explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2882: Net Rotations

2024-01-18T03:06:14Z

172.70.85.162: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2882
| date = January 17, 2024
| title = Net Rotations
| image = net_rotations_2x.png
| imagesize = 318x477px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = For decades I've been working off the accumulated rotation from one long afternoon on a merry-go-round when I was eight.
}}

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

This comic may refer to a thing that some people with {{w|OCD}} do, which is to spin around to get rid of "net rotations," hence the title of this comic. [[Cueball]] (perhaps representing [[Randall]]?) takes this one step beyond the typical person with OCD - he calculates the net rotations each day and spins around at the end of the day to cancel this out.

The caption at the bottom of the comic suggests that it is another one of Randall’s [[Category:Tips]] and says that it is healthy and necessary/highly recommended to do this. However, most people don’t, and most people are still ok. In fact, xkcd's own characters are perfectly ok with [[162: Angular Momentum|accumulating net rotations]] and [[2679: Quantified Self|similar topological accumulations]].

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

:[Cueball is standing on one leg in front of a whiteboard with his arms crossed, thinking to himself. There are circular curves around Cueball indicating rotary motion. The whiteboard contains two vertical helix-like curves crossing over each other at multiple points and other notes shown as rows of illegible scribbles, the bottom one of which is circled. There is a thought bubble over Cueball.]
:Cueball (thinking): ...and three lefts for going down the stairwell at work, two rights from cloverleaf interchanges, minus one for the Earth's rotation...
:Cueball (thinking): Okay, that's a net of 17 right.

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Spacetime health tip: Remember to cancel out your accumulated turns at the end of each day to avoid worldline torsion.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Tips]]

Talk:302: Names

2024-01-16T05:26:48Z

172.70.85.162:

The explanation of the title text doesn't appear to be about the title text, more like the second paragraph seems to be the title-text-explanation (a very good one at that). Anybody thinks so too? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.97.215|141.101.97.215]] 10:55, 16 April 2014 (UTC)
:Yes.--[[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.222|199.27.130.222]] 14:22, 17 April 2014 (UTC)
:I agree with this. I've removed the line explaining the title text. [[User:Codefreak5|Codefreak5]] ([[User talk:Codefreak5|talk]]) 19:00, 9 July 2014 (UTC)
I think that the comic is a reference to the season 4 finale of the tv show Friends, where the groom accidentally calls his fiancé Rachel during the wedding, instead of her actual name, Emily. {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.188}}
: Name "Rachel" could just be a coincidence. I myself was reminded of the plot line in "The Junior Mint" episode of Seinfeld where Jerry forgets his girlfriend's name (Mulva/Dolores) and tries to find it out without letting on he forgot it. {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.190}}

This is perfect; I know exactly how he feels! To busy trying to think of what to say to actually catch the persons name, then by the time I realize, it's too late to ask without embarrassment! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.118|108.162.218.118]] 05:38, 15 May 2016 (UTC)

I had sex for the first time with a regular at the Waffle House where I was cooking. I had just gotten off shift (thus syntactically avoiding a pun), and she was like "so, wanna have sex?" and I was like "hey sure, sounds fun". I knew her name started with a Pa-, so it was probably either Pam or Pat. I called her Pa[mumble] for some time. Turned out her name was Pam. So I would give her the label off the diner's non-stick spray when she stopped in for eating. — [[User:Kazvorpal|Kazvorpal]] ([[User talk:Kazvorpal|talk]]) 22:52, 3 November 2019 (UTC)

Just noticed that [https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2003-04-16/ this SMBC] from four years before the above comic has the same joke, albeit not executed quite as well. It seems possible that Randall had read this at some point and forgotten about it, but also fairly likely that they each arrived at the joke independently. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.203|172.68.132.203]] 06:40, 16 April 2020 (UTC)

The Transcript says: "[Next to Cueball's foot is an unknown object.]", but looking at the last panel, I thin we can safely assume that it's the wedding dress, so I'll be changing it. {{unsigned|R3TRI8UTI0N|01:51, 16 January 2024}}
:I modified it back a bit to how it was. Viewers (and therefore readers of the Transcript, by extension) are clearly not expected to know what ''will'' be revealed, before they properly focus upon the next panel('s Transcripted description). This seems a key part of the composition (otherwise, it could have been just not fractionally drawn in at this point), so it hurts the faithfulness of the Transcript to have ''too much'' information in such a case, ironically... It already is clarified in the continuing description, to reflect how the comic image clarifies it 'later' (and I have no reason to doubt that it is the dress, once retrospectively comprehending the scene), so it's not like there was even a lack of visuality-to-prose in this regard.
:I would have been compelled to remove the blatant restating, to some degree, otherwise. e.g. "An object, that is a wedding gown, can be partly seen", say, then "...at the altar with the woman in the gown". It is a clumsy and repeating description, otherwise. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.162|172.70.85.162]] 05:26, 16 January 2024 (UTC)

