explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:19: George Clinton

2015-05-05T03:57:25Z

173.245.54.205:

[[User:Rikthoff|Rikthoff]] ([[User talk:Rikthoff|talk]]) Does anybody know what the correct date of issue of this comic is? Also, does anybody know why Randall loves George Clinton?
:Have you listened to George Clinton? It's seems reasonable to me that [[Randall]] should love him. [[User:Blaisepascal|Blaisepascal]] ([[User talk:Blaisepascal|talk]]) 03:54, 15 August 2012 (UTC)

While reading that I got curious: How is it possible to gain a B.A. in mathematics? I couldn't find any information about the U.S. bachelor system, but in Germany a bachelor's degree in any STEM field is considered a B.Sc. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 12:08, 17 November 2014 (UTC)

Interestingly, a few years after this comic was made, George Clinton did record the track "Mathematics Of Love" (http://www.metrolyrics.com/mathematics-of-love-lyrics-george-clinton.html). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.77|141.101.99.77]] 11:57, 6 January 2015 (UTC) Kingofderby

I don't think explainxkcd has a math extension yet...--{{User:17jiangz1/signature|12:49, 01 May 2015}}

The expression on the blackboard is the expression of Laplace transformation and inverse Laplace transformation.--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.145|173.245.53.145]] 06:21, 4 May 2015 (UTC)

added lyrics and background [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.205|173.245.54.205]] 03:57, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

513: Friends

2015-04-27T02:27:28Z

173.245.54.205: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 513
| date = December 5, 2008
| title = Friends
| image = friends.png
| titletext = Friends with detriments.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] is talking apparently to [[Megan]]. He confesses that he has a crush on her. Usually the next step, when a boy likes a girl (or a girl likes a boy), is to ask the other person out. But Cueball takes a different route and in the comic he explains his thought process. Presumably he does not actually explain this to Megan.

He explains that he is afraid of rejection, and so instead of asking her out directly, promises to be her "best friend" and someone who is always "there for you", in the hopes that this will eventually lead to Megan developing an attraction for him. This way, Cueball does not have to risk Megan saying 'No' to him, as she will be led to make the first move instead. Cueball is aware that this may not be an ideal situation for Megan, conceding that she may end up changing her definition of happiness to make her feel more comfortable in the relationship, while she is conscious of the fact that she doesn't really love Cueball. Cueball recognises that if Megan fell for him this way, she would probably have this fact at the back of her mind forever.

And so, after painting this elaborate - but troubling - future, Cueball asks ''sound good''? Megan, however, is not won over by Cueball's plan, and tells him that she is going to date "this ''jerk''" instead (she could have said any name here - to Cueball it will always sound like ''jerk''!) This suggests that she would much rather date someone else rather than date Cueball whom she - as he correctly implies - does not love.

Cueball declares that the other suitor ''doesn't respect you'', an absurdly hypocritical comment given his manipulative plan. He explained earlier that he would ''tear down the jerks you date'', this last line could also be him actually executing on the plan he just detailed.

The title text is a play on the concept of ''friends with benefits'', wherein two friends have casual sex without entering a committed relationship. ''Friends with detriments'' suggests that having Cueball as her "friend" damages Megan's chances of getting a relationship (and sex) with anyone else, since Cueball will tear any candidate down. Also, despite Cueball claiming to be Megan's friend (and appearing to value this friendship), his plans are rather selfish and manipulative, making him a "friend" who is in fact detrimental.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is talking to a girl.]
:Cueball: I have a crush on you.

:[Cueball is shown alone.]
:Cueball: I could ask you out, and move on with my life if you said no.

:Cueball: Or, WE COULD BE FRIENDS!

:Cueball: See, I don't want to consider that you might not be attracted to me. I'm scared of rejection, so I've decided relationships should grow :smoothly out of friendships.

:[Megan is shown sitting at her computer.]
:Cueball: When you have problems, I'll be there for you, night after night.
:Cueball: Selflessly.
:Computer (Instant message from boy): *hug*

:[Megan is shown slamming door and walking to Cueball to get a hug.]
:Cueball: I'll tear down the jerks you date, and wait for you to realize how good I am for you. That only <u>I</u> will ever understand you.
:''SLAM''
:Megan: ''Sniff''
:Cueball: There there

:[Cueball is shown alone again.]
:Cueball: You don't want to hurt my feelings, and I won't ever force the issue. I'll tell myself it's because I "Value our friendship."

:Cueball: Bit by bit, I'll make you depend on me.

:[Cueball and girl are shown sitting on a rock in a park, reading a book together.]
:Cueball: You'll think about how long it would take to build this kind of connection again.

:[Cueball and girl are shown sitting on a couch drinking, getting closer, and kissing.]
:Cueball: And in a moment of weakness
:Cueball: and loneliness
:Cueball: you'll give in.

