explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2260: Reaction Maps

2020-01-27T20:26:23Z

172.68.34.106: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2260
| date = January 27, 2020
| title = Reaction Maps
| image = reaction_maps.png
| titletext = If Google Maps stops letting you navigate to (Clay County District) A in West Virginia, you can try Jump, OH -> Ina, IL -> Big Hole, TX.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Google Maps Server. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The {{w|Treaty of Edinburgh}} was a treaty drawn up in 1560, which falls during the {{w|Tudor period}} of the history of England. A {{w|Honda Civic}} has a {{w|coupé}} body model with only two doors. The joke is thus a pun on the similarity of the words "Tudor" and "two-door".

The [https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Truly,+MT+59421/Saari,+L'Anse+Township,+MI+49946/Toulouse,+Kentucky/A,+Clay+County,+WV/Friendship,+South+Carolina/This+Way,+Lake+Jackson,+TX+77566/@37.8633069,-104.4114003,5z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m38!4m37!1m5!1m1!1s0x53424d6552eab029:0xb7fcd8937da3ec25!2m2!1d-111.4413578!2d47.3557881!1m5!1m1!1s0x4d50e1468af1ce9b:0xb02e7ce99f9e641a!2m2!1d-88.3092692!2d46.8784933!1m5!1m1!1s0x8844b40da22762bf:0xee4cd8dba67a2afa!2m2!1d-83.3269444!2d37.1766667!1m5!1m1!1s0x884943786da899b1:0x5eb17b45f77f3480!2m2!1d-81.0533854!2d38.5410076!1m5!1m1!1s0x88ffff04df8a3dc1:0x2e50cd1fdf10df52!2m2!1d-79.4353317!2d34.0168293!1m5!1m1!1s0x864043e6372e0009:0x1372621459655543!2m2!1d-95.4597276!2d29.0382495!3e1 list of map destinations], Truly, Saari, Toulouse, A, Friendship, This Way is a way of saying, "Truly sorry to lose a friendship this way".
The [https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Hope,+NY+12134/Yoe,+PA/Fallin+Lake,+Magnolia+Township,+AR/@38.2022776,-88.2430258,6z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m20!4m19!1m5!1m1!1s0x89df00206dc519a7:0x8c095186fc80dee1!2m2!1d-74.2431907!2d43.3036812!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c8886da851113b:0x96fa3e47edbd1953!2m2!1d-76.6369116!2d39.9089887!1m5!1m1!1s0x8633c43fa49e5997:0x864650e233fea97b!2m2!1d-93.3167015!2d33.2840166!3e1 list of map destinations], Hop, Yoe, Fallin Lake is a way of saying, "Hope you fall in [a] lake".

So the first person texts the car joke, and the second person gets mad and replies that their friendship is over.

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

{{comic discussion}}

2260: Reaction Maps

2020-01-27T20:24:40Z

172.68.34.106: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2260
| date = January 27, 2020
| title = Reaction Maps
| image = reaction_maps.png
| titletext = If Google Maps stops letting you navigate to (Clay County District) A in West Virginia, you can try Jump, OH -> Ina, IL -> Big Hole, TX.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Google Maps Server. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The {{w|Treaty of Edinburgh}} was a treaty drawn up in 1560, which falls during the {{w|Tudor period}} of the history of England. A {{w|Honda Civic}} has a {{w|coupé}} body model with only two doors. The joke is thus a pun on the similarity of the words "Tudor" and "two-door".

The [https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Truly,+MT+59421/Saari,+L'Anse+Township,+MI+49946/Toulouse,+Kentucky/A,+Clay+County,+WV/Friendship,+South+Carolina/This+Way,+Lake+Jackson,+TX+77566/@37.8633069,-104.4114003,5z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m38!4m37!1m5!1m1!1s0x53424d6552eab029:0xb7fcd8937da3ec25!2m2!1d-111.4413578!2d47.3557881!1m5!1m1!1s0x4d50e1468af1ce9b:0xb02e7ce99f9e641a!2m2!1d-88.3092692!2d46.8784933!1m5!1m1!1s0x8844b40da22762bf:0xee4cd8dba67a2afa!2m2!1d-83.3269444!2d37.1766667!1m5!1m1!1s0x884943786da899b1:0x5eb17b45f77f3480!2m2!1d-81.0533854!2d38.5410076!1m5!1m1!1s0x88ffff04df8a3dc1:0x2e50cd1fdf10df52!2m2!1d-79.4353317!2d34.0168293!1m5!1m1!1s0x864043e6372e0009:0x1372621459655543!2m2!1d-95.4597276!2d29.0382495!3e1 list of map destinations], Truly, Saari, Toulouse, A, Friendship, This Way is a way of saying, "Truly sorry to lose a friendship this way".
The list of map destinations, Hop, Yoe, Fallin Lake is a way of saying, "Hope you fall in [a] lake".