2871: Definitely

2023-12-23T15:55:53Z

172.70.85.162: /* Explanation */ Thorough(ish) treatment.

{{comic
| number = 2871
| date = December 22, 2023
| title = Definitely
| image = definitely_2x.png
| imagesize = 463x461px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = A really mean prank you can play on someone who's picky about words is to add a 'definitely->definitively' autocorrect rule to their keyboard.
}}

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

The word {{wiktionary|definitely}} is commonly {{wiktionary|misspelt}}, perhaps because it may be voiced as "def-in-ATE-ly", or with other vowels/emphisis. (The wiktionary link mentions three, /ˈdɛf.ɪ.nɪt.li/, /ˈdɛf.ə.nɪt.li/, /ˈdɛf.nɪt.li/, which suggest differences other than those that this editor is colloquially most familiar with.) Remembering that it uptimately has a common root with "finite" does not help when you also perhaps link it to "define" (and not "definition").

The comic gives twelve 'words' that the subtitle claims are all real, and gives their definitions, whereas in reality only the first (the definitel definitive spelling of "definitely" and the last (defying the trend by being the actual word {{wiktionary|defiantly}}) are indeed so.

The first three alternate 'words' listed do have Wiktionary entries that indicate they are common mis-spellings of the first, and the last has a secondary 'meaning' of possibly being such an error, but (as of the publication of this comic/edit) the words "defenitely", "defintely", "definetely", "definantly", "defanitely", "defineatly" and "definitly" are ''so'' wrong that they don't even have a corrective article created for them. Some of them don't even look like they'd even be sufficiently homophonic substitutes, though the actions of accent and dialect may indeed be capable of creating compatible (mis)elocutions for each.

The title text adds to the word confusion by suggesting that the (real) word {{wiktionary|definitively}} be made to be used (against the will of a word-wise individual) as a substitution for original definitely definitive spelling. In certain contexts it even fulfils the same basic sense as the original and so could even survive proofreading by a third party. Or even the author glancing through their own work, and the brain not twigging the increased number of riser-rich characters but mentally voicing the intended word anyway...

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

:<u>Word</u>   <u>Meaning</u>

:Definitely - Definitely
:Definetly - ''Almost'' definitely
:Definately - Probably
:Definatly - Probably not
:Defenitely - Not telling (it's a surprise)
:Defintely - Per the prophecy
:Definetely - Definitely, maybe
:Definantly - To be decided by coin toss
:Defanitely - In one universe out of 14 million
:Defineatly - Only the gods know
:Definitly - Unless someone cute shows up
:Defiantly - Defiantly

:[Caption below the panel:]
:People think the word "definitely" is often misspelled, but it's actually just several words with different meanings.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Language]]

452: Mission

2023-12-16T00:02:23Z

172.70.85.162: The chances of a random object having a 1/6 chance of being a scone could technically be justified, since Beret Guy believes he's in a bakery.

{{comic
| number = 452
| date = July 21, 2008
| title = Mission
| image = mission.png
| titletext = Don't you know? The chances of a random object being a scone are about one in six.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] and [[Beret Guy]] are on a mission, intending to destroy whatever machine they are in, except that Beret Guy tends to be a bit surreal and brought a bag for holding pastries instead of explosive charges.

This is not the first time he's made such a bakery mistake; see [[434: xkcd Goes to the Airport]].

He then attempts to eat what Cueball identifies as {{w|lug nut|lug nuts}}, believing them to be scones. In reality, lug nuts do not look very similar to scones.{{Citation needed}} He bites into them and it hurts him, but as he says, maybe some of them are not lug nuts, and he wishes to test them all.

The title text further emphasizes Beret Guy's obsession with bakery goods, by stating that if a random object is selected, there will be a 1/6 chance that it is a scone, which explains his behavior with the lug nuts. This is, of course, a ridiculous assertion, as if it were true, more than 16% of all things in the universe would have to be scones. (However, Beret Guy's obsession with bakeries and the fact that he doesn't realise he's not in a bakery could make this statement justified from his perspective.)

