explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2455: Virus Consulting

2021-04-27T02:08:49Z

172.69.33.137: /* Explanation */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2455
| date = April 26, 2021
| title = Virus Consulting
| image = virus_consulting.png
| titletext = All our teams make an effort to stay optimistic, but I will say that once our virus division saw the vaccine efficacy data, they started asking for payment up front.
}}

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

This comic imagines a scenario where Ponytail and Black Hat work for a {{w|consulting firm}}, which offers advice about viruses, specifically COVID-19. Ponytail tells a panel of people (the government?) that though they are worried about COVID-19 variants, the fact that the number of people vaccinated is exponentially increasing is a good sign. One of the people she is speaking to accuses Ponytail of simply "telling them what they want to hear".

The punchline comes when the panel discovers that another client for the firm is the ''viruses'' themselves. Black Hat presents the same graph to the viruses and gives them the opposite message: though COVID-19 variants seem to be exciting to them, vaccination numbers are terrible news to their propagation and survival. This repeats the tone of #[[2287]]: from the virus' perspective, they are in a lot of trouble, which is another way of saying that humanity stands a good chance of surviving this situation.

{{w|Variants of SARS-CoV-2|SARS-CoV-2 variants}}, commonly called "COVID variants", have been in the news. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has mutated into many different strains, some of which spread more easily among humans. It is unknown whether the different variants have a greater individual fatality rate. The current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna as well as the Regeneron therapeutic monoclonal
antibodies all effectively protect against at least the New York, South African, and U.K. variants according to [https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/22/health/covid-ny-variant-vaccine.html two recent study preprints] released April 22, 2021. Further research and peer review is ongoing.

The title text notes that the firm's "virus division" (the group advising the viruses themselves) has started to get worried that their jobs are becoming obsolete, due to vaccine efficacy. Thus, they are demanding to be paid "up front", or before consulting/advising services have been rendered to their clients. Depending on the contract, payment can be made "up front", after services have been rendered, or split up in various ways (50/50, 70/30, etc).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Ponytail stands in front a chart, labeled "Vaccinations", with an upward-curving line, and several box-and-whisker plots below. She is holding a pointer and speaking to a panel composed of Hairbun, Cueball and Megan.]
:Ponytail: Now, I know you're worried about the variants, but this graph should be encouraging.
:Ponytail: Your rollout is going well. The vaccines are good. They work.

:[The comics pans to the left to show just the panel and Ponytail. Ponytail has the pointer to her side.]
:Hairbun: You're just telling us what we want to hear.
:Ponytail: If you think that, you should see the reports from my colleagues who work for COVID.

:[Close-up of Ponytail.]
:Off-screen voice: They work for '''''who??'''''
:Ponytail: Our firm has lots of clients.

:[Black Hat stands in front of the same graph as panel one, and points to it with a pointer. He is speaking to a panel of three large coronaviruses.]
:Caption: Meanwhile...
:Black Hat: Now, I know you're excited about the variants, but this graph should be terrifying.
:Black Hat: We're in real trouble here.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

2455: Virus Consulting

2021-04-27T01:07:17Z

172.69.33.137: /* Explanation */ add info abotu variants

{{comic
| number = 2455
| date = April 26, 2021
| title = Virus Consulting
| image = virus_consulting.png
| titletext = All our teams make an effort to stay optimistic, but I will say that once our virus division saw the vaccine efficacy data, they started asking for payment up front.
}}

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

This comic imagines a scenario where Ponytail and Black Hat work for a {{w|consulting firm}}, which is offers advice about viruses, specifically COVID-19. Ponytail tells a panel of people (the government?) that though they are worried about COVID-19 variants, the fact that the number of people vaccinated is exponentially increasing is a good sign.

The punchline comes when the panel discovers that another client for the firm is the ''viruses'' themselves. Black Hat presents the same graph to the viruses and gives them the opposite message: though COVID-19 variants seem to be exciting to them, vaccination numbers are terrible news to their propagation and survival.

{{w|Variants of SARS-CoV-2|SARS-CoV-2 variants}}, commonly called "COVID variants", have been in the news. COVID-19 seems to have effectively mutated into many different strains, some of which spread easier among humans. It is unknown whether the different variants have a greater fatality rate. The current COVID-19 vaccines seem to be able to effectively protect against the different variants, but this is also unknown.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Ponytail stands in front a chart, labeled "Vaccinations", with an upward-curving line, and several box-and-whisker plots below. She is holding a pointer and speaking to a panel composed of Hairbun, Cueball and Megan]
:Ponytail: Now, I know you're worried about the variants, but this graph should be encouraging.
:Ponytail: Your rollout is going well. The vaccines are good. They work.

:[The comics panels to the left to just show the panel and Ponytail. Ponytail has the pointer to her side.]
:Hairbun: You're just telling us what we want to hear.
:Ponytail: If you think that, you should see the reports from my colleagues who work for COVID.

:[Close-up of Ponytail.]
:Off-screen voice: They work for '''''who??'''''
:Ponytail: Our firm has lots of clients.

:[Black Hat stands in front of the same graph as panel one, and points to it with a pointer. He is speaking to a panel of three anthropomorphized coronaviruses.]
:Caption: Meanwhile...
:Black Hat: Now, I know you're excited about the variants, but this graph should be terrifying.
:Black Hat: We're in real trouble here.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

2455: Virus Consulting

2021-04-27T01:04:33Z

172.69.33.137: /* Explanation */ more

2455: Virus Consulting

2021-04-27T01:03:59Z

172.69.33.137: /* Explanation */ start lvl

2455: Virus Consulting

2021-04-27T01:00:12Z

172.69.33.137: /* Transcript */ ce

2455: Virus Consulting

2021-04-27T00:59:47Z

172.69.33.137: readd

2455: Virus Consulting

2021-04-27T00:59:14Z

172.69.33.137:

2455: Virus Consulting

2021-04-27T00:57:15Z

172.69.33.137: ce

2455: Virus Consulting

2021-04-27T00:56:40Z

172.69.33.137: /* Transcript */ more

2455: Virus Consulting

2021-04-27T00:48:54Z

172.69.33.137: categories; date

2437: Post-Vaccine Party

2021-03-25T08:01:12Z

172.69.33.137: HAR! HAR! HAR! Funny stuff, my dude!