So the first person texts the car joke, and the second person gets mad and replies that their friendship is over.

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

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2255: Tattoo Ideas

2020-01-15T21:08:16Z

172.68.34.106: Add opposing view on slide rule. It would be awesome!

"Changeme" made me think of FIXME or TODO of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comment_(computer_programming)#Tags [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.150|162.158.106.150]] 06:03, 15 January 2020 (UTC)
:yeah, it's the equivalent but for stuff like passwords [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.91|162.158.154.91]] 06:42, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

The "Eurion Constellation" is a constellation-like pattern of dots on paper currency that when detected, prevents photocopiers from making copies of the bills https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tissot%27s_indicatrix Tisdot's indicatrix] is a matrix of circles placed on a map that change size and proportions (possibly turning into ellipses) based on map distortion. As a tatoo, that would be useful in tracking any distortion of the skin since you had the tattoo. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.216|141.101.105.216]] 07:07, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

The [https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/suffer-to-be-beautiful/ Snopes page on Epidurals and Tattoos] states that, as of 2005, doctors will administer epidurals (an anesthic procedure designed to lessen the pain of childbirth) through lower back tattoos, but that there is discussion in the Canadian medical community that there may be some risk involved with this procedure. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.54.177|172.69.54.177]] 07:23, 15 January 2020 (UTC)
:Until I clicked the link, I was under the impression you were telling us that the doctors would give women epidurals under the guise of tattoos or something... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.136|162.158.214.136]] 08:26, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

"The [https://www.who.int/patientsafety/safesurgery/checklist/en/ WHO Surgical Safety Checklist] was developed after extensive consultation aiming to decrease errors and adverse events, and increase teamwork and communication in surgery. The 19-item checklist has gone on to show signiﬁcant reduction in both morbidity and mortality and is now used by a majority of surgical providers around the world." [[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.184|141.101.76.184]] 07:31, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

In the 2000 movie "Memento", the amnesiac protagonist uses "an intricate system of Polaroid photographs and tattoos to track information he cannot remember." ([https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_(film) Wikipedia]) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.154|141.101.76.154]] 07:40, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

Aww man, now I want the title text as a tattoo. Also, the words "You should add a dragon" abruptly in the middle of an intricate design[[User:V|V]] ([[User talk:V|talk]]) 08:03, 15 January 2020 (UTC)
:Or just "a dragon" [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.136|162.158.214.136]] 08:24, 15 January 2020 (UTC)
::Or just tattoo "Your Tattoo" to show to anyone who asks to see your tattoo. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.91|162.158.154.91]] 11:20, 15 January 2020 (UTC)
:Even though it's too soon (xkcd [[286]])? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.228|162.158.255.228]] 09:42, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

My phone refused to show this comic image until I viewed the url for the file directly. After reading about EURion sets, I wonder if Randall snuck one in or something. It also started downloading an automatic "Play security information update" while I was trying to access the image. I guess if that's related causality could go in either direction. 16:14, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

I don't understand, why would updating your password tattoo be difficult? Just add a character or two every 6-12 months, making it more and more secure over time. Some characters could even be modified, an underscore easily becomes an 'L', a parentheses becomes a zero or 'O'. [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 17:20, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

I disagree with the slide rule explanation. If the two halves of the slide rule were put on opposite arms, you would always be able to use it assuming: the tatoos are uncovered, you can get the two sides close enough, and your skin doesn't sag too much.
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.106|172.68.34.106]] 21:08, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

2254: JPEG2000

2020-01-13T23:58:12Z

172.68.34.106: /* Explanation */ fix typo

{{comic
| number = 2254
| date = January 13, 2020
| title = JPEG2000
| image = jpeg2000.png
| titletext = I was actually a little relieved when I learned that JPEG2000 was used in the DCI digital cinema standard. I was feeling so bad for it!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BADLY COMPRESSED IMAGE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[wikipedia:JPEG 2000|JPEG2000]] is an image standard created by the Joint Photographic Experts Group from 1997 to 2000 to improve on the original JPEG standard, published in 1992. As of 2020, it is supported by Photoshop and the Safari browser, but remains unsupported and poorly supported by other popular software, including Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers, as well as the free and open source image editor GIMP.
The extensions applied by convention to files using the JPEG2000 standard, .jp2 and .jpx, remain unfamiliar to
many users for whom the .jpg extension, denoting the original standard, is well known.
The JPEG2000 standard was seen an improvement by its creators, supporting many features
not included in the original standard such as multiple resolutions, progressive transmission, a lossless compression option,
and alpha transparency.
The complexity of fully implementing the standard, as well as
patent concerns, may have slowed adoption.
The people in the comic seem to have some desire for JPEG2000 adoption, and may have been involved in its creation, and seem to care more about its eventual use than rapid adoption.
The "we are in this for the long haul" might refer to the engineers aiming at full adoption by year 12000, the nearest future year ending with 2000.

