explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1895: Worrying Scientist Interviews

2018-06-05T15:20:23Z

173.245.52.103: /* Table */

{{comic
| number = 1895
| date = September 27, 2017
| title = Worrying Scientist Interviews
| image = worrying_scientist_interviews.png
| titletext = They always try to explain that they're called 'solar physicists', but the reporters interrupt with "NEVER MIND THAT, TELL US WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE SUN!"
}}

==Explanation==
When a new development occurs, news channels will often interview an expert{{Citation needed}} in the field to educate laymen in what, exactly, is happening. Thus, when you turn on the local news and see a scientist being interviewed, it is likely that something new has come up regarding their field of study that could affect you. How much it affects you could range from an interesting bit of information about your local area, to the complete annihilation of the human race. So, to help identify how serious the issue likely is, [[Randall]] has made this chart showing how worried you should be depending on the field of the scientist. See list of each field in the [[#Table|table]] below.

To the far left, least worried, are {{w|archaeologist}} and {{w|economist}}. An archaeologist studies ancient human civilizations, which would be unlikely to harm any modern person. Economists study and explain the trends of finances and resources, which are also unlikely to pose an immediate threat.

Following this, it shows {{w|Nutrition|nutritionists}} and eventually {{w|criminologists}}. A nutritionist studies nutrition in the human body, and is likely discussing which food options are healthy or unhealthy. While this may be important, it is not a cause for immediate concern. A criminologist, however, studies criminal behaviour. If a criminologist is being interviewed on the news, there is likely a change in criminal actions within the neighbourhood, be it more or less. It is also possible there may be a serial criminal working in the area. However, because crime is a relatively rare occurence, and one for which precautions can be taken, it is still unlikely to be an immediate threat to the viewer.

It then moves past researchers studying different types of organisms, before reaching astronomers. Still only very few events would be local regarding astronomy, but it could of course be regarding a pending meteor strike.

A {{w|virologist}} studies {{w|Virus|viral}} infections and their spread, and a {{w|vulcanologist}} studies {{w|volcanoes}}. Viruses spread quickly, and can be fatal, meaning a breaking news development in one's locale regarding viruses is likely to mean imminent danger. Volcanoes, depending on their size, can potentially demolish entire countries, thus having one making headlines nearby is also very concerning.

The last point to the right (most worried) "Astronomer who studies the Sun", also called a "{{w|solar physicist}}" (mentioned in the title text), could be really troublesome, but not especially locally. If there are serious problems with the Sun it will be a world wide problem. But you should still be worried.

The title text mentions that the reason they are not called solar physicists, is that before they can tell the reporter this, they are interrupted by the anxious reporter who wishes to know what's wrong with the Sun. This is not really something that happens so often that the title texts "They always try" has any real meaning. And this is also why no one knows or uses the term solar physicists...

==Table==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Field !! Worry level !! Explanation
|-
| Archeologist || Extremely low 2.7% || Likely just dug up some old ruins or bones. Unlikely to involve bad news, though it may possibly cause problems (e.g. if a construction project is delayed to accommodate an archaeological investigation).
|-
| Economist || Very low 7.3% || News about the economy could be either good or bad, and in most cases is just more of the usual ups and downs rather than anything cataclysmic. Could also be a report on a big stock market crash
|-
| Nutritionist || Very low 12.0% || Possible fad diet. Note that nutritionists tend not to be a protected profession, compared to dietitians. May be alarming if it involves credible information about bad health consequences of eating, or not eating, a particular food.
|-
| Criminologist || Low 26.6% || Probably just crime statistics. Sometimes just correcting people who mistakenly believe crime is on the rise, and even a large increase in an otherwise ordinary crime rate is still a small risk overall. Specific threats (such as a dangerous criminal on the loose) are usually addressed by police representatives.
|-
| Ornithologist || Medium 43.3% || This would indicate the discovery of a strange behavior exhibited by birds. A newsworthy event involving ornithologists could indicate some imminent problem with the ecological environment, such as a mass migration or death event suggesting toxic pollutants in the environment. A possible reference to ''{{w|The_Birds_(film)|The Birds}}'' or ''{{w|Birdemic}}'', two films with similar premises (horror films centered around flocks of birds suddenly becoming hostile to humans) but vastly different critical evaluations (''The Birds'' was directed by {{w|Alfred Hitchcock}} and is generally considered a classic; ''Birdemic'' was low-budget and is notoriously poor-quality).
|-
| Botanist || Medium 46.0% || Similar to an ornithological related news. Seeing how plants are both more fundamental to the environment and more "boring" to the general public than birds; if something news worthy involves a botanist, then it is more likely a more fundamental and more impactful change to the environment.
|-
| Marine Biologist || Medium 53.3% || Similar to Botanist news. However, as oceans represent the substantial majority of the Earth's surface, and are very far removed from local concerns, anything which is news-worthy of them is likely a major impact to the environment on a global scale.
|-
| Entomologist || Medium high 62.6% || There might be a new invasive insect species that could cause health concerns, ranging from {{w|Locust|famine}} to {{w|Mosquito|blood-transmitted diseases}}.
|-
| Astronomer || High 82.0% || Possible inbound meteor, or perhaps sighting of incoming alien ships.
|-
| Virologist || Very high 88.0% || A disease that is incurable and spreads fast might ravage or even destroy a city, country, or (in an extreme case) all human life.
|-
| Vulcanologist || Very high 93.3% || A volcano might erupt soon, the danger of which could range from an isolated area to a planetwide concern.
|-
| Astronomer who studies the Sun || Extremely high 98.6% || There might be something wrong with the Sun, the consequences of which could range from {{w|Solar_storm_of_1859|major disruption of modern technology}} to the end of life on earth. The title text elaborates that, [[1475: Technically|technically]], the correct term is '{{w|Solar physics|Solar Physicist}}'. Unsurprisingly, reporters (and the general audience) aren't particularly interested in such a pedantic matter, and want to be informed about the more pressing issue regarding the fiery ball that maintains the Earth's orbit and capacity for life.
|}

