explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

693: Children's Fantasy

2020-10-14T02:16:13Z

172.69.34.238: /* Transcript */ fiction

{{comic
| number = 693
| date = January 25, 2010
| title = Children's Fantasy
| image = childrens_fantasy.png
| titletext = I was going to be a scientist, but that seems silly now. Magical worlds exist. I've learned a huge truth about our place in the universe. I'm supposed to care about college? I mean, FUCK.
}}

==Explanation==
Children's fantasy stories such as {{w|The Chronicles of Narnia}} and {{w|The Phantom Tollbooth}} involve a kid who is magically transported out of their time to some fantastic realm, goes through trials and becomes a hero, and then is returned to their own mundane world at about the same time they left with no one else realizing or believing what happened to them. The growth of the protagonist often involves learning self-confidence.

The comic illustrates this type of story and considers what the rest of the child's life would really be like as they reach adulthood. If they tell their friends, spouse, and family what happened to them, no one will believe them and these loved ones will think them a bit crazy. If they don't tell anyone, they are pretending that the episode never happened. Either way, it seems this would not be an enjoyable experience to live with for their entire adult life.

The title text continues the thought by pointing out the impossibility of contributing anything to the scientific world after visiting a magical world, as the child would know many scientific baselines, and, indeed, most regularly practiced scientific theory to be false, but would be unable to say anything or convince anyone of what they knew.

This comic can be read as a critique of a single event redefining a person since the protagonist doesn't change: in the first panel they consider themselves a loser and in the title text they say they were going to be a scientist. They did not find their self confidence and instead regressed from [[1027: Pickup Artist]]" You look like you're going to spend your life having one epiphany after another, always thinking you've finally figured out what's holding you back, and how you can finally be productive and creative and turn your life around. But nothing will ever change. That cycle of mediocrity isn't due to some obstacle. It's who you are. The thing standing in the way of your dreams is that the person having them is you."

==Transcript==
:[Kid is sitting on the ground with his chin in his hand.]
:Kid: I'm such a loser-
:''POP''
:[Princess sticks her head through a portal.]
:Princess: Come quickly, young one!
:Kid: Holy crap, a portal!
:Princess: My kingdom needs you!

:[He falls through.]
:Kid: AAAAAA

:[We see him on horseback, helmeted wielding a sword. There's a castle on the horizon and two moons in the sky. There are a few other riders as well.]

:[Kid, with helmet and sword, stands before King, Princess, and another warrior. Princess is holding out a ring.]
:King: You've saved our kingdom and found your self-confidence. Now it's time to return home. Goodbye, young hero!
:Princess: Take this ring to remember us!

:[Kid stands alone, holding the ring.]
:Kid: Well, I guess I spend the rest of my life pretending that didn't happen or knowing that everyone I love suspects I'm crazy.
:Kid: This'll be a fun 70 years.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Fiction]]

263: Certainty

2020-06-08T05:17:09Z

172.69.34.238: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 263
| date = May 18, 2007
| title = Certainty
| image = certainty.png
| titletext = a(b+c)=(ab)+(ac). Politicize that, bitches.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are teachers in this comic, talking about their students and the political discussions with them. They outline that it's not possible to find the real truth. But then Cueball, interrupted by a harrumph of the mathematics teacher [[Miss Lenhart]], states that Mathematics is an exception (because math can actually be ''proved'', conclusively). [[Randall]] likes mathematics because mathematical political discussions are not possible.

The title text shows a simple valid mathematical equation, the {{w|distributive property}}, and Randall is daring one to politicize it. Though this happened years after the comic was published, [http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/11/1178129/-Schools-spreading-socialism-by-teaching-the-distributive-property| people have in fact politicized the distributive property], claiming that teaching it promoted socialism.

==Transcript==
:[A door seen from a hallway, with "Teachers' Lounge" on the glass, next to the door is a sign reading "Award." Inside the door are two teachers talking.]
:Megan: My students drew me into another political argument.
:Cueball: Eh; it happens.
:Megan: Lately, political debates bother me. They just show how good smart people are at rationalizing.
:[The two teachers continue talking. A third one is seen reading a book on a sofa.]
:Megan: The world is so complicated - the more I learn, the less clear anything gets. There are too many ideas and arguments to pick and choose from. How can I trust myself to know the truth about anything? And if everything I know is so shaky, what on Earth am I doing teaching?
:Cueball: I guess you just do your best. No one can impart perfect universal truths to their students.
:Miss Lenhart: *ahem*
:Cueball: ...Except math teachers.
:Miss Lenhart: Thank you.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Math]]

2316: Hair Growth Rate

2020-06-05T19:11:20Z

172.69.34.238:

{{comic
| number = 2316
| date = June 5, 2020
| title = Hair Growth Rate
| image = hair_growth_rate.png
| titletext = Hourly haircuts would be annoying, but they'd be easier to do yourself, since you'd have adjacent hairs as a guide. Growing it out would be a huge pain, though.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a FIVE-FOOT-LONG HAIR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

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

{{comic discussion}}

Category:Scientific research

2020-03-16T18:50:56Z

172.69.34.238: more

These are different comics related to scientific research and papers written about the research.

[[Category:Science]]

790: Control

2020-03-16T18:47:38Z

172.69.34.238: /* Explanation */ cueball

{{comic
| number = 790
| date = September 8, 2010
| title = Control
| image = control.png
| titletext = Which, at one point, led to a study showing that LSD produces no more hallucinations than a placebo.
}}

==Explanation==
In a product experiment, two groups of people are given a certain pill or lotion. Some people are given the product to be tested, while others (the control group) are given a placebo; nobody is told which group they belong to. The control group acts as a norm for comparison against the others.

Randall has messed with this process by giving LSD ({{w|lysergic acid diethylamide}}) to the control group. LSD is a drug that causes hallucinations and distortions in the perception of time and space. [[Megan]], apparently a control, is experiencing spiders in her hallucinations. Since the control group is supposed to reflect what "normally" happens, this is indeed very confusing to the scientists. While hallucinating in the comic Megan is drawn as if she has 8 limbs showing that she's waving her arms. Alternatively, this could signify that she actually has grown four extra arms - which would be very confusing even if the scientists knew about the LSD. [[Cueball]], a different control, is levitating, which would also be concerning.