{{comic
| number = 2437
| date = March 15, 2021
| title = Post-Vaccine Party
| image = post_vaccine_party.png
| titletext = [Future update] Well, someone accidentally dropped an M&M in their cup of ice water, and we all panicked and scattered.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a POST-VACCINE PARTYGOER. Explain further regarding individual elements of traditional parties vs. this party. What happens with the M&M in the water? Color spreading and people thinking someone is sick? Also, explain the "future update" part. Also, add an alternative explanation that this is not about preventing the spread of the disease but about getting used to parties again, maybe. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is another comic in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series]] related to the {{w|2019-20 coronavirus outbreak|2020 pandemic}} of the {{w|coronavirus}} {{w|SARS-CoV-2}}, which causes {{w|COVID-19}}.

As more and more people are getting vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus, and as the CDC released guidelines suggesting vaccinated people can start gathering in larger groups, including some groups of unvaccinated people, there is increasing excitement about the possibility to resume get-togethers, and have a party. However, being very cautious, [[Randall]] is detailing the plans for his first "post-pandemic" party by cutting it down from the scope of a normal party. Some of the cut-downs may make sense from a health safety standpoint, others are less likely to be health-based and may be just to deliberately make the party boring, thus limiting attendance, with the effect of it being safer for the few who do come.

* Drinks
Instead of soda and various alcoholic beverages, he's opting for small glasses of water. Alcoholic beverages could encourage a lowering of inhibitions, help some participants to make bad social decisions, to the detriment of hygiene and reasonable social distancing. Soda would have less of that problem, though some might argue the sugar or caffeine might have some similar effect. Drinking alcohol immediately after vaccination may "accelerate" allergic reaction according to an article on WebMD [https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20210127/covid-19-vaccine-how-best-to-prepare]

* Food
Instead of traditional party foods like pizza, nachos, and snacks, only three individual pieces of candy ({{w|M&Ms}}) and one cracker will be provided. Pizza could be a health issue as people reach into a common pizza box to grab their slice, and likewise snacks if they are in communal bowls. Another possible motive for such meager offerings is the concern that people may have gained weight due to more sedentary lifestyles while staying home a lot more during the pandemic, so he didn't want them eating a lot of fattening snacks and drinks at his party.

* Entertainment
Instead of music and {{w|karaoke}} singing and watching sports, the only music allowed will be {{w|ambient music}}, such that it would be hardly noticeable, and the only entertainment being displayed will be {{w|Bob Ross}}, who was famous for his very calm, low-key, painting lessons. (Painting could be followed by watching paint dry, one of the few activities even more boring than this party{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}.) Music, singing, and reacting to exciting sports games can cause a lot more movement and airborne particles with the potential of spreading the virus.

* Activities
Board games, video games, {{w|ping pong}}, and good conversation are already relatively low-key activities, but not low-key enough. The only two games allowed will be 3-card pickup (trimmed down from {{w|52-card pickup}}, which would typically use a full deck of 52 cards), and a single video game, the ancient "{{w|Pong}}" game. Also, while conversation will be allowed, it will not be "good conversation", presumably preferring the conversation to be boring or uninteresting, or even repulsing. It might also be that Randall anticipates the pandemic [[2424|will have worsened peoples' ability to converse normally]], and so is saying that people won't be held to any 'standards' regarding the quality of their conversation.

In the end, despite Randall's efforts, even the incredibly mild disruption of an M&M falling into a cup of water caused the party-goers to panic and flee, much as Cueball and Ponytail panicked at a meeting in spite of their precautions due to their highly-strung natures in [[2330: Acceptable Risk]].

==Transcript==

{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[The comic consist of four underlined headings, two by two grid, with three times four and one time three lines of text beneath each. Almost all of the original lines of text has been crossed out with red, sometimes only partial. And five new items have been added in red, plus some brackets and one arrow. Even one of the red texts have been crossed out]
:Drinks
:<s>Soda
:Wine</s> Small cups
:<s>Beer</s> of ice water
:<s>Cocktails</s>

:Food Three M&Ms
:<s>Pizza</s> and a saltine
:<s>Nachos</s> per person
:<s>Various snacks</s>

:Entertainment
:Music (Ambient)
:<s>karaoke
:Big screen</s> TV
:showing <s>sports</s>
:::Bob Ross

:Activities
:<s>Board games</s> <s>52</s> 3-card pickup
:[3 is above 52]
:Video Games
:<s>Ping</s> (Pong)
:[A red arrow points from Video Games to Pong]
:<s>Good</s> conversation

:[Caption below the panel:]
:We're planning our first post-vaccine party, but we want to start slow.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:Social interactions]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Video games]]

2441: IMDb Vaccines

2021-03-25T06:25:09Z

172.69.33.137: /* Explanation */ The movie is set in the past, when COVID did not exist

{{comic
| number = 2441
| date = March 24, 2021
| title = IMDb Vaccines
| image = imdb_vaccines.png
| titletext = I'm actually not sure if Vader and the Emperor count as a household or if Vader lives in that weird black egg thing or what.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SOCIALLY DISTANCED WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In another entry in the [[My Hobby]] series, Cueball is evaluating movies based on how many people would need to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order for them to follow the [https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html CDC's most recent guidelines] for how fully vaccinated people should act, assuming that the COVID-19 pandemic spread to the universes where the movies take place by the time at which they take place, which is impossible for the Star Wars movies, which take place "long, long ago", well before COVID-19 existed.