The core concept of this comic may be about how engineers often expect that a superior technology or standard will catch on, though often other factors keep an "inferior" standard dominant. (See various comics referencing [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/561:_Well Dvorak] keyboards.)

The title text suggests that Randall feels bad that the standard hasn't been adopted, perhaps because he empathizes with the engineers who worked hard to develop it or anthropomorphizes the standard itself, which has been ignored by most of the computer-using world.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and a woman are both at a table, facing each other, both working on their own respective computers.]

:[Cueball leans back and stops typing. The woman continues to type.]

:[Cueball looks over at the woman.]
:Cueball: I'm starting to worry that JPEG 2000 isn't catching on as fast as we expected.
:Woman:: Don't worry! We're in this for the long haul.

{{comic discussion}}

2124: Space Mission Hearing

2019-03-17T21:08:13Z

172.68.34.106: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2124
| date = March 15, 2019
| title = Space Mission Hearing
| image = space_mission_hearing.png
| titletext = Our grant application contains one of those little greeting card speakers that plays spaceship noises when you open it.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a NOISY CARD. No title text explanation, needs cleanup. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[Megan]] and [[Ponytail]] are organizers of a space mission hearing going over their upcoming presentation. Megan recites the grown-up, professional, scientific justification for the mission, but soon her enthusiastic attitude toward space breaks through, and she exclaims "space" and "pew pew pew" (A typical sound that spaceship toys make, and an onomatopoeia often used in gaming speak for ray weapons and spells) with childish abandon. Ponytail wants her to rein in her enthusiasm during the actual hearing.

The joke is that most of the motivation for spending billions of dollars and other resources on interplanetary exploration is not really for all the stuffy reasons listed, but simply because we believe space is cool. Ironically, due to the vacuum in space, you would actually not hear shooting sounds unless you are in a ship with an atmosphere.

The title text refers to specific {{w|greeting card}}s, those which play music electronically. Usually, these cards play a song, like "Happy Birthday", when they are opened. Apparently, their grant application has incorporated speakers which play "spaceship noises".

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

:[Megan and Ponytail are standing and talking.]
:Ponytail: All ready for the hearing? Let's go over things one more time.
:Ponytail: *ahem*
:Ponytail: What is the main reason to fund this mission?

:[Close-up of Megan.]
:Megan: It will significantly advance out long-term goal of better understanding the formation and evolution of the Solar System, while fulfulling our mandate to develop a new generation of interplanetary spacecraft.
:Ponytail (off-panel): Great.

:[Megan and Ponytail are standing and talking. Megan's arms are raised.]
:Megan: And because it's ''space!''
:Megan: Spaaaaaace.
:Megan: Pew pew pew!
:Megan: ''Space!''
:Ponytail: Dial it back.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Space]]

2124: Space Mission Hearing

2019-03-17T21:06:32Z

172.68.34.106: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2124
| date = March 15, 2019
| title = Space Mission Hearing
| image = space_mission_hearing.png
| titletext = Our grant application contains one of those little greeting card speakers that plays spaceship noises when you open it.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a NOISY CARD. No title text explanation, needs cleanup. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[Megan]] and [[Ponytail]] are organizers of a space mission hearing going over their upcoming presentation. Megan recites the grown-up, professional, scientific justification for the mission, but soon her enthusiastic attitude toward space breaks through, and she exclaims "space" and "pew pew pew" (A typical sound that spaceship toys make, and an onomatopoeia often used in gaming speak for beam weapons) with childish abandon. Ponytail wants her to rein in her enthusiasm during the actual hearing.

The joke is that most of the motivation for spending billions of dollars and other resources on interplanetary exploration is not really for all the stuffy reasons listed, but simply because we believe space is cool. Ironically, due to the vacuum in space, you would actually not hear shooting sounds unless you are in a ship with an atmosphere.

The title text refers to specific {{w|greeting card}}s, those which play music electronically. Usually, these cards play a song, like "Happy Birthday", when they are opened. Apparently, their grant application has incorporated speakers which play "spaceship noises".

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

:[Megan and Ponytail are standing and talking.]
:Ponytail: All ready for the hearing? Let's go over things one more time.
:Ponytail: *ahem*
:Ponytail: What is the main reason to fund this mission?

:[Close-up of Megan.]
:Megan: It will significantly advance out long-term goal of better understanding the formation and evolution of the Solar System, while fulfulling our mandate to develop a new generation of interplanetary spacecraft.
:Ponytail (off-panel): Great.

:[Megan and Ponytail are standing and talking. Megan's arms are raised.]
:Megan: And because it's ''space!''
:Megan: Spaaaaaace.
:Megan: Pew pew pew!
:Megan: ''Space!''
:Ponytail: Dial it back.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Space]]

Talk:2117: Differentiation and Integration

2019-02-27T21:36:01Z

172.68.34.106: Info about different types of integration.

