77]] 14:10, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
::Other list comics (Feel free to add to mine without signature):
:::[[2525: Air Travel Packing List]]
:::[[1011: Baby Names]]
:::[[1957: 2018 CVE List]]
:::[[887: Future Timeline]]
:::[[]]

Afterate - enjoy a waffer-thin mint.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.155|172.70.162.155]] 09:07, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Does anybody else get "list of achievements" vibes from this? it shares many features like simple names, descriptions etc. [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 10:10, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Instead of ANC it's ANCDARESPC [[Special:Contributions/172.71.167.12|172.71.167.12]] 12:40, 22 September 2022 (UTC)Bumpf

As for Categories, this is definitely Aviation related and a List. So, most of things that [[1937:_IATA_Airport_Abbreviations]] qualifies for, should also apply to this one. [[User:Nutster|Nutster]] ([[User talk:Nutster|talk]]) 13:43, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
:Created [[:Category:Aviation]]. [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 23:05, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Am I the only one who thought about the INXS video "Mediate"? https://youtu.be/Pr-Vfnd7Yno [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 17:21, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
::Definitely not. I came here to check for this. Kind of disappointed that this is the only comment to that effect (and also disappointed that Mr. Munro missed the opportunity.)[[Special:Contributions/172.71.142.177|172.71.142.177]] 04:04, 23 September 2022 (UTC)
::Like the above poster, I specifically came here to check for references to the INXS song.

Agitate - put protest signs on the cockpit door [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.227|108.162.216.227]] 11:03, 23 September 2022 (UTC)

Way at the absolute bottom of the list should be Autodefenestrate - the act of throwing oneself out a window. -MeZimm [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.177|172.69.33.177]] 00:03, 24 September 2022 (UTC)

This comment is to memorialize "our" (explainxkcd's) supposed "ELUCIDATE, EXPLICATE, ANNOTATE, DEMONSTRATE, CITATE AND ILLUSTRATE CHECKLIST" for after the incomplete tag gets removed. Should we add a Trivia-level section after the Transcript for it? Or put it in the Editors' FAQ? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.210.243|172.70.210.243]] 02:06, 24 September 2022 (UTC)

This explanation needs an actual picture of the "upside down wedding cake" airspace class diagrams referred to in the titletext. Like this: https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/FTB/Airspace/Airspace%20Chart.jpg —[[User:Scs|Scs]] ([[User talk:Scs|talk]]) 03:31, 24 September 2022 (UTC)
:🗸 ILLUSTRATEd. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.99|172.69.33.99]] 05:42, 24 September 2022 (UTC)

Why are complex airspace classes tiered instead of coned? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.210.243|172.70.210.243]] 08:43, 24 September 2022 (UTC)
:So you don't have to do trigonometry to figure out if you're in the wrong place. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.146|172.70.211.146]] 09:46, 24 September 2022 (UTC)
::Well, trig isn't really needed for "if x-thousand feet away from (focal point/boundary) at height y, where x=ny" (n could even be 1). Trig isn't even really needed if you're sighting the angle between the horizon and the beacon at the apex of the cone and ''without needing to know your altitide'' need to know that once the declination is beyond a given amount that you're in the controlled-cone.
::But as much flight is horizontal within broad bands (save for deliberate ascending/descending) and altitude is actually supposed to be something you're very aware of at least within a hundred feet or so, you might as well just know that "lower than Level A, the radius to know about is A', or above that but lower than Level B it is B', ...etc". This can be represented on flat charts/on-screen displays much easier as nested/concentric/etc boundaries 'of interest', without any of the complexity of a [[2519: Sloped Border]] situation. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 19:35, 24 September 2022 (UTC)

Perhaps overly literal, but some of these "lower-priority" items might actually be of interest to real pilots. It's impossible to take off without accelerating, for one. For another, pilots do sometimes broadcast congratulatory messages, which is nice but would certainly be of a lower priority than aviating, navigating and communicating. Finally, occasions such as public holidays or the founding of the airline are sometimes celebrated aboard airliners, and would naturally be announced to the passengers by the captain - although having the pilot leave the cockpit and join in the celebrations might be a cause for alarm.{{cn}} [[Special:Contributions/172.70.142.95|172.70.142.95]] 06:53, 27 September 2022 (UTC)

educate: teach the passengers how to fly a plane. [[User:Sci09273.15|Sci09273.15]] ([[User talk:Sci09273.15|talk]]) 18:53, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

How did Randall forget "pontificate"‽

1684: Rainbow

2023-07-23T22:22:31Z

172.68.174.242:

{{comic
| number = 1684
| date = May 23, 2016
| title = Rainbow
| image = rainbow.png
| titletext = Listen, in a few thousand years you'll invent a game called 'SimCity' which has a 'disaster' button, and then you'll understand.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, the patriarch {{w|Noah}} from the {{w|Abrahamic religions}}, represented by [[Cueball]], talks to {{w|God}} after {{w|Genesis flood narrative|the biblical flood}}. He asks what the coloured band across the sky is, and God tells him it is a {{w|rainbow}}. According to the Book of Genesis, God placed a {{w|Rainbows in mythology|rainbow}} in the sky, giving it significance for the first time, as a promise to humanity that he would never again make a flood to cleanse the world of sin ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%209:2-9:17&version=KJV Genesis 9:2–17]). A {{w|rainbow}} is an {{w|optical phenomena|optical phenomenon}} caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a {{w|spectrum}} of light appearing in the sky, one of many light phenomena caused by sunlight and precipitation.