==Transcript==
:[A chart consisting of a line with double arrows that has 12 dots progressing from left to right. Each dot has a line going to a label above or below the line. Above the labels is another label belonging to an arrow to its right that points right. Above this is a larger caption:]
:<big>How worried you should be if you see local reporters interviewing scientists about a breaking news story, by field: </big>
:More worried --->

:[chart shows the following titles left to right (least to most worrisome), some above and some below the line however that doesn't affect their relative positions. They are listed here in ascending worrisomeness for ease of viewing]
:Archeologist
:Economist
:Nutritionist
:Criminologist
:Ornithologist
:Botanist
:Marine biologist
:Entomologist
:Astronomer
:Virologist
:Vulcanologist
:Astronomer who studies the sun

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

1516: Win by Induction

2015-04-24T13:11:46Z

173.245.52.103: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1516
| date = April 24, 2015
| title = Win by Induction
| image = win by induction.png
| titletext = This would be bad enough, but every 30th or 40th pokéball has TWO of them inside.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Does the "induction" have any relevance to the fact that Pikachu are "Electric-type" Pokémon?}}

{{w|Pikachu}} is a type of {{w|Pokémon}} from the cartoon series Pokémon. In the show, human characters frequently 'battle' each other. This involves each character choosing a Pokémon to battle in their stead, and the Pokémon attack each other. Choosing a Pokémon is done by saying "- Name of the Pokémon - I choose you!", and throwing a Pokéball to the ground. That Pokémon then appears from the Pokéball.

This comic suggests that a Pokémon chosen at some point was a Pikachu which does not intend to engage in the battle himself: carrying a Pokéball instead, Pikachu chooses another Pikachu to fight for him. This process then repeats itself. Behind the Pikachu with the Pokéball is a long line of other Pikachu, suggesting that this process has been going on for a while.

Nearby stand Cueball, holding a closed Pokéball, and Megan, looking at her watch. This suggests that Cueball intends to have his own Pokémon fight the Pikachu, but is waiting for the battle to actually begin (waiting in vain, if the above described process repeats indefinitely), while Megan (who may have chosen the original Pikachu) is growing impatient with the delay.

The joke in this comic comes from analogy with the mathematical {{w|proof by induction}}, which is a proof with a base case, followed by a never ending sequence of steps, in which each step leads to the next, thus proving something for all cases. This title seems to suggest that the process of Pikachu choosing Pikachu will not end, effectively postponing the battle until the opponent gives up.

If there were a single Pikachu in each ball, this would spawn an unlimited number of Pikachu forming a single line. If, as title text suggests, there's occasionally two of them in a Pokéball, this would lead to exponential rather than linear growth, quickly forming a huge mob.

==Transcript==
:[There's a long queue of Pikachu extending out of the frame to the left. They are all just out from their ball, at least the last eight Pikachu's open balls lie in two parts on the ground at their feet. They are standing in front of Megan and Cueball. Cueball is holding a closed pokéball while Megan checks the time on her watch. The front most Pikachu, holding a closed pokéball, speaks.]

:Pikachu at the front: Pikachu, I choose ''you!''

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

1491: Stories of the Past and Future

2015-02-25T23:52:32Z

173.245.52.103: /* Works listed */ last Asterix is from 2013

{{comic
| number = 1491
| date = February 25, 2015
| title = Stories of the Past and Future
| image = stories_of_the_past_and_future.png
| titletext = Little-known fact: The 'Dawn of Man' opening sequence in 2001 cuts away seconds before the Flinstones theme becomes recognizable.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}
''A larger version of the image is available [http://xkcd.com/1491/large/ here].''

X-axis: Date of publication.

Y-axis, "Years in the future": Number of years the story's events take place, after the story's publication.

Y-axis, "Years in the past": Number of years the story's events take place, before the story's publication.

For example, "Water Margin" was published in the 14th century (x ~= 1300) and relates events from the 12th century, about 200 years before its publication (y ~= 200 in the past).

Another example: The film ''{{w|The Bridge on the River Kwai}}'' was released in 1957 and it was set around 14 years before (~1942-43).

Grey area in the "Years in the future" part: Stories set in the future (from their publication's date), whose the story's events' date is already past (from now).

Grey area in the "Years in the past" part: Stories set in the past (from their publication's date), published closer to their setting than to today.

Taking the "years in the past" on the y-axis to be read as negatives like in most graphs one can write:

Dates on the lower line satisfy: y = x-2015. Corresponding works were published in the year x = 2015+y and are set in the year x+y = 2015+2y.

Dates on the upper line satisfy: y = 2015-x. Corresponding works were published in the year x = 2015-y and are set in the year x+y = 2015.

Thus it's clear that the definitions of the lines are consistent with each other as they follow similar but inverted functions.

In the top portion of the graph, the two sides of the line are defined as "still possible" and "obsolete" (gray area). The gray area (obsolete) expands over time, the prediction (or science fiction work) that are not confirmed by reality are doomed to be obsolete. The author mark the line of the stories set in 2015; they are the expectation for our present in different past times.

In the bottom graph, the line indicates the limit in which the publishing time is nearer to the time treated in the work than to the present. The work in the gray area could be perceived as written by contemporary writers while in most cases they refer to a further past. This is expressed in the warning: "Modern audiences may not recognize which part were supposed to sound old". This is a recurrent theme in the author's work, being already formulated in [[Period_Speech|Period Speech]] comic.

The bottom of the chart has the Star Wars films, which are set "A long time ago".