At the moment, he is viewing the final confrontation between Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader (formerly Anakin Skywalker), and Emperor Sheev Palpatine on the second Death Star in ''{{w|Return of the Jedi}}''. Darth Vader wears a breathing apparatus in a mask that fully covers his face, as he sustained massive respiratory damage several movies earlier. During the confrontation, the Emperor is killed, then Vader has his mask removed by Luke. Cueball notes that if Luke only were vaccinated, he would still be at risk to Vader, whose health issues mean that he would be in danger if he caught a respiratory disease. Cueball judges that Darth Vader's mask and breathing apparatus would protect him from the virus, at least to a limited extent which is not an unreasonable assumption- his suit has allowed him to [[wikia:w:c:starwars:Darth Vader's armor#Discomfort, limitations and enhancements|survive the vacuum of space for short periods of time]]. Cueball concludes that all the characters in this fight need to be vaccinated in order to prevent the spread of the virus, until the Emperor dies, at which point, only Vader needs to be vaccinated.

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

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]

2440: Epistemic Uncertainty

2021-03-23T01:17:03Z

172.69.33.137: /* Explanation */ brief; cat

{{comic
| number = 2440
| date = March 22, 2021
| title = Epistemic Uncertainty
| image = epistemic_uncertainty.png
| titletext = Luckily, unlike in our previous study, we have no reason to believe Evangeline the Adulterator gained access to our stored doses.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by GEORGE THE DATA TAMPERER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT tamper this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a comparison of two different "research studies", one which shows "regular uncertainty" and one which shows "epistemic uncertainty".

In statistics, a {{w|confidence interval}} is an estimate which provides a range of values....

{{w|Epistemology}} is the branch of philosophy related to knowledge. It seems that the "epistemic uncertainty" data has a 25% of data {{w|tampering}}, by an individual called "George the Data Tamperer". Thus, their data has a 25% chance of being incorrect.

The title text mentions an individual called "Evangeline the Adulterer", who [https://www.dictionary.com/browse/adulterate adulterates] their drug doses.

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

In two near-identical panels, labeled "uncertainty" and "epistemic uncertainty," Megan stands in front of a data presentation. In both panels, the core data is the same - the drug in question is 74% effective - but the uncertainty qualities are different. The first is straightforward; the confidence interval (the error bars on the chart) is from 63 to 81%. The second panel includes the additional wrinkle of "George the Data Tamperer, whose whims are unpredictable."

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Statistics]]
[[Category:Research Papers]]
[[Category:Biology]]

2440: Epistemic Uncertainty

2021-03-23T01:06:12Z

172.69.33.137: categories

Talk:2258: Solar System Changes

2020-01-23T19:53:27Z

172.69.33.137:

'''Support''' except keep Uranus. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.181|172.68.189.181]] 19:16, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

Wait ... WHAT??? Why isn't Niburu in this???? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.229|162.158.154.229]] 19:22, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
Its similar to https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1902:_State_Borders [[Special:Contributions/172.68.47.102|172.68.47.102]] 19:37, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

What Venus has been through
:For "what Venus has been through" see [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/giant-planetary-smashup-may-have-turned-venus-hot-and-hellish-180958377/] [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.97|173.245.52.97]] 19:44, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

I feel like the transcript is unnecessary because it's wholly redundant with the table here. Anyone object to merging the two sections? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.164|172.69.22.164]] 20:45, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
:See the transcript for [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1902:_State_Borders State Borders]. I think we still need to have a transcript, since the locations of the arrows and other marks aren't made clear in the table. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.27|162.158.74.27]] 20:57, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
::We always need the transcript. There should be no explanations in the transcript. It is both for people who need it to "read" the comic, and to be able to search for text from comic. Also the description of the image is relevant, in case there could be misunderstandings of what is on the image. If the transcript gets that wrong, then it can be debated and corrected. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:54, 23 January 2020 (UTC)

Note that in future, we may be actually able to implement some of those changes ... however, at that point the consolidation of missions to Moon and Mars wouldn't be relevant :-). Also, I would be against: most of those changes would be likely to make our solar system considerably less stable. Except Venus would really deserve some moon. Just small one, it doesn't need to be as big as ours. Also, we should light up Jupiter, to warm it's moons (this is one of {{w|Arthur C. Clarke|Clarke}}'s ideas). -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:37, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
:If Venus god a Moon it would most likely quickly be ejected by the interactions of the Sun, it is too close to the Sun not to see it as a three body problem, and that will always be chaotic. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:54, 23 January 2020 (UTC)

Wow - I only just noticed that "Jaturn" has Saturn's hexagon at the top. Should this be highlighted in the table? After all, it is cool science: https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2010-07-06 [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.155|162.158.74.155]] 02:04, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
:Yes, has already been done. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:54, 23 January 2020 (UTC)

I don't think the title text has anything to do with anthropomorphism. Rather, there is a person near R. just then who knows stuff about Jupiter. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.82|162.158.214.82]] 03:44, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
: The title text is Randall relaying a quote spoken by someone other than himself, with that person's identity "signed" after the two dashes (kind of like how we usually sign posts with <nowiki>--~~~~</nowiki>). Therefore, it is properly read as "someone (who knows Jupiter is within earshot)", not "(someone who knows Jupiter) is within earshot". If Randall had meant the latter, he would more likely have written something like "To the Jupiter fans: of course Jupiter already has a very impressive ring system!" --[[User:NotaBene|NotaBene]] ([[User talk:NotaBene|talk]]) 04:44, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
:: You are correct. The two dashes are indicative of signing a comment. Had Randall intended to comment that someone who knows Jupiter is close by, he would have put the comment in parentheses. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.163|162.158.107.163]] 18:59, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
:: He may also refer to the God Jupiter, who is the God of sky and thunder, and may easily smite anyone offending him. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.118|141.101.98.118]] 07:42, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
:::I agree with the first commenter: This is not about anthropomorphism. This is someone who states that Jupiter already has rings, and Randall comes those in advance by mentioning it in the title text. Annoying people who cannot see the difference between Saturn's Rings and other ring systems! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:54, 23 January 2020 (UTC)

