explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3227: Creation

2026-04-06T04:15:14Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 3227
| date = April 1, 2026
| title = Creation
| image = creation_2x.png
| imagesize = 567x198px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = This xkcd.com update introduces a variety of new reading modes which can be activated through the menu.
}}
{{series
| series = April
| number = 18
| date = April 1, 2026
| days_late =
| day_category = Wednesday
| prev_title = 3074: Push Notifications
| prev_date = April 9, 2025
| next_title =
| next_date =
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently in ROBOTIC MODE. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The accompanying comic references one of the first lines of the {{w|Bible}} (Genesis 1:3), wherein God creates light. Here, though, before God has a chance to fully appreciate the work, a person on Earth immediately requests an implementation of {{w|dark mode}}. Dark mode is a feature on many websites and devices which displays text in white against a black background instead of the default black text on a white background. In low ambient light this makes for a less intense viewing experience that is easier on the eyes, so many people who spend a lot of time looking at screens prefer dark mode (whereas casual users often find light mode easier to read). On OLED screens, another benefit is that because of the primarily low brightness of the screen, less battery life is consumed, which makes it useful for those who want to be energy-efficient or extend their battery life.

This demand represents a common experience for web and app designers, who spend a lot of time creating something that looks beautiful to them, and in their particular use case, only to find when it is put out into the wild that it doesn't suit the needs of many of their actual users, who don't particularly care about the effort they've put in.

Dark mode is not usually implemented on planets,{{cn}} although one could argue that night-time is effectively Earth's "dark mode", which could have been created by God as a response to the person. (That seems likely, in fact, given that the very next words in Genesis 1:4 are "and he separated the light from the darkness".) The comic deviates somewhat from traditional Judeo-Christian theology, as in Genesis the day/night cycle was created on the first day, but humans were created on the sixth day - thus, the "dark mode" (night-time) would already have been implemented by the time humans existed. Possibly the person is actually requesting a dark mode that can be toggled at will, rather than one which occurs automatically each day.

Unlike most comics, the title text contains no jokes, but rather explains the update and gives basic instructions.

The comic credits the "Excellent Design Team", consisting of Amber, Benjamin Staffin, and Kevin who helped create the modes.

==Transcript==
:[Black background with white caption boxes.]
:Caption: And God said,
:Caption:"Let there be light,"

:[A bright explosion of light from a star in the center, with a white caption box.]
:Caption: And there was light.

:[The star with bright rays of light is shown against the horizon of a planet.]
:[The same planet horizon is shown with a clear sky above.]
:Caption: God saw that the light was-
:Voice from the planet: Can you add support for dark mode?

<noinclude>{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]
[[Category:April Fools' Day comics]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Comics with custom header texts]]
</noinclude>

3227: Creation

2026-04-06T04:14:20Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3227
| date = April 1, 2026
| title = Creation
| image = creation_2x.png
| imagesize = 567x198px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = This xkcd.com update introduces a variety of new reading modes which can be activated through the menu.
}}
{{series
| series = April
| number = 18
| date = April 1, 2026
| days_late =
| day_category = Wednesday
| prev_title = 3074: Push Notifications
| prev_date = April 9, 2025
| next_title =
| next_date =
}}
To experience the interactivity of the web page, visit the {{xkcd|3227|original comic}}!

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently in ROBOTIC MODE. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The accompanying comic references one of the first lines of the {{w|Bible}} (Genesis 1:3), wherein God creates light. Here, though, before God has a chance to fully appreciate the work, a person on Earth immediately requests an implementation of {{w|dark mode}}. Dark mode is a feature on many websites and devices which displays text in white against a black background instead of the default black text on a white background. In low ambient light this makes for a less intense viewing experience that is easier on the eyes, so many people who spend a lot of time looking at screens prefer dark mode (whereas casual users often find light mode easier to read). On OLED screens, another benefit is that because of the primarily low brightness of the screen, less battery life is consumed, which makes it useful for those who want to be energy-efficient or extend their battery life.

This demand represents a common experience for web and app designers, who spend a lot of time creating something that looks beautiful to them, and in their particular use case, only to find when it is put out into the wild that it doesn't suit the needs of many of their actual users, who don't particularly care about the effort they've put in.

Dark mode is not usually implemented on planets,{{cn}} although one could argue that night-time is effectively Earth's "dark mode", which could have been created by God as a response to the person. (That seems likely, in fact, given that the very next words in Genesis 1:4 are "and he separated the light from the darkness".) The comic deviates somewhat from traditional Judeo-Christian theology, as in Genesis the day/night cycle was created on the first day, but humans were created on the sixth day - thus, the "dark mode" (night-time) would already have been implemented by the time humans existed. Possibly the person is actually requesting a dark mode that can be toggled at will, rather than one which occurs automatically each day.

Unlike most comics, the title text contains no jokes, but rather explains the update and gives basic instructions.

The comic credits the "Excellent Design Team", consisting of Amber, Benjamin Staffin, and Kevin who helped create the modes.

==Transcript==
:[Black background with white caption boxes.]
:Caption: And God said,
:Caption:"Let there be light,"

:[A bright explosion of light from a star in the center, with a white caption box.]
:Caption: And there was light.

:[The star with bright rays of light is shown against the horizon of a planet.]
:[The same planet horizon is shown with a clear sky above.]
:Caption: God saw that the light was-
:Voice from the planet: Can you add support for dark mode?

