explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

719: Brain Worms

2022-10-06T21:03:22Z

172.70.91.48: /* Explanation */ Firstly, to insert the joke you need the {{Template}} form. Secondly, it really isn't a brilliant joke so making it the {{Actual ...}} version.

{{comic
| number =719
| date =March 26, 2010
| title =Brain Worms
| image =brain_worms.png
| titletext =Hey, it says here that if you dream about your teeth falling out, it means they're spreading.
}}

==Explanation==
Another comic in the [[My Hobby]] series. [[Cueball]] is tricking [[Megan]] by pretending to read from a book about a parasitic brain worm, describing the apparent symptoms caused by an infection. The dreams described sound very specific, which leads Megan to believe that since she has been having these types of dream, she must be infected. The comic text asserts that these types of dream are fairly common however, and this knowledge can be leveraged to trick people who aren't aware of this.

Dream contents are likely to be affected by many factors, however because people share common thoughts, feelings and experiences in waking life, it is unsurprising that our dreams share common features. In the case of the comic, cars are a ubiquitous feature of life for most people,{{Actual citation needed}} and for many driving or being a passenger in a car is a regular experience. It is therefore to be expected that cars are likely to feature in dreams. What is less logical, but still common is there being something strange about the situation. The car may be huge, tiny, backwards, upside-down, flying, underwater, non-descript, etc. The examples given in the comic are typical of the 'unusual factor' reported in dreams.

Some people believe (to varying degrees) that dreams may be interpreted as a representation of a persons thoughts, emotions, or their subconscious. One of the more generally accepted interpretations of dreams involving driving or riding in a car, is that it expresses how you feel about your control over your own life. A dream about not fitting or not being comfortable in a car might be interpretted as the dreamer feeling out-of-place or uncomfortable in their own life, while dreams about losing control of a car might indicate the dreamer feels their life is out of control.

Megan of course does not have an infection from these fictional brain worms. Cueball is taking a "shot in the dark", with the success of his trick relying on Megan recognising these dream types as ones she has experienced. He may be playing on fears possibly carried by many people that these types of dreams hold a deeper significance which they can't identify. In the comic, Megan appears not to realize that he is pulling a prank on her and begins to get scared.

The title text continues the joke with another common dream, this time about teeth falling out. One commonly-accepted meaning of teeth falling out is a loss of confidence or power in one's life.

Common dreams are also discussed in [[1943: Universal Dreams]].

==Transcript==
:[Megan sits at a computer desk, and Cueball stands near her holding a book.]
:Cueball: Weird-this parasitic worm infects the brain, damaging the areas responsible for spatial reasoning in dreams. Signs of infection include dreams about not fitting in your car comfortably, driving from the backseat, or veering all over the road.
:Megan (thinking): Oh God.

:My Hobby: Taking advantage of the fact that some specific dreams are weirdly common, but not everyone who has them realizes this.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Dreams]]

Talk:2679: Quantified Self

2022-10-04T08:19:08Z

172.70.91.48:

Cueball makes 2.5 loops of the house, not 2 as in the explanation - 3 passes of the interior, and 2 of the exterior.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.48|172.70.91.48]] 08:19, 4 October 2022 (UTC)

This could also be a call back to the Billy Path comics run in Family Circus. I don't have time today to add that research though. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.59|172.70.214.59]] 16:00, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:The xkcd [[100: Family Circus]] seems relevant enough and readers can go to that page for an explanation of "Billy paths" and the OCD connection. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 00:24, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

Here is an explanation of what it is about
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCD/comments/1ve309/invisible_thread_attached_to_my_back_am_i_the/ {{unsigned|Florian F|18:11, 30 September 2022‎}}
:I was going to guess sorting Google Maps Directions by sustainability announced this past Wednesday. https://blog.google/products/search/new-ways-to-make-more-sustainable-choices/ [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.17|172.69.134.17]] 18:53, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::How is this comic about optimizing for sustainability?
:::It is about optimizing a particular attribute of maps directions. Sustainability is the most recent such attribute announced (two days prior to the comic) by a top-3 commerical maps directions provider. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.183|172.70.214.183]] 06:04, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:::: Google optimizes paths for distance and time for a long time already. The announcement is about optimizing for fuel efficiency instead. The comic clearly speaks about measuring distance but not about fuel consumption.
:::: The comic also insists on the topological features of constructions, namely whether there is a hole. This has nothing to do with fuel efficiency. And how does pulling a string taut measure fuel efficiency? I don't understand.
:::: The newspapers are full of events that happened 3 days ago. What makes Google's announcement more relevant to the comic than other news? [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 09:29, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::::: Are you saying your OCD interpretation is more likely? Do you have any sources compatible with {{w|WP:RSP}}? How do those sources compare to an annual software release announcement by a top-10 tech company? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.125|162.158.166.125]] 09:34, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::::::What I am saying is that the Google announcement as reliable as it is, is totally irrelevant to this comic. It is both optimization of a path. So what? It doesn't shed any light on any peculiarity of the comic. If you can explain why the red line is affected by bridges and an arch, but not by buildings or mountains, in the context of sustainability an fuel reduction, you might have a case. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 15:35, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:::::::The connection is clear to me: there is a new way to select paths based on a metric nobody has been using before. I don't feel the same way about the link to [[Math Work]] which is far more of a stretch, so I uncommented the first two sentences and the references, but deleted that link. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.126|172.70.211.126]] 05:12, 2 October 2022 (UTC)
::::::::What is clear is that you need to tailor your description in a very abstract way to make it look related. The context is completely different. And the reference to google maps doesn't explain any part of the comic strip. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 11:53, 2 October 2022 (UTC)
:::::::::All of the things in that Google blog post involve the quantified self as a central idea, not just the maps part. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.125|162.158.166.125]] 21:04, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

:I think you're way off. I don't see any hint that it's about OCD. If it's similar to the condition you referenced, it's just a coincidence. The whole thing needs to be started from scratch. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.105|108.162.221.105]] 20:41, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::That is why this site exists. To explain things you don't see. I don't think many people are familiar with this compulsion about an imaginary string retracing your path in space, but when you are, it is spot on. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 23:09, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:::I agree that this comic has nothing to do with OCD just because some people with OCD feels like they have a string attached. Randall is not saying he has a string just that he finds it funny to make these kind of calculations for what his path of the day have been. I agree with those in favor of deleting any reference to OCD from the explanation. Maybe someone with OCD wrote the current one? ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:06, 3 October 2022 (UTC)