Someone needs to make a Kopernicus mod in KSP and load it with Principia to see how long it lasts. Assume scales are close to the real one. {{unsigned ip|172.69.63.47}}

This comic may alternatively be about climate change - something about satire, metaphors, acid rain, super-Earths, current-events, the nature of rings surrounding planets & extinction level events. I don't know. Don't listen to me. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.160}}
:We won't. Sure Randall makes those comics, but this is clearly not one of them. (oh and please sign you comments ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:54, 23 January 2020 (UTC)

Oh please won't someone calculate the extent of low and high tides if we replace the Moon with Mars? [[User:Cellocgw|Cellocgw]] ([[User talk:Cellocgw|talk]]) 15:15, 23 January 2020 (UTC)

You know, for all my complaints about the Solar System, I always thought Jupiter and Saturn were well-balanced. Each of them has something interesting about it, and we don’t get too much of an overload of features from either one. In order to maintain variety while keeping the number of gas giants to a minimum, I think Neptune should get the rings. Jupiter can keep the moons, though, and otherwise I support this revision. —[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.137|172.69.33.137]] 19:53, 23 January 2020 (UTC)

Talk:2254: JPEG2000

2020-01-13T22:24:32Z

172.69.33.137:

Cubeball's keyboard has disappeared in the third panel. 22:24, 13 January 2020 (UTC)

Talk:802: Online Communities 2

2020-01-07T03:49:44Z

172.69.33.137: agen judi online

<a href="http://blogaudy.xyz/">blogaudy.xyz</a>
<a href="http://12prediksi.com/">12prediksi.com</a>

2027: Lightning Distance

2020-01-07T01:01:42Z

172.69.33.137: /* Transcript */ physics?

{{comic
| number = 2027
| date = August 1, 2018
| title = Lightning Distance
| image = lightning_distance.png
| titletext = The index of radio refraction does have a lot of variation, which might throw off your calculations, so you can also look at the difference in brightness between the visible flash and more-attenuated UV and x-rays.
}}

==Explanation==
The usual trick for determining the distance to a {{w|lightning}} flash is to count the seconds from when you see the flash until when you hear {{w|thunder}}, and divide by five to get miles (or three to get kilometers). This works because the {{w|speed of light|transmission of light}} is essentially instantaneous over the relevant distances, while the {{w|speed of sound}} is 331.2 m/s (1,087 ft/s, 1,192 km/h, or 741 mph, varying a bit based on temperature), or about 1/5 mile per second (1/3 kilometer per second).

This comic subverts the usual trick by having Megan describe a highly impractical alternative method. Megan's method is based on the fact that the speed of electromagnetic radiation, which includes light and radio waves, is not truly fixed and varies by wavelength in a refractive medium (consider the classic case of visible light in a prism). The electromagnetic radiation emitted by lightning on Earth also has to travel through air, which changes its speed in a fashion which depends on its frequency.

Lightning is most visibly observable in the near-infrared visible spectrum around a wavelength of [https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast05dec_1 777 nm]. The {{w|refractive index}} (n) of air at 15˚C for a wavelength of 777 nm is [https://refractiveindex.info/?shelf=other&book=air&page=Ciddor 1.0002752], which equates to a speed of light of 299,709,978 m/s given the relation n=c/v, where c=speed of light in a vacuum and v=the velocity of light in the medium.

Terrestrial lightning generates very-low-frequency radio waves ranging in frequency from 1 kHz to 30 kHz known as {{w|Whistler (radio)|whistlers}} from bouncing off the ionosphere, and wider-band emissions known as {{w|Radio atmospheric|sferics}}. Much of this would exist in the {{w|very low frequency}} category of radio waves, for which literature values of refractive index is harder to determine. Using the formula given in [https://www.fig.net/resources/proceedings/fig_proceedings/fig_2002/Js28/JS28_rueger.pdf this paper], the refractive index for radio waves in similar conditions is 1.000315, which equates to a speed of light of 299698.0 km/s (or 186223.7 miles/s). This means that to get the distance in kilometers, the time difference between flash and radio burst should instead be multiplied by 13.6 billion (or 8.45 billion for miles).

Using a setup similar to that used for [https://hackaday.com/2015/06/05/building-your-own-sdr-based-passive-radar-on-a-shoestring/ passive radar], it would theoretically be possible to use this effect to determine the distance to a source of extremely short bursts of visible light and radio waves, although one might have to compensate for the tiny effect time with tricks involving phase detection or receiver harmonics. Large inaccuracies may propagate from the inconsistency of air pressure, temperature, electron density, humidity in the atmosphere, even local temperature of the receiver, which may need to be taken into account.

The joke is that it is impractical for people who haven't spent time with radio engineering, because they haven't heard of measuring such small time intervals (on the scale of 0.1 nanoseconds per kilometer or mile) and because they don't know how to detect radiation outside the visible spectrum, which can be done with a $20 radio dongle. An upconverter may be needed to measure the low-frequency details, and possibly [http://opensourceradiotelescopes.org/open-source-radio-telescopes-diy-projects/ building one's own loop antenna] to pick them up in the first place. It would be difficult to use such a "rule of thumb" for somebody not already exposed to either the amateur software-defined-radio scene or professional hardware.