===Works listed===

{| {{table}}
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Publication'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Description'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Year written'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Year difference'''
| align="left" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Year set in'''
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Memoirs of the Twentieth Century|Memoirs of the Twentieth Century]]|| book written by Samuel Madden||1733||264||1997
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Golf in the Year 2000|Golf in the Year 2000]]|| novel written by J. McCullough||1892||108||2000
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Looking Backward|Looking Backward]]|| novel written by Edward Bellamy||1888||112||2000
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Enoch Soames|Enoch Soames]]|| short story by Max Beerbohm||1897||100||1997
|-
| [[Wikipedia:The Time Machine|The Time Machine]]|| novel written by H.G. Wells||1895||800,806||802,701
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Nineteen Eighty-Four|1984]]||novel written by George Orwell||1949||35||1984
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd|A Week in the Wales of the Future]]||novel written by Islwyn Ffowc Elis||1957||76||2033
|-
| [[Wikipedia:The Jetsons|The Jetsons]]||TV series produced by Hanna-Barbera||1962 *||100||2062 †
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek !TOS!]]||TV series created by Gene Roddenberry||1966 *||298||2264
|-
| [[Wikipedia:2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1968||33||2001
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Space: 1999|Space: 1999]]||TV series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson||1975 *||24||1999
|-
| [[Wikipedia:2010: Odyssey Two|2010: Odyssey Two]]||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1982||28||2010
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek: The Next Generation]]||TV series created by Gene Roddenberry||1987 *||377||2364
|-
| [[Wikipedia:2061: Odyssey Three|2061: Odyssey Three]]||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1987||74||2061
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Zero Wing|Zero Wing]]||arcade/computer game||1989||112||2101 (previously referenced in [[887: Future Timeline]])
|-
| [[Wikipedia:3001: The Final Odyssey|3001: The Final Odyssey]]||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1997||1004||3001
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Star Trek: Enterprise|Enterprise]]||TV series||2001 *||150||2151
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Back to the Future Part II|Back to the Future Part II]]||film directed by Robert Zemeckis||1989||26||2015
|-
| [[Wikipedia:The Transformers (TV series)|Transformers (TV Series)]]||TV series||1984 *||~ 20||< 2010
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Terminator 2: Judgment Day|Terminator 2 (1995 Portion)]]||film directed by James Cameron||1991||4||1995
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]||film directed by Michael Curtiz||1942||< 1||1941
|-
| [[Wikipedia:The Pillow Book|The Pillow Book]]||book written by Sei Shōnagon||1002||6||996
|-
| [[Wikipedia:History of the Peloponnesian War|History of the Peloponnesian War]]||history written by Thucydides||~400 BCE||~10||431-411 BCE
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Moby-Dick|Moby-Dick]]||||||||
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Gospels|Gospels]]||||||||
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Epic of Gilgamesh|Epic of Gilgamesh]]||||||||
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Iliad|Iliad]]||||||||
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Ashokavadana|Ashokavadana]]||||||||
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Book of Genesis|Book of Genesis]]||||||||
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Water Margin|Water Margin]]||||||||
|-
| [[wikipedia:King John (play)|King John]]||play by William Shakespeare||1623||~400||~1200-1216
|-
| [[wikipedia:Henry IV (play)|Henry IV]]||plays by William Shakespeare||1598*||185-196||1402-1413
|-
| [[wikipedia:Richard III (play)|Richard III]]||play by William Shakespeare||1597||112-119||1478-1485
|-
| [[wikipedia:Henry VIII (play)|Henry VIII]]||play by William Shakespeare||1623||90-102||1521-1533
|-
| [[wikipedia:Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar]]||play by William Shakespeare||1623||1667-1670||45-2 B.C.
|-
| [[wikipedia:King Lear|King Lear]]||play by William Shakespeare||1608||2400|| 8th century B.C.
|-
| [[wikipedia:A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court|A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court]]||novel by Mark Twain||1889||1200||6th Century
|-
| [[wikipedia:Lest Darkness Fall|Lest Darkness Fall]]||alternate history SF novel by L. Sprague de Camp||1939||1404||535
|-
|[[wikipedia:Asterix|Asterix]]||French comic by Goscinny and Uderzo||1959*||-2013||50 B.C.
|-
| [[wikipedia:The Ten Commandments (1956 film)|The Ten Commandments]]||film by Cecil B. DeMille||1956||->3000||[[wikipedia:The Exodus#Date|1446 BCE]]†
|-
| [[wikipedia:The Flintstones|The Flintstones]]||TV series produced by Hanna-Barbera||1960*||->2,5 million||[[wikipedia:Stone Age|Stone Age]]
|-
| [[wikipedia:2001: A Space Odyssey|2001: A Space Odyssey (prologue)]]||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1968|||-3 million||3 million years B.C. (4 in the movie)
|-
| [[wikipedia:Star Wars#Original trilogy|Star Wars (IV - VI)]]||original film trilogy ||1977-1983|| ||A long time ago
|-