<noinclude>{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]
[[Category:April Fools' Day comics]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Comics with custom header texts]]
</noinclude>

Design of xkcd.com

2026-04-06T04:12:45Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB: /* Comic section */

{{xkcd.com}}[[File:xkcd_website.png|thumb|right|250px|The four main sections of the [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com] website.]]{{TOC}}
The '''design of [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com]''' includes four white sections, which are separated by a thin black border and a light blue-gray background color. All text on the page uses a small caps font, except for the word "xkcd" in the logo image. Here is a list of the changes that have been made:

The design has changed many times over the years, but mainly in the beginning. Prior to [https://web.archive.org/web/20041024201125/http://68.57.186.221:8080/ October 24th, 2004], the website didn't mention the name "xkcd" and didn't include any comics. During that time, the site's message simply stated: "I don't use this page for much. It goes un-updated for a long time, and I don't really change the content, though I'm thinking of putting together a good links page. For now I just mostly use this to host pictures.". Before [https://web.archive.org/web/20051018051614/http://www.xkcd.com:80/ October 18th, 2005], the website was redesigned to be used to host xkcd comics. Between [http://web.archive.org/web/20060706040359/http://xkcd.com:80/ July 6th, 2006] and [http://web.archive.org/web/20060710090528/http://www.xkcd.com:80/ July 10th, 2006], the design of the website changed dramatically to one very similar to the current one.

==Links section==
[[File:xkcd_links.png|right|150px]]
:''Main article: [[Links]]''

The first section is for the [[Links|links]] and is positioned at the top left of the page. It contains direct links to navigate around [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com], his social accounts, and his books. There have been [[Links#History|many changes]] to the links over the course of the site's history, with the last one being made in 2023. It states:

{{:Links}}

==Header section==
[[File:xkcd_header.png|right|150px]]
The second section is the header, which contains the logo, the [[Tagline|tagline]], and the [[Header text|header text]]. The header is wider than the first section but has the same height. The xkcd logo is positioned on the upper left corner and serves as a clickable link to the front page. The image used in the logo of xkcd is from the first panel of [[77: Bored with the Internet]], showing only the characters and the chair and the desk with a now old fashioned computer screen. The color of the text in the logo is a shade of grey/gray(spelling varies with location), with a hex value of #6e7b91, and an rgba value of (110,123,145,255).

===Tagline===
:''Main article: [[Tagline]]''

Next to the logo is the [[Tagline|tagline]], a short text that appears regardless of which comic is being viewed. There have been [[Tagline#History|eight taglines]] displayed over the course of the site's history, with the current one being added in 2006. It states:

{{:Tagline}}

===Header text===
:''Main article: [[Header text]]''

The [[Header text|header text]] is usually updated when Randall has news to share or wants to add information about a specific comic. The header text has been changed [[Header text#Comic-specific header text|more than a hundred times]] since the launch of [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com]. The standard header text states:

{{:Header text}}


==Comic section==
[[File:xkcd_comic.png|right|150px]]This section of the website is dedicated to displaying comics.

===Comic===
Positioned above the comic is the title, presented in large and bold lettering. Just below the title, but above the primary comic image, there are five buttons. They follow a fairly standard layout: on the outer edges are the <li style="background-color: #6E7B91; border: 1.5px solid #333333; border-radius: 3px 3px 3px 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 5px 0 gray; display: inline; font-size: 11px; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 600; margin: 0 4px; padding: 1.5px 0;">|<</li> and <li style="background-color: #6E7B91; border: 1.5px solid #333333; border-radius: 3px 3px 3px 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 5px 0 gray; display: inline; font-size: 12px; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 600; margin: 0 4px; padding: 1.5px 0;">>|</li> arrows, which transport the user to the first or most recent comic accordingly. Adjacent to these are the <li style="background-color: #6E7B91; border: 1.5px solid #333333; border-radius: 3px 3px 3px 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 5px 0 gray; display: inline; font-size: 12px; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 600; margin: 0 4px; padding: 1.5px 0;">< Prev</li> and <li style="background-color: #6E7B91; border: 1.5px solid #333333; border-radius: 3px 3px 3px 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 5px 0 gray; display: inline; font-size: 12px; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 600; margin: 0 4px; padding: 1.5px 0;">Next ></li> buttons, allowing navigation between the comics immediately before and after the currently displayed one. In instances where the displayed comic is the first or the last, attempting to access the previous or next comic will simply result in the page being reloaded. At the center there is a <li style="background-color: #6E7B91; border: 1.5px solid #333333; border-radius: 3px 3px 3px 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 5px 0 gray; display: inline; font-size: 12px; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 600; margin: 0 4px; padding: 1.5px 0;">Random</li> button, which, when clicked, loads a comic at random. The same set of buttons is duplicated below the comic as well. While this redundancy isn't needed in most comics, it ensures that the buttons are conveniently accessible both before and after scrolling, especially for [[:Category:Large drawings|large comics]].

Finally, beneath this second row of buttons, two links are provided. The first functions as a permalink, directly linking to the comic currently displayed on the page. In some cases, custom permalinks are used for various versions of the same comic, such as in some of the [[:Category:Interactive comics|interactive comics]] like [[1350: Lorenz]] and [[1663: Garden]]. The structure of this link consists solely of the [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com] domain followed by the respective comic number. For instance, the link for comic [[3000: Experimental Astrophysics]] would appear as: "https://www.xkcd.com/3000/". The second link leads to the image URL suitable for hotlinking or embedding, in this case "https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/experimental_astrophysics.png". This link is stored within a comics-specific logical subdirectory of the server. The filenames of these images typically align with the comic titles, although exceptions arise, particularly in cases of [[:Category:Comics sharing name|title conflicts]] or when the visible comic is dynamically generated or a composite rendering.
{{incomplete|This page was created recently in ROBOTIC MODE. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
In this {{w|April Fool's Day}} comic, several new viewing modes have been added to the xkcd website, accessible through a {{w|drop-down list}} beneath the comic (not visible on Explain xkcd). This allows various different viewing experiences for the entire website, including older comics. Some are "normal" viewing modes, like the typical "light" and "dark" modes, but others take such things further and/or in more esoteric ways. This includes an "airplane mode" (see below) that parodies and subverts the {{w|Airplane mode|normal implementation}}.