Although {{w|Lightning|lightning lasts about 60 to 70 microseconds}}, during which time the signals we receive would rise and fall somewhat erratically, a software-defined radio can sample the phase and strength of the signal in detail during this time and provide a record of it for comparison with a recording at a different frequency. A more expensive radio would make life easier, as a sampling rate of at least a few GHz would allow for the time discrepancy to be measured directly using the onset of the signal, rather than possibly inferred from phase differences at different frequencies.

For the purpose of the joke, the "5 billion" value used in the comic is a fair estimate which also references the original rule of 5 seconds per mile nicely, though the result can have a huge margin of error depending on actual conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.), as the title text suggests ("the index of radio refraction does have a lot of variation").

The title text suggests another method of calculating the distance to lightning. Since the absorption of light is also different in different wavelengths, it would be possible to calculate the difference by comparing the brightness instead of relative delay. This would, however, require the knowledge of the emission spectrum of lightning and attenuation ratios of different wavelengths (which would both vary across conditions).

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan stand on either side of a window, observing a bolt of lightning in a dark sky.]
:Cueball: What's that trick for telling how many miles away lightning is?
:Megan: Just count the seconds between the visible flash and the radio wave burst, then multiply by 5 billion.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Physics]]

2251: Alignment Chart Alignment Chart

2020-01-07T00:57:30Z

172.69.33.137: /* Transcript */ phase

{{comic
| number = 2251
| date = January 6, 2020
| title = Alignment Chart Alignment Chart
| image = alignment_chart_alignment_chart.png
| titletext = I would describe my personal alignment as "lawful heterozygous silty liquid."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a [[User:DgbrtBOT|TRUE NEUTRAL BOT template]]. Needs explanations of each alignment chart, and probably some editing for clarity.}}

"Alignment" and "alignment charts" come from the the tabletop game ''{{w|Dungeons & Dragons}}''. Every character has an {{w|Alignment (Dungeons & Dragons)|alignment}}, which very roughly identifies their tendencies. The most widely used alignment system was introduced in the ''{{w|Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set}}'' in 1977 and has been reused in many (but not all) subsequent editions of the game. This system uses two perpendicular axes, each divided into three levels (for a total of nine categories). The two axes are:
* Lawful/neutral/chaotic: this axis says whether a character is strongly devoted to, indifferent about, or categorically opposed to following established rules.
* Good/neutral/evil: this axis says whether a character is generally inclined to commit good deeds or evil deeds.

In this system, the "lawful" attribute is independent from the "good" attribute. Lawful alignment means that a character is committed to a set of rules, which can refer to actual established laws, or to something like a rigid personal code, a set of traditions, or a chain of command, while a chaotic alignment means that a character has no interest in those, and may actively oppose them. The good vs evil scale is generally based on a character's concern for the lives and well-being of others, a good character will actively seek to help others and prevent harm, while an evil character will have no such concern and may actively harm others. Being 'good' is assumed to be independent of being 'lawful'. For example, a character who actively breaks laws to help those who are unjustly imprisoned or oppressed would be be considered to be "chaotic good". In both cases, a neutral alignment can indicate a character's indifference to a concept, or that their commitment is conditional, or that they consciously seek to balance both sides. A character with the "neutral neutral" alignment is called a true neutral.

An alignment chart is a grid that divides the alignments, usually for the purpose of putting descriptions or particular characters on it. Alignment charts are frequently used as a [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/mcdonalds-alignment-chart meme template], where humorous or absurdist things are organized into different alignments. In addition to the "classic" Dungeons and Dragons alignment chart, there are a number of variant alignment charts in use as meme templates. Many keep the three-by-three grid structure but replace the lawful-neutral-chaotic and good-neutral-evil axes with descriptions.

This comic claims to be a meta-alignment chart, where nine "alignment charts" are themselves sorted into the nine Dungeons and Dragons alignments, following the use of alignment charts to humorously classify abstract concepts. However, these "alignment charts" are mostly diagrams used in academic classifications, which are being treated as if they were blank meme templates. There are two levels of absurdity here: first, the idea of using these diagrams to classify things they were never intended for, and second, the conflation of chaos as a physics concept and an assigned moral weights as it applies to each of these classification systems.

The title text describes Randall's alignment as "lawful heterozygous silty liquid" which references the true neutral, neutral good, lawful good, and lawful neutral charts in the Alignment Chart Alignment Chart. Lawful is the left side of an alignment chart, heterozygous is the top right or bottom left of a Punnet Square, silty is the bottom right of a soil chart, and liquid is the top right of a phase diagram. As such, the title test describes Randall's alignment as between Lawful Neutral and Neutral Good on this chart.

{| class="wikitable"
!Alignment
!Chart
!Explanation
|-
|Lawful Good
|{{w|Soil texture|Soil chart}}
|This chart shows the USDA classification of soil types by their relative proportions of sand, clay and silt. The chart is a ternary diagram (very common in geology), so soils with more clay plot towards the upper corner, soils with more sand to the bottom left, and soils with more silt to the bottom right. This chart has been used humorously as an alignment chart ([https://www.reddit.com/r/PrequelMemes/comments/8wakd4/anakin_soil_reference_chart/ for example]) and may have been the inspiration for Randall to use scientific diagrams as alignment charts. In addition to being Lawful Good, this grid cell is also the upper left cell of the chart and will be read first, making it a good place to put this chart as a "jumping off point".
|-
|Neutral Good
|{{w|Punnett square}}
| Punnet squares are a visual method of determining what traits an organism might have based on the traits of the organism's parents. It relies on the principle that a trait is either dominant (indicated with capital letters) or recessive (indicated with lowercase letters). The exact combination of dominant or recessive genes that a child organism receives from their parents determines their traits. It is important to understand the terms "heterozygous", "homozygous" …” These refer to the pairs of alleles in an organism’s genotype, indicating mixed or same alleles, respectively. Randall later uses “heterozygous” in the title text. Note that it is possible for a phenotype to be expressed the same between some heterozygotes and homozygotes, e.g., persons with genotypes heterozygous ”Aa” and homozygous “AA” will both express blood type A.
Therefore, the Punnett Square is a good chart because it is both a simple and true geometric predictor of inheritance, but it tends to neutral because of complicating factors such as polygenic inheritance; these and other factors will cause genotypic frequency to deviate from expected 1:2:1 patterns.
|
|-
|Chaotic Good
|{{w|IPA vowel chart with audio|IPA vowel chart }}
|This chart shows the relationship between different vowels according to the {{w|International Phonetic Alphabet}}. As different vowel sounds are created by changes in different parts of the mouth, it can be considered chaotic.
|-
|Lawful Neutral
|Phase diagram
|A {{w|phase diagram}} shows the equilibrium phases of matter present for a particular temperature, pressure, and composition. The diagram included is a unary phase diagram of a typical material that has a solid, liquid, and gas phase depending on the temperature and pressure for a fixed composition. Phase diagrams are useful for understanding how a material may change as its conditions change. For example, the air pressure of Mars is such that there is no temperature at which liquid water can exist in equilibrium. Water exists as ice until the temperature reaches a point where it sublimates directly into steam.