Darn, I have no idea what this comic is about. Randal has eluded my yet again. [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 17:43, 27 February 2019 (UTC)
:Calculus. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.143|162.158.79.143]] 18:16, 27 February 2019 (UTC)

And Calc 2 is why I stopped being a Computer Science major and moved (eventually) to majoring in English. Consistent 4.0s in math through Trig and Calc I ... 1.6 in Calc II, retook and got a 1.8. Without the Calc, couldn't do the physics; without the physics, couldn't get my 2-yr degree and move on from community college to a full university. I don't know what all the integration stuff in the flowchart is (since I didn't do well in Calc and it was a long time ago), but there's so very many things that become [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonelementary_integral nonelementary integrals] that all sorts of special tricks have to be employed for things that look like they should be easy. It's like having a problem that's very easy to do division on, but requires special advanced mathematical tricks to use multiplication upon.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.208|108.162.216.208]] 19:07, 27 February 2019 (UTC)

Basic ideas:
Integration by parts is the reverse of the Product Rule.
Substitution is the reverse of the Chain Rule.
Cauchy's Formula gives the result of a contour integration in the complex plane, using "singularities" of the integrand.
Partial fractions is just splitting up one complex fraction into a sum of simple fractions, which is relevant because they are easier to integrate.
Stokes theorem is the relationship between an integral over an area, and an integral over the boundary of said area.
Riemann integration was the first rigorous definition of integration. This has been superseded by Lesbesgue integration.
Bessel functions are like 2d versions of sin and cos, and turn up sometimes when doing integration.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.61|162.158.89.61]] 20:14, 27 February 2019 (UTC)

Shouldn't Wolfram Alpha be somewhere in that flowchart? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.142|162.158.255.142]] 20:54, 27 February 2019 (UTC)

Glad to see I'm not the only one who is too dumb to integrate [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.36|162.158.90.36]] 21:02, 27 February 2019 (UTC)

Oddly enough it mentions Riemann integration, but that is the integral most people know how to use. Turns out there are a lot more (e.g. lebesgue and generalized riemann integrals). I'm halfway through a second semester of real analysis and was floored by how involved integration can be. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.106|172.68.34.106]] 21:36, 27 February 2019 (UTC)

Talk:2036: Edgelord

2018-08-22T08:36:18Z

172.68.34.106:

Presumably has something to do with https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=edgelord
[[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.129|173.245.48.129]] 04:37, 22 August 2018 (UTC)

What is up with the wolverine? Am I missing a joke here? Possibly a reference somewhere else?

Talk:765: Dilution

2018-05-30T20:21:37Z

172.68.34.106:

Technically, however, homeopathy states that diluted semen should act as a contraceptive. To get pregnant, they would have to dilute a birth-control pill or something.{{unsigned ip|134.94.171.148}}
:I remember someone complaining that homeopathic medicines are labeled similarly to the real thing on drug store shelves. Wouldn't this mean that, at least in some interpretations, it's the medicine which can be diluted into a cure?[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.135|173.245.52.135]] 17:47, 13 April 2014 (UTC)
::No, the previous user is correct. The "theory" of homeopathy is that to cure a symptom you provide something that would cause that symptom diluted into some ridiculously small dose. Any products that are marketed with the label "homeopathy" but are primarily an active ingredient that would have a detectable effect are using the label incorrectly. For example, there are two kinds of zinc in Zicam, both diluted at 2x, which means they're 1% of their original solution strength. The label doesn't indicate the original solution strength and doesn't indicate how much zinc is actually present in the medicine. Zinc is known to improve the immune system, so taking a diluted zinc supplement to stop a cold would, if homeopathy were true, would be the opposite of what you'd want to do. Contrast this with the homeopathic remedy Belladonna, prepared at 30X concentrations (preparation is 1x10^-30 of original concentration) supposedly cures the circulatory system, because in normal concentrations Belladonna causes tachycardia, among other things. [[User:Ioldanach|Ioldanach]] ([[User talk:Ioldanach|talk]]) 14:16, 17 September 2014 (UTC)
:::Any marks for realising why scientists can't replicate homeopathy's results? :))
::::Maybe Cueball is Sterile?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.89|108.162.215.89]] 00:07, 17 May 2015 (UTC)

[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 21:40, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

Can we conclude that the woman is Megan? [[Special:Contributions/67.188.195.182|67.188.195.182]] 21:32, 5 September 2013 (UTC)
:The woman is in fact Megan, I did edit the transcript.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:38, 5 September 2013 (UTC)

I found this explanation of the wording helped: "Traits that cause greater reproductive success of an organism are said to be selected for, whereas those that reduce success are selected against." (From http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection) --[[User:Insomniac|Insomniac]] ([[User talk:Insomniac|talk]]) 05:59, 26 September 2013 (UTC)