The accompanying comic references one of the first lines of the {{w|Bible}} (Genesis 1:3), wherein God creates light. Here, though, before God has a chance to fully appreciate the work, a person on Earth immediately requests an implementation of {{w|dark mode}}. Dark mode is a feature on many websites and devices which displays text in white against a black background instead of the default black text on a white background. In low ambient light this makes for a less intense viewing experience that is easier on the eyes, so many people who spend a lot of time looking at screens prefer dark mode (whereas casual users often find light mode easier to read). On OLED screens, another benefit is that because of the primarily low brightness of the screen, less battery life is consumed, which makes it useful for those who want to be energy-efficient or extend their battery life.

This demand represents a common experience for web and app designers, who spend a lot of time creating something that looks beautiful to them, and in their particular use case, only to find when it is put out into the wild that it doesn't suit the needs of many of their actual users, who don't particularly care about the effort they've put in.

Dark mode is not usually implemented on planets,{{cn}} although one could argue that night-time is effectively Earth's "dark mode", which could have been created by God as a response to the person. (That seems likely, in fact, given that the very next words in Genesis 1:4 are "and he separated the light from the darkness".) The comic deviates somewhat from traditional Judeo-Christian theology, as in Genesis the day/night cycle was created on the first day, but humans were created on the sixth day - thus, the "dark mode" (night-time) would already have been implemented by the time humans existed. Possibly the person is actually requesting a dark mode that can be toggled at will, rather than one which occurs automatically each day.

Unlike most comics, the title text contains no jokes, but rather explains the update and gives basic instructions.

The comic credits the "Excellent Design Team", consisting of Amber, Benjamin Staffin, and Kevin who helped create the modes.

===List Of Modes===
; Light Mode
: The usual site experience. Typically, where sites have light and dark modes, light is the default option, so as to mimic ink on paper (such as printed {{w|newspaper comic strip}}s).

; Lighter Mode
: The entire web page is filtered to look {{w|Exposure (photography)#Overexposure and underexposure|overexposed}}, making colors wash out and reducing the contrast.

; Dark Mode
: A standard "white content on black background" dark mode. Specifically, Dark Mode inverts the colors of the page (which makes a {{w|Negative (photography)|colour-negative}} and then hue-rotates it by 180 degrees (to make hue return to normal, only brightness-reversed. (For example, see comic [[556: Alternative Energy Revolution|556]], with dark mode enabled, to see how the hue is maintained.) The background of the page, normally light blue, becomes a dark blue; (near-)whites become (near-)blacks, and vice-versa, only mid-tones staying the same. This inversion makes the content of this particular comic, with the original transition from a dark pane to "let there be light" panes and the subsequent request for this very feature, particularly nonsensical, as it seems to start fully bright, then darken as God creates light.

; Darkest Mode
: Everything on the webpage turns completely black (severely 'underexposed', in effect, the opposite to "Lighter mode" but also even more extreme). The exception is the drop down menu widget, which may appear as merely a dark gray — and depending upon the browser itself, the dropped-down menu may be its 'natural' appearance when it becomes fully active — which is of course extremely helpful for navigating back out of this mode or onward onto others.

; Blurry Mode
: {{w|Blur (photographic effect)|Blurs}} the entire webpage. This is not conventionally desirable as it makes it harder to read text and interpret visuals. Whereas light and dark mode support can improve {{w|Web accessibility|accessibility}} for certain vision conditions, this mode makes already poor vision even worse.

; Grayscale Mode
: Applies a standard {{w|grayscale}}/{{w|Colorfulness#Saturation|desaturation}} conversion filter to the entire webpage. Many devices provide a grayscale mode as one of their color filter settings, which can simulate different {{w|color vision deficiencies}}. Grayscale specifically can also help improve focus by preventing colors from catching the eye and making distractions less visually appealing.

; Greyscale Mode
: Operates identically to Grayscale Mode, but also changes the spelling of "math" in the slogan at the top of the page to "maths" (to go along with the respective {{w|American and British English spelling differences|British English}} use of ''{{wiktionary|gray}}/{{wiktionary|grey}}'').

; Dorian Greyscale Mode
: Makes the webpage slowly turn grey, including darkening/fading-to-grey 'white' areas. This refers to ''{{w|The Picture of Dorian Gray}}'', in which the titular character has a portrait that slowly ages and fades out while the character stays young and handsome. The transformation finishes after 5 minutes.

: Of note is that the surname of the titular character is "{{w|Grey (disambiguation)#People|Gray}}" (as is still common, if not dominant, in Britain), but the mode itself is named for the primary British/non-American standard English version of the word for such a hueless shade.

: No relation to the {{w|Dorian mode}}, a musical scale.

; Space Opera Mode
: Turns the entire page into a ''{{w|Star Wars}}''-style opening scroll, which loops round until you change the mode. Scrolling the mouse scrolls up or down through the page content. {{w|Space opera}} is a genre of sci-fi that ''Star Wars'' falls under.

; 3D Mode
: Makes the comic render in {{w|Anaglyph 3D|anaglyphic stereoscopy}}. [[Randall]] has used 3D space before for [[848|another joke comic]].

; Origami Mode
: Rotates and folds various pieces of the webpage, as if it were {{w|origami}}-folded.

; Ink Mode
: Recolors the webpage as if drawn in blue ink, which is often used for the initial roughing-out of a drawing.

; Spring Mode
: Gives the comic a simple physics simulation, making it slightly rotate around an axis when the page is scrolled, and giving it a {{w|springboard}} look, hence the name. The axis around which the page precesses is perpendicular to the axis the user scrolls on. This means that when the page is scrolled vertically (the usual direction), the comic wobbles around a horizontal axis, but when scrolled horizontally (if your screen size or zoom allows it), the comic precesses about the vertical axis.

; Antipodes Mode
: Turns the entire webpage upside down. An {{w|antipodes|antipode}} is the point on the Earth's surface directly opposite of another, but "The Antipodes" is also a term used to refer to {{w|Australia}} and {{w|New Zealand}} by inhabitants of the northern hemisphere. Note: When the comic was first published this was labeled "Southern Hemisphere Mode".