Phase diagrams follow the laws of thermodynamics and concern themselves with the order in which things ''should'' be, so they are inherently lawful.
|-
|True Neutral
|Alignment chart
|All alignment charts are neutral unless humans contaminate them.
|-
|Chaotic Neutral
|CIE chromaticity diagram
|The {{w|chromaticity}} diagram is a chart of colors. Visible colors form a shape like a triangle with two bulging sides in the diagram. The chart is not a simple geometric shape, so it is labeled as chaotic. The curved line within the diagram shows the chromaticities of {{w|Black body|black bodies}} over a range of color temperatures. The chromaticity diagram shows colors independent of luminance.
|
|-
|Lawful Evil
|Political compass
|Political Compass [https://www.politicalcompass.org/] separates out left-right thinking into economic and social political thought. For example, Gandhi and Stalin supposedly both had similar economic perspectives (collectivist) but radically different social perspectives (authoritarian vs libertarian).

As politicians make the laws, this is inherently lawful. Attempting to represent all politics in terms of two very general axes is a gross oversimplification, which is likely why it is listed as evil.

Like the USDA soil chart, the political compass has actually been [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/political-compass used as an alignment chart], largely to mock the original political compass chart.
|-
|Neutral Evil
|{{w|QAPF diagram|QAPF rock diagram}}
|This diagram is used to classify coarse-grained felsic (low magnesium and iron) igneous rocks by the relative volumes of the minerals quartz, alkali feldspars, plagioclase feldspars, and feldspathoids in the rock. It consists of two ternary diagrams - quartz and feldspathoid minerals cannot coexist (they will react to form feldspars) so only three of these components will be in any given rock. Rocks in the upper triangle of the diagram contain quartz, with rocks with more quartz plotting closer to the top, while rocks in the lower triangle contain feldspathoids, with rocks with more feldspathoids plotting lower. Rocks closer to the left corner of the diagram contain more alkali feldspar and rocks closer to the right corner contain more plagioclase feldspar. The field on the diagram for granite is labeled in the comic, but each area outlined on the diagram has it's own rock name (monzonite, syenite, granodiorite, etc.). All the rocks that the QAPF diagram is used to classify look superficially like granite, but their chemistry, mineralogy, and origin differ.
The QAPF diagram and the names of the more obscure rock types on it can be somewhat arcane, which may be why it is considered evil here.
|-
|Chaotic Evil
|Omnispace classifier
|The other eight diagrams shown in this comic, squished together into one, with the shapes of the diagrams corresponding to those of the originals. Probably self-referential humour, in that the diagram created for this comic is considered to be chaotically evil.
|}

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

{{comic discussion}}



[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Politics]]

2241: Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect

2019-12-13T23:30:37Z

172.69.33.137: /* Explanation */ do not eat

{{comic
| number = 2241
| date = December 13, 2019
| title = Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect
| image = brussels_sprouts_mandela_effect.png
| titletext = I love Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect; I saw them open for Correct Horse Battery Staple.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TASTY BRUSSELS SPROUT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|False_memory#Mandela_Effect|Mandela Effect}} is when a {{w|false memory}} is shared by multiple people. False memories may arise via suggestibility, activation of associated information, the incorporation of misinformation, and source misattribution, and they can be shared, sometimes widely, when one of these triggers happens to many people in a population.

{{w|Brussel sprouts}} are a leafy vegetable from the cabbage family, which were cultivated in Brussels, Belgium in the 13th century, giving them their name. Many adults and children [https://www.camdenliving.com/blog/why-do-we-hate-brussel-sprout dislike Brussel sprouts], perhaps because of their bitterness.

Cueball was one of these people who had a dislike for Brussel sprouts, but after trying them recently, he had a change of heart, and likes them now. He feels "misled" by the public dislike for Brussel sprouts. Megan chimes in and also notes that there is a [https://npr.org/773457637 newer cultivar of Brussel sprouts], from around 15 years ago, which may taste better than the "original" cultivar of Brussel sprouts that Cueball grew up eating.

It seems that others have grown to like Brussel sprouts nowadays, which Cueball calls a Brussel Sprouts Mandela Effect - that they now have a "false" shared memory of Brussel sprouts not tasting good.

In the last panel, Ponytail tricks Cueball into thinking that licorice, [https://www.nbcnews.com/healthmain/why-do-so-many-us-hate-black-licorice-few-theories-963738 another widely disliked food], is good tasting. Additionally, she claims that {{w|Silica_gel#Desiccant|silica gel packets}} are actually edible and taste delicious. This is very false, and potentially dangerous. Silica gel packets are typically used as a desiccant, to keep electronics and other moisture sensitive items dry. They are typically marked "[https://www.123rf.com/photo_72752039_single-silica-gel-packet-isolated-on-white-background-.html Do Not Eat]", to warn people of their danger.