However, given the scientists are confused, this means that they must know which person is in which group. This implies that the trial isn't double-blinded, which in and of itself would impact the veracity of the study. In a properly double-blinded study, the scientists would not know Cueball or [[Megan]] was the control and would only dutifully record their observations. (Alternatively, this is simply an unexpected result for either group.)

The title text suggests that, in a different study, this substitution was performed when the product being tested was itself LSD. This led to the conclusion that LSD is no more likely to cause hallucinations than a placebo, somehow implying that LSD is not a hallucinogen. We can only hope they were able to redo the test, as in layman's terms "Nonsense MUST be wrong". If this were true, this would imply that Randall would only have needed to sneak placebo LSD into the studies to get the same effect.

==Transcript==
:[Caption above the frame:]
:My Hobby:

:[Cueball looks down at his arm calmly, while next to him Megan is violently flailing around in terror. In the foreground a Cueball-like guy stands next to Ponytail who is holding a clipboard. They look on in puzzlement.]
:Cueball: My rash seems to have shrunk by about 20% today.
:Megan: OH GOD SPIDERS
:Cueball-like guy: ? ?
:Ponytail: ?

:[Caption below the frame:]
:Sneaking into experiments and
:giving LSD to the control group.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Spiders]]
[[Category:Science]]

790: Control

2020-03-16T18:46:58Z

172.69.34.238: /* Explanation */ cueball levitating

{{comic
| number = 790
| date = September 8, 2010
| title = Control
| image = control.png
| titletext = Which, at one point, led to a study showing that LSD produces no more hallucinations than a placebo.
}}

==Explanation==
In a product experiment, two groups of people are given a certain pill or lotion. Some people are given the product to be tested, while others (the control group) are given a placebo; nobody is told which group they belong to. The control group acts as a norm for comparison against the others.

Randall has messed with this process by giving LSD ({{w|lysergic acid diethylamide}}) to the control group. LSD is a drug that causes hallucinations and distortions in the perception of time and space. [[Megan]], apparently a control, is experiencing spiders in her hallucinations. Since the control group is supposed to reflect what "normally" happens, this is indeed very confusing to the scientists. While hallucinating in the comic Megan is drawn as if she has 8 limbs showing that she's waving her arms. Alternatively, this could signify that she actually has grown four extra arms - which would be very confusing even if the scientists knew about the LSD. [[Cueball]], a different control, is levitating, which would also be concerning.

However, given the scientists are confused, this means that they must know which person is in which group. This implies that the trial isn't double-blinded, which in and of itself would impact the veracity of the study. In a properly double-blinded study, the scientists would not know [[Megan]] was the control and would only dutifully record their observations. (Alternatively, this is simply an unexpected result for either group.)

The title text suggests that, in a different study, this substitution was performed when the product being tested was itself LSD. This led to the conclusion that LSD is no more likely to cause hallucinations than a placebo, somehow implying that LSD is not a hallucinogen. We can only hope they were able to redo the test, as in layman's terms "Nonsense MUST be wrong". If this were true, this would imply that Randall would only have needed to sneak placebo LSD into the studies to get the same effect.

==Transcript==
:[Caption above the frame:]
:My Hobby:

:[Cueball looks down at his arm calmly, while next to him Megan is violently flailing around in terror. In the foreground a Cueball-like guy stands next to Ponytail who is holding a clipboard. They look on in puzzlement.]
:Cueball: My rash seems to have shrunk by about 20% today.
:Megan: OH GOD SPIDERS
:Cueball-like guy: ? ?
:Ponytail: ?

:[Caption below the frame:]
:Sneaking into experiments and
:giving LSD to the control group.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Spiders]]
[[Category:Science]]

Category:Scientific research

2020-03-16T18:43:39Z

172.69.34.238: brief description

These are different comics related to scientific research papers. Randall seems to have varying opinions on the subject.

[[Category:Science]]

Category:COVID-19

2020-03-16T18:42:33Z

172.69.34.238: it is 7 now

*These comics are inspired by the {{w|2019–20 coronavirus pandemic|2019-20 pandemic}} of the {{w|coronavirus}} {{w|SARS-CoV-2}} which results in the {{w|Coronavirus disease 2019}}, COVID-19 for short.
*[[Randall]] has made seven comics in a row (so far) alluding to the outbreak.
**The fifth of these, [[2279: Symptoms]], came out on March 11, 2020, the day when the outbreak was declared a world wide {{w|pandemic}}.

[[Category:Comics by topic]]

2281: Coronavirus Research

2020-03-16T18:41:19Z

172.69.34.238: /* Transcript */ add categories

{{comic
| number = 2281
| date = March 16, 2020
| title = Coronavirus Research
| image = coronavirus_research.png
| titletext = "Also, reading 500 coronavirus papers in a row and not sleeping? Probably not great for you either, but I haven't found any studies confirming that yet. I'll keep looking."
}}

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

This comic is the seventh comic in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] (with at least seven in a row) about the {{w|2019–20 coronavirus outbreak|2020 pandemic}} of the {{w|coronavirus}} - {{w|SARS-CoV-2}}.

[[Megan]], disheveled and exhausted, has been researching COVID-19 nonstop and is now reporting her findings to [[Cueball]]. She claims to have read all available literature on the subject, but the best she can come up with is an extremely basic fact about {{w|virus}}es—namely that they infect cells and this is bad and should be prevented, which Cueball and just about everybody else already knew. She enthusiastically replies that she knows this with {{w|error bars}}, which are graphical representations of the variability of data and are used on graphs to indicate the error or uncertainty in a reported measurement.

In the title text, she has a hunch that staying awake long enough to read 500 scientific papers is probably not a good idea, but she hasn't found a study that specifically confirms that. She intends to further compound her exhaustion by continuing to do research rather than just getting some much needed sleep. Assuming that Megan averages half an hour to find and read each paper, she has been continuously reading for 10.4 days, which is approaching the world record for not sleeping.