; Hacker Mode
: Recolors the entire webpage in the stereotypical green-on-black coding environment color scheme often used by {{w|hacker}}s on film and TV. This visual shorthand is a holdover from early {{w|monochrome monitor}}s that used P1 phosphor. (Modern terminal software has no such limitations, and many programmers today use {{w|syntax highlighting}} to color-code operators and keywords.)

; Screensaver Mode
: Makes the comic float around on the webpage, bouncing as it hits the edges. A common type of {{w|screensaver}} has some text or other element drifting around the screen in this way. Many people ended up watching such screensavers, waiting for the bouncing graphic to hit the corner of the screen. Like with Hacker Mode, there is an element of nostalgia to this; screensavers are less necessary on modern LCD screens, so fewer setups use them.

; Modem Mode
: Slowly reveals the comic from top to bottom, as if slowly loading (but [[598: Porn|only in approximation]]) the way images often used to have to be progressively rendered from a low-rate stream of image data in the days of more limited dial-up connections and also a lower-performance {{w|Internet backbone}} in general. This is accompanied by audio of the sound of a {{w|modem}} communicating over such a connection. NB - this mode does not appear to function correctly/reliably for some viewers.

; Stained Glass Mode
: Fills each closed area of the comic with a separate color to mimic the look of {{w|stained glass}} imagery. The colors vary each time this mode is selected or the page is reloaded in this mode, which works by flooding a single pseudorandom hue over all areas of near-white, each flood bounded only by any sufficiently dark or saturated drawn line/border.

; Airplane Mode
: Makes the comic fly around on the page, with the {{w|onomatopoeia}} "NYOOM!" written next to it, as if it were an {{w|airplane}}. This is unlike the usual use of {{w|airplane mode}} to refer to disabling the cellphone (or all {{w|radio frequency}}) features of a mobile device, as required on most flights. Of course, the website's "Airplane Mode" does no such thing, and would be pointless to enable on an airplane.{{cn}}

; Boat Mode
: Makes the entire webpage tilt back and forth, emulating the way a boat rolls on the water. While [[165: Turn Signals|extremely unlikely]], this could theoretically counteract the rocking motion of a boat, stabilizing the page content. In practice, it is unlikely to help with {{w|seasickness}}. (As of 2024, some smart devices started offering a "vehicle motion cues" feature that is meant to reduce motion sickness, although it is designed for road vehicles rather than watercraft.)

: This mode is a reference to the longstanding mention of a Boat Mode in the [[footnote]], which says "Remove your device from Airplane Mode and set it to Boat Mode".

The two links were originally plaintext and couldn't be clicked, but they were changed to hyperlinks between [https://web.archive.org/web/20210731145017/https://xkcd.com/102/ July 31, 2021] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20210810053223/https://xkcd.com/102/ Aug 10, 2021].

:<div style="font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 500; font-size: 16px; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;" class="plainlinks">Permanent link to this comic: </div><div style="font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 800; font-size: 16px; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;" class="plainlinks"> https://xkcd.com/3000/</div>
:<div style="font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 500; font-size: 16px; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;" class="plainlinks">Image URL (for hotlinking/embedding): </div><div style="font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 800; font-size: 16px; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;" class="plainlinks">https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/experimental_astrophysics.png</div>

===Title text===
:''Main article: [[Title text]]''

The [[Title text|title text]] is an {{w|HTML attribute}} that [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] puts on almost every xkcd comic to add something tangentially relevant to the topic of the comic. Over the years, [[Title text|its purpose has changed]].

==Bottom section==
[[File:xkcd_bottom.png|right|150px]]

=== Footer comics ===
:''Main article: [[Footer comics]]''

The [[Footer comics|footer comics]] are likely selected for representing the topics covered on xkcd. There have been [[Footer comics#History|five changes]] to the footer comics over the course of the site's history, with the last one being added in 2019. They are:

{{:Footer comics}}

===Feeds===
Below the footer comics, there are three feeds links. These links consist of a RSS feed, an Atom feed, and, starting from [https://web.archive.org/web/20190206060904/https://xkcd.com/ February 6th, 2019], a subscription link for receiving news via email. On [https://web.archive.org/web/20190611031920/https://xkcd.com/ June 11th, 2019], the last two links were also added to the [[Links|links]] at the top for easier access. They are:

<div style="display: block; margin: auto; width: 300px; Unicode-bidi: isolate; display: block; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 500;" class="plainlinks">
:[https://xkcd.com/rss.xml '''RSS Feed'''] - [https://xkcd.com/atom.xml '''Atom Feed'''] - [https://xkcd.com/newsletter/ '''Email''']</div>

===Comics I enjoy===
Beneath the two feeds there is a list of Randall's favorite webcomics with links:

<div style="display: block; margin: auto; width: 300px; Unicode-bidi: isolate; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 500;" class="plainlinks">
:Comics I enjoy: 
:'''[http://threewordphrase.com/ Three Word Phrase]''',
:'''[https://www.smbc-comics.com/ SMBC]''',
:'''[https://www.qwantz.com Dinosaur Comics]''',
:'''[https://oglaf.com/ Oglaf]''' (nsfw),
:'''[https://www.asofterworld.com A Softer World]''',
:'''[https://buttersafe.com/ Buttersafe]''',
:'''[https://pbfcomics.com/ Perry Bible Fellowship]''',
:'''[https://questionablecontent.net/ Questionable Content]''',
:'''[http://www.buttercupfestival.com/ Buttercup Festival]''',
:'''[https://www.homestuck.com/ Homestuck]''',
:'''[https://www.jspowerhour.com/ Junior Scientist Power Hour]'''</div>

===Other things===
:''Main article: [[Other things]]''

The [[Other things|Other things section]] on xkcd contains links to external websites [[Randall]] finds interesting. It is displayed beneath the Comics I enjoy section. There has been a total of [[Other things#History|five links]] displayed over the course of the site's history, [[Other things#History|which have been changed thrice]].