| [[wikipedia:Star Wars#Prequel trilogy|Star Wars (I - III)]]||prequel film trilogy||1999-2005|| ||A long time ago
|-
| [[wikipedia:Raptor Red|Raptor Red]]||novel by Robert Bakker||1995||->65 million||Cretaceous Period
|-
| [[wikipedia:Star Wars sequel trilogy|Star Wars (VII - IX)]]||sequel film trilogy||2015-2021|| ||A long time ago
|-
| [[wikipedia:Ice Age (film series)|Ice Age]]||animated films by Blue Sky Studios||2002*||->12,000||[[wikipedia:Last glacial period| Paleolithic-Mesolithic]]
|-
|[[wikipedia:10,000 BC (film)|10,000 BC]]||film by Roland Emmerich||2008||-11,992||10,000 BC
|-
| [[wikipedia:300 (film)|300]]||film by Zack Snyder||2007||-2487||[[wikipedia:Battle of Thermopylae|480 BC]]
|-
| [[wikipedia:Year One (film)|Year One]]||film by Harold Ramis||2009||-2008||1 AD
|-
| [[wikipedia:The Prince of Egypt|The Prince of Egypt]]||animated film by DreamWorks||1998||->3400|[[wikipedia:The Exodus#Date|1446 BCE]]†
|-
| [[wikipedia:Downton Abbey|Downtown Abbey]]||TV series||2010*||->90||1912-1923
|-
| [[wikipedia:Pearl Harbor (film)|Pearl Harbour]]||film by Michael Bay||2001||-60||1941
|-
| [[wikipedia:Saving Private Ryan|Saving Private Ryan]]||film by Steven Spielberg||1998||-54||1944
|-
| [[wikipedia:Chariots of Fire|Chariots of Fire]]||film by Hugh Hudson||1981||-57||1924
|-
| [[wikipedia:Blazing Saddles|Blazing Saddles]]||film by Mel Brooks||1974||-100||1874
|-
| [[wikipedia:Back to the Future Part III|Back to the Future Part III]]||film by Robert Zemeckis||1990||-105||1885
|-
| [[wikipedia:Roots (miniseries)|Roots]]||TV series, adapted from eponymous novel||1977||->113||1750-1861
|-
| [[wikipedia:Treasure Island|Treasure Island]]||||||||
|-
| [[wikipedia:The Last of the Mohicans|The Last of the Mohicans]]||||||||
|-
| [[wikipedia:A Tale of Two Cities|A Tale of Two Cities]]||||||||
|-
| [[wikipedia:Gone With The Wind|Gone With The Wind]]||||||||
|-
| [[wikipedia:Gunsmoke|Gunsmoke]]||||||||
|-
| [[wikipedia:Rip Van Winkle|Rip Van Winkel [sic]]]||||||||
|-
| [[wikipedia:Les Misérables|Les Miserábles [sic]]]||||||||
|-
| [[wikipedia:Oklahoma!|Oklahoma!]]||Broadway musical||1943||-37||1906
|-
| [[wikipedia:Lawrence of Arabia|Lawrence of Arabia]]||film by David Lean||1962||->44||1916-8
|-
| [[wikipedia:The Music Man|The Music Man]]||Broadway musical||1957||-45||1912
|-
| [[wikipedia:Annie (musical)|Annie (play)]]||Broadway musical||1977||-44||1933
|-
| [[wikipedia:Annie (1982 film)|Annie (movie)]]||film adaptation of the above by John Huston||1982||-49||1933
|-
| [[wikipedia:Schindler's List|Schindler's List]]||film by Steven Spielberg||1993||->48||1939-1945
|-
| [[wikipedia:Mad Men|Mad Men]]||TV series||2007*||->47||1960-1970
|-
| [[wikipedia:Evita (1996 film)|Evita]]||film by Alan Parker||1996||-44||1952
|-
| [[wikipedia:Bonnie and Clyde(film)|Bonnie and Clyde]]||film by Arthur Penn||1967||->33||1932-4
|-
| [[wikipedia:Chinatown (1974 film)|Chinatown]]||film by Roman Polanski||1974||-37||1937
|-
| [[wikipedia:Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]||film by Robert Attenborough||1982||->34||1893-1948
|-
| [[wikipedia:The Sandlot|The Sandlot]]||film by David Mickey Evans||1993||-31||1962
|-
| [[wikipedia:Back to the Future|Back to the Future]]||film by Robert Zemeckis||1985||-30||1955
|-
| [[wikipedia:Patton (film)|Patton]]||film by Franklin J. Schaffner||1970||->25||1943-5
|-
| [[wikipedia:Catch-22 (film)|Catch-22 (Movie)]]||film by Mike Nichols||1970||->26||1942-44
|-
| [[wikipedia:The Great Escape (film)|The Great Escape]]||film by John Sturges||1963||-20||1943-4
|-
| [[wikipedia:Catch-22|Catch-22 (Book)]]||novel by Joseph Heller||1961||->17||1942-44
|-
| [[wikipedia:MASH (film)|M*A*S*H]]||film by Robert Altman||1970||-19||1951
|-
| [[wikipedia:Grease (film)|Grease]]||film by Randall Kleiser||1978||-20||1958
|-
| [[wikipedia:Happy Days|Happy Days]]||TV series||1974-84||-19||1955-1965
|-
| [[wikipedia:Platoon (film)|Platoon]]||film by Oliver Stone||1986||-21||1967
|-
| [[wikipedia:The Wonder Years|The Wonder Years]]||TV series||1988-93||-20||1968-73
|-
| [[wikipedia:Dirty Dancing|Dirty Dancing]]||film by Emile Ardolino||1987||-24||1963
|-
| [[wikipedia:The Right Stuff (film)|The Right Stuff]]||film by Philip Kaufman||1983||->20||1947-63
|-
| [[wikipedia:JFK (film)|JFK]]||film by Oliver Stone||1991||->22||1963-9
|-
| [[wikipedia:Apollo 13 (film)|Apollo 13]]||film by Ron Howard||1995||-25||1970
|-
| [[wikipedia:That '70s Show|That '70s Show]]||TV series||1998-2006||->22|||1976-1979
|-
| [[wikipedia:The Wolf of Wall Street|The Wolf of Wall Street]]||film by Martin Scorsese||2013||->18||1987-1995
|-
| [[wikipedia:Freaks and Geeks|Freaks and Geeks]]||TV series||1999-2000||-19||1980-1
|-
| [[wikipedia:I Love the '80s (U.S. TV series)|I Love the '80s]]||TV miniseries by VH1||2002||-22||1980
|-
| [[wikipedia:The Bridge on the River Kwai|The Bridge on the River Kwai]]||film by David Lean||1952||-9\10||1942-3
|-
| [[wikipedia:American Graffiti|American Graffiti]]||film by George Lucas||1973||-11||1962
|-
| [[wikipedia:Apocalypse Now|Apocalypse Now]]||film by Francis Ford Coppola||1979||-10||1969
|-
| [[wikipedia:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]||film by the Coen Brothers||1998||-7||1991
|-
| [[Wikipedia:United 93 (film)|United 93]]|| film directed by Paul Greengrass||2006||-5||2001
|-
| [[Wikipedia:I Love the '90s (U.S. TV series)|I Love the '90s]]|| TV miniseries on VH1||2004||-14||1990
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Hotel Rwanda|Hotel Rwanda]]|| film directed by Terry George||2004||-10||1994
|-
| [[Wikipedia:I Love the 2000s|I Love the 2000s]]|| TV miniseries on VH1||2014||-14||2000
|-
|
|}

* = first episode aired. † = conjectured year set in.