The title text is referencing "Brussel Sprouts Mandela Effect" as a good name for a musical band, and humorously suggests "Correct Battery Horse Staple" is also a band, though it is a reference to a previous comic ([[936: Password Strength]]).

==Trivia==
The URL given is [https://npr.org/773457633 npr.org/773457633] but this seems to be an error; the actual URL is number 77345763'''7''' ([https://text.npr.org/s.php?sId=773457637 plain HTML version] or [https://npr.org/773457637 full site]).

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

:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan standing in a line]
:Cueball: I always thought of Brussels sprouts as terrible, but they're actually really good! I can't believe I let everyone mislead me!

:[Frameless panel just showing Megan]
:Megan: It's not just you! Farmers developed a less-bitter cultivar like 15 years ago.*
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>npr.org/773457633

:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan standing in a line. Megan is holding her arm away from her.]
:Megan: Now the whole world is having this revelation, one person at a time. It's like a real Mandela effect. We secretly switched to the parallel universe where Brussels sprouts taste good.
:Cueball: ''Cool.''

:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan standing in a line. Ponytail is holding up one finger.]
:Ponytail: Also, licorice is good now.
:Cueball: Whoa, really?
:Megan: This is a trap.
:Ponytail: And those silica gel packets that say "Do not eat"? '''''Delicious.'''''
:Cueball: ''I knew it.''

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

2241: Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect

2019-12-13T23:24:06Z

172.69.33.137: /* Explanation */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2241
| date = December 13, 2019
| title = Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect
| image = brussels_sprouts_mandela_effect.png
| titletext = I love Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect; I saw them open for Correct Horse Battery Staple.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TASTY BRUSSELS SPROUT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|False_memory#Mandela_Effect|Mandela Effect}} is when a {{w|false memory}} is shared by multiple people. False memories may arise via suggestibility, activation of associated information, the incorporation of misinformation, and source misattribution, and they can be shared, sometimes widely, when one of these triggers happens to many people in a population.

{{w|Brussel sprouts}} are a leafy vegetable from the cabbage family, which were cultivated in Brussels, Belgium in the 13th century, giving them their name. Many adults and children [https://www.camdenliving.com/blog/why-do-we-hate-brussel-sprout dislike Brussel sprouts], perhaps because of their bitterness.

Cueball was one of these people who had a dislike for Brussel sprouts, but after trying them recently, he had a change of heart, and likes them now. He feels "misled" by the public dislike for Brussel sprouts. Megan chimes in and also notes that there is a [https://npr.org/773457637 newer cultivar of Brussel sprouts], from around 15 years ago, which may taste better than the "original" cultivar of Brussel sprouts that Cueball grew up eating.

It seems that others have grown to like Brussel sprouts nowadays, which Cueball calls a Brussel Sprouts Mandela Effect - that they now have a "false" shared memory of Brussel sprouts not tasting good.

In the last panel, Ponytail tricks Cueball into thinking that licorice, [https://www.nbcnews.com/healthmain/why-do-so-many-us-hate-black-licorice-few-theories-963738 another widely disliked food], is good tasting. Additionally, she claims that {{w|Silica_gel#Desiccant|silica gel packets}} are actually edible and taste delicious. This is very false, and potentially dangerous. Silica gel packets are typically used as a desiccant, to keep electronics and other moisture sensitive items dry.

The title text is referencing "Brussel Sprouts Mandela Effect" as a good name for a musical band, and humorously suggests "Correct Battery Horse Staple" is also a band, though it is a reference to a previous comic ([[936: Password Strength]]).

==Trivia==
The URL given is [https://npr.org/773457633 npr.org/773457633] but this seems to be an error; the actual URL is number 77345763'''7''' ([https://text.npr.org/s.php?sId=773457637 plain HTML version] or [https://npr.org/773457637 full site]).

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

:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan standing in a line]
:Cueball: I always thought of Brussels sprouts as terrible, but they're actually really good! I can't believe I let everyone mislead me!

:[Frameless panel just showing Megan]
:Megan: It's not just you! Farmers developed a less-bitter cultivar like 15 years ago.*
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>npr.org/773457633

:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan standing in a line. Megan is holding her arm away from her.]
:Megan: Now the whole world is having this revelation, one person at a time. It's like a real Mandela effect. We secretly switched to the parallel universe where Brussels sprouts taste good.
:Cueball: ''Cool.''

:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan standing in a line. Ponytail is holding up one finger.]
:Ponytail: Also, licorice is good now.
:Cueball: Whoa, really?
:Megan: This is a trap.
:Ponytail: And those silica gel packets that say "Do not eat"? '''''Delicious.'''''
:Cueball: ''I knew it.''

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

2241: Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect

2019-12-13T23:22:57Z

172.69.33.137: /* Explanation */ link

{{comic
| number = 2241
| date = December 13, 2019
| title = Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect
| image = brussels_sprouts_mandela_effect.png
| titletext = I love Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect; I saw them open for Correct Horse Battery Staple.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TASTY BRUSSELS SPROUT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|False_memory#Mandela_Effect|Mandela Effect}} is when a {{w|false memory}} is shared by multiple people. False memories may arise via suggestibility, activation of associated information, the incorporation of misinformation, and source misattribution, and they can be shared, sometimes widely, when one of these triggers happens to many people in a population.

{{w|Brussel sprouts}} are a leafy vegetable from the cabbage family, which were cultivated in Brussels, Belgium in the 13th century, giving them their name. Many adults and children [https://www.camdenliving.com/blog/why-do-we-hate-brussel-sprout dislike Brussel sprouts], perhaps because of their bitterness.