I find it more likely that the female is [[Danish]], as she has longer hair.--{{User:17jiangz1/signature|09:41, 25 August 2015}}
:Except Danish is actually smart. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.106|172.68.34.106]] 20:21, 30 May 2018 (UTC)

I wrote out 1 nonillion, because #1162 also applies to quitters who don't have enough text space to make their point properly. [[User:International Space Station|International Space Station]] ([[User talk:International Space Station|talk]]) 23:26, 18 December 2015 (UTC)
:You still used a log scale. That’s approximatwly what place-value system ''is'', as was pointed out in a few What-Ifs. There [[wikipedia:Orders_of_magnitude_(data)|has not been enough hard drive space yet manufactured]] to make your point properly (assuming at least one bit per part water). --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.171|162.158.74.171]] 02:50, 16 June 2017 (UTC)

I like homeopathy, and enjoy talking to its proponents. I find it incredibly entertaining.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.106|108.162.245.106]] 20:51, 15 May 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1998: GDPR

2018-05-26T06:17:49Z

172.68.34.106: question

This comic is a joke privacy policy, playing off a few things.
Everyone right now is updating their privacy policy to meet the new requirements from the European Union coming into effect today, 2018-05-25, the GDPR. Link to wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation].
It also is pointing out that no one ever reads them "by using this website you opt in to quartering troops in your home", something you probably did not agree to.
--[[User:Fwacer|Fwacer]] ([[User talk:Fwacer|talk]]) 19:35, 25 May 2018 (UTC)

:Your wording "joke privacy policy" is really good and you should add it to the existing explanation. [[User:Lassombra|Lassombra]] ([[User talk:Lassombra|talk]]) 19:41, 25 May 2018 (UTC)
:: Thanks, I have added that. First edit! --[[User:Fwacer|Fwacer]] ([[User talk:Fwacer|talk]]) 20:25, 25 May 2018 (UTC)

Fortunately, this doesn't appear to supersede the Shadow Proclamation. Also, I wouldn't mind quartering troops in my home if they were sexy... [[Special:Contributions/172.68.90.82|172.68.90.82]] 20:56, 25 May 2018 (UTC) SiliconWolf

I wonder if this is the privacy policy of Beret Guy's company since he mentioned in the last comic that people keep sending them personal info even though they had asked them to stop.--[[Special:Contributions/172.69.42.112|172.69.42.112]] 21:07, 25 May 2018 (UTC)

What's the deal with the "Created by a Bot" coming up with relevant jokes as to what the explanation was created by? I didn't search exhaustively, but couldn't find any hints in other discussion pages. Is there a link to a discussion on this? Who did this? Dgbrt? I'm very curious. 00:30, 26 May 2018 (UTC) {{unsigned|DanB}}
:I've written the program creating the new pages when a new comic is out. It's run by the profile [[User:DgbrtBOT|DgbrtBOT]]. This ensures that all comic pages look similar, the navigation works, and more. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 01:12, 26 May 2018 (UTC)

It also means if you are not a citizen of the European Union, your organs can be harvested without permission, doesn't it? {{unsigned ip|162.158.62.39}}
:That depends on whether you have instructed that your whole body be supercool-vitrified and stored around Titan for until the exoplanet colony ships depart. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.106|172.68.34.106]] 05:54, 26 May 2018 (UTC)

This comic failed to allow me to turn off everything Trump has ever tried to pay for; therefore, Randall owes me €300,000. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.106|172.68.34.106]] 05:54, 26 May 2018 (UTC)

Point of technicality:
:''"purely out of the goodness of our hearts" is a phrase never expected to be found ever anywhere in any privacy policy''
Aren't I allowed to block ads from funding sources which include organizations whose privacy policies don't provide goods or services purely out of the goodness of their hearts? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.106|172.68.34.106]] 06:17, 26 May 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1998: GDPR

2018-05-26T05:54:52Z

172.68.34.106: hi Randall !

Talk:1940: The Food Size Cycle

2018-01-13T02:06:12Z

172.68.34.106:

Does panini have a different meaning in the USA? In the UK, it basically means a sandwich made in a flattish rectangular roll, usually toasted (sometimes also the roll itself). They can be quite large; not necessarily smaller than sandwiches in general.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 16:44, 10 January 2018 (UTC)
:From my experience its the flatishness off panini that make them more comfortable to eat, but who knows maybe we're on the end of the panini cycle. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.9|162.158.74.9]] 23:43, 10 January 2018 (UTC)
:I think you're inadverently proving Randall's point. :) First I ever heard of paninis must have been something like 15 years ago, and the buns were slightly longer than my (admittedly large) hand, putting their length about the same as standard sandwich bread, but a smaller width making them smaller than a sandwich. I do note that if I see panini rolls in the grocery store, they're still that small size. Sounds to me like this size arms race is well underway for paninis where you live (I like never order them, but I suspect here too). [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:15, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
:: I'm pretty sure that when they first appeared widely over here they were already substantially larger than that. Perhaps we just imported already outsized ones from the US? Also, at that point, sandwiches generally hadn't undergone much inflation over here, so panini(s) and sandwiches have probably gone through a parallel expansion. The grocery stores here do also sell hand-sized panini rolls, but those are a relatively recent introduction, and they just match the general size of the rest of their roll selection.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 10:10, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Is it generally known that "panini" is the plural form of the Italian word "panino"? We don't say "burritos" or "taquitos" for one example, so why "panini"? [[User:Gearoid|Gearóid]] ([[User talk:Gearoid|talk]]) 07:46, 11 January 2018 (UTC)
: But we do say 'a biscotti'. Probably because when selling them you would advertise in the plural, and those not familiar with Italian linguistics would not know how to construct a singular from it, and so would simply use the word as it stands. As a result, of course, panini and biscotti are, through use, now correct ''english'' singulars.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 09:34, 11 January 2018 (UTC)
: perhaps because of its unfortunate similarity to other English words, and the fortunate immaturity of the human race.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.9|162.158.74.9]] 00:37, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
:As a non-Italian speaker, I can say I was unaware "panini" was a plural word (though I feel vaguely familiar with the concept that Italian pluralizes words with an i like that). That'll be why, of course, most people are likewise unaware, and it has caught on. Especially considering that we'll often see "panini" itself pluralized, as "paninis". Reminds me of when I see things like "NASA Association", the final A of the acronym already means Association. "Scuba Apparatus", the A already stands for Apparatus. Etc. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:38, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
: Expanding on the theme, there are rivers in the U.K. routinely referred to as the "River Avon", ignoring the fact that "Avon" already means "River"... [[User:Gearoid|Gearóid]] ([[User talk:Gearoid|talk]]) 07:29, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
: We may not say "a burritos" or "a taquitos", but we do say "a tamale" and there is no such word in Spanish. The singular in Spanish is "tamal"; "tamale" is a backformation from the Spanish plural "tamales". [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.106|172.68.34.106]] 02:06, 13 January 2018 (UTC)

Ah, but what about the slider effect? Mini versions of (in this case burgers) to be served in a collective? --[[User:Thomcat|Thomcat]] ([[User talk:Thomcat|talk]]) 17:01, 10 January 2018 (UTC)

Related, perhaps, is the sizing issue. Some places sell medium, large, and extra large drinks. Note no small.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.154|108.162.216.154]] 20:29, 10 January 2018 (UTC) Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net>
: And the 'regular' is what used to be the 'large'; the 'small', if it exists, is what used to be the 'regular' - to try to make you feel like you're short-changing yourself if you buy a normal sized one.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 09:27, 11 January 2018 (UTC)

The alt-text seems backwards: The way Randall's presented it, it looks like he's asserting that thick crusts get thinner, then the cycle repeats. This matches anecdotal evidence based upon the style favored by my local pizza shops over the years, but more research is needed. Thin crusts also tend to be cheaper to make, so... [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:08, 10 January 2018 (UTC)
: I don't think so - 'deep-dish' is listed first, as the one on the original track; 'thin crust' is then the one on the replacement track. The original pizzas, as imported from Italy, would have been thin crust. These then got thicker until they begat deep dish, and, indeed, beyond, with the ridiculous proliferation of stuffed and sandwich crusts. Then, as some people lost patience with this, there was a trend to re-introduce the thin crust (the replacement track).[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 09:25, 11 January 2018 (UTC)
: Some original pizza from Italy had thick crust. My uncle, an immigrant to the US from Bari, Italy, made extremely thick crust pizza at his restaurant in the 1960s, almost a pizza bread. Pizza Hut initially advertised their 'deep dish' as 'Sicilian Pan Pizza'. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.166|162.158.75.166]] 21:54, 11 January 2018 (UTC)

Portion inflation makes dietary information misleading. One would be hard pressed to find a muffin of the size used in nutrition information guides.
Recipe books show similar inflation, recipes as printed make larger amounts of food, but they are listed as feeding fewer people than they used to. [https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/7-expert-tricks-calorie-portion-control]
Analagous inflation can also be seen in clothes sizes. What used to be a size 8 is now labeled a size 4. Regular becomes "slim cut." [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.127|172.68.189.127]] 00:01, 11 January 2018 (UTC)

Is the ratio between subsequent food size bifurcations consistent with the first Feigenbaum constant? [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feigenbaum_constants] [[User:Docstout|Docstout]] ([[User talk:Docstout|talk]]) 01:15, 11 January 2018 (UTC)

Does this remind anyone of a Hertzsprung–Russell diagram? [[User:Capncanuck|Capncanuck]] ([[User talk:Capncanuck|talk]]) 02:51, 11 January 2018 (UTC)