==Trivia==
There is a hypercorrection in ''{{w|Rip Van Winkle}}'' as ''Rip van Winkel''. Washington Irving may have misspelled ''van {{w|nl:Winkel|Winkel}}''.

It's ''{{w|Les Misérables}}'' not ''Les Miserábles''. Note that French doesn't have "á".

{{w|Lest Darkness Fall}} takes place about 1400 years in the past, but is places around the -500 years line on the graph.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
:'''Date of publication'''
:[A logarithmic scale running horizontally, from 3000 BCE to past 2015 CE]
:'''Years in the future'''
:[A logarithmic scale running vertically, from 1 billion down to 0]
:'''Stories set in the future''' (science fiction, prediction)
::Stories set in 2015
::[A line divides this region into two. The upper side is labelled "still possible"; the lower side is labelled "obsolete".]
:[from left to right...]
::Memoirs of the Twentieth Century [1733, 265 years in the future]
::Looking Backward [1888, 112 years in the future]
::Golf in the Year 2000 [1892, 108 years in the future]
::The Time Machine [1895, 800 thousand to 30 million years in the future]
::Enoch Soames [1916, ''circa'' 60 years in the future]
::1984 [1949, 35 years in the future]
::A Week in the Wales of the Future [1957, 76 years in the future]
::The Jetsons [1962-63, 100 years in the future]
::Star Trek [1966-69, 300 years in the future]
::2001: A Space Odyssey [1968, 33 years in the future]
::Space: 1999 [1975-77, 24 years in the future]
::2010: Odyssey Two [1982, 28 years in the future]
::Transformers (TV series) [1984-87, 20 years in the future]
::2061: Odyssey Three [1987, 74 years in the future]
::Star Trek: The Next Generation [1987-94, ''circa'' 500 years in the future]
::Back to the Future Part II [1989, 26 years in the future]
::Zero Wing [1989, 112 years in the future]
::Terminator 2 (1995 portion) [1991, 4 years in the future]
::3001: The Final Odyssey [1997, 1004 years in the future]
::Enterprise [2001-2005, 150 years in the future]
::This chart [2015, 0 years in the future]
:'''Years in the Past'''
:[A logarithmic scale running vertically, from 0 down past 1 billion to "Big Bang"]
:'''Stories Set in the Past''' (History, Period Fiction)
::Stories written X years ago and set 2X years ago
::[A line divides this region into two. The upper side is labelled as follows.]
::'''Former Period Pieces'''
::Stories set in the past, but created long enough ago that they were published closer to their setting than to today.
::Modern audiences may not recognize which parts were ''supposed'' to sound old.
:[from left to right...]
::The Epic of Gilgamesh [''circa'' 2100 BCE, 600 years in the past]
::The Iliad [''circa''' 800 BCE, 450 years in the past]
::History of the Peloponnesian War [''circa'' 390 BCE, 10 years in the past]
::Book of Genesis [''circa'' 500 BCE, 4000 years in the past]
::Ashokavadana [''circa'' 100 BCE, 300 years in the past]
::Gospels (various estimates) [''circa'' 250 CE, 24 to 75 years in the past]
::The Pillow Book [1000 CE, 5 years in the past]
::Water Margin [''circa'' 1300, 195 years in the past]
::Richard III [''circa'' 1590, 115 years in the past]
::Julius Caesar [1599, 1650 years in the past]
::King John [''circa'' 1600, 500 years in the past]
::Henry IV [''circa'' 1600, 190 years in the past]
::King Lear [''circa'' 1606, 3000 years in the past]
::Henry VIII [''circa'' 1612, 105 years in the past]
::The Last of the Mohicans [1826, 69 years in the past]
::Rip Van Winkel [1819, 31-51 years in the past]
::A Tale of Two Cities [1859, 60 years in the past]
::Moby-Dick [1851, around 10 years ago]
:::"Some years ago--never mind how long precisely..."
::Les Miserábles [1862, 30 years in the past]
::A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
::Treasure Island
::Gone With the Wind
::Lest Darkness Fall
::Casablanca
::Oklahoma!
::The Ten Commandments
::The Bridge on the River Kwai
::Gunsmoke
::Catch-22 (book)
::The Flintstones
::The Great Escape
::Asterix
::Lawrence of Arabia
::The Music Man
::Bonnie and Clyde
::2001: A Space Odyssey (prologue)
::American Graffiti
::Patton
::Catch-22 (movie)
::Chinatown
::Blazing Saddles
::Apocalypse Now
::Happy Days
::Grease
::M*A*S*H
::Annie (play)
::Roots
::Chariots of Fire
::Star Wars (IV-VI)
::Annie (movie)
::The Right Stuff
::Back to the Future
::Gandhi
::Platoon
::Dirty Dancing
::Back to the Future Part III
::The Wonder Years
::JFK
::The Sandlot
::Schindler's List
::Raptor Red
::Apollo 13
::Star Wars (I-III)
::The Big Lebowski
::Evita
::Saving Private Ryan
::The Prince of Egypt
::Freaks and Geeks
::Hotel Rwanda
::I Love the '80s
::That '70s Show
::Pearl Harbor
::Ice Age
::I Love the '90s
::United 93
::300
::10,000 BC
::Year One
::The Wolf of Wall Street
::I Love the 2000s
::Mad Men
::Downton Abbey
::Star Wars (VII-IX)

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Large drawings]]

1488: Flowcharts

2015-02-18T13:54:21Z

173.245.52.103: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1488
| date = February 18, 2015
| title = Flowcharts
| image = flowcharts.png
| titletext = Whoa, and if you overlay a Fibonacci spiral on a golden spiral it matches up almost perfectly!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Improve the explanation, specifically on the point of the scatterplot, and finish the table please.}}
This comic is a flowchart style. Interestingly, the first option, "Do you like flowcharts?" loops back to itself until you choose NO. This is probably because the reader will keep choosing "yes" until they are annoyed and do not like flowcharts anymore.