:[Megan is shown sitting at the computer with Cueball behind her facing the other way washing dishes.]
:Cueball: It'll feel comfortable and natural. You'll quietly revise your definition of love and try to be happy. And sometimes you will be.

:[Megan is shown sitting at the computer.]
:Cueball: Only the wistfulness in your gaze and the tiny pause before you say "I love you" will hint that this wasn't the ending you'd hoped for.
:Cueball: Sound good?

:[Megan is holding hands with another boy, talking to Cueball.]
:Megan: ...I'm going to date this jerk.
:Cueball: But he doesn't respect you!

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

29: Hitler

2015-04-13T21:54:39Z

173.245.54.205: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 29
| date = November 11, 2005
| title = Hitler
| image = hitler.jpg
| titletext = So he's saying that God thought Hitler's art was so bad that the Holocaust was an acceptable alternative. It's no secret that the hat guy is closely based on Aram, from Men in Hats.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] speaks to an early version of [[Black Hat]] (with more of a top hat than his later "boater" hat style) about the {{w|Holocaust}} and {{w|Adolf Hitler}}. Hitler was the leader of {{w|Nazi}} Germany beginning 1933 and starting the {{w|World War II}} in 1939 by attacking Poland. During that war the Germans (under Hitler's leadership) killed millions of people; most of them were Jews, but other ethnic groups, homosexuals, and the mentally disabled were all targeted as well. This has come to be known as the Holocaust.

Black Hat's comment that Hitler wanted to be a painter, but did not get into art school is historically accurate. He applied to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts twice. In any event, Cueball implies in the second frame that had Hitler been accepted into art school, the course of history might have changed and the Holocaust might never have occurred. Black Hat suggests that perhaps God intentionally prevented Hitler from becoming an artist because God is an "art lover" and Hitler's art was terrible.

As with other early comics, the title text explains the comic for us: this implies that God would have preferred the Holocaust to have occurred rather than allow Hitler to make some bad paintings. Such a comment that God could be so callous would surely be offensive to many people. Cueball's reaction to this shocking statement is relatively mild and suggests that Black Hat has made such controversial statements before. He will make a similarly controversial and Nazi-related statement again in [[984: Space Launch System]].

The title text informs the reader that Black Hat is based on a character named Aram from a now-defunct comic strip entitled [http://www.meninhats.com/ ''Men in Hats'' - http://www.meninhats.com/]. Like Black Hat, Aram seems to have frequently made judgmental, insulting or controversial comments in a very emotionless manner. Aram wore a grey (perhaps intended to be black) suit with a red bowtie and a black top hat with white strip above the brim. Black Hat's hat clearly evolved from the top hat design later in xkcd.

==Transcript==
:Cueball: Learning about the Holocaust has really shaken my belief in God.

:Black Hat: You know, as a young man, Hitler was rejected from art school.
:Cueball: Yeah... shame he didn't get in

:Black Hat: Well, have you seen any of his paintings? They're awful. Defy all rules of composition.
:Cueball: What are you suggesting?

:Black Hat: Maybe there is a god, but he's a real art lover.
:Cueball: This is why I don't go out in public with you.

==Trivia==
*Original quote from [[Randall]]: "Yes, it's entirely possible that those two are [http://meninhats.com/d/20040225.html Aram and Gamal]."
*This is the thirty-first comic originally posted to livejournal. The previous was [[34: Flowers]]. The next was [[28: Elefino]].

{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hitler]]

1497: New Products

2015-03-11T05:02:05Z

173.245.54.205: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number = 1497
| date = March 11, 2015
| title = New Products
| image = new products.png
| titletext = If you ever hear "Wait, is that Kim Dotcom's new project? I'm really excited about it and already signed up, although I'm a little nervous about whether everyone should hand over control of their medical...", it's time to dig a bunker in your backyard.
}}

== Explanation ==

{{incomplete|First draft halfway complete}}

This comic points out an apparent paradox in product performance: Many products that are criticized when first announced go on to great success, and many that are heavily hyped are total flops.

* A product that "doesn't do anything new" may still be successful for a variety of reasons. It may in fact do something new that the engineers and programmers are overlooking, or it may simply be a better presentation of an older idea. This latter category is the completion of the life-cycle mentioned later in the comic, those products whose "ideas will show up in something successful."

* If engineers and programmers can't figure out why anyone would want a product, that may actually be because the applications are highly avant-garde or niche.

* Products that are "really exciting" to engineers and programmers, so much so that they have already preördered them, can turn out to be "nerd bait," so to speak. The developers promise a cool, groundbreaking new gadget or service, and people get so excited by the idea that they ignore whether or not it's actually feasible. When the developers can't follow through, unsurprisingly, the product flops. The ideas that it proposed, which were so intriguing to the programmers and the developers, will be worth billions once someone can figure out how to realize them.