BTW, I find it amusing that this comic came out the next day after a report on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrinkflation shrinkflation] of Mondelez chocolates in Europe hit the news here ... --kavol, [[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.197|141.101.96.197]] 07:57, 11 January 2018 (UTC)

Is this phenomenon specific to the US? I don't really recognize it here in the Netherlands, but the US has a reputation of having giant versions of everything: food, cars, people (width mostly) & so on. Maybe specific to a "big is beautiful" cultural attitude? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.187|162.158.111.187]] 15:22, 11 January 2018 (UTC)
:This happens, albeit to a considerably lesser extend, in the UK. Here, the phenomenon is restricted primarily to American fast food restaurants. I've eaten in America and was able to get 6 meals from the left-over food from a single-portion meal at Pinky's Pupu Bar & Grill in Kailua, Hawai`i. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.96|141.101.105.96]] 21:31, 11 January 2018 (UTC)
: Living in Canada, I find it amusing to note that my Netherlands-born-and-raised mother often complains about large portion sizes, about how anything she might order is way more food than she can eat (and in fact has this weird effect on her that a large amount of food makes the food unappetizing to her). As far as I know, this is a North American phenomenon, but moreso in the States. For example, if I go to McDonald's and order a trio, and tell them to Supersize it, that means change the Regular drink and Regular fries to Larges. In the States, apparently "Supersize" is its own size, this changes them to a size above Large that doesn't even exist here. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:38, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
: Common in the Netherlands also: https://huisvlijt.com/2016/11/krimpflatie-minder-product-zelfde-prijs.html, https://forum.fok.nl/topic/2255412. Though some of the examples seem to be normal inflation combined with downsizing. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.222.4|162.158.222.4]] 09:29, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Is it just me, or did this look like a reference to BitCoin to you when you first read it. Big block size, forks, the creation of new coins... I think Randall was really just making fun of BitCoin, because it seems like an otherwise boring topic --vikarjramun

Talk:1922: Interferometry

2017-11-29T19:04:15Z

172.68.34.106:

Newbie here just added the explanition and transcript, so will need editing.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.106|172.68.34.106]] 16:25, 29 November 2017 (UTC)
:I think we both added it at the same time; when I submitted mine it showed normally in the edit box with the captcha, but when I pressed save it spliced your explanation and mine together. Think yours is probably better researched (I was typing off the top of my head), so I reverted it again. -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.25|162.158.89.25]] 16:43, 29 November 2017 (UTC)
Why is there a period after Interferometry in the first panel?[[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.106|172.68.34.106]] 19:04, 29 November 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1922: Interferometry

2017-11-29T16:25:04Z

172.68.34.106: Comment

1922: Interferometry

2017-11-29T16:23:52Z

172.68.34.106: Added explanation and transcript for comic. Newbie here, so will need editing.

{{comic
| number = 1922
| date = November 29, 2017
| title = Interferometry
| image = interferometry.png
| titletext = It's important to note that while the effective size of the dog can be arbitrarily large, it's not any more of a good dog than the two original dogs.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Beret Guy and Cueball are walking Beret Guy's dogs when BG makes a comment on how interferometry is really cool. Interferometry is the practice of overlapping two different waves to get a different signal, which can be used to determine the distance between two reflecting surfaces. Beret Guy states that two dogs placed at a consistent interval will function as a larger dog. While this idea works on waves, it probably won't work on dogs, which is why Cueball is confused and starts to correct him. Before he can respond, however, Beret Guy jumps on this "large" dog and appears to be floating in midair. The large dog is proved when it gives out a large bark. Cueball looks on confused while Beret Guy appears to break more laws of physics, again.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[Beret Guy and Cueball are walking with their dogs.]
Beret Guy: Interferometry. Is so cool!

[The two dogs are placed a small distance apart.}
Beret Guy: If you put two small dogs a large distance apart, they can function as a larger dog.

Cueball: I'm not sure that's-
[He is cut off by Beret Guy jumping onto an invisible steed, most likely the "bigger dog".]
Beret Guy: HYAH!

Beret Guy: Away!
[He rides away on the invisible dog with the two smaller dogs under him, while the invisible dog gives out a large bark.]