After asking about flowcharts, the reader is asked whether they like line graphs. If they follow one line, it becomes a line graph where "Time" is the x-axis and "Your Happiness" is the y-axis, and shows that your happiness increases with time. If they follow the other line, they are asked "Charge a battery?" If the follow one line (probably "yes" but it's not marked) they are asked whether they are A/C or D/C (the only choice is A/C) and are led to a portion of the flowchart which resembles a circuit diagram of a battery charger with a battery connected to it.

If the reader follows the "no" line, they are asked if they like spirals. If they choose "no" they are told to take the path of least resistance. This part of the flowchart resembles a circuit diagram, and the word "resistance" is a pun because resistance in electricity is an electrical quantity that measures how the device or material reduces the electric current flow through it. Thus, whether they choose "Yes" or "No", they arrive at "Do you like when people find the golden spiral in random images?" If they choose "yes" the line fades into a drawing of a golden spiral, and we see that the flowchart is structured around it. If they choose "no" they are asked if they are tired of flowcharts. If not, they are taken to the beginning to start over again. If they are tired, the line points to the "random" button on the xkcd website.

The title text and the faint image of a golden spiral parody the fact that the golden spiral is superimposed on nearly ''everything''. The golden spiral is a spiral that has the growth rate of the golden ratio, a number that has inspired both artists and mathematicians alike. However, people try to find the golden ratio in seemingly random objects, and they fall to confirmation bias when drawing a golden spiral on top that seemingly fits. The comic links to [http://xkcd.com/spiral/], where one can see exactly that- golden spirals Randall "found" in random photographs. The title text is funny because the mathematics of the famous Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio are actually one and the same- the limit of the ratios of each successive term in the sequence is equal to the golden ratio. So it matches up perfectly, not "almost" perfectly like the pictures in the mobile site link.

===List of Items in Flowchart===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Text
! Explanation
! Successor(s)
! Predeccessor
|-
| Start
| Start here
| Do you like flowcharts?
| Tired of flowcharts yet?
|-
| Do you like flowcharts?
| Asking whether or not the reader likes flow charts. Recursively returns to itself until the reader is annoyed enough to not like flowcharts and ''may'' establish the convention of "Yes" being down and "No" being sideways, unless otherwise indicated.
| Do you like flowcharts?, Do you like graphs?
| Start
|-
| Data or Axis?
| This item is duplicated. It is asking which type of graph you prefer
| Data, line, access
| Do you like graphs?
|-
| Line
| This forms a line on top of the axis of time and happiness. It is positive slope.
|
| Data or Axis?
|-
| Axis
| Leads to A choice
| Time or your happiness?, X or Y?
| Data or axis?
|-
| Time or your happiness?
| Choose between your time and your happiness. Presumably, choose whichever you value more.
| Time, Happiness
| Data or axis?
|-
| Time
| You value your time more than your happiness. This forms the horizontal axis for the line graph.
|
| Time or your happiness?
|-
| Your happiness
| You value your happiness more than your time. This forms the vertical axis for the line graph.
|
| Time or your happiness?
|-
| X or Y?
| Which axis do you prefer?
| X, Y
| Axis
|-
| X
| Forms the horizontal axis for the {{w|Scatterplot|scatterplot}}.
|
| X or Y?
|-
| Y
| Forms the vertical axis for the scatterplot.
|
| X or Y?
|-
| Data
| Leads to a scatterplot. May be a series of AC current symbols leading into one another
|
| Data or Axis?
|-
| Scatter plots?
| A scatter plot is made of not connected points in a graph. This is why there's no line to the second Data or axis option
| Help charge a battery?
| Do you like graphs?
|-
| Help charge a battery?
|
| Are you A/C or D/C?, Like Spirals?
| Asks whether you have knowledge in {{w|AC current}} or {{w|DC current}}. No output is given for DC,l even though that would be the prefered method of charging a battery.
| Positive or Negative Phase?
| Help charging a battery?
|-
| Positive or Negative Phase?
| This is useless, because both choices lead to the same result.
| Positive or negative DC terminal?
| Are you A/C or D/C?
|-
| Positive or negative DC terminal?
| This box looks like a {{w|Rectifier bridge}}, which is used to convert AC to DC, but two of the diodes point in the wrong direction, making this a loop directing both inputs to the top. The single output leads to a battery. Since the battery is not connected to the other side of the rectifier, no current can flow. In this way the battery can also be seen as an end-point in the flow chart.
| Battery
| Positive or negative phase?
|-
| Like Spirals?
| Well, do you?
| Take the path of least resistance?, Do you like when people find the golden spiral in random images?
| Help charge a battery?
|-
| Take the path of least resistance?
| This one is a pun. If resistance is seen as electrical resistance, then the bottom output is correct. Alternatively, the (unlabelled) "No" exit technically sends you through ''more'' resistance, and a 'protective' diode, to the next decision box.
| Do you like when people find the golden spiral in random images?
| Like Spirals?
|-
| Do you like when people find the golden spiral in random images?
|
| Yes, even though it's total BS., Tired of flowcharts yet?
| Like spirals?, Take the path of least resistance?
|-
| Yes, even though it's total BS.
| This option fades out to a golden spiral to which the flowchart is aligned.
|
| Do you like when people find the golden spiral in random images?
|-
| Tired of flowcharts yet?
| Are you?
| Yes, I want to look at something else, Start
| Do you like when people find the golden spiral in random images?
|-
| Yes, I want to look at something else
| This option leads to the random comic button. This decision ''literally'' breaks the fourth wall in travelling through the image's nominal boundary to point at a specific button to look at some other comic.
| Tired of Flowcharts yet?
| [http://c.xkcd.com/random/comic/ Random]
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Flowcharts]]