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

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:Research Papers]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

Talk:2277: Business Greetings

2020-03-06T21:39:44Z

172.69.34.238:

This comic appears to be the only one, ever, that doesn't have mouseover text
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.146.160|162.158.146.160]] 05:15, 6 March 2020 (UTC)
:Maybe our mice are just broken. Purely coincidental, I'm sure. [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 05:49, 6 March 2020 (UTC)
::Or it is a change, to go with the time... --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:07, 6 March 2020 (UTC)
:::Technically [[404]] doesn't have an alt-text either. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.58.183|162.158.58.183]] 09:42, 6 March 2020 (UTC)
::::I believe I've seen this before, where a comic _temporarily_ doesn't have title text. It may show itself yet. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.203|172.69.63.203]] 11:49, 6 March 2020 (UTC)
:::::Maybe Randall posted it really late, staggered into bed, and will post the alt-text in the morning. I saw text but it was just the comic title. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.190|172.68.34.190]] 07:51, 6 March 2020 (UTC)
::::::It is common for dynamic comics to have no title text - see [[:Category:No title text]]. But it is a first for a standard comic. So interesting to see if it shows up later, or if this will be an outlier. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:15, 6 March 2020 (UTC)
:::::::It has title text now: "We have email and social media now, so we probably don't need to keep exchanging business cards by pressing them gently against each others' faces with an open palm and smearing them around."

And, in case you were wondering, yes, [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/10124306/Japanese-craze-for-eyeball-licking-leads-to-rise-in-infections.html eyeball licking is a thing] [[User:Sysin|Sysin]] ([[User talk:Sysin|talk]]) 08:22, 6 March 2020 (UTC)
:According to [https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/in-the-public-eye/ Snopes] the story about Japanese eye licking is not true. I've removed it from the explanation for now. If my information turns out to be false, feel free to add it back in. [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 11:16, 6 March 2020 (UTC)

It's possible that mouse over / touch operation is seen as another form of physical contact, that goes along the comic. {{unsigned ip|172.68.154.22}}
:I think he just forgot it. Maybe he is down with the coronavirus ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:15, 6 March 2020 (UTC)

I don't think we should overdo it with the "citation needed" joke or it will become dull. One instance in such a short explanation is definitely enough. [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 11:22, 6 March 2020 (UTC)
:It should not be used when no citation is needed! I remove them often --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:15, 6 March 2020 (UTC)
::No, the whole joke is that we're asking for citations for something super obvious. I agree more than one would be overkill here though. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.70|108.162.241.70]] 16:00, 6 March 2020 (UTC)

I thought this comic was referring to hand-shaking, which is effectively licking one another's eyeballs, as much as we humans touch our own eyes & mouths. [[User:TPS|TPS]] ([[User talk:TPS|talk]]) 12:19, 6 March 2020 (UTC)
:There is a meme (by Corona-is-hoax promoters and Communists-did-it-on-purpose proclaimers, mostly, so treat it with a pinch of salt rather than antivjral handwash) that doorknob-licking is a thing. Usually as a fabled method of infecting the doorknobs (by manchurin super-spreaders?) rather than getting infected from them (that's just what happens next from knob-to-hand-to-face contact). There are all kinds of wierdos though - by which I mean primarily the false-memers. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.217|162.158.154.217]] 15:01, 6 March 2020 (UTC)

For someone who is significantly introverted, might the act of shaking hands be nearly as weird and repugnant as eyeball licking would seem to most people? [[User:Schnitz|Schnitz]] ([[User talk:Schnitz|talk]]) 19:51, 6 March 2020 (UTC)
:Pretty sure that unless there's some cultural thing at play, finding the concept of shaking hands to be ''repugnant'' would indicate some form of mental disorder. Being reticent to shake hands due to avoiding human interaction is different from finding it disgusting. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.238|172.69.34.238]] 21:39, 6 March 2020 (UTC)

2274: Stargazing 3

2020-02-29T00:15:34Z

172.69.34.238: /* Explanation */ remove, not necessarily true

{{comic
| number = 2274
| date = February 28, 2020
| title = Stargazing 3
| image = stargazing_3.png
| titletext = If we can destroy enough of the lights in our region, we may see more comets, but that's a risk we'll have to take.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TERRIFIED LAMP. The explanation, for the most part, doesn't exist. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is the third in the Stargazing series. The first [[1644: Stargazing]] appeared four years ago and the second [[2017: Stargazing 2]] one and a half years ago.

{{w|Vega}} is a star in the constellation of {{w|Lyra}}. It does indeed have {{w|Magnitude (astronomy)|magnitude}} 0.03 and is the brightest star mentioned in this comic. The phrase <q>It's the brightest star I'm currently talking about</q> is an example of the technically correct but not at all useful information that is typical of the Stargazing series. Vega is only the {{w|List of brightest stars|5th brightest star}} (outside of the Sun), as {{w|Sirius}} is the brightest visible star.

{{w|Polaris}} is indeed the star over the North Pole, and is commonly called the North Star or the Pole Star. It has been used for navigation, as it appears fixed in the night sky.

{{w|Comets}} are small rock and ice particles. Many comets have usually highly elliptical orbits around the sun and so they are seen "every few decades". Yelling at comets has proved to be an ineffective way to make them go away.{{Citation needed}}

{{w|Light pollution}} is indeed a problem with stargazing. Light pollution is the presence of artificial light in the night sky, which makes it very difficult to see stars. Stargazing in remote locations is remarkably different than in populated cities. Light pollution was previously discussed in [[2121: Light Pollution]].

Light pollution does not actually make the "sky go away", but it does affect how humans can see stars or other astronomical features in the sky. An "[http://www.blandinequatorialplatforms.com/ astronomy crossbow]", is a tool used to measure the angular distance between stars. They cannot shoot real {{w|crossbow bolt}}s, but any type of crossbow or other weapon could be used to destroy lights and "preserve" the sky. The title text mentions that destroying lights could allow for the viewing of comets, which is true. It is unclear why the host dislikes comets so much.