GOOMHR![https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=GOOMHR] - Although for me it was the opposite aim. I've had periods of time when I wouldn't even like (if I noticed, I wasn't like OCD or anything[1]!!!) to make a return journey that meant I even crossed the road at a different point and thus passed under a different telegraph wire between a different set of adjacent poles, on the presumption that if I were to 'retract my path' then it would be irrevocably looped around at least one telegraph poles. (But normal lamp-posts were Ok... the path-'string' could just pass over and around the top and continue to retract. And it could pass above/below anything movable like cars, people, etc.) My ideal would be to be topologically contracted to zero length. Nut I wasn't actually obsessed by it, just... sometimes noticed when I was forced to do something that would cause such 'problems' and might deliberately ensure that any such loop was fully reversed (in strict reverse order to any such transit adding them in) ''if at all possible''. Of course, once it was spoilt by one end of the journey being held by a loop, the rest didn't matter so much. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.71|162.158.34.71]] 18:21, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:''[1] Not even CDO, which is like OCD but ordered alphabetically!''
:: I definitely am also someone who always played it your way, the reverse XKCD. My cats play it straight though, running into the house, through, and out a different entrance repeatedly one day, then the other way the day after. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.210.45|172.68.210.45]] 19:35, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:::Yeah, I was always trying to avoid "entangling" my path as well. I suppose it's not just nightmares that can be "oddly universal"--childhood superstitious compulsions might be the same way, at least among the nerd population! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.174.41|172.70.174.41]] 00:07, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

; Red string of Fate
The drawing looks like the red thread connecting people in chinese mythology.
-[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.188|162.158.91.188]] 18:21, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

What happens to the string if you crawl under a car which then drives off?[[Special:Contributions/172.70.134.141|172.70.134.141]] 20:05, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:You probably would only count objects that were stationary after you passed them.[[User:Anonymouscript|Anonymouscript]] ([[User talk:Anonymouscript|talk]]) 21:10, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::If it can conceivably move over your 'thread', then it isn't a 'tangling loop'. You have to allow for any degree of mysterious topological optimisation that can magically unhook itself from anything that can be unhooked from, no matter {{w|Alexander horned sphere|how much work it has to do to do so}}, and if that has to include choosing just the right time (with perfect prescience, where necessary!) to allow it to untangle wherever/whenever possible. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 21:25, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:::That doesn't make sense, taken to the extreme, since all things will turn to dust eventually.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.42|162.158.107.42]] 21:47, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::::Within the period of your concern (e.g. per daily routine), I would presume. That gantry over the road will be (partially, perhaps in stages) dissasembled for maintenance at some point, if not outright taken down, allowing an arbitrarily future-sensitive thread to not be caught up in it any more. Tachyonic thread-behaviour could happily unwrap around the time ''before'' the gantry (or bridges, or arch) were built, and as for the house... Before completion or after the next F5 tornado, the 4D constraints are far less (a line snagged permanently in a 4D 'passage' suggests something a bit more interesting, given a closed door doesn't 'snag' in 3D, only the use of two different doorways, with or without actual doors). But limiting it to a daily assesment bookends the whole 4D construct with a virtual lintel over (and under, in the ''t''-dimension) any potential gap for thread-movement that might be considered a way to be optimising to minimal necessary set of straight-line distances... Well, unless you learn the gantry was only assembled that morning, or that it had sufficient Ship Of Theseus-style repairs during the day, or a truck hit it by the end of the day... then it still acts as a looped-snagger
::::The car is trivial, in comparison, as we ''know'' it drives away in the posited scenario (and within the duration of the scenario). Even if our mental thread-pull does not allow us to tug it under the firmly ground-planted tyres, by reducing to periods of instaniousness as the 'trapped' thread is then rolled over (and even more tightly trapped, without violating the 'through solid matter' issue) you reach a point where it is now rolled ''off'' of (no longer underneath the car at all) so you can consider it untrapped. Unlike any thread that was threaded in through the driver's side door but out again through the passenger-side one, which traps loops completely (except for convertables, of course, or if Black Hat subsequently does a more width-wise [[562: Parking|version of the "cut'n'shut", with or without the "shut" bit]].
::::But that's just my interpretation. Thread-line obsessions probably come in various flavours and twists (can a thread-line knot about itself? And, insofar as the car example, is it basically forced to stay 'loose' but looped under the car as it drives, at least until enough of the car's wheels lose contact with the ground due to excessive speed over a humped bridge or even speedbump?) and I can't speak for all of them, but my reasonable (FCVO 'reasonable') assessment suggests that there are get outs ''and'' constraints that might be more universal than not. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.48|172.70.91.48]] 01:47, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

{{cot|When it was all about the OCD}}
This is about a type of OCD where some people feel like they have an imaginary string connecting them to where they come from. As they move around, that string gets entangled and they feel the urge to untangle it. When they enter a car, they feel the need to exit the car from the same door, or else the string will be trapped as forever passing through the car. When they enter a building, they feel they need to exit using the same doorway(s), to avoid entangling the string in the building.

Some cases, like turning around a lamp post are OK because you can imagine removing the loop over the top of the lamp post, such that it is not really entangled.

There may not be an official clinical name for this variety of OCD, but one suggested one is the "imaginary path-string".

Randall treats this OCD like a new measure to add to one's quantified self. The quantified self normally refers to the collection of measurements about your activity, like the number of steps you walk in a day, or monitoring your weight, blood pressure or calories intake. Here, Cueball measures his OCD, i.e. how long this imaginary string has become at the end of the day, after mentally untangling the string as much as possible with valid changes, like moving it around objects, but never through solid matter.

Unlike most people with this OCD, who feel the urge to minimize it, Randall/Cueball takes the opposite stance and actually prefers to maximize the (optimally minimal) length of that imaginary string.

The alt text tells about all the things that become useful adjuncts to this way of thinking and measuring, such as passing (one way) through any tube, tunnel or frame made of solid material that could thus capture the imaginary string and help to keep its ultimate distance as lengthy as possible. All of these situations are dreaded by the people with the more traditional version of OCD.
{{cob}}
...because someone [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2679:_Quantified_Self&diff=295745&oldid=295744 ''just deleted it''], and didn't even appear to attempt to replace it with anything useful themselves. (It did need a lot of editing, but not sure it is totally inapplicable, given the demonstrated familiarity with the basic concept by Randall's target audience...) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 21:25, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::I also had a preoccupation with this sort of thing, for a while as a child. My magic thread was a remnant of the umbilical cord, with one end permanently anchored in the hospital where I was born. I had little or no knowledge of the fundamental nature of matter and just thought of it as a rubber band that was too small to see or feel. Like in the comic and other comments here, it could magically stretch as much as needed and would un-stretch when possible. I did not consider changing behaviour (e.g. choosing an exit to leave a building) because I had no desire for it to be longer or shorter, and it was clearly far too late to make a significant difference. I did spend quite some time thinking of all the places the thread must have gotten caught (as in the comic) and estimating its total length. (I did not consider airports, or my estimate would have been far longer). [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 06:17, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

;Comics with color, red-line subset
As [[:Category:Comics with color]] doesn't have a currently extant Talk-page to it, mentioning it here (although not sure if this one counts, as much, for my suggestion). Many CwC examples are basically "monochrome with added red" ([[2639: Periodic Table Changes|'corrections' to periodic tables]], e.g.) that are distinct from "having lines of various colours" (like [[657: Movie Narrative Charts|multidata plottings]]), which are in turn distinctive from [[2598: Graphic Designers|floodfilled]] or [[1024: Error Code|brushstroked]] multihue images. A simple(ish) algorithm could autoclassify all images with any non-greyscale pixels in them, but (from a human perspective, which is [[1530: Keyboard Mash|definitely my kind of perspective]]!) I think that we could sub-split CwC candidates into something like "(Monochrome) Comics with added red lines", and the rest. Doubtless some are going to be edge-cases (is this one technically a red-line one? Probably, but it's not really the same as a 'correction/annotation' red-lined comic), but such subcategorisation might still be broadly useful. - Just a wild idea, that you could perhaps safely ignore. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.117|172.70.90.117]] 02:25, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