Cueball was one of these people who had a dislike for Brussel sprouts, but after trying them recently, he had a change of heart, and likes them now. He feels "misled" by the public dislike for Brussel sprouts. Megan chimes in and also notes that there is a [https://npr.org/773457637 newer cultivar of Brussel sprouts], from around 15 years ago, which may taste better than the "original" cultivar of Brussel sprouts that Cueball grew up eating.

It seems that others have grown to like Brussel sprouts nowadays, which Cueball calls a Brussel Sprouts Mandela Effect - that they now have a shared memory of a like for Brussel sprouts instead of a dislike.

In the last panel, Ponytail tricks Cueball into thinking that licorice, [https://www.nbcnews.com/healthmain/why-do-so-many-us-hate-black-licorice-few-theories-963738 another widely disliked food], is good tasting. Additionally, she claims that {{w|Silica_gel#Desiccant|silica gel packets}} are actually edible and taste delicious. This is very false, and potentially dangerous. Silica gel packets are typically used as a desiccant, to keep electronics and other moisture sensitive items dry.

The title text is referencing "Brussel Sprouts Mandela Effect" as a good name for a musical band. Apparently, "Correct Battery Horse Staple" (famously from [[936: Password Strength]]) is also a name of a band.

==Trivia==
The URL given is [https://npr.org/773457633 npr.org/773457633] but this seems to be an error; the actual URL is number 77345763'''7''' ([https://text.npr.org/s.php?sId=773457637 plain HTML version] or [https://npr.org/773457637 full site]).

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

:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan standing in a line]
:Cueball: I always thought of Brussels sprouts as terrible, but they're actually really good! I can't believe I let everyone mislead me!

:[Frameless panel just showing Megan]
:Megan: It's not just you! Farmers developed a less-bitter cultivar like 15 years ago.*
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>npr.org/773457633

:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan standing in a line. Megan is holding her arm away from her.]
:Megan: Now the whole world is having this revelation, one person at a time. It's like a real Mandela effect. We secretly switched to the parallel universe where Brussels sprouts taste good.
:Cueball: ''Cool.''

:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan standing in a line. Ponytail is holding up one finger.]
:Ponytail: Also, licorice is good now.
:Cueball: Whoa, really?
:Megan: This is a trap.
:Ponytail: And those silica gel packets that say "Do not eat"? '''''Delicious.'''''
:Cueball: ''I knew it.''

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

2241: Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect

2019-12-13T23:21:10Z

172.69.33.137: /* Explanation */ more

{{comic
| number = 2241
| date = December 13, 2019
| title = Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect
| image = brussels_sprouts_mandela_effect.png
| titletext = I love Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect; I saw them open for Correct Horse Battery Staple.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TASTY BRUSSELS SPROUT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|False_memory#Mandela_Effect|Mandela Effect}} is when a {{w|false memory}} is shared by multiple people. False memories may arise via suggestibility, activation of associated information, the incorporation of misinformation, and source misattribution, and they can be shared, sometimes widely, when one of these triggers happens to many people in a population.

{{w|Brussel sprouts}} are a leafy vegetable from the cabbage family, which were cultivated in Brussels, Belgium in the 13th century, giving them their name. Many adults and children [https://www.camdenliving.com/blog/why-do-we-hate-brussel-sprout dislike Brussel sprouts], perhaps because of their bitterness.

Cueball was one of these people who had a dislike for Brussel sprouts, but after trying them recently, he had a change of heart, and likes them now. He feels "misled" by the public dislike for Brussel sprouts. Megan chimes in and also notes that there is a [https://npr.org/773457637 newer cultivar of Brussel sprouts], from around 15 years ago, which may taste better than the "original" cultivar of Brussel sprouts that Cueball grew up eating.

It seems that others have grown to like Brussel sprouts nowadays, which Cueball calls a Brussel Sprouts Mandela Effect - that they now have a shared memory of a like for Brussel sprouts instead of a dislike.

In the last panel, Ponytail tricks Cueball into thinking that licorice, another disliked food, is good tasting. Additionally, she claims that {{w|Silica_gel#Desiccant|silica gel packets}} are actually edible and taste delicious. This is very false, and potentially dangerous. Silica gel packets are typically used as a desiccant, to keep electronics and other moisture sensitive items dry.

The title text is referencing "Brussel Sprouts Mandela Effect" as a good name for a musical band. Apparently, "Correct Battery Horse Staple" (famously from [[936: Password Strength]]) is also a name of a band.

==Trivia==
The URL given is [https://npr.org/773457633 npr.org/773457633] but this seems to be an error; the actual URL is number 77345763'''7''' ([https://text.npr.org/s.php?sId=773457637 plain HTML version] or [https://npr.org/773457637 full site]).

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

:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan standing in a line]
:Cueball: I always thought of Brussels sprouts as terrible, but they're actually really good! I can't believe I let everyone mislead me!

:[Frameless panel just showing Megan]
:Megan: It's not just you! Farmers developed a less-bitter cultivar like 15 years ago.*
:<nowiki>*</nowiki>npr.org/773457633

:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan standing in a line. Megan is holding her arm away from her.]
:Megan: Now the whole world is having this revelation, one person at a time. It's like a real Mandela effect. We secretly switched to the parallel universe where Brussels sprouts taste good.
:Cueball: ''Cool.''

:[Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan standing in a line. Ponytail is holding up one finger.]
:Ponytail: Also, licorice is good now.
:Cueball: Whoa, really?
:Megan: This is a trap.
:Ponytail: And those silica gel packets that say "Do not eat"? '''''Delicious.'''''
:Cueball: ''I knew it.''

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

2241: Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect

2019-12-13T23:04:47Z

172.69.33.137: /* Transcript */ ce

2241: Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect

2019-12-13T23:04:23Z

172.69.33.137: /* Transcript */ ce

2241: Brussels Sprouts Mandela Effect

2019-12-13T23:03:52Z

172.69.33.137: cleanup transcript; add categories