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

:[In a dark panel, a TV host stands in front of a group of people: Science Girl, Ponytail, and Cueball; the panel is inverse-colored, i.e. white text and drawings on black]
:Host: Welcome back to Stargazing.
:Host: There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason.

:[Zoomed out on the same scene, the host is now with Science Girl, Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, and White Hat. The host is pointing upwards with her left hand.]
:Host: That star is Vega. At magnitude 0.03, it's the brightest star I'm currently talking about.
:Host: That one is Polaris. It's over the North Pole, which is all it has going for it.

:[A frame-less white panel, zoomed in on the host, who is now pointing upwards with her right hand.]
:Host: That's a comet. Some of them come back every few decades, no matter how much I yell at them.
:Host: But stargazing isn't all fun yelling. We face a problem even worse than comets: light pollution.

:[Back to a dark panel, the host now has a big bag of crossbows. The bag has a logo of a crossbow with stars around it. She has taken out one of them and is holding it in her right hand.]
:Host: The sky is going away because people keep shining lights at it. The new LEDs are even worse - they're too blue, and you can't turn them off by throwing rocks at them like with the old ones.
:Host: Luckily, I brought these astronomy crossbows.
:Host: Take one, then let's fan out and look for lamps.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]

2274: Stargazing 3

2020-02-29T00:02:05Z

172.69.34.238: /* Transcript */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2274
| date = February 28, 2020
| title = Stargazing 3
| image = stargazing_3.png
| titletext = If we can destroy enough of the lights in our region, we may see more comets, but that's a risk we'll have to take.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TERRIFIED LAMP. The explanation, for the most part, doesn't exist. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is the third in the Stargazing series. The first [[1644: Stargazing]] appeared four years ago and the second [[2017: Stargazing 2]] one and a half years ago.

The phrase "There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason" states the obvious fact that no new stars have been created in the last year and a half since [[Stargazing 2]].

{{w|Vega}} is a star in the constellation of {{w|Lyra}}. It does indeed have {{w|Magnitude (astronomy)|magnitude}} 0.03 and is the brightest star mentioned in this comic. The phrase <q>It's the brightest star I'm currently talking about</q> is an example of the technically correct but not at all useful information that is typical of the Stargazing series. Vega is only the {{w|List of brightest stars|5th brightest star}} (outside of the Sun), as {{w|Sirius}} is the brightest visible star.

{{w|Polaris}} is indeed the star over the North Pole, and is commonly called the North Star or the Pole Star. It has been used for navigation, as it appears fixed in the night sky.

{{w|Comets}} are small rock and ice particles. Many comets have usually highly elliptical orbits around the sun and so they are seen "every few decades". Yelling at comets has proved to be an ineffective way to make them go away.{{Citation needed}}

{{w|Light pollution}} is indeed a problem with stargazing. Light pollution is the presence of artificial light in the night sky, which makes it very difficult to see stars. Stargazing in remote locations is remarkably different than in populated cities. Light pollution was previously discussed in [[2121: Light Pollution]].

Light pollution does not actually make the "sky go away", but it does affect how humans can see stars or other astronomical features in the sky. "Astronomy crossbows" are not an actual thing,{{Citation needed}} but presumably, any type of crossbow or other weapon could be used to destroy lights and "preserve" the sky. The title text mentions that destroying lights could allow for the viewing of comets, which is true. It is unclear why the host dislikes comets so much.

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

:[In a dark panel, a TV host stands in front of a group of people: Science Girl, Ponytail, and Cueball; the panel is inverse-colored, i.e. white text and drawings on black]
:Host: Welcome back to Stargazing.
:Host: There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason.

:[Zoomed out on the same scene, the host is now with Science Girl, Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, and White Hat. The host is pointing upwards with her left hand.]
:Host: That star is Vega. At magnitude 0.03, it's the brightest star I'm currently talking about.
:Host: That one is Polaris. It's over the North Pole, which is all it has going for it.

:[A frame-less white panel, zoomed in on the host, who is now pointing upwards with her right hand.]
:Host: That's a comet. Some of them come back every few decades, no matter how much I yell at them.
:Host: But stargazing isn't all fun yelling. We face a problem even worse than comets: light pollution.

:[Back to a dark panel, the host now has a big bag of crossbows. The bag has a logo of a crossbow with stars around it. She has taken out one of them and is holding it in her right hand.]
:Host: The sky is going away because people keep shining lights at it. The new LEDs are even worse - they're too blue, and you can't turn them off by throwing rocks at them like with the old ones.
:Host: Luckily, I brought these astronomy crossbows.
:Host: Take one, then let's fan out and look for lamps.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]

2274: Stargazing 3

2020-02-29T00:01:17Z

172.69.34.238: /* Transcript */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2274
| date = February 28, 2020
| title = Stargazing 3
| image = stargazing_3.png
| titletext = If we can destroy enough of the lights in our region, we may see more comets, but that's a risk we'll have to take.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TERRIFIED LAMP. The explanation, for the most part, doesn't exist. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is the third in the Stargazing series. The first [[1644: Stargazing]] appeared four years ago and the second [[2017: Stargazing 2]] one and a half years ago.

The phrase "There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason" states the obvious fact that no new stars have been created in the last year and a half since [[Stargazing 2]].

{{w|Vega}} is a star in the constellation of {{w|Lyra}}. It does indeed have {{w|Magnitude (astronomy)|magnitude}} 0.03 and is the brightest star mentioned in this comic. The phrase <q>It's the brightest star I'm currently talking about</q> is an example of the technically correct but not at all useful information that is typical of the Stargazing series. Vega is only the {{w|List of brightest stars|5th brightest star}} (outside of the Sun), as {{w|Sirius}} is the brightest visible star.

{{w|Polaris}} is indeed the star over the North Pole, and is commonly called the North Star or the Pole Star. It has been used for navigation, as it appears fixed in the night sky.

{{w|Comets}} are small rock and ice particles. Many comets have usually highly elliptical orbits around the sun and so they are seen "every few decades". Yelling at comets has proved to be an ineffective way to make them go away.{{Citation needed}}

{{w|Light pollution}} is indeed a problem with stargazing. Light pollution is the presence of artificial light in the night sky, which makes it very difficult to see stars. Stargazing in remote locations is remarkably different than in populated cities. Light pollution was previously discussed in [[2121: Light Pollution]].