Are there any ''reliable'' sources for the OCD interpretation, or merely a collection of anecdotes? If the former, please spell out and wikilink OCD. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.158.119|172.71.158.119]] 07:24, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

I have some questions about the Google Maps Directions sustainability and related Google features; please see:
* https://itep.org/the-impact-of-work-from-home-on-commercial-property-values-and-the-property-tax-in-u-s-cities/
* https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/08/working-from-home-commercial-office-space-booming
* https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-08-12/office-rentals-shrink-as-tenant-employees-work-from-home
* https://www.computerworld.com/article/3659891/google-others-adding-office-space-in-anticipation-of-the-great-return.html
* https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/01/14/google-spends-billions-on-buying-office-buildings-is-this-a-sign-of-the-post-pandemic-pushback-against-remote-work/
* https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-cutting-office-space-predict-long-term-savings-11625493601
Firstly, has Google published a cost-benefit analysis comparing the sharply increased profits and productivity from work-from-home to the value of coastal region commercial office space holdings and leases? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.59|172.70.214.59]] 08:49, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Added, except I TLDRed on those six links lol. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.185|162.158.166.185]] 08:57, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::This looks totally irrelevant to me. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 09:29, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Did you miss these three?
:* https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-04-28/google-is-saving-1-billion-per-year-as-a-result-of-employees-working-from-home
:* https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-15/google-googl-wants-employees-to-return-to-office-despite-productivity-gains
:* https://www.reuters.com/world/the-great-reboot/pay-cut-google-employees-who-work-home-could-lose-money-2021-08-10/
:? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.125|162.158.166.125]] 09:31, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::No, seriously? You think this comic has to do with google employees working from home?

I [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2679%3A_Quantified_Self&type=revision&diff=295816&oldid=295813 deleted the entire OCD interpretation section] because I couldn't figure out how to comment it out. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.158.89|172.71.158.89]] 10:59, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Usual HTML commenting-out would do it. Put a <code><nowiki></nowiki></code> after it. (There's no valid 'tag-end' <code><nowiki>--!></nowiki></code>. The special tag as a whole is <code><nowiki></nowiki></code>, though why it isn't <code><nowiki><!-- --/></nowiki></code> more closely aligned with XML standards for singleton tags I couldn't tell you. ;)
:However, I feel you're just missing the fact that this is provably a thing (to various degrees as exquisitely described both here and on external links) and as valid as subject for Randall's parody as [[245: Floor Tiles|stepping only in valid patterns]] or [[735: Floor|not even upon the floor at all]]. But you've made the change, so... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.211|172.69.79.211]] 21:47, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::Glad to see some people have some sense. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 22:34, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:I put the proper HTML markers to comment out the old OCD section (that the anonymous editor thought was too long?) and restored the citations with a much shorter explanation and two relevant XKCD comics (735 floor and 100 family circus). [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 22:39, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
:Now you can do the same with the Google Maps Sustainability hypotheses that so far hasn't proven any relevance to the comic. But do I repeat myself? [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 22:34, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
::I'm inclined to agree. I'll put the same block-comment tags around that Google Sustainability paragraph. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 22:50, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
;r/whoosh
We need a "I don't get it" tag for these strips. We could call it "r/whoosh".
(to be fair, I understand the comics, but I don't personally find it neither fascinating, nor interesting, nor funny, nor depicting an interesting fact, nor something I can relate about, and I don't think I'm going to be the only one... YMMV to those who feel differently). [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 17:09, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
;A thought about the world of this comic
The world created by these locations looks like the world of the original ''Starcraft'''s third Terran mission, "Desperate Alliance," the one where you have to survive for thirty minutes. Just a thought.

;Ferris wheel
I'm going to need somesort of visual to understand why riding a ferris wheel would constitute going through a topological tunnel. I've been staring at [https://previews.123rf.com/images/sasha85ru/sasha85ru1704/sasha85ru170400010/75016847-ferris-wheel-open-cabins-of-the-ferris-wheel-.jpg an image like this] for a few minutes now and can't figure it out. I presume it has something to do with the cabin [https://c8.alamy.com/comp/J2PA3X/ferris-wheel-cabins-against-a-blue-sky-J2PA3X.jpg dropping within the circle of the eye]? Presumably this wouldn't count for [https://res.cloudinary.com/fleetnation/image/private/c_fit,w_1120/g_south,l_text:style_gothic2:%C2%A9%20Chris%20Van%20Lennep,o_20,y_10/g_center,l_watermark4,o_25,y_50/v1479723075/wkyi8dyzrxdfxx9rtilm.jpg this design] then? Either way, I cannot visualize it at all... [[User:Maplestrip|Maplestrip]] ([[User talk:Maplestrip|talk]]) 09:24, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
:I think some ferris wheels have you enter on one side and exit on the other, which makes people waiting in line not ahaving to get out of your way. Not all, but I have tried at least one. And in such a wheel your string would go through the cabin (which then also goes around and around, thus maybe winding up the string?) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:05, 3 October 2022 (UTC)
:Unless you restricted your ride to just the single circuit (and, even then, with infrastructure caveats about cabin/gondola entry and exit) every loop you made of a standard "axle with two supports" Ferris-style wheel would thread you (inexorably) through the legs/axle 'doorway' sat upon the ground. This can only be avoided by having a {{w|London Eye|single-sided support}} for the wheel.
:Though, recalling my few journeys upon that particular example, ''despite'' that offset support, plus the ride being just a single slow loop (minus the small distance between pod-empty point and the pod-fill one for the next occupants), ''plus'' the gondolas/pods being external (with traditional internal gondala-to-wheel being a further 'threading' action to be concerned about), there were other thread-loop-holding aspects even to the queuing experience, if one cares to keep track of such things.
:You ''could'' design a threading-free 'wheel', even multi-turn, but almost every example built without such considerations (all of them?) will provide at least one 'tunnel', probably more, whether wanted/desired or unwanted/undesirable for your mental or virtual thread-tracking purposes. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.98.97|172.71.98.97]] 14:59, 3 October 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2679: Quantified Self

2022-10-01T01:47:12Z

172.70.91.48:

This could also be a call back to the Billy Path comics run in Family Circus. I don't have time today to add that research though. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.214.59|172.70.214.59]] 16:00, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