{{:Other things}}

===Warning===
:''Main article: [[Warning]]''

The [[Warning|warning]] on xkcd served as a humorous advisory message to users about the contents of the comics. It was originally [[Warning|added to the site]] in 2006, but [[Warning#Removal of the warning|it was removed]] in 2016. It stated:

{{:Warning}}

===Bitcoin address===
:''Main article: [[Bitcoin address]]''

The [[Bitcoin address]] on xkcd used to be included in the [[Footnote|footnote]] and in [https://xkcd.com/bitcoin xkcd.com/bitcoin]. A larger version of the Bitcoin address is available in [[Bitcoin address|the main article]]. He updated the addresses frequently, using them as a modern tip jar for high-tech users. There have been [[Bitcoin address#History|six Bitcoin addresses]] displayed over the course of the site's history, with the last one being [[Bitcoin address#Footnote|removed]], alongside the [[Footnote|footnote]], in 2016. It stated:

{{:Bitcoin address}}

===Footnote===
:''Main article: [[Footnote]]''

The [[Footnote|footnote]] on xkcd is set to a very tiny font size, which makes it hard to read without zooming in. A larger version of the footnote is available in [[Footnote|the main article]]. There have been [[Footnote#History|two major footnotes]] displayed over the course of the site's history, with the current one being added in 2016. It states:

{{:Footnote}}

===License and copyright===
Randall allows people to use his comics for free as long as they do not make money on them and as long as they credit him with the work.
There are two notes:

<div style="display: block; margin: auto; width: 410px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; font-variant: small-caps; font-family: Lucida, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 500;" class="plainlinks">
:This work is licensed under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ '''Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License'''].

:This means you're free to copy and share these comics (but not to sell them). [https://xkcd.com/license.html '''More details'''].</div>

"More details" is a link to [https://xkcd.com/license.html xkcd.com/license.html], which expands on what people are and are not allowed to do.

[[Category:Design of xkcd.com| 1]]{{xkcdmeta}}

2948: Electric vs Gas

2026-03-30T00:48:11Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 2948
| date = June 19, 2024
| title = Electric vs Gas
| image = electric_vs_gas_2x.png
| imagesize = 284x385px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = An idling gas engine may be annoyingly loud, but that's the price you pay for having WAY less torque available at a standstill.
}}
{{TOC}}
==Explanation==
{{w|Internal combustion engine|Internal combustion engines}} (ICEs) have long been the most common technology used to propel motor vehicles (usually in the specific form of reciprocating "piston" engines). In US vernacular, the most common vehicle fuel is known as "{{w|gasoline}}", or "gas" for short, leading to these engines being referred to as "gas engines". Gasoline is a product of petroleum refinement, leading to the name "petrol" being used in other dialects.

{{w|Traction motor|Electric motors}} would seem the more well-suited method for propelling a vehicle, and as early as 1885 were an actual form of motor car engine with which the fledgling internal combustion engine had to compete. Despite this early popularity, over most of the 20th century electric motors were sidelined in everyday car design, as supplying the electricity was considered to be impracticable for most forms of transportation. Modern forms are rapidly rising in popularity, and [https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024/trends-in-electric-cars now constitute 18% of all global vehicle sales]. [[Randall]] is a strong proponent of {{w|electric vehicle}}s (EVs).

In this strip, [[White Hat]] claims to be comparing the pros and cons of electric motors and gas engines. The joke is that every point he makes goes in favor of electric motors. Despite it being posed as a dilemma, it may be very clear which side of the debate White Hat is promoting. On the other hand, it may indicate that one of the things we might consider a pro in electric motors (the instantaneous power now available, exceeding that of many non-electric engines) he would consider a problem — perhaps more accurately, a problem with the ''drivers'' of such vehicles — recklessly using the enhanced capabilities to accelerate to high speeds at all opportunities, whether safe to do so or not.

The strip offers the following points in favor of electric motors:

* "Cleaner and more efficient". ICEs produce and vent harmful combustion products and toxic chemicals, while electric motors produce no emission byproducts at the point of use. The efficiency of both gas and electric motors vary, but the typical ICE vehicle in the US converts around 25% of available energy into motion, while the typical electric vehicle is in the neighborhood of 80%. Even when considering inefficiencies in the source production and transmission and storage and release of energy, battery-driven electric vehicles are generally more efficient than internal combustion propelled vehicles[https://www.factcheck.org/2024/02/electric-vehicles-contribute-fewer-emissions-than-gasoline-powered-cars-over-their-lifetimes/].
** It should be noted that all of this refers to the motors only, and ignores how the fuel and electricity are produced, or the wider environmental impact of the vehicle. Determining the overall environmental advantages of electric vehicles is a much more complex and involved calculation.

* "More powerful". Electric motors are able to deliver a lot of power from a small motor ''if'' an ample energy supply is available, and can do so 'on demand', often far quicker than a fuel-powered engine that has to put its power through a gearbox in order to service a wide range of road velocities, from standstill to the eventual top speed. Due to battery limitations, short or partial runtime use cases (such as dragsters, hand tools, yard tools, toys and electric scooters) net the most benefit from the small size of a high-powered electric motor.

* "Annoyingly loud". ICEs, by their nature, produce significant noise. Despite noise attenuation measures such as mufflers, they contribute significantly to urban noise. Properly designed electric motors are nearly silent (even if the rest of the vehicle is not). In particular, {{w|blowoff valve|turbocharger blowoff valves}} make particular noises that are completely lacking in an all-electric vehicle being driven at a similar performance level. This might legitimately be considered a problem, though, when everyone is used to a rapidly approaching vehicle providing a very noisy warning of its approach. EV makers have sometimes added [https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-car-ev-fake-engine-sound-hyundai-dodge-toyota-2023-7 fake ICE noises] to appeal to older drivers, and in the U.S. and some other countries, EVs are required to have {{w|Electric vehicle warning sounds|warning sounds}} at low speeds for pedestrian safety.
** At highway speeds, the noise of tires against the road is much louder than a properly muffled ICE, so the intrinsic quietness of an EV's motor is close to irrelevant in that context.