Light pollution does not actually make the "sky go away", but it does affect how humans can see stars or other astronomical features in the sky. "Astronomy crossbows" are not an actual thing,{{Citation needed}} but presumably, any type of crossbow or other weapon could be used to destroy lights and "preserve" the sky. The title text mentions that destroying lights could allow for the viewing of comets, which is true. It is unclear why the host dislikes comets so much.

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

:[In a dark panel, a TV host stands in front of a group of people: Science Girl, Ponytail, and Cueball; the panel is inverse-colored, i.e. white text and drawings on black]
:Host: Welcome back to Stargazing.
:Host: There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason.

:[Zoomed out on the same scene, the host is now with Science Girl, Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, and White Hat. The host is pointing upwards with her left hand.]
:Host: That star is Vega. At magnitude 0.03, it's the brightest star I'm currently talking about.
:Host: That one is Polaris. It's over the North Pole, which is all it has going for it.

:[A frame-less white panel, zoomed in on the host, who is now pointing upwards with her right hand.]
:Host: That's a comet. Some of them come back every few decades, no matter how much I yell at them.
:Host: But stargazing isn't all fun yelling. We face a problem even worse than comets: light pollution.

:[Back to a dark panel, the host now has a big bag of crossbows. The bag has a log of a crossbow with stars around it. She has taken out one of them and is holding it in her right hand.]
:Host: The sky is going away because people keep shining lights at it. The new LEDs are even worse - they're too blue, and you can't turn them off by throwing rocks at them like with the old ones.
:Host: Luckily, I brought these astronomy crossbows.
:Host: Take one, then let's fan out and look for lamps.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]

2274: Stargazing 3

2020-02-29T00:00:39Z

172.69.34.238: /* Transcript */ might be science girl

{{comic
| number = 2274
| date = February 28, 2020
| title = Stargazing 3
| image = stargazing_3.png
| titletext = If we can destroy enough of the lights in our region, we may see more comets, but that's a risk we'll have to take.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TERRIFIED LAMP. The explanation, for the most part, doesn't exist. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is the third in the Stargazing series. The first [[1644: Stargazing]] appeared four years ago and the second [[2017: Stargazing 2]] one and a half years ago.

The phrase "There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason" states the obvious fact that no new stars have been created in the last year and a half since [[Stargazing 2]].

{{w|Vega}} is a star in the constellation of {{w|Lyra}}. It does indeed have {{w|Magnitude (astronomy)|magnitude}} 0.03 and is the brightest star mentioned in this comic. The phrase <q>It's the brightest star I'm currently talking about</q> is an example of the technically correct but not at all useful information that is typical of the Stargazing series. Vega is only the {{w|List of brightest stars|5th brightest star}} (outside of the Sun), as {{w|Sirius}} is the brightest visible star.

{{w|Polaris}} is indeed the star over the North Pole, and is commonly called the North Star or the Pole Star. It has been used for navigation, as it appears fixed in the night sky.

{{w|Comets}} are small rock and ice particles. Many comets have usually highly elliptical orbits around the sun and so they are seen "every few decades". Yelling at comets has proved to be an ineffective way to make them go away.{{Citation needed}}

{{w|Light pollution}} is indeed a problem with stargazing. Light pollution is the presence of artificial light in the night sky, which makes it very difficult to see stars. Stargazing in remote locations is remarkably different than in populated cities. Light pollution was previously discussed in [[2121: Light Pollution]].

Light pollution does not actually make the "sky go away", but it does affect how humans can see stars or other astronomical features in the sky. "Astronomy crossbows" are not an actual thing,{{Citation needed}} but presumably, any type of crossbow or other weapon could be used to destroy lights and "preserve" the sky. The title text mentions that destroying lights could allow for the viewing of comets, which is true. It is unclear why the host dislikes comets so much.

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

:[In a dark panel, a TV host stands in front of a group of people: Science Girl, Ponytail, and Cueball; the panel is inverse-colored, i.e. white text and drawings on black]
:Host: Welcome back to Stargazing.
:Host: There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason.

:[Zoomed out on the same scene, the host is now with a Science Girl character, Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, and White Hat. The host is pointing upwards with her left hand.]
:Host: That star is Vega. At magnitude 0.03, it's the brightest star I'm currently talking about.
:Host: That one is Polaris. It's over the North Pole, which is all it has going for it.

:[A frame-less white panel, zoomed in on the host, who is now pointing upwards with her right hand.]
:Host: That's a comet. Some of them come back every few decades, no matter how much I yell at them.
:Host: But stargazing isn't all fun yelling. We face a problem even worse than comets: light pollution.

:[Back to a dark panel, the host now has a big bag of crossbows. The bag has a log of a crossbow with stars around it. She has taken out one of them and is holding it in her right hand.]
:Host: The sky is going away because people keep shining lights at it. The new LEDs are even worse - they're too blue, and you can't turn them off by throwing rocks at them like with the old ones.
:Host: Luckily, I brought these astronomy crossbows.
:Host: Take one, then let's fan out and look for lamps.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]

2274: Stargazing 3

2020-02-28T23:57:31Z

172.69.34.238: /* Explanation */ wlink

{{comic
| number = 2274
| date = February 28, 2020
| title = Stargazing 3
| image = stargazing_3.png
| titletext = If we can destroy enough of the lights in our region, we may see more comets, but that's a risk we'll have to take.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TERRIFIED LAMP. The explanation, for the most part, doesn't exist. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is the third in the Stargazing series. The first [[1644: Stargazing]] appeared four years ago and the second [[2017: Stargazing 2]] one and a half years ago.

The phrase "There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason" states the obvious fact that no new stars have been created in the last year and a half since [[Stargazing 2]].