Here is an explanation of what it is about
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCD/comments/1ve309/invisible_thread_attached_to_my_back_am_i_the/ {{unsigned|Florian F|18:11, 30 September 2022‎}}
:I was going to guess sorting Google Maps Directions by sustainability announced this past Wednesday. https://blog.google/products/search/new-ways-to-make-more-sustainable-choices/ [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.17|172.69.134.17]] 18:53, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:I think you're way off. I don't see any hint that it's about OCD. If it's similar to the condition you referenced, it's just a coincidence. The whole thing needs to be started from scratch. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.105|108.162.221.105]] 20:41, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:That is why this site exists. To explain things you don't see. I don't think many people are familiar with this compulsion about an imaginary string retracing your path in space, but when you are, it is spot on. [[User:Florian F|Florian F]] ([[User talk:Florian F|talk]]) 23:09, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

GOOMHR! - Although for me it was the opposite aim. I've had periods of time when I wouldn't even like (if I noticed, I wasn't like OCD or anything[1]!!!) to make a return journey that meant I even crossed the road at a different point and thus passed under a different telegraph wire between a different set of adjacent poles, on the presumption that if I were to 'retract my path' then it would be irrevocably looped around at least one telegraph poles. (But normal lamp-posts were Ok... the path-'string' could just pass over and around the top and continue to retract. And it could pass above/below anything movable like cars, people, etc.) My ideal would be to be topologically contracted to zero length. Nut I wasn't actually obsessed by it, just... sometimes noticed when I was forced to do something that would cause such 'problems' and might deliberately ensure that any such loop was fully reversed (in strict reverse order to any such transit adding them in) ''if at all possible''. Of course, once it was spoilt by one end of the journey being held by a loop, the rest didn't matter so much. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.71|162.158.34.71]] 18:21, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:''[1] Not even CDO, which is like OCD but ordered alphabetically!''
:: I definitely am also someone who always played it your way, the reverse XKCD. My cats play it straight though, running into the house, through, and out a different entrance repeatedly one day, then the other way the day after. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.210.45|172.68.210.45]] 19:35, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

; Red string of Fate
The drawing looks like the red thread connecting people in chinese mythology.
-[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.188|162.158.91.188]] 18:21, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

What happens to the string if you crawl under a car which then drives off?[[Special:Contributions/172.70.134.141|172.70.134.141]] 20:05, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:You probably would only count objects that were stationary after you passed them.[[User:Anonymouscript|Anonymouscript]] ([[User talk:Anonymouscript|talk]]) 21:10, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::If it can conceivably move over your 'thread', then it isn't a 'tangling loop'. You have to allow for any degree of mysterious topological optimisation that can magically unhook itself from anything that can be unhooked from, no matter {{w|Alexander horned sphere|how much work it has to do to do so}}, and if that has to include choosing just the right time (with perfect prescience, where necessary!) to allow it to untangle wherever/whenever possible. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 21:25, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
:::That doesn't make sense, taken to the extreme, since all things will turn to dust eventually.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.42|162.158.107.42]] 21:47, 30 September 2022 (UTC)
::::Within the period of your concern (e.g. per daily routine), I would presume. That gantry over the road will be (partially, perhaps in stages) dissasembled for maintenance at some point, if not outright taken down, allowing an arbitrarily future-sensitive thread to not be caught up in it any more. Tachyonic thread-behaviour could happily unwrap around the time ''before'' the gantry (or bridges, or arch) were built, and as for the house... Before completion or after the next F5 tornado, the 4D constraints are far less (a line snagged permanently in a 4D 'passage' suggests something a bit more interesting, given a closed door doesn't 'snag' in 3D, only the use of two different doorways, with or without actual doors). But limiting it to a daily assesment bookends the whole 4D construct with a virtual lintel over (and under, in the ''t''-dimension) any potential gap for thread-movement that might be considered a way to be optimising to minimal necessary set of straight-line distances... Well, unless you learn the gantry was only assembled that morning, or that it had sufficient Ship Of Theseus-style repairs during the day, or a truck hit it by the end of the day... then it still acts as a looped-snagger
::::The car is trivial, in comparison, as we ''know'' it drives away in the posited scenario (and within the duration of the scenario). Even if our mental thread-pull does not allow us to tug it under the firmly ground-planted tyres, by reducing to periods of instaniousness as the 'trapped' thread is then rolled over (and even more tightly trapped, without violating the 'through solid matter' issue) you reach a point where it is now rolled ''off'' of (no longer underneath the car at all) so you can consider it untrapped. Unlike any thread that was threaded in through the driver's side door but out again through the passenger-side one, which traps loops completely (except for convertables, of course, or if Black Hat subsequently does a more width-wise [[562: Parking|version of the "cut'n'shut", with or without the "shut" bit]].
::::But that's just my interpretation. Thread-line obsessions probably come in various flavours and twists (can a thread-line knot about itself? And, insofar as the car example, is it basically forced to stay 'loose' but looped under the car as it drives, at least until enough of the car's wheels lose contact with the ground due to excessive speed over a humped bridge or even speedbump?) and I can't speak for all of them, but my reasonable (FCVO 'reasonable') assessment suggests that there are get outs ''and'' constraints that might be more universal than not. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.48|172.70.91.48]] 01:47, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

{{cot|When it was all about the OCD}}
This is about a type of OCD where some people feel like they have an imaginary string connecting them to where they come from. As they move around, that string gets entangled and they feel the urge to untangle it. When they enter a car, they feel the need to exit the car from the same door, or else the string will be trapped as forever passing through the car. When they enter a building, they feel they need to exit using the same doorway(s), to avoid entangling the string in the building.

Some cases, like turning around a lamp post are OK because you can imagine removing the loop over the top of the lamp post, such that it is not really entangled.

There may not be an official clinical name for this variety of OCD, but one suggested one is the "imaginary path-string".

Randall treats this OCD like a new measure to add to one's quantified self. The quantified self normally refers to the collection of measurements about your activity, like the number of steps you walk in a day, or monitoring your weight, blood pressure or calories intake. Here, Cueball measures his OCD, i.e. how long this imaginary string has become at the end of the day, after mentally untangling the string as much as possible with valid changes, like moving it around objects, but never through solid matter.

Unlike most people with this OCD, who feel the urge to minimize it, Randall/Cueball takes the opposite stance and actually prefers to maximize the (optimally minimal) length of that imaginary string.

The alt text tells about all the things that become useful adjuncts to this way of thinking and measuring, such as passing (one way) through any tube, tunnel or frame made of solid material that could thus capture the imaginary string and help to keep its ultimate distance as lengthy as possible. All of these situations are dreaded by the people with the more traditional version of OCD.
{{cob}}
...because someone [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2679:_Quantified_Self&diff=295745&oldid=295744 ''just deleted it''], and didn't even appear to attempt to replace it with anything useful themselves. (It did need a lot of editing, but not sure it is totally inapplicable, given the demonstrated familiarity with the basic concept by Randall's target audience...) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 21:25, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

2678: Wing Lift

2022-09-30T12:21:00Z

172.70.91.48: /* Explanation */ Ok?

{{comic
| number = 2678
| date = September 28, 2022
| title = Wing Lift
| image = wing_lift_2x.png
| imagesize = 679x358px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Once the air from the top passes below the plane of the wing and catches sight of the spooky skulls, it panics, which is the cause of turbulent vortices.
}}

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

This comic is a parody of the incomplete explanations given to physics students on how wings produce lift.