Beret Guy and scones are also referenced in the title text of both [[677: Asshole]] and [[1030: Keyed]].

==Transcript==
:[Beret Guy and Cueball are rappelling down separate ropes into the interior workings of a large machine.]
:Cueball: Okay, we're in the belly of the machine. You got the charges?
:Beret Guy: The what?

:[The two are standing next to some large pieces of machinery.]
:Cueball [gesturing]: The explosive charges!
:Beret Guy [pulling out a bag]: I just brought this bag for pastries.
:Cueball: The hell? We're on a mission here!

:Beret Guy [looking around]: This isn't a bakery?
:Cueball [head in hand]: Oh, Christ, not this shit again.

:Beret Guy [crouching by some lug nuts lying on a piece of machinery]: What about these scones?
:Cueball: Those are lug nuts.
:Beret Guy [stuffing them in his mouth]: ...Maybe SOME of them aren't. ''crunch'' Ow! ''crunch''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Food]]

2862: Typical Seating Chart

2023-12-05T05:13:41Z

172.70.85.162: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2862
| date = December 1, 2023
| title = Typical Seating Chart
| image = typical_seating_chart_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x943px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Now that airlines have started adding wheel locks to their drink carts, less than half of flights have one accidentally fall out through the hole.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOEING 777 PASSENGER SHOOTING A ROGUE A-10 WARTHOG TO REACH PLATINUM MEDALLION STATUS- Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic shows a seating chart for an 182-seat airplane (and its fighter escort) with several unusual features.

{|class = "wikitable"
! Label !! Location !! Notes
|-
|{{w|Cowcatcher}}
|Front of plane
|This looks like a {{w|Cowcatcher|train cowcatcher}}, a metal grate on the front of some trains, which is intended to ''deflect'' obstacles (including animals) rather than to capture them. This one could help deflect livestock both on the ground – while taxiing – and perhaps also in the air – to "catch" flying cows, such as any that have decided to jump over the moon.

A bit of trivia: in railroad parlance, the cowcatcher is known as a ''Pilot''.
|-
|Please only pick these seats if you're a pilot
|Cockpit
|These are the cockpit seats, typically saved for the airline's employee pilots. However it's possible the airline might have a system like in [[726: Seat Selection]], where a passenger can pick this seat.
|-
|Main stage
|rowspan="3"|First Class
|This plane is set up to hold a concert or other performance in flight.
|-
|Mosh pit
|A {{w|mosh pit}} is common in punk and heavy metal concert performances. Moshing during take-off, landing and (potentially) during periods of in-flight turbulence would not be very safe, but moshers (and any performers) would presumably also have a booked seat.
|-
|Various fancy classes
|Airlines make a point of distinguishing between their "fancy classes", such as First Class and Business Class, but this one humorously buckets them together. (This is the first actual seating type.)
|-
|Some airplane companies waste this space
|Wings
|The comic suggests that wing space is traditionally wasted. In reality the space inside the wings is often used for fuel, and it is not advised to sit in or on the wing.

The {{w|Junkers G.38}} was one airplane that had seating in the wing (and forward facing windows).
|-
|Lookout
|End of wings
|A "lookout" is more common at the edges of things like army encampments or pirate ships, not planes. These passengers seem to look for any dangers – perhaps the pursuers mentioned in the description of the tail gunners.
|-
|Passenger has to pedal
|Propellers
|Exit row seats come with additional responsibilities to help in the case of an emergency. These passengers' responsibility is to pedal, turning the propellers. Humorously, it's not feasible for two passengers to contribute sufficient power to make a significant difference to that already supplied by the two equipped jet engines. {{w|Human-powered aircraft|Pedal-powered planes}} do exist, although not in combination with jet engines.
|-
|Hole for trash
|Middle of plane, just behind wings
|In reality, a big hole right would reduce cabin pressure and be a danger to people or things falling through the hole (such as drink carts as mentioned in the title text). Planes try to keep all trash on board until they land.