{{w|Vega}} is a star in the constellation of {{w|Lyra}}. It does indeed have {{w|Magnitude (astronomy)|magnitude}} 0.03 and is the brightest star mentioned in this comic. The phrase <q>It's the brightest star I'm currently talking about</q> is an example of the technically correct but not at all useful information that is typical of the Stargazing series. Vega is only the {{w|List of brightest stars|5th brightest star}} (outside of the Sun), as {{w|Sirius}} is the brightest visible star.

{{w|Polaris}} is indeed the star over the North Pole, and is commonly called the North Star or the Pole Star. It has been used for navigation, as it appears fixed in the night sky.

{{w|Comets}} are small rock and ice particles. Many comets have usually highly elliptical orbits around the sun and so they are seen "every few decades". Yelling at comets has proved to be an ineffective way to make them go away.{{Citation needed}}

{{w|Light pollution}} is indeed a problem with stargazing. Light pollution is the presence of artificial light in the night sky, which makes it very difficult to see stars. Stargazing in remote locations is remarkably different than in populated cities. Light pollution was previously discussed in [[2121: Light Pollution]].

Light pollution does not actually make the "sky go away", but it does affect how humans can see stars or other astronomical features in the sky. "Astronomy crossbows" are not an actual thing,{{Citation needed}} but presumably, any type of crossbow or other weapon could be used to destroy lights and "preserve" the sky. The title text mentions that destroying lights could allow for the viewing of comets, which is true. It is unclear why the host dislikes comets so much.

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

:[In a dark panel, a TV host stands in front of a group of people: a Megan-like character, Ponytail, and Cueball; the panel is inverse-colored, i.e. white text and drawings on black]
:Host: Welcome back to Stargazing.
:Host: There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason.

:[Zoomed out on the same scene, the host is now with a Megan-like character, Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, and White Hat. The host is pointing upwards with her left hand.]
:Host: That star is Vega. At magnitude 0.03, it's the brightest star I'm currently talking about.
:Host: That one is Polaris. It's over the North Pole, which is all it has going for it.

:[A frame-less white panel, zoomed in on the host, who is now pointing upwards with her right hand.]
:Host: That's a comet. Some of them come back every few decades, no matter how much I yell at them.
:Host: But stargazing isn't all fun yelling. We face a problem even worse than comets: light pollution.

:[Back to a dark panel, the host now has a big bag of crossbows. The bag has a log of a crossbow with stars around it. She has taken out one of them and is holding it in her right hand.]
:Host: The sky is going away because people keep shining lights at it. The new LEDs are even worse - they're too blue, and you can't turn them off by throwing rocks at them like with the old ones.
:Host: Luckily, I brought these astronomy crossbows.
:Host: Take one, then let's fan out and look for lamps.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

2274: Stargazing 3

2020-02-28T23:56:18Z

172.69.34.238: /* Explanation */ ce

{{comic
| number = 2274
| date = February 28, 2020
| title = Stargazing 3
| image = stargazing_3.png
| titletext = If we can destroy enough of the lights in our region, we may see more comets, but that's a risk we'll have to take.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TERRIFIED LAMP. The explanation, for the most part, doesn't exist. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is the third in the Stargazing series. The first [[1644: Stargazing]] appeared four years ago and the second [[2017: Stargazing 2]] one and a half years ago.

The phrase "There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason" states the obvious fact that no new stars have been created in the last year and a half since [[Stargazing 2]].

{{w|Vega}} is a star in the constellation of {{w|Lyra}}. It does indeed have {{w|Magnitude (astronomy)|magnitude}} 0.03 and is the brightest star mentioned in this comic. The phrase <q>It's the brightest star I'm currently talking about</q> is an example of the technically correct but not at all useful information that is typical of the Stargazing series. Vega is only the 5th brightest star (outside of the Sun), as {{w|Sirius}} is the brightest star.

{{w|Polaris}} is indeed the star over the North Pole, and is commonly called the North Star or the Pole Star. It has been used for navigation, as it appears fixed in the night sky.

{{w|Comets}} are small rock and ice particles. Many comets have usually highly elliptical orbits around the sun and so they are seen "every few decades". Yelling at comets has proved to be an ineffective way to make them go away.{{Citation needed}}

{{w|Light pollution}} is indeed a problem with stargazing. Light pollution is the presence of artificial light in the night sky, which makes it very difficult to see stars. Stargazing in remote locations is remarkably different than in populated cities. Light pollution was previously discussed in [[2121: Light Pollution]].

Light pollution does not actually make the "sky go away", but it does affect how humans can see stars or other astronomical features in the sky. "Astronomy crossbows" are not an actual thing,{{Citation needed}} but presumably, any type of crossbow or other weapon could be used to destroy lights and "preserve" the sky. The title text mentions that destroying lights could allow for the viewing of comets, which is true. It is unclear why the host dislikes comets so much.

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

:[In a dark panel, a TV host stands in front of a group of people: a Megan-like character, Ponytail, and Cueball; the panel is inverse-colored, i.e. white text and drawings on black]
:Host: Welcome back to Stargazing.
:Host: There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason.

:[Zoomed out on the same scene, the host is now with a Megan-like character, Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, and White Hat. The host is pointing upwards with her left hand.]
:Host: That star is Vega. At magnitude 0.03, it's the brightest star I'm currently talking about.
:Host: That one is Polaris. It's over the North Pole, which is all it has going for it.

:[A frame-less white panel, zoomed in on the host, who is now pointing upwards with her right hand.]
:Host: That's a comet. Some of them come back every few decades, no matter how much I yell at them.
:Host: But stargazing isn't all fun yelling. We face a problem even worse than comets: light pollution.

:[Back to a dark panel, the host now has a big bag of crossbows. The bag has a log of a crossbow with stars around it. She has taken out one of them and is holding it in her right hand.]
:Host: The sky is going away because people keep shining lights at it. The new LEDs are even worse - they're too blue, and you can't turn them off by throwing rocks at them like with the old ones.
:Host: Luckily, I brought these astronomy crossbows.
:Host: Take one, then let's fan out and look for lamps.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

2274: Stargazing 3

2020-02-28T23:55:13Z

172.69.34.238: /* Explanation */ more explanation

{{comic
| number = 2274
| date = February 28, 2020
| title = Stargazing 3
| image = stargazing_3.png
| titletext = If we can destroy enough of the lights in our region, we may see more comets, but that's a risk we'll have to take.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TERRIFIED LAMP. The explanation, for the most part, doesn't exist. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is the third in the Stargazing series. The first [[1644: Stargazing]] appears four years earlier and the second [[2017: Stargazing 2]] one and a half years earlier.