Specifically, it parodies the Equal Transit Time fallacy, which states that the air flowing above the wing and the air flowing below the wing have to travel from one side of the wing to the other in equal time, so the air above the wing has to travel faster to keep up with the air below. This assumes that the air above the wing is somehow conscious of what the air below the wing is doing. 

This assumption of consciousness is taken to extreme parody by the comic - it implies that the bottom air can be frightened by skulls, that the top air is curious to see what's going on, and that air can panic.

***

Wings can produce {{w|Lift (force)|lift}},<ref name="Prandtl & Tietjens (1952)">Tietjens, Oskar Karl Gustav; [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Prandtl Prandtl, Ludwig] (1957). [https://books.google.com/books?id=4KtFcuCZ3VsC&pg=PR1 ''Fundamentals of Hydro- and Aeromechanics'']. Courier Corporation. ISBN 978-0-486-60374-2</ref> i.e. an upwards force with which an aircraft is held in the air.

One or more of three main reasons may typically be given as to why airplane wings produce lift:
* {{w|Bernoulli's principle}} (which is the most frequently cited)
* The airplane wing is angled up at the front so that air hits the bottom and is pushed downwards (The ski effect or {{w|Newton's sine-square law of air resistance}}).
* {{w|Coandă effect}} (The top is curved, so air going over the wing must curve downwards in order to avoid creating a vacuum above the back of the wing, and by Newton's third law, this results in an upwards force on the wing.)
The comic references all three of these reasons. Airflow splitting references Bernoulli's principle, while the air at the bottom being scared and fleeing downwards is similar to the effect of air hitting the angled bottom of the wing. The air going over the top curving down references the Coandă effect, although the comic claims that this effect is instead caused by the top-air noticing the bottom-air fleeing downward and goes down to investigate why the bottom-air is fleeing. The mention of Newton's third law is indeed correct, even if the movement of the air is for the wrong reasons. In the title text, it additionally suggests that the top-flow also end up glimpsing the printed skulls, causing it to also chaotically flee, generating a wing's classic turbulent wake.

Randall previously dealt with explanations of wing lift in [[803: Airfoil]].

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

[Caption at the top of the panel:] How a wing produces lift

[A diagram of the cross-section of a plane wing. It is large and rounded on the left end and flat on the bottom while the top curves down to meet it at a sharp point. There are many small arrows indicating the flow of wind, as well as captions.]

[The arrows come from the left of the panel, point towards the wing, and then half begin to go over and half begin to go under. A caption in the middle of this flow reads:] Airflow splits around the top and bottom of the wing

[A circle underneath the diagram is connected to an arrow which points to the underside of the wing. A repeating pattern of small black (simplified) skulls fills the circle and arrow. The caption to the right of this is:] Spooky skulls microprinted on the bottom of the wing frighten the air, which flees away downward

[The arrows begin to curve downwards after this caption, and are joined by the top arrows which have also begun to curve downward. In these arrows is a caption:] Top air goes to see what's wrong

[Both streams of arrows have joined and are pointing to the bottom right of the panel. In front of them is a caption:] By Newton's third law, downward deflection of air pushes wing upward

{{comic discussion}}

[[category:Engineering]]
[[category:Physics]]
[[category:Aviation]]

2218: Wardrobe

2022-09-27T11:01:32Z

172.70.91.48: /* Explanation */ Again, updating; again refraining from mentioning the unresolved promises and fears (not helped by pandemic/war, sure, but already unrealistic from almost anybody's perspective)

{{comic
| number = 2218
| date = October 21, 2019
| title = Wardrobe
| image = wardrobe.png
| titletext = If you'd just agree to hold your meetings in here, you'd have PLENTY of time to figure things out before the deadline.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] leaves [[Cueball]] outside while she goes into a wardrobe to consult with {{w|Mr. Tumnus|Tumnus}} on the pressing question if Narnia is part of the EU. It turns out they have joined (some time after the UK joined), which makes Megan complain about another border to deal with. And Cueball waiting outside goes looking for a lock for the wardrobe door.

This comic references ''{{w|The Chronicles of Narnia}}'', a series of children's fantasy books by {{w|C.S. Lewis}} (some of which were later {{w|The Chronicles of Narnia (film series)|made into movies}}, plays, and TV and radio shows) about a group of children from England who travel to a magical land called Narnia. In the first book of the series (by publication date), ''{{w|The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe}}'', Narnia is accessible through a wardrobe in a residence in the English countryside. Mr. Tumnus is a {{w|faun}} in Narnia and the first character that the first human visitor, {{w|Lucy Pevensie}}, meets on her first trip through the wardrobe portal. Referencing Narnia is a [[:Category:Chronicles of Narnia|recurring theme]] in xkcd. Tumnus was depicted in the first comic to reference Narnia: [[665: Prudence]].

The comic also makes reference to membership in the {{w|European Union}}. The {{w|United Kingdom}} (UK) is a member of the EU at the time of this comic, but narrowly voted via {{w|2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|public referendum in 2016 to exit the EU}} (a process commonly referred to as {{w|Brexit}}, portamanteau for Britain/British and exit), but working out the details of this separation has proven more complicated than the simple in/out vote implied.

Narnia applying to join the EU shortly after the UK, as referred to in the title text, would theoretically be possible, even if only ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' was considered, since the UK joined the EU in 1973, whereas the wardrobe entrance to Narnia was discovered during World War 2, therefore in the period between 1939 and 1945. However, they would most likely be rejected due to not technically existing in Europe and having a monarchy government (EU membership requires a stable democracy).

One of the major issues with Brexit remains the border between {{w|Northern Ireland}} and the {{w|Republic of Ireland}}. The two countries share the island of {{w|Ireland}}, but Northern Ireland is part of the UK while the Republic is an independent country which remains part of the EU. With the UK exited from the EU, it would have different customs regulations than the Republic of Ireland, and there would need to be some kind of customs border. The most obvious solution would be to establish a controlled land border between the two countries, but this would raise some serious difficulties and dangers.

Northern Ireland has had a long history of civil unrest and ethno-nationalist conflict. The most recent period of conflict, commonly referred to as {{w|The Troubles}}, resulted in over 3000 deaths between 1969 and 1998. In 1998, the UK and Ireland entered into a treaty, known as the {{w|Good Friday Agreement}} (overwhelmingly approved by referendums in both parts of Ireland). This treaty was intended to resolve many of the issues that drove the conflict, and has largely been successful in putting a stop to the violence. One of the agreements in the treaty was a totally open border between the two parts of Ireland. As both were in the EU, this was easily done, because they already shared a customs union. Over the following two decades, the ease of transit created major trade links between the two areas, and many people lived in one country and worked in the other. In the UK Brexit referendum, a majority of Northern Ireland voters voted to remain in the EU. Placing a hard border between the two countries would create major economic disruptions, and serious hardships for people living near the border. It would also undermine the intent of the Good Friday Agreement, which could lead to a the rekindling of hostilities and the return of terrorist attacks, instead of all sides pursuing purely political means to uphold their aims of finally joining with the rest of Ireland or continuing to stay British. The Irish government raised this issue from the time Brexit was first proposed, but their warnings were not fully heeded.