There have been reported incidents of waste (from bathrooms) falling from airplanes in the form of "{{w|Blue_ice_(aviation)|Blue Ice}}", though these are by accidental leaks rather than by design.
|-
|Sidecar
|Left side of plane, behind wings
|Some vehicles like motorbikes have a sidecar, a small device attached to the main vehicle. An airplane sidecare would make it less stable unless accounted for in the initial design. The {{w|Rutan Boomerang}} and {{w|Blohm & Voss BV 141}} are notable exceptions, but their sidecars are not for passengers.
|-
|Extra middle seats
|Back of plane
|Here the aisle moves to add two more seats in a row on one side. The five total seats are the aisle, three middle seats and one window seat. This setup could actually exist, although it would be inconvenient to traverse. Middle seats are considered less desirable than aisle or window seats, so intentionally adding more is unusual. Those who might actually like this arrangement include larger families with small kids who wish to sit together, as well as solitary travelers who want a seat that's both an aisle and a window, with no one next to them.
|-
|Bumper car seating
|Just in front of tail
|These seats are presumably not attached to anything, instead able to move freely like bumper cars – not exactly a safe way to fly.{{Citation needed}} Alternatively, the seats could simply be {{w|Bumper cars}}.
|-
|Penthouse
|Tail (rudder)
|A seat located in the tail, presumably higher than the rest. The tail of a plane doesn't usually have any seating, and airlines do not generally appreciate having passengers "higher than the pilot".

Some Etihad Airways planes actually have an apartment like cabin class called "the residence" that is sometimes called a penthouse by the media. This is located at the front of the plane, though, and it's unclear if this a reference to this.
|-
|Extra legroom
|Hanging off of left side of tail
|A common complaint with airplane seating is the lack of legroom. These seats do not have this problem – in fact, they have the entire atmosphere as legroom. Loss of shoes and/or glasses or other loose clothing could be an issue, as these seats appear to be outside the protection of the pressure-controlled main cabin, so passengers would bear the brunt of the wind.
|-
|Fighter escort
|Separate, smaller plane
|A smaller fighter jet flying alongside the main plane, apparently with seating options for 14 passengers. A few seats are at the front of the fighter, which means that those passengers may have to operate the jet if it's not autonomous.

A fighter escort would more normally be deployed to escort a plane that was considered a potential target, but not usually as a simple extension of the main flight.
|-
|Tail gunners (Must protect plane from pursuers but earn extra miles)
|Tail (riding above the stabiliser)
|People in these seats must protect the plane from any pursuers. The fact that these people are passengers is clear from the incentive of extra air miles. {{w|Frequent-flyer program|Frequent-flyer programs}} are a common system that airlines implement where passengers can receive special awards for flying often. It's not uncommon for different fare classes to earn different amounts of miles, but the difference is traditionally due to price or class, not because of in-flight services rendered.
|}

The 182 seats on the plane is a similar amount to a typically equipped Boeing 737-800, a very popular passenger plane. Up to 7,000 are in use around the world for short-range and mid-range flights. A typical Boeing 737-800 with 189 seats has a one-class layout in a 3x3 configuration, a bit simpler than what's seen here.

The presence of lookouts, tail gunners and a fighter escort suggests that this plane expects to be a target of air-to-air attacks, which suggests it may be carrying VIPs and flying over enemy airspace.

The title text expands on the hole, suggesting that it was a common occurrence for drink carts to fall down the hole until they implemented wheel locks. The lack of wheel locks would make it easier for a cart to slide towards the hole.

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

:Typical Airliner Seating Chart

:[Labeled items of a plane from front to back:]
:[Front of plane:]
:Cowcatcher
:[Cockpit (2 seats):]
:Please only pick these seats if you're a pilot
:[First Class section (22 seats):]
:Main stage
:Mosh pit
:Various fancy classes
:[Wings (2 x 55 seats):]
:Some airplane companies waste this space
:[Ends of wings (2 x 1 seat):]
:Lookout
:[Propellers (2 x 1 seat):]
:Passenger has to pedal
:[Middle of plane, just behind wings:]
:Hole for trash
:[Left side of plane, behind wings (7 seats):]
:Sidecar
:[Back of plane (24 seats):]
:Extra middle seats
:[Just in front of tail (4 seats):]
:Bumper car seating
:[Tail (1 seat):]
:Penthouse
:[Hanging off of left side of tail (3 seats):]
:Extra legroom
:[Tail (4 seats):]
:Tail gunners (Must protect plane from pursuers but earn extra miles)

:[Separate, smaller plane to the right (14 seats):]
:Fighter escort

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Aviation]]