The phrase "There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason" is an allusion to the obvious fact that no new stars have been created in the last year and a half since [[Stargazing 2]].

{{w|Vega}} is a star in the constellation of {{w|Lyra}}. It does indeed have {{w|Magnitude (astronomy)|magnitude}} 0.03 and is the brightest star mentioned in this comic. The phrase <q>It's the brightest star I'm currently talking about</q> is an example of the technically correct but not at all useful information that is typical of the Stargazing series. Vega is only the 5th brightest star (outside of the Sun), as {{w|Sirius}} is the brightest star.

{{w|Polaris}} is indeed the star over the North Pole, and is commonly called the North Star or the Pole Star. It has been used for navigation, as it appears fixed in the night sky.

{{w|Comets}} are small rock and ice particles. Many comets have usually highly elliptical orbits around the sun and so they are seen "every few decades". Yelling at comets has proved to be an ineffective way to make them go away.{{Citation needed}}

{{w|Light pollution}} is indeed a problem with stargazing. Light pollution is the presence of artificial light in the night sky, which makes it very difficult to see stars. Stargazing in remote locations is remarkably different than in populated cities. Light pollution was previously discussed in [[2121: Light Pollution]].

Light pollution does not actually make the "sky go away", but it does affect how humans can see stars or other astronomical features in the sky. "Astronomy crossbows" are not an actual thing,{{Citation needed}} but presumably, any type of crossbow or other weapon could be used to destroy lights and "preserve" the sky. The title text mentions that destroying lights could allow for the viewing of comets, which is true. It is unclear why the host dislikes comets so much.

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

:[In a dark panel, a TV host stands in front of a group of people: a Megan-like character, Ponytail, and Cueball; the panel is inverse-colored, i.e. white text and drawings on black]
:Host: Welcome back to Stargazing.
:Host: There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason.

:[Zoomed out on the same scene, the host is now with a Megan-like character, Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, and White Hat. The host is pointing upwards with her left hand.]
:Host: That star is Vega. At magnitude 0.03, it's the brightest star I'm currently talking about.
:Host: That one is Polaris. It's over the North Pole, which is all it has going for it.

:[A frame-less white panel, zoomed in on the host, who is now pointing upwards with her right hand.]
:Host: That's a comet. Some of them come back every few decades, no matter how much I yell at them.
:Host: But stargazing isn't all fun yelling. We face a problem even worse than comets: light pollution.

:[Back to a dark panel, the host now has a big bag of crossbows. The bag has a log of a crossbow with stars around it. She has taken out one of them and is holding it in her right hand.]
:Host: The sky is going away because people keep shining lights at it. The new LEDs are even worse - they're too blue, and you can't turn them off by throwing rocks at them like with the old ones.
:Host: Luckily, I brought these astronomy crossbows.
:Host: Take one, then let's fan out and look for lamps.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

2274: Stargazing 3

2020-02-28T23:42:08Z

172.69.34.238: /* Transcript */ more to transcript; add categories

{{comic
| number = 2274
| date = February 28, 2020
| title = Stargazing 3
| image = stargazing_3.png
| titletext = If we can destroy enough of the lights in our region, we may see more comets, but that's a risk we'll have to take.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TERRIFIED LAMP. The explanation, for the most part, doesn't exist. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is the third in the Stargazing series. The first [[1644: Stargazing]] appears four years earlier and the second [[2017: Stargazing 2]] one and a half years earlier.

The phrase "There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason" is an allusion to the obvious fact that no new stars have been created in the last year and a half since [[Stargazing 2]].

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vega Vega] is a star in the constellation of Lyra. It does indeed have magnitude 0.03 and is the brightest star mentioned in this comic. The phrase <q>It's the brightest star I'm currently talking about</q> is an example of the technically correct but not at all useful information that is typical of the Stargazing comics.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet Comets] are small rock and ice particles in (usually highly elliptical) orbits around the sun. Many comets do come back with a frequency close to what [[Megan]] says. Yelling at comets has proved to be an ineffective way to make them go away{{Citation needed}}.

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

:[In a dark panel, a TV host stands in front of a group of people: a Megan-like character, Ponytail, and Cueball; the panel is inverse-colored, i.e. white text and drawings on black]
:Host: Welcome back to Stargazing.
:Host: There are no new stars since last time, but you came back for some reason.

:[Zoomed out on the same scene, the host is now with a Megan-like character, Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, and White Hat. The host is pointing upwards with her left hand.]
:Host: That star is Vega. At magnitude 0.03, it's the brightest star I'm currently talking about.
:Host: That one is Polaris. It's over the North Pole, which is all it has going for it.

:[A frame-less white panel, zoomed in on the host, who is now pointing upwards with her right hand.]
:Host: That's a comet. Some of them come back every few decades, no matter how much I yell at them.
:Host: But stargazing isn't all fun yelling. We face a problem even worse than comets: light pollution.

:[Back to a dark panel, the host now has a big bag of crossbows. The bag has a log of a crossbow with stars around it. She has taken out one of them and is holding it in her right hand.]
:Host: The sky is going away because people keep shining lights at it. The new LEDs are even worse - they're too blue, and you can't turn them off by throwing rocks at them like with the old ones.
:Host: Luckily, I brought these astronomy crossbows.
:Host: Take one, then let's fan out and look for lamps.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

2017: Stargazing 2

2020-02-28T23:38:32Z

172.69.34.238: /* Transcript */ ce

<noinclude>:''"2017", this comic's number, redirects here. For the comic named "2017", see [[1779: 2017]].''</noinclude>
{{comic
| number = 2017
| date = July 9, 2018
| title = Stargazing 2
| image = stargazing_2.png
| titletext = I mean, it wasn't exactly MY thesis. When the FAA came to shut down our observatory for using the telescope mirror to shine light at airplanes, I took a thesis and a bunch of doctorates from the supply cabinet on my way out.
}}

==Explanation==
This is the second comic in the [[:Category:Stargazing|Stargazing]] series: The first was [[1644: Stargazing]], two and a half years earlier. It was followed by [[2274: Stargazing 3]] one and a half years later.