The alternative to this border would be to maintain open borders between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but institute customs checks between the island of Ireland and the United Kingdom. In October 2019, Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, negotiated a Brexit deal with the EU that included this arrangement, but from {{w|United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020|late 2020 onwards}} instituted seemingly contrary rules that have not yet (as of the end of his premiership, in 2022) been resolved.

While the Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland border issue has received the most attention, the UK has land borders with two other EU countries. The UK territory of Gibraltar shares a border with Spain. There are also two Sovereign Bases Areas that share a border with the Republic of Cyprus.

The portal in the wardrobe represents ''another'' border of the UK, namely the border between England and Narnia. This 'border', of course, exists only in fiction, but the joke here is that it must be dealt with in the Brexit negotiations, further complicating an already messy situation.{{Citation needed}} A further source of implicit humor is the juxtaposition of a fantasy children's tale about the magical land of Narnia with the highly contentious, political, adult world of Brexit.

Cueball suggests solving the situation by simply locking the wardrobe (which was never very accessible, even in ''The Chronicles of Narnia''), effectively isolating the UK from Narnia and making the border problem moot. This wouldn't work even in the fictional world of the books, as new ways to enter Narnia pop up in every book, although most of them are accessible only to the kids from the first book and their friends.

The title text references the amount of time it has taken to complete the Brexit negotiations, that was three-plus years and counting at the time of the comic, and 'completed' during Johnson's term but leaving important issues (such as the above) not fully resolved. The negotiators had set a series of deadlines to complete the negotiations, but had repeatedly had to extend those deadlines because they hadn't reached any agreement. The comic was posted roughly one week before the then-current Brexit deadline of Oct. 31, 2019. However [https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/19/eu-says-britain-has-requested-an-extension-of-brexit-deadline-after-uk-lawmakers-delay-vote.html it was already expected that that deadline too would probably be extended] and while the core element of Brexit eventually 'got done', there remain a number of unresolved issues. In ''The Chronicles of Narnia'', time moves inconsistently in Narnia compared to Earth, usually passing more rapidly in Narnia than on Earth. Lucy Pevensie and her siblings enter the wardrobe as children, have extensive adventures in Narnia lasting many years, and then return to Earth to find that they are children again and that only a few minutes have passed. The suggestion here is that holding the slow, complex Brexit (and 'post-Brexit') negotiations in Narnia would take relatively little time on Earth, and the whole affair could be completed in time for any deadline.

A punchline similar to the title text, where the slower passing of time was used to take on time-intensive real world problems, was also used for one of the comics in [[821: Five-Minute Comics: Part 3]]. The time difference was also mentioned in the title text of [[1786: Trash]].

==Transcript==
:[Megan is entering into an open wardrobe, while Cueball stands outside.]
:Megan: I'll go ask.
:Megan: You wait here.

:[Cueball stands outside the now-closed wardrobe.]

:[In a frame-less panel Cueball keeps standing outside the closed wardrobe with voices heard from inside the wardrobe. The characters talking are inferred from the context.]
:Mr. Tumnus (from inside wardrobe): Halt! Who goes there?
:Megan (from inside wardrobe): Hey Tumnus. Quick question.
:Mr. Tumnus (from inside wardrobe): Yes?

:[Cueball is walking away from the closed wardrobe. Voices can still be heard from inside the wardrobe.]
:Megan (from inside wardrobe): Is Narnia in the E.U.?
:Mr. Tumnus (from inside wardrobe): Yes, we joined after you did.
:Megan (from inside wardrobe): Oh great, ''another'' border to deal with.
:Cueball: I'll go find a lock for the door.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Chronicles of Narnia]]
[[Category:Politics]]

2675: Pilot Priority List

2022-09-22T13:30:04Z

172.70.91.48: /* Explanation */ Not the best way to wikink, but better. Maybe have it as in-article side-image (as per recent toplogy-related explanations), except size would need properly judging. (And then could directly contrast with mediawiki cake image, in turn!)

{{comic
| number = 2675
| date = September 21, 2022
| title = Pilot Priority List
| image = pilot_priority_list_2x.png
| imagesize = 369x548px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = CELEBRATE: Serve passengers tiered cakes shaped like the airspace class diagram
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ELUCIDATE, EXPLICATE, ANNOTATE, DEMONSTRATE, AND ILLUSTRATE CHECKLIST. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The [https://elevate-aviation.com/blog/pilots-priority-checklist "ANC" Pilot Priority Checklist] is a list of three guidelines, sorted by priority, that pilots should follow to prevent them from being distracted. Failing to follow it might make the plane crash or suffer other problems. As a {{w|mnemonic}} device, all the activities end in ''-ate''.

# '''Aviate''' means "Keeping the plane in control". If the pilot fails to do this the plane might crash. That is why this should be the highest priority for the pilot.
# '''Navigate''' means "Knowing where you are and where you're going". Failing to follow this might make the plane go into restricted airspace, for example, or make the journey take too long, or cause the flight to crash into terrain obscured by clouds.
# '''Communicate''' means talking to air traffic control (ATC) through radio. In the standard list this is the lowest priority because talking through the radio might distract the pilot from other more important or urgent tasks.

By defering all activities until the prior need is deemed satisfied, the immediate dangers of {{w|United Airlines Flight 173|UFIT}} and {{w|Controlled flight into terrain|CFIT}} are proportionately reduced (insofar as any pilot's {{w|Loss of control (aeronautics)|current circumstances}} allow) and yet leave time to be able to coordinate properly with any {{w|Separation (aeronautics)|other hazards}}.

[[Randall]] humorously "extends" this standard list with other ''-ate'' checklist items that pilots could do if they're not too busy aviating, navigating and communicating. These extra tasks go from somewhat hilarious to physically impossible or dangerous, see the [[#Table of extended priority items|table]] below for explanations. These actions {{w|Sterile flight deck rule|should generally not be taken}}, as they could distract the pilot and prevent them from reaching the cabin in case of an emergency, or simply vaporize everyone inside — including the plane itself.

The title text adds another ''-ate'' to the check list with Celebrate. It refers to airspace with stricter entry requirements overhead of large airports. In the US, the {{w|Airspace_class_(United_States)|airspace class}} over, for instance an airport, starts with a small circle over the airport and then becomes wider in one or two steps at higher altitudes. When depicted graphically, this looks like an {{w|File:Airspace classes (United States).png|inverted tiered cake}}, as opposed to a [https://3brothersbakery.com/product/wedding-white-chandelier-tier/ regular tiered cake]. Randall suggests that after having congratulated yourself for flying a plane, you could then celebrate by serving the passengers cakes in this inverted shape. It would, however, be unsuitable for a plane to serve cakes that are smaller at the bottom than at the top because of turbulence.