Talk:1457: Feedback

2014-12-08T05:27:24Z

173.245.52.103:

Could the pineapple here have any relation to the [http://wiki.wifipineapple.com/index.php/WiFi_Pineapple wi-fi pineapple]? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.103|173.245.52.103]] 05:27, 8 December 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1457: Feedback

2014-12-08T05:25:43Z

173.245.52.103: Created page with "Could the pineapple here have any relation to the wi-fi pineapple? http://wiki.wifipineapple.com/index.php/WiFi_Pineapple"

Could the pineapple here have any relation to the wi-fi pineapple? [[http://wiki.wifipineapple.com/index.php/WiFi_Pineapple]]

1457: Feedback

2014-12-08T05:22:18Z

173.245.52.103: Added simple explanation

{{comic
| number = 1457
| date = December 8, 2014
| title = Feedback
| image = feedback.png
| titletext = A new study finds that if you give rats a cell phone and a lever they can push to improve the signal, the rats will chew on the cell phone until it breaks and your research supervisors will start to ask some questions about your grant money.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Initial explanation - could likely use some work.}}

Often when connecting to unfamiliar wi-fi networks, the signal displayed by the connecting device varies wildly, especially as distance increases. In this case, to improve the signal, Cueball has likely tried a variety of methods, and has ended up holding a pineapple while standing on top of a chair in order to get a perceived better signal. Standing on the chair ''might'' help (although getting laterally closer to the router would undoubtedly help more), but it is almost inconceivable that the pineapple could have any effect on the signal. Megan questions his ridiculous behavior, but it seems Cueball has been driven nearly to madness due to the inconsistent signal strength.

The title text refers to a new study that apparently examined the behavior of rats in response to signal strength on a cellphone. However, the rats naturally could not understand the concept of signal strength, so they chewed up the cellphone, leading to the research supervisors questioning the validity of the study and questioning whether the grant money for the study was well used.

==Transcript==
:Megan: Why are you standing on a chair holding a pineapple?
:Cueball: I wasn't getting good reception, but now I am!
:The erratic feedback from a randomly-varying wireless signal can make you crazy.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:627: Tech Support Cheat Sheet

2014-11-17T23:01:12Z

173.245.52.103:

I think he forgot one: "Use the built-in help, it's magic!" [[User:Zilti|Zilti]] ([[User talk:Zilti|talk]]) 19:48, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

Most people I know that have to ask for computer help couldn't read a flowchart in the first place. This may be the problem. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.103|173.245.52.103]] 23:01, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Talk:461: Google Maps

2014-11-13T22:34:05Z

173.245.52.103:

By the end, it's really starting to sound like a text-based fantasy adventure game, or possibly a game of D&D. This adds an additional level of humour: using Google Maps to navigate around virtual worlds.

I particularly liked the "Go pi miles", and the "Careful" instructions in the Google Maps "Action" column on the right. ''--[[User:MisterSpike|MisterSpike]] ([[User talk:MisterSpike|talk]]) 18:58, 26 June 2013 (UTC)''

:Yes it is very much like old text games. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 04:18, 7 July 2013 (UTC)

:To me, it actually looks like a '''walkthrough''' for an adventure game of some sort. Or possibly a hint book considering the "official-sounding" last part. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.234|108.162.231.234]] 06:38, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

The Spectral Wolf plays a role in World of Warcraft, but as I am not a WoW player, I don't feel qualified to update the explanation. Any WoWians want to add a paragraph on the Spectral Wolf?[[User:Nsimonetti|NikoNarf]] ([[User talk:Nsimonetti|talk]]) 19:17, 14 November 2013 (UTC)
:I am one, but the Reins of the Spectral Wolf were not released until the Cataclysm expansion (December 2010). Thus a WoW-related explanation for the wolf would be anachronistic. [[User:Amurfalcon|Amurfalcon]] ([[User talk:Amurfalcon|talk]]) 21:07, 10 December 2013 (UTC)
:I am one as well. There was a quest that Tauren did in their starting region, where they had to follow a spectral wolf. If I remember correctly, it was in Vanilla WoW. No anachronism here. {{unsigned ip|173.245.52.98}}

I'm not sure what is meant by the use of the term "Straw Man" instead of scarecrow or some other spooky or Halloween-themed equivalent. Perhaps it is a reference to the fallacy, but the fallacy is unassociated with "waking" unless maybe it's loosely related to the aggression that generally accompanies the attack of a straw man. {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.66}}

:"They also apparently woke the Straw Man."
I don't think there's more implied than that they lost time getting past, or detouring around, 'the Straw Man'. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.203|108.162.219.203]] 14:13, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

Looks like "Zork" to me. Anyone remember Zork? {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.229}}

The Spectral Wolf would make all of this work so worthwhile. I mean... you would be getting a SPECTRAL WOLF! I wish I had a real one. [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 13:41, 3 January 2014 (UTC)

;Googles directions weren't just suboptimal in some cases they were crazy

IIRC I saw one set of directions that told the reader to "swim across the atlantic ocean" not once (well docuemnted easter egg) but twice as well as driving round most of europe to get to a destination in the same country they started in. -- plugwash [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.66|108.162.219.66]] 23:29, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