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:594: Period

2017-10-17T21:02:36Z

172.68.34.106: Homestuck Cycle

...And angular velocity: 1.97 mHz [[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.30|108.162.231.30]] 23:29, 14 December 2014 (UTC)
This just makes me sad for Homestuck. ----

1876: Eclipse Searches

2017-08-14T17:07:30Z

172.68.34.106:

{{comic
| number = 1876
| date = August 14, 2017
| title = Eclipse Searches
| image = eclipse_searches.png
| titletext = There were traffic jams for the eclipses in 1970 and 1979, and that was *before* we had the potential for overnight viral social media frenzies.
}}

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

For people like me who just came here to not have to type the link to the map:
[http://wapo.st/2vkgIBv]

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

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1774: Adjective Foods

2016-12-20T13:27:55Z

172.68.34.106: /* Lite */ new section

Nobody has edited since I started this? Wow. I must have been ''early''. [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 15:23, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
:Nice to see somebody helping out! Thanks! [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 15:41, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

This looks just like all the food in my supermarket. I'm not even sure if I'm buying food or the best adjectives sometimes XD [[User:Fox Holmes|While most people have mass on Saturday, I have mine relative to my inertia]] ([[User talk:Fox Holmes|talk]]) 15:59, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

The can of Lite is a real thing, of course, and trademarked, which is why other beers can call themselves "light" but not "Lite". [https://www.beeradvocate.com/mag/2627/lite-beer-vs-light-beer/ This article has more on that.] [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.4|162.158.75.4]] 16:05, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

Italics is totally fine, and Glazed and Lite ''are'' in white. [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 16:13, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
:First off, I would like to apologize, my reason for changing the text to normal could be seen as inflammatory, and that was not my intention. As for my actual reason, it's that while you may be able to read it fine, many people can't read text like that. In the comic, it's large and capital letters, but the wiki has small text. Adding all that guff makes it hard to read. For example, my mom has awful eyes, and text like that would be virtually unreadable to her. It was not for my sake, but rather for the sake of others. [[User:Fox Holmes|While most people have mass on Saturday, I have mine relative to my inertia]] ([[User talk:Fox Holmes|talk]]) 16:18, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
::It's not hard to increase the font size on a computer -- just ctrl and + (or ctrl and =). ctrl and - to turn it back down. The transcript is mainly there for search engines anyway, I imagine; after all, the comic is directly above it on the same page.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.178|108.162.237.178]] 17:29, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
:::it isn't hard to increase font size, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how busy the text is. There is no reason for it to have that much. It distracts from the real purpose and decreases readability. Also, they want it edited as well. Note the box above the transcript about format. This is not about you. It needs to change for other people who cannot read this stuff as well. What makes you think everyone knows how to increase font size? I honestly didn't until now. You need to do something about it, I'll do it for you, which you may not like.[[User:Fox Holmes|While most people have mass on Saturday, I have mine relative to my inertia]] ([[User talk:Fox Holmes|talk]]) 17:48, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

Is "artisenal" even a word? Is that a purposeful misspelling of "artisanal"? (Like "lite" is a purposeful misspelling of "light".) [[User:Imperpay|Imperpay]] ([[User talk:Imperpay|talk]]) 16:42, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

The "artisenal" error has now been fixed in the updated comic. [http://xkcd.com/1774/]. --[[User:Esterhazy|Esterhazy]] ([[User talk:Esterhazy|talk]]) 17:42, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

The 'p' by a "kosher mark" indicates that it is kosher for Passover. It will say 'pareve' outright if the food is pareve. --Hamotron[[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.28|172.68.54.28]] 18:24, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

Who cares what foods ''might'' be in each of the packages? It has nothing to do with the comic and are generally speculation anyway. I'd disagree with most of what's written, but it doesn't matter. I would argue for removing the entire table/section. [[User:SeanAhern|SeanAhern]] ([[User talk:SeanAhern|talk]]) 18:58, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
:I'd generally agree. If we are to list them, the 'sack' should probably designate it as 'Flour or meal,' as cereals are sometimes steel-cut, but not usually stone-ground, and stone-ground wheat is flour. Also, while there are lots of kosher foods here, I've never seen kosher eggs. Rule seems to be it must come from a live kosher chicken, but I think all chickens are kosher while they are alive, & 'kosher chicken' refers to the manner of their slaughter. [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 23:07, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
:I don't think you are meant to be able to tell what is in the package as some of it makes no sense. Why would "cage free" be applied to flour or wheat? That is typically applied to chickens and their eggs to indicate the chicken/hen isn't trapped in a cage. But I have never heard of someone grinding a chicken. The only thing I can think of all those adjectives actually referring to would be ground up chicken such as for fertilisers. I think it is just a collection of adjectives which make no sense.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.160|108.162.249.160]] 00:00, 20 December 2016 (UTC)
Hear, hear; in fact I think the explanation should note that part of the joke is that no product could be described as cage free and stone-ground. similarly, fire-roasted and flambé are inconsistent. Also, smoked, sun-dried, <em>and</em> barrel-aged are very nearly mutually inconsistent. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.29|162.158.79.29]] 01:41, 20 December 2016 (UTC)

This is the opposite of 993: Brand Identity. {{unsigned ip|162.158.62.75}}

"Stune-ground" might reffer to a "Ground stone" so its probably Flour. (PS hope i edit this correctly)

== Lite ==

The contents of the Lite can could also be soda, as it's well possible to produce a lite soda (though I don't think anyone has).