===Table of extended priority items===
{| class="wikitable"
! Checklist item
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| Decorate || Make the cockpit fancy || {{w|Interior design}} of aircraft cockpits is usually starkly utilitarian and could conceivably benefit from enhancements if they aren't distracting.
|-
| Accelerate || See how fast you can go || While pilots are often keenly interested in the extents of their aircraft flight capabilities, maximum speed is inefficient in jet aircraft, and probably best explored in modern flight simulators than passenger flights.
|-
| Roller skate || Zoom down the aisle || Passengers would probably not appreciate this,{{cn}} although fellow crew members might be amused.
|-
| Exfoliate || Scrub away dead skin || {{w|Emery board}}s and {{w|pumice}} are used to prevent flaking and the development of {{w|callus}}es but dermatologists caution exfoliation is very often unnecessary and can have unwanted consequences.
|-
| Sublimate || Turn directly into a vapor || To the contrary, one of the most important duties of aircraft pilots is to prevent passengers and crew from vaporizing.
|-
| Pollinate || Fly low to stir up pollen || Low-flying helicopters can assist in plant {{w|pollination}},[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037842901931175X] and are offered as a [http://www.flyingmair.com/ag-services/corn-pollination/ commercial service by helicopter pilots.] However, this is not normally done by (commercial) planes and would likely be both dangerous{{cn}} and ineffective.{{Actual citation needed}}
|-
| Congratulate || You're doing a good job flying a plane! || Self-esteem is an important component of mental health, and encouragement can help build it.
|-
| Celebrate (title text) || Serve passengers tiered cakes shaped like the airspace class diagram || See discussion of the title text above.
|}

==Transcript==
:[A list with ten numbered points are shown. Above the list is a large header. Below this is a divided line with a section header written in a smaller than standard font. The three first numbered points are below this. Then follows another divided line with section header written in smaller font and below this the next seven numbered points. All ten points have two lines of text. A line with a normal sized font and below each of these a description in a smaller light gray font.]
::<big>Pilot Priority List</big>
:-----------Standard section-----------
:1. Aviate
::Maintain control of the aircraft
:2. Navigate
::Figure out where you're going
:3. Communicate
::Stay in touch with ATC and others
:-----------Extended section-----------
:4. Decorate
::Make the cockpit fancy
:5. Accelerate
::See how fast you can go
:6. Roller skate
::Zoom down the aisle
:7. Exfoliate
::Scrub away dead skin
:8. Sublimate
::Turn directly to a vapor
:9. Pollinate
::Fly low to stir up pollen
:10. Congratulate
::You're doing a good job flying a plane!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Food]]

2675: Pilot Priority List

2022-09-22T13:21:55Z

172.70.91.48: /* Explanation */ Attempting to illustrating the 'three laws' nature of fallback (had to choose just one example for UFIT, maybe need a better LOCI one instead)

{{comic
| number = 2675
| date = September 21, 2022
| title = Pilot Priority List
| image = pilot_priority_list_2x.png
| imagesize = 369x548px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = CELEBRATE: Serve passengers tiered cakes shaped like the airspace class diagram
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ELUCIDATE, EXPLICATE, ANNOTATE, DEMONSTRATE, AND ILLUSTRATE CHECKLIST. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The [https://elevate-aviation.com/blog/pilots-priority-checklist "ANC" Pilot Priority Checklist] is a list of three guidelines, sorted by priority, that pilots should follow to prevent them from being distracted. Failing to follow it might make the plane crash or suffer other problems. As a {{w|mnemonic}} device, all the activities end in ''-ate''.

# '''Aviate''' means "Keeping the plane in control". If the pilot fails to do this the plane might crash. That is why this should be the highest priority for the pilot.
# '''Navigate''' means "Knowing where you are and where you're going". Failing to follow this might make the plane go into restricted airspace, for example, or make the journey take too long, or cause the flight to crash into terrain obscured by clouds.
# '''Communicate''' means talking to air traffic control (ATC) through radio. In the standard list this is the lowest priority because talking through the radio might distract the pilot from other more important or urgent tasks.

By defering all activities until the prior need is deemed satisfied, the immediate dangers of {{w|United Airlines Flight 173|UFIT}} and {{w|Controlled flight into terrain|CFIT}} are proportionately reduced (insofar as any pilot's {{wLoss of control (aeronautics)|current circumstances}} allow) and yet leave time to be able to coordinate properly with any {{w|Separation (aeronautics)|other hazards}}.

[[Randall]] humorously "extends" this standard list with other ''-ate'' checklist items that pilots could do if they're not too busy aviating, navigating and communicating. These extra tasks go from somewhat hilarious to physically impossible or dangerous, see the [[#Table of extended priority items|table]] below for explanations. These actions {{w|Sterile flight deck rule|should generally not be taken}}, as they could distract the pilot and prevent them from reaching the cabin in case of an emergency, or simply vaporize everyone inside — including the plane itself.

The title text adds another ''-ate'' to the check list with Celebrate. It refers to airspace with stricter entry requirements overhead of large airports. In the US, the {{w|Airspace_class_(United_States)|airspace class}} over, for instance an airport, starts with a small circle over the airport and then becomes wider in one or two steps at higher altitudes. When depicted graphically, this looks like an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspace_class_(United_States)#/media/File:Airspace_classes_(United_States).png inverted tiered cake], as opposed to a [https://3brothersbakery.com/product/wedding-white-chandelier-tier/ regular tiered cake]. Randall suggests that after having congratulated yourself for flying a plane, you could then celebrate by serving the passengers cakes in this inverted shape. It would, however, be unsuitable for a plane to serve cakes that are smaller at the bottom than at the top because of turbulence.

===Table of extended priority items===
{| class="wikitable"
! Checklist item
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| Decorate || Make the cockpit fancy || {{w|Interior design}} of aircraft cockpits is usually starkly utilitarian and could conceivably benefit from enhancements if they aren't distracting.
|-
| Accelerate || See how fast you can go || While pilots are often keenly interested in the extents of their aircraft flight capabilities, maximum speed is inefficient in jet aircraft, and probably best explored in modern flight simulators than passenger flights.
|-
| Roller skate || Zoom down the aisle || Passengers would probably not appreciate this,{{cn}} although fellow crew members might be amused.
|-
| Exfoliate || Scrub away dead skin || {{w|Emery board}}s and {{w|pumice}} are used to prevent flaking and the development of {{w|callus}}es but dermatologists caution exfoliation is very often unnecessary and can have unwanted consequences.
|-
| Sublimate || Turn directly into a vapor || To the contrary, one of the most important duties of aircraft pilots is to prevent passengers and crew from vaporizing.
|-
| Pollinate || Fly low to stir up pollen || Low-flying helicopters can assist in plant {{w|pollination}},[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037842901931175X] and are offered as a [http://www.flyingmair.com/ag-services/corn-pollination/ commercial service by helicopter pilots.] However, this is not normally done by (commercial) planes and would likely be both dangerous{{cn}} and ineffective.{{Actual citation needed}}
|-
| Congratulate || You're doing a good job flying a plane! || Self-esteem is an important component of mental health, and encouragement can help build it.
|-
| Celebrate (title text) || Serve passengers tiered cakes shaped like the airspace class diagram || See discussion of the title text above.
|}