This comic describes a real place. Googling "rt-22 and lake shore road" will result in a ferry crossing in Essex, NY. Route-22 (Station ST) becomes Lake Shore road through a left turn near Pink Pig Cottage Antiques. About 300 feet from that T intersection is a small, unnamed, road on the right leading to the Essex-Charloette ferry route. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.103|173.245.52.103]] 22:34, 13 November 2014 (UTC)

378: Real Programmers

2014-11-07T16:57:06Z

173.245.52.103: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 378
| date = February 1, 2008
| title = Real Programmers
| image = real_programmers.png
| titletext = Real programmers set the universal constants at the start such that the universe evolves to contain the disk with the data they want.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic satirises the mythical {{w|Real Programmer}}. To quote Wikipedia, "the term Real Programmer is computer programmers' folklore to describe the archetypical "hardcore" programmer who eschews the modern languages and tools of the day in favour of more direct and efficient solutions". {{w|GNU nano}} is a text editor - a program often used to edit the source code of other programs. {{w|Emacs}}, {{w|Vim (text editor)|Vim}} and {{w|ed (text editor)|ed}} are all progressively more "hard core" editors. {{w|cat (Unix)|cat}} is a Unix program that concatenates and outputs the contents of files. Things get steadily more ridiculous from here. Using a magnetised needle to flip bits on a hard drive requires nanometer precision and binary mastery, but in the early days of programming people did use needles sometimes to fix bugs on {{w|Punched card|Punched cards}}. The use of a magnetized needle may also be a reference to the {{w|Apollo_Guidance_Computer|Apollo AGC guidance computer}}, whose instructions were physically written as patterns of wires looped around or through cylindrical magnets in order to record binary code.

The final character suggests the utterly surreal idea of using butterflies, he is just using the {{w|Butterfly effect in popular culture|Butterfly effect}}, a "phenomenon whereby a minor change in circumstances can cause a large change in outcome". Emacs is known for having a large number of add-ons to perform all sorts of functions beyond simple text editing. These commands are usually referred to by the key sequence required to activate them, such as "C-x M-c"(Control-x Meta/Esc/Alt-c, though this exact key sequence is a bit different from most Emacs commands and could be a joke or typo). The macro referenced is a pun on the play/movie titled "{{w|M. Butterfly}}". Later versions of Emacs actually added a "M-x butterfly" command as an Easter-egg [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQtxhuX6ano youtube demo], [http://www.screenr.com/a2s screenr demo].

To cap this the title text suggests manipulating the universal constants to get the required data onto the disk. I.e. the only real programmer is the creator of the universe - see [[505: A Bunch of Rocks]].

==Transcript==
:[A man sits at a computer, programming. Another man behind him looks over his shoulder.]
:Man: nano? REAL programmers use Emacs.

:[A dark haired woman appears behind him.]
:Woman: Hey. REAL programmers use Vim.

:[Another man appears behind her.]
:Man: Well, REAL programmers use ed.

:[Another man appears behind him.]
:Man: No, REAL programmers use cat.

:[A woman with a bun appears behind him.]
:Woman: REAL programmers use a magnetized needle and a steady hand.

:[A man enters, facing them all.]
:Man: Excuse me, but REAL programmers use butterflies.

:[Holding out a butterfly in front of the computer.]
:Man: They open their hands and let the delicate wings flap once.

:Man: The disturbances ripple outward, changing the flow of the Eddy currents in the upper atmosphere.
:[Diagrams of flowing currents.]
:Man: These cause momentary pockets of higher-pressure air to form,

:Man: Which act as lenses that deflect incoming cosmic rays, focusing them to strike the drive platter and flip the desired bit.

:Emacs User: Nice. 'Course, there's an Emacs command to do that.
:Cat User: Oh yeah! Good ol' C-x M-c M-butterfly...
:[Butterfly man slaps forehead.]
:Butterfly man: Dammit, Emacs.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Emacs]]

1015: Kerning

2014-11-07T15:57:09Z

173.245.52.103: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1015
| date = February 10, 2012
| title = Kerning
| image = kerning.png
| titletext = I have never been as self-conscious about my handwriting as when I was inking in the caption for this comic.
}}

== Explanation ==

In typography, {{w|kerning}} refers to the spacing between consecutive letters in printed material or the process of adjusting said spacing. Examples of bad kerning include text that's almost unreadable: adding so much space between letters of one word that it appears to be two words. Or, there might be so little space between letters that you can't tell what those letters should be ("r" and "n" together might look like "m" or "A" and "V" might have their slanting sides overlap). Extreme examples of bad kerning can lead to humorous or inappropriate text.

Kerning has been an issue in typography since the early era of printing presses and movable type but has taken on new challenges with digital printing. Typical non-designers using basic word processing software don't pay much attention to kerning. A good graphic designer, however, can compensate for bad kerning by individually adjusting the spacing between problem letters. People who specialize in graphic design or layout (and, thus, who are exposed to digital text on a regular basis) can become hyper-sensitive to bad kerning, seeing it in signs or other printed materials prepared by people without such sensitivity to bad kerning.

In the comic, the kerning in the sign is badly done: the spacing between C and I (in "City"), between C and E (in "Offices"), and even slightly between F and I (also in "Offices") is inconsistent. The space between the C and E is almost as wide as the space between the words. One character is clearly frustrated while the other character doesn't notice the problem at all.

The comic explains that once a person learns what good kerning is, he or she will get irritated by shoddy kerning in the future. Unfortunately, the comic itself has also taught us to be annoyed. Thanks, Randall.

The title text is written by Randall explaining that as he was writing this comic about kerning, he was very self-conscious of his own handwriting. The act of thinking about kerning (and likely, the act of drawing an example of such bad kerning) made him aware of it in his own writing.

== Transcript ==
:[There is a poorly-kerned sign on the side of a building labeled "CITY OFFIC ES". Two people are standing in front of it.]
:Person 1: ''Argh!''
:Person 2: What?
:If you really hate someone, teach them to recognize bad kerning.

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