* "WAY less {{w|torque}} available at standstill". ICEs need to continually operate within a specific range of rotational speeds for best power and fuel efficiency (although the reciprocating engines used in most motor vehicles are still better than some others, such as {{w|gas turbine}} engines, in this regard), which means that a complex system of {{w|transmission|transmission gearing}} is needed to convert this motion into the specific speeds needed at the wheels. When starting from a standstill, this means that torque must be applied to the wheels relatively gradually to avoid stalling the engine. In addition, when a vehicle is standing still, the motor is typically idling at (very) low speed and must be sped up before it produces significant acceleration. Electric motors, in contrast, generally produce their peak torque when at a standstill. This results in electric vehicles having significantly better acceleration and engine responsiveness. Again, this could cause a legitimate problem with drivers changing from ICE to electric motors, because the new cars accelerate more than the driver is used to and provide different feedback. The audible clues of gear changes, whether from automatic or manual systems, are part and parcel of what many people have grown up with and come to rely on in anticipating what might need paying attention to.

It should be noted that White Hat is deliberately confining his arguments to electric vs gas ''motors'' rather than electric or gas-powered ''vehicles''. Doing so ignores the basic reason why internal combustion vehicles have long been the dominant form of personal, motorized transportation: hydrocarbon fuels are a very dense and fairly easy to handle form of energy ''storage''. Providing electrical power to a moving vehicle requires either that the vehicle remain in contact with a power line (as with an electric train or a tram) or else to carry a high-capacity battery (and the ability to recharge that battery in a reasonable amount of time, while stationary). More popular in the USA is a hybrid system, where a combustion engine provides at least some of the power to an electric motor, which was impractical until comparatively recently. Other methods, such as hydrogen fuel cells (a form of "combustion" that can be used more directly to form electricity), have been proposed, but remain experimental or niche, due to various barriers to adoption.

A more comprehensive comparison would include many more factors, both against and in favor of electric cars.

Issues raised with electric vehicles typically include:
* Higher cost of purchase (primarily due to the cost of batteries and, in the USA, now a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs), although partially offset by lower costs of operation
* Long charging times compared to refilling a gas tank (there are some approaches which mitigate this by operating either very high-powered chargers or a battery swap model, rather than charging in-car, but these are not widely adopted)
** The significance of this depends on individual situations. Most EV drivers charge primarily at night, and many drivers don't mind a charging break on long trips.
* Relatively limited range. This is less of an issue in modern times, as many modern EVs have ranges of ([https://ev-database.org/compare/electric-vehicle-longest-range 200-500 miles per charge] as of 2024, similar to the range of a typical ICE vehicle.
* Shortened range in hot weather and significantly shortened range in cold weather (while all vehicles have this problem, it's more pronounced in EVs compared to ICEs)
* Limited charging infrastructure compared to the prevalence of fuel stations
** Because many drivers can charge at home, fewer public chargers are needed than for gas cars.
* Higher vehicle weight, and resulting higher particulate emissions (from tires, but not brakes, because EVs' use of regenerative braking reduces wear on their traditional brakes)
* Reliance on some mineral and metal extraction industries (e.g., lithium) with capacity that lags the recent increased demands for EVs
* Increased demand on electricity production
* [https://archive.is/6xmJV Lower reliability](data possibly skewed by the [https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-still-avoid-the-first-model-year-of-a-new-vehicle/118110 newness of EV models]).

Other real pros of electric cars are also not mentioned:
* Lower total cost of ownership (TCO), due to cheaper fuel and lower maintenance costs. [https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/2023-0/WSP%20Total%20Cost%20of%20Ownership%20Analysis%20July%202023.pdf]
* Can potentially "fill" them at home or while parked without having to stay with them (partially negates the issue of "long charging times".)
* Lower carbon footprint, and reduced dependence on the fossil fuel industry

Rapidly evolving technologies, government policies, and economic realities are changing the relevance and seriousness of these points over time. As of the publication of this strip, the "pros" of EVs do not seem to be universally convincing, as ICEs remain far more popular than EVs in most countries (EVs constitute a majority of new vehicle sales in only four countries: Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Finland). That said, EVs didn't exist as a viable industry 20 years ago, so the current reality reflects rapid and ongoing growth, suggesting that the advantages of EVs are gaining increasing recognition and understanding.

The degree of adoption is also likely to impact the viability of different vehicle types. Infrastructure in most countries has long been built around an assumption of ICEs, so things like fueling stations and ICE-qualified mechanics have traditionally been widely accessible. As EVs becoming increasingly dominant, this could shift, with EV charging infrastructure becoming easier to find than ICE fueling stations, and ICE mechanics potentially becoming more difficult to find. There's typically a certain level of inertia in the adoption of any new technology.

In the EU, [https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20221019STO44572/eu-ban-on-sale-of-new-petrol-and-diesel-cars-from-2035-explained the sale of new ICE cars is banned from 2035] in an effort to move to EVs, and other jurisdictions are adopting similar policies.

Especially in the United States, this topic is highly contentious for political, economic, engineering, and {{w|Rolling coal|tribal}} reasons (as a quick look at the edit history of this page will confirm).

==Trivia==
The etymology of "gasoline" (commonly abbreviated to "gas") is disputed: it may refer to the gaseous {{w|state of matter}} as, though gasoline itself is generally liquid, it readily emits volatile vapours. Otherwise, it has been suggested to have derived from "Cazelin"/"Cazelline", originally a lamp-oil, sold by a man called {{w|John Cassell}} in the 19th century and much copied (including by the "Gazeline" brand) as the market and supply of such fuels expanded. In non-American english, the octane form of motor-fuel (i.e. non-diesel and excluding aviation fuel) is called "petrol" (derived from "petroleum", or 'oil of the rock'), with similar "electric vs petrol (vs {{w|Hybrid electric vehicle|hybrid}})" comparisons. The registered brand name "Petrol" (sold as a solvent, before being repurposed for use as vehicle fuel) could not be trademarked as it was already the common generic term for equivalent products. The unrefined crude mineral oil from which many different hydrocarbon products can be refined is still more widely known as petroleum. Vehicle fuel may now be partly or wholly composed of non-fossil-fuels to distance them from some of the traditional arguments against petrol/gas consumption, leave other considerations unchanged but possibly introduce {{w|Biofuel#Issues|further issues}}.