==Transcript==
:[A list with ten numbered points are shown. Above the list is a large header. Below this is a divided line with a section header written in a smaller than standard font. The three first numbered points are below this. Then follows another divided line with section header written in smaller font and below this the next seven numbered points. All ten points have two lines of text. A line with a normal sized font and below each of these a description in a smaller light gray font.]
::<big>Pilot Priority List</big>
:-----------Standard section-----------
:1. Aviate
::Maintain control of the aircraft
:2. Navigate
::Figure out where you're going
:3. Communicate
::Stay in touch with ATC and others
:-----------Extended section-----------
:4. Decorate
::Make the cockpit fancy
:5. Accelerate
::See how fast you can go
:6. Roller skate
::Zoom down the aisle
:7. Exfoliate
::Scrub away dead skin
:8. Sublimate
::Turn directly to a vapor
:9. Pollinate
::Fly low to stir up pollen
:10. Congratulate
::You're doing a good job flying a plane!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Food]]

Talk:2095: Marsiforming

2022-09-16T14:22:22Z

172.70.91.48:

Honestly, if we find absolute proof that there is no life on Mars, can we make life on Mars? I propose crashing a probe full of extremophile bacteria into polar water ice regions, then burying the probe and opening it underground. Wait for a few years, then check the site. If you have thriving bacteria there then BAM life on Mars.

Of course, we could get in trouble with the Planetary Protection Officer... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.128|162.158.155.128]] 17:53, 9 January 2019 (UTC)

As it is we are quickly terraforming it to Venus...
:Venusuforming [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 16:30, 7 January 2019 (UTC)
:Meh, at worst we are terraforming Earth to Cretaceous levels, and that means we can all start riding dinosaurs. [[User:Mathmannix|Mathmannix]] ([[User talk:Mathmannix|talk]]) 17:26, 7 January 2019 (UTC)
:Don't worry, we've been studying how to turn Venus into Earth since 1961 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraforming#History_of_scholarly_study . Once our oceans finish boiling away, we'll know exactly what to do. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.161|108.162.238.161]] 17:56, 7 January 2019 (UTC)
:It seems the most conservative estimates for global warming arr about 2 deg C per 100 years, so our ice should boil before 5,000 years pass. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.161|108.162.238.161]] 19:24, 7 January 2019 (UTC)
Surely the term should be Martiforming or Areforming? ([[User:richardelguru]])
:Earth / Earthling / Terra / Terran / Terraforming ... Mars / Martian / Marsiforming perhaps? Stop Earthiforming all those lovely desolate space rocks! I'm trying to build a new species that thrives off of harsh interstellar environments and you're destroying its ecosystem! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.161|108.162.238.161]] 17:56, 7 January 2019 (UTC)
:Martiforming or aremorphosis if you don't want to mix up your Greek and Latin morphemes. Similarly, mercuriforming/hermemorphosis for Mercury, veneriforming/aphroditimorphosis for Venus, gaiamorphosis for Earth (which sounds way more better than terraforming), joviforming/zeumorphosis for Jupiter, saturniforming/cronomorphosis for Saturn, uraniforming/ouranomorphosis for Uranus, neptuniforming/poseidonomorphosis for Neptune, and plutoniforming/hademorphosis for Pluto, because I'm nostalgic for 2006 when it was a planet.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.40|162.158.126.40]] 17:39, 27 January 2019 (UTC)
::A popular version out there, but not seemingly mentioned anywhere on this page (main or Talk) is "Areoforming". Noting the objections given above to mixed-origin morphemes, of course.
::Its use in Kim Stanley Robinson's (R/G/B) Mars Trilogy is, in universe, more applied to changing ''people'' (and their ideas, lifestyles, etc) to a more Martian state of being. But it has been largely been adopted in 'mainstream' considerations (fictional/fantacist/speculation-only, or so this naturalised Earthling hopes) for the "Marsiforming" of the comic.
::I cannot recall if HG Wells had a term in mind for his tripod-piloting invaders spreading the Red Weed, etc, but obviously they were more interested in regaining a 'living planet' than their dying one, so (however inevitable a similar distant-future decline might be, even/especially if they do everything they could to make Earth their new home) the 'areo-'/'marsi-' conversion would be to something not actually like the desert-Mars.
::And, for Venus... A choice. "Venera-", from Latin. From Greek "Phosphor(i?)-"/”Hesper(a?)-" (morning star/evening star, when considered different... "Hesperus" is a notable SF staple; and obviously the other associated with the chemical element, plus Lucifer "the light bringer" in that realm of mythology/symbology), although the equivalent goddess is Aphrodite, and because of unfortunate connotations with Veneral and Aphrodisiac (also rooted in the respective names of the love-goddess) a common fall-back for Venerean/Aphrodesian (and "Venusian", which is like saying "Earthian") is "Cytherean", after the island which legend says witnessed the 'birth' of Aphrodite/etc. ...so many options, with their own quirks to them. Before even going into other cultural equivalents (Freyja, alongside Týr, for example) beyond the usual classical rootings. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.48|172.70.91.48]] 14:22, 16 September 2022 (UTC)

What's the deal with the orbiting mirrors? I'm not sure exactly what that would do. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 18:01, 7 January 2019 (UTC)
:This was proposed for Mars terraforming, to increase the temperature of the planet and melt the CO2 glaciers. On Earth, they would be to reflect light without absorbing it, so that the temperature of the planet drops, I suppose. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraforming_of_Mars#Use_of_orbital_mirrors [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.161|108.162.238.161]] 18:52, 7 January 2019 (UTC)
::Ok, thanks. That makes sense. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 19:14, 7 January 2019 (UTC)
:Space mirrors were also proposed for Venus terraforming to alter the day-night cycle to be more similar to ours. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraforming_of_Venus#Space_mirrors [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.161|108.162.238.161]] 19:17, 7 January 2019 (UTC)
To really change Earth to be either like Venus or Mars we need to get rid of the magnetic field that stops the solar wind stripping the atmosphere away. Once that is depleted the oceans will evaporate so that the solar wind can strip that away as well. Whether Earth then freezes or boils would depend on surface rocks and volcanic activity levels. One option to stop the magnetosphere would be to de-orbit the Moon, thus re-amalgamating it with the Earth and getting lots of vulcanism going. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 20:12, 7 January 2019 (UTC)
:That would make the Earth more like Mars, but not at all like Venus. Venus has a rather thick atmosphere. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.196|141.101.98.196]] 13:48, 8 January 2019 (UTC)
::The thick atmosphere of Venus is made up of volcanic emissions - it rains concentrated Sulphuric Acid - and the Moon doing a massive trench around the equator would do much to help better get going, even if the magnetic field didn't collapse.[[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 19:44, 8 January 2019 (UTC)
He should try his idea with ISIS. I would expect they would agree with the plan immediately. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:21, 8 January 2019 (UTC)

The exact word for the "additonal i" in "marsiforming" is ''[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/epenthetic epenthetic]''. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.218|162.158.155.218]] 01:55, 9 January 2019 (UTC)

It's a shame this strip wasn't accompanied with a "What If" entry about what it would actually take to make Earth resemble Mars. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.11|141.101.104.11]] 15:56, 12 January 2019 (UTC)