* If a product's developer's name is well-known among engineers and programmers, but not among the general public, that's usually not a good sign. Quite likely, the developer is someone who goes a step farther than those in the previous category, not just announcing something cool and exciting they can't follow through on, but doing so ''knowing'' that they can't follow through, and take people's money anyways. The state may press criminal charges against them (for fraud or such), or the angry investors may sue to get their money back.

== Transcript ==

== Trivia ==
- There is a typo on the first upload. "Preorded" should be "preordered". http://imgur.com/JMhzHey

{{comic discussion}}

1497: New Products

2015-03-11T05:00:47Z

173.245.54.205: Added trivia section. Pointed out typo in comic. Is this the right section? IDK.

{{comic
| number = 1497
| date = March 11, 2015
| title = New Products
| image = new products.png
| titletext = If you ever hear "Wait, is that Kim Dotcom's new project? I'm really excited about it and already signed up, although I'm a little nervous about whether everyone should hand over control of their medical...", it's time to dig a bunker in your backyard.
}}

== Explanation ==

{{incomplete|First draft halfway complete}}

This comic points out an apparent paradox in product performance: Many products that are criticized when first announced go on to great success, and many that are heavily hyped are total flops.

* A product that "doesn't do anything new" may still be successful for a variety of reasons. It may in fact do something new that the engineers and programmers are overlooking, or it may simply be a better presentation of an older idea. This latter category is the completion of the life-cycle mentioned later in the comic, those products whose "ideas will show up in something successful."

* If engineers and programmers can't figure out why anyone would want a product, that may actually be because the applications are highly avant-garde or niche.

* Products that are "really exciting" to engineers and programmers, so much so that they have already preördered them, can turn out to be "nerd bait," so to speak. The developers promise a cool, groundbreaking new gadget or service, and people get so excited by the idea that they ignore whether or not it's actually feasible. When the developers can't follow through, unsurprisingly, the product flops. The ideas that it proposed, which were so intriguing to the programmers and the developers, will be worth billions once someone can figure out how to realize them.

* If a product's developer's name is well-known among engineers and programmers, but not among the general public, that's usually not a good sign. Quite likely, the developer is someone who goes a step farther than those in the previous category, not just announcing something cool and exciting they can't follow through on, but doing so ''knowing'' that they can't follow through, and take people's money anyways. The state may press criminal charges against them (for fraud or such), or the angry investors may sue to get their money back.

== Transcript ==

== Trivia ==
- There is a typo on the first upload. "preorded" should be "preordered". http://imgur.com/JMhzHey

{{comic discussion}}

1446: Landing

2014-11-12T05:51:41Z

173.245.54.205: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1446
| date = November 12, 2014
| title = ???
| image = http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/%3F%3F%3F.png
| titletext = ...
}}

==Explanation==
This comic seems to be changing over time like some past comics did. A Full explanation will likely have to wait till more panels are revealed.

It now says 3 hours to separation -- possibly about ESA landing probe on comet soon?

And now it's back to a blank frame.

And now it says 'Has anyone ever tried this before?'.

'I don't think so.'

==Frame by Frame Breakdown==
{| class="wikitable plainlinks table-padding"
|-
!Image
!Day/Time
|-
|
|}

==Transcript==

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]

Talk:1405: Meteor

2014-08-08T11:30:46Z

173.245.54.205:

If meteors fall, then what is a meteoric rise? [[User:Rfvtg|Rfvtg]] ([[User talk:Rfvtg|talk]]) 04:54, 8 August 2014 (UTC)
:Fast. [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.120|103.22.201.120]] 08:12, 8 August 2014 (UTC)
:: See [[1115]] for explanation [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 11:19, 8 August 2014 (UTC)

The legend of this comic might refer to pedology, the study of soil. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.87|173.245.53.87]] 06:56, 8 August 2014 (UTC)

But the sky <i> is </i> blue. It is a desaturated blue with a center wavelength of 474 to 476 nm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffuse_sky_radiation The statement that the sky is "anything but blue" is wrong.[[User:ExternalMonolog|ExternalMonolog]] ([[User talk:ExternalMonolog|talk]]) 08:34, 8 August 2014 (UTC)ExternalMonolog

does anyone else find the capitalization variation of LAVA vs lava funny? In all seriousness that would make them two different programming variables... However it is hard to notice and isn't clear on what the difference in meaning should be. This is one of the reason for using Object mObject instead of Object object in java.
[[User:Mr.Smiley|Mr.Smiley]] ([[User talk:Mr.Smiley|talk]]) 10:28, 8 August 2014 (UTC)
:I think it might just be for emphasis. The pedantic Cueball is becoming exasperated with the person who's getting it 'wrong'. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.205|173.245.54.205]] 11:30, 8 August 2014 (UTC)