While ICE vehicles have, to date, proven more popular than electric equivalents, worldwide, bicycles have been outselling cars [https://www.bikeradar.com/features/bike-vs-car-the-sales-race since at least WWII].

==Transcript==
:[White Hat, with his palm raised, is talking to Cueball.]
:White Hat: Electric motors and gas engines each have their pros and cons.
:White Hat: On one hand, electric motors are cleaner and more efficient. On the other hand, electric motors are more powerful.
:White Hat: So it's hard to say which is better overall.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Engineering]]
[[Category:Climate change]]

2947: Pascal's Wager Triangle

2026-03-30T00:47:08Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 2947
| date = June 17, 2024
| title = Pascal's Wager Triangle
| image = pascals_wager_triangle_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x802px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = In contrast to Pascal's Wager Triangle, Pascal's Triangle Wager argues that maybe God wants you to draw a triangle of numbers where each one is the sum of the two numbers above it, so you probably should, just in case.
}}
{{TOC}}
==Explanation==
The comic is a conflation of {{w|Pascal's Wager}} and {{w|Pascal's Triangle}}. It's structured as a layout that emulates Pascal's triangle, an infinite triangle of numbers where the top number is 1 and each value below is the sum of the adjacent number(s) above it. The second row has two 1s (each the sum of the single 1 above), and the third row has a 1 (the sum of a single 1 in the second row), a 2 (the sum of both 1s above it), and another 1, and so on. It plays important roles in binomial expansion, probability theory, and other areas of math. While {{w|Blaise Pascal}} did not invent the triangle, it is named after him (an example of {{w|Stigler's law of eponymy}}).

<center>
{|style="text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom; border: none;"
|-
|colspan=5|
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|…
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''seed'' '''1'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|…
|colspan=5|
|-
|colspan=4|
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|…
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''… + 1'' '''1'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''1 + …'' '''1'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|…
|colspan=4|
|-
|colspan=3|
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|…
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''… + 1'' '''1'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''1 + 1'' '''2'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''1 + …'' '''1'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|…
|colspan=3|
|-
|colspan=2|
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|…
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''… + 1'' '''1'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''1 + 2'' '''3'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''2 + 1'' '''3'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''1 + …'' '''1'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|…
|colspan=2|
|-
|
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|…
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''… + 1'' '''1'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''1 + 3'' '''4'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''3 + 3'' '''6'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''3 + 1'' '''4'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|''1 + …'' '''1'''
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40px;"|…
|
|-
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40x;"|
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40x;"|⋮
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40x;"|⋮
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40x;"|⋮
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40x;"|⋮
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40x;"|⋮
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40x;"|⋮
|colspan=2 style="width: 60px; height: 40x;"|
|}
</center>

Pascal's Wager is a philosophical argument proposed by the same Pascal. Essentially it says that if a god exists, both the rewards for believing in the god and the punishment for nonbelief are infinite; if not, the cost of belief and benefit for nonbelief are negligible. Therefore, if there is a finite possibility that a god exists, however small, one should believe in the god. One problem with that is that there may be more than one god to believe in, even if only one truly exists. Which one of all the possible gods should you choose to believe in could be problematic, if the real god insists that you only believe in them, and punishes you for believing in any other gods (even if you somehow also believed in them). A further problem is that committing to any particular belief in a deity is not a totally zero cost option, and thus affects your life in many needless ways if you subscribe to any particular practice of religion not actually required by any extant god(s), even if any of them exist in the first place.

The comic merges the two Pascalian concepts: each Cueball is wagering his proof of a god or gods to the Cueballs below him, thereby creating Cueballs that believe in the sum of the number of gods of the Cueballs above them. In the second row, the two Cueballs each believe in one god, as intended by the original Cueball. However, in the third row, the Cueball in the middle interprets the two proofs offered to him as proving the existence of two gods. Theoretically, this expansion would continue for all integers as the triangle grows, giving rise to a belief in escalating numbers of gods going down and towards the middle of the triangle. This is clearly not the intent of the first Cueball, who simply offered a proof of his one god, but he has no control over the situation below him.

It is unclear why the Cueballs behave in this fashion, instead of treating all the proofs as proving the existence of the same god. Perhaps each one rewords their arguments for god(s) sufficiently to make them sound different than other gods. This is not without precedent. Scholars of comparative mythology believe that the religion of Proto-Indo-European peoples splintered into many disparate religions of Europe and West Asia; for instance, {{w|%2ADy%C4%93us#%22Sky-Father%22_epithet|Dyeus phter}} (sky father) became Zeus in Greece and Jupiter in Italy.

This comic may be referencing a common counterargument to Pascal's Wager — that it works equally well for ''any'' hypothetical god which offers eternal paradise for one action and eternal damnation otherwise. This can even include hypothetical gods with contradictory criteria for entrance into paradise. In this case, the Cueballs apparently chose to believe in all the deities they've heard of in order to cover their bases.

The title text suggests that everyone should draw a proper Pascal's Triangle, since there is a possibility that a god wants you to do so, and if they do then the benefits of pleasing a god or the costs of displeasing a god could be high, whereas if they have no such desire then there is minimal cost to drawing one anyway. The failing of this logic is that the god may have a positive preference for you ''not'' to draw a Pascal's Triangle (though at least according to the Catholic Church this is unlikely, as Pascal himself is on the way to {{w|beatification}}.)