Then Noah notices a {{w|Rainbow#Variations|double rainbow}} outside the original ''promise rainbow''. Secondary rainbows are caused by double reflection of sunlight inside the raindrops. When asked about this God seems to falter, but recovers and claims he made it to show that he will never again set the Earth on fire, an event which apparently happened long ago and for which God apologizes. This may refer to the early Earth being a liquid ball of molten rock (the {{w|Hadean|Hadean period}}), or later global fire catastrophes caused by asteroid impacts and volcanic eruptions. That God promises to never again burn the earth goes against the idea of {{w|Armageddon}} where everything will be destroyed in fire etc. The creation account in Genesis also says nothing about fire, and those who believe in six-day creation (a group that mostly overlaps with those who believe in the Flood) generally do not believe that the Hadean period actually happened, so most people who believe in the original Biblical account actually believe that the *only* time the Earth has been or will be destroyed by fire is after this event.

Noah begins to notice some other optical phenomena as he next spots a bow near the sun. God promptly claims 'that' bow is a promise to never again make {{w|raccoons}} {{w|Immortality|immortal}} as it destroyed the Earth's {{w|ecosystem}}. Although today these animals can be a pest, see [[1565: Back Seat]], they are luckily not immortal.{{Citation needed}} [[Randall]] is likely referring to an unkillable form of immortality rather than {{w|biological immortality}}, as, while that would likely cause some issues, the raccoons could still fall prey to predation and disease. Should raccoons have been rendered unkillable by predation or disease as well as by {{w|Senescence|aging}}, then the combination of an average gestational period of 65 days, a litter size of 2-5 individuals and an omnivorous appetite makes for a creature that could easily dominate any and all ecological niches.

If Noah can see it with his naked eyes it is most likely that the "third bow" is a {{w|Halo (optical phenomenon)|halo}}. Halos can appear in the direction of the Sun (as is the case with the bow here, and opposed to the two rainbows mentioned above) or the Moon. A typical person is most likely to notice the {{w|22° halo|circular 22° halo}}, which is a halo forming a circle with a radius of approximately 22° around the Sun, or occasionally the Moon.

It could also be that Noah has spotted a tertiary rainbow or even a higher order rainbow which are very faint rainbows circling the sun. These bows are discussed in the ''what If?'' released the same day. But they are very faint rainbows circling the sun and usually obscured by its glare, and only recently have they been photographed. Knowing Randall the joke could be inspired by this not well known fact (there are at least 5 observable orders of rainbow), and each could potentially represent a promise from God regarding a disaster.

Noah continues by noticing two {{w|sun dogs}} (or parhelia) which often co-occur with the 22° halo. These consist of a pair of bright spots either side on the Sun, intersected by the halo, thus making it most obvious that the third bow was indeed a halo, not a hard to see rainbow.

God gets tired of this and tries to stop Noah by saying that he has said sorry, and asks him to drop the subject. That is probably sensible because there are 25 different {{w|Optical_phenomena#Atmospheric_optical_phenomena|atmospheric optical phenomena}} listed on Wikipedia alone. Following the logic of the comic and the evasive answer of God, it could mean that there are some more skeletons in the closet.

The title text is a continuation where God tells Noah that in the future humanity will invent a game called {{w|SimCity}}. This is a strategy computer game in which the player creates and manages an environment wherein ''sims'' autonomously build a city (or in later versions a country, or a planet). The sims are simple AI processes that "build" residential, commercial and industrial structures within the game space, according to the topography and zoning choices made by the player, then use them to create more wealth to expand their city. The sims have to contend with traffic jams, social problems, ecological impacts of their own activity and occasional natural disasters ranging from earthquakes to Godzilla.

The player has God-like control of the world, including a [http://www.ign.com/wikis/simcity/Disasters disaster button], for when the player doesn't want to wait for a disaster to happen by chance. God suggests that it is too tempting to push the disaster button once a civilization has been built up, if just to see what happens. This can also be interpreted as a reference to the {{w|Simulation Hypothesis}}, which states that there's a high likelihood of us living in a simulated universe, with a fallible "God" who's simulating our Universe purely for his own entertainment/educational purposes.

Overall the comic pokes fun at the idea of explaining natural phenomena as messages from a deity.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball looks up on a rainbow band going through the top right corner of the panel. A black blob in the bottom of the panel right of Cueball with white text inside shows the reply from God to the questions. The blobs continue through the rest of the comic.]
:Cueball: Wow, God- What's that band of color?
:God: A ''rainbow''.
:God: It is a sign of my promise that I will never again flood the Earth.

:[A frameless panel.]
:Cueball: Oh, good! Hey, what about that second bow above the first one?
:God: Oh, uh, sign of my promise not to set the earth on fire.
:God: Sorry for doing that a while back.

:[Cueball points left.]
:Cueball: What about that third faint bow near the sun?
:God: My promise to never again destroy Earth's ecosystem by making raccoons immortal.

:[Cueball points even higher up towards left.]
:Cueball: And the little rainbow clouds on either side of-
:God: Look, I ''said'' I'm sorry. Can we just drop it?

==Trivia==
*This comic about {{w|rainbows}} coincided with the first release of a ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article in almost two months. It was called ''{{what if|150|Tatooine Rainbow}}'' about rainbows if Earth had two suns like the fictive planet {{w|Tatooine}} from Star Wars.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
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