This comic continues with the TV host mixing accurate astronomical information with trivialities, as well as utterly bizarre statements. In the first panel, the host voices surprise that the stars are visible again after disappearing during daylight.

The host mentions three stars in a constellation which she says is called The Triangle, likely referring to the constellation {{w|Triangulum}}, which is in fact just three main stars in a narrow triangle. However, this may also simply be intended to show the host's lack of knowledge of constellations, since she then goes on to point out three other stars forming a triangle and concludes that one can form lots of triangles by connecting groups of three stars. In Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry, any set of three non-collinear points will form a triangle, so to say that there are a "lotta triangles" is both trivial and an understatement.{{Citation needed}} (There are about 125 billion triangles visible in the night sky with around 9096 visible stars.)

Then she points to planets, calling them dots known as "fool's stars" (like fool's gold). This is understandable as planets such as Venus and Jupiter are often mistaken as stars, and one Latin term for a planet was "stella errans", meaning "wandering star". She also notes that lacking interstellar transportation, humanity will likely only reach the planets within our solar system. However, she then makes the seemingly ludicrous assertion that humans will turn these planets into interplanetary landfills, which might be a comment on how humans have used the Earth.

The host also notices a dot of "space trash": An artificial satellite. Since the nascent Space Age, the Earth's orbit has gradually accumulated artificial materials that include satellites, spent rockets, and space stations. There are concerns such debris accumulation will increasingly imperil current and future space projects. However, the host claims there is an app that can tell you "whose fault it is," presumably a satellite-tracking smartphone app such as [http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skyview-satellite-guide-find/id694309958?mt=8 SkyView] which can inform you who launched a given satellite and thus whose "fault" that particular bit of space-junk might be.

The host eventually goes off on a tangent when someone from the audience points out something blinking in the sky. The host says it is a plane, and tells them what is inside it. The host continues, "don't bother trying to catch that one." This could be understood as she means it's too hard to point the telescope at it properly because it is moving too fast. In the title text, however, she means this literally, revealing that at one point during her studies she apparently used the reflective mirror of a telescope to shine light directly at airplanes, which caused the {{w|Federal Aviation Administration}} (FAA) to close down the observatory. She claims it was worth getting shut down by the FAA because she completed her thesis for her graduate degree. "Got a thesis out of it" is a phrase typically used by a scholar after discussing a research project, as a way of indicating that it was actually the main research they had conducted as a student in graduate school. Conducting research and writing it up in a thesis is one of the major hurdles toward earning a graduate degree (masters or doctorate).

In the title text, she clarifies that as she was exiting the observatory, she literally "got", as in "stole", someone else's thesis paper and multiple doctorates (presumably framed degrees), either to fraudulently claim them as her own accomplishments, or perhaps just because she wanted to steal stuff. Usually "got a thesis" is shorthand for the process of "writing a lengthy thesis paper and having it be accepted as a requirement for graduation", however in this case she simply swiped someone else's document. The revelations that she's extremely unqualified (and unethical) would explain her many bizarre statements.

==Transcript==
:[In a dark panel, a TV host is standing in front of a group of 5 people: two Cueballs, Ponytail, Hairbun and Megan.]
:Host: Welcome back to stargazing.
:Host: When the stars disappeared this morning, I figured I had to find a new job, but they're ''back!'' This ''rules!''

:[A frame-less white panel in which the host points to the upper right with Megan, Ponytail and Cueball looking in that direction.]
:Host: Those three stars form a constellation called the triangle.
:Host: Those three are another triangle.
:Host: Lotta triangles. Very important shape.

:[Back to a dark panel with the host now pointing to the upper left in a close-up.]
:Host: Those dots are planets, or "fool's stars." Without interstellar travel, they're the only ones we can realistically hope to dump trash on.
:Host: Speaking of space trash, that dot is a satellite. There are apps that will tell you whose fault it is.

:[The host is now turned right not pointing, still in a close-up.]
:Off-panel voice: What's that blinking one?
:Host: Airplane. They're full of snacks and money and stuff, but don't bother trying to catch them- they're ''way'' too high up.
:Host: Learned that the hard way in grad school.
:Host: Got a thesis out of it, at least.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Stargazing|Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Stargazing]]
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] 
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category: Research Papers]]

Talk:2274: Stargazing 3

2020-02-28T23:31:19Z

172.69.34.238: already exists

I think the "you can't turn them off by throwing rocks at them like the old ones" is a reference to a reddit comment in a thread about older generations refusing to learn new technology, or something to that extent. One comment detailed a humorous story wherein they had been helping a village install electricity/light bulbs, and this grandmother of the household kept shattering all the bulbs by throwing rocks at them to turn them off, refusing to learn how to use them correctly. I'm trying to search for this, but no luck so far. If this was not a reference to that thread but merely a coincidence, my apologies for making you read all of this. [[User:Wigglebeans|Wigglebeans]] ([[User talk:Wigglebeans|talk]]) 20:55, 28 February 2020 (UTC)wigglebeans
: I remember that comment as well. I feel like it was in ask reddit, but I can't seem to find it either. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.128|172.68.174.128]] 23:15, 28 February 2020 (UTC)

Can someone make a category for the Stargazing series? [[1644: Stargazing]], [[2017: Stargazing 2]], and this one. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.238|172.69.34.238]] 23:29, 28 February 2020 (UTC)
:Oh, nevermind, it already exists: [[:Category:Stargazing]] [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.238|172.69.34.238]] 23:31, 28 February 2020 (UTC)

2274: Stargazing 3

2020-02-28T23:30:30Z

172.69.34.238: /* Transcript */ astronomy

Talk:2274: Stargazing 3

2020-02-28T23:29:15Z

172.69.34.238: category