Pascal's Wager was previously mentioned in the title text of [[525: I Know You're Listening]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueballs, each holding some document, are shown in a triangular arrangement, with arrows pointing from upper to lower Cueballs:]
:[At the top, row 1 has a Cueball, unnamed but described below as "C1", holding a piece of paper with a crossed-square shape possibly resembling a Punnet Square diagram and with a speech-bubble]
:C1: Hey, you two below me! Here's a proof that you should believe in my god!
:[Two arrows lead diagonally down-left and down-right from C1 to the second row, having two similarly drawn Cueballs (differing only by slight changes in pose) described here as "C2" and "C3"]
:C2 & C3: I'm convinced! Hey, you two below me! Here's a proof that you should believe in my god!
:[Two arrows lead down from each of Row 2's Cueballs to three similar Cueballs on Row 3, "C4", "C5" and "C6", the central Cueball being the target of arrows from both of the predecessors, and the speech-bubbles partly obscuring the predecessor Cueballs and the lines of the arrows]
:C4 & C6: I'm convinced! Hey, you two below me! Here's a proof that you should believe in my god!
:C5: Ok, I believe you both! Hey, you two below me! Here's a proof that you should believe in my '''two''' gods!
:[Two further arrows lead down from each Row 3 Cueball to a total of four Row 4 Cueballs, all but the edge ones having two incoming arrows, "C7" to "C10"]
:C7: I'm convinced! Hey, you two below me! Here's a proof that you should believe in my god!
:C8 & C9: Ok, I believe you both! Hey, you two below me! Here's a proof that you should believe in my '''three''' gods!
:[C10 has no visible bubble, as there is no room for one in-frame, and is itself also slightly obscured by C9's bubble, but would logically be considered to have a "believe in my (singular) god" monologue]
:[Continuing the pattern, Row 5 has "C11" to "C15" Cueballs (with only a small amount of leg visible above the lower edge of the comic frame), each is led to by diagonal arrow(s) originating from the Row4 Cueballs]
:[C11 and C15 have no visible speech bubbles, due to being even more edge-adjacent and C15 even reaching off the edge of the frame with his 'punnet paper', but can be assumed to have a "believe in my god" statement]
:C12 & C14: Ok, I believe you both! Hey, you two below me! Here's a proof that you should believe in my '''four''' gods!
:C13: Ok, I believe you both! Hey, you two below me! Here's a proof that you should believe in my '''six''' gods!
:[No further arrows or Cueballs can be visible, and no further speech-bubbles obscure Row 5, but without any reason to believe they aren't just off frame]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Pascal's Wager Triangle

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Religion]]

2946: 1.2 Kilofives

2026-03-30T00:46:15Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 2946
| date = June 14, 2024
| title = 1.2 Kilofives
| image = 1 2 kilofives 2x.png
| imagesize = 256x342px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Oh yeah? Give me 50 milliscore reasons why I should stop.'
}}
{{TOC}}
==Explanation==
Abraham Lincoln's {{w|Gettysburg Address}} features the phrase "four {{wiktionary|score#Noun|score}} and seven"‍ to refer to 87: a "score" is a group of 20, which literally translates as "four-twenties [and] seven". This is because English used to count by twenties (and some modern languages, including French still do, at least partially). However, this practice has died off and most English speakers nowadays would not use "score" in such a manner. Inspired by this, [[Cueball]] (possibly representing [[Randall]]) decides to use unusual prefixes to state the population of a town.

{{w|Metric prefix}}es can be added to a unit to scale up or down its magnitude. For example, "{{w|kilo-}}" means "multiply by 1000", so a {{w|kilometer}} is as long as 1,000 {{w|meter}}s. These prefixes are added to {{w|List of metric units|various metric units}} but, due to their usefulness, have been adopted and added to other, non-metric units, such as "kilocubic feet per second" (for the flow rate of a liquid, much to Randall's chagrin when researching for his book ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]''), "megadeath" (how many millions killed in an estimated nuclear blast), or the "{{w|Helen (unit)|millihelen}}" (the amount of feminine beauty needed to launch a ship). Most potentially confusing might be "kilo-/mega-/giga-/terabyte", which has [[394: Kilobyte|competing definitions]]. However, they're not ordinarily added before number words to change their magnitude.

Taking "kilofive" to be a unit meaning 5,000, the population of East Hills, 6,000, can therefore be expressed as 1.2 kilofives. But phrasing a number this way requires the listener to make excess calculations to understand it, so [[White Hat]] would probably get confused or annoyed.

In the title text, Cueball has apparently annoyed White Hat with his confusing expressions of numbers, but he doubles down, now directly including the word "score". He is riffing on the common expression, "give me one reason why..." but instead of simply asking for one reason, he asks for 50 milliscore reasons, or 50 × 1&frasl;1000 × 20, which is equal to 1.

The comic might refer to the village of {{w|East Hills, New York}}. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 7,284, or 1.214 kilosixes.

==Trivia==
In Roman numerals, {{w|Roman_numerals#Large_numbers|symbols can be added to numerals}} to denote orders of magnitude. In this system, 1,000 might be written as "CIↃ". This rough pattern of marks, as typically chisled or impressed into wax by a stylus, would later be refined and expressed in the not dissimilar shape of the "M" as most often seen these days to represent the thousands value in dates/etc. Alternately "I" (nominally '1') could be given a bar above it, as would any other such numerals involve in that expression, to indicate the value being denoted being of the higher order.

For a while, {{w|Long hundred| a hundred actually referred to 120}}.

==Transcript==

:[Cueball, with his palm raised, is talking to White Hat. There is a sign on the ground in the background.]
:Cueball: It's a pretty small town—the population is just 1.2 kilofives.
:[The sign reads:]
:Welcome to
:East Hills
:Pop. 6,000

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I don't know why Abraham Lincoln should be the only one who gets to come up with weird ways to say normal numbers.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Language]]

2945: Broken Model

2026-03-30T00:43:48Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 2945
| date = June 12, 2024
| title = Broken Model
| image = broken_model_2x.png
| imagesize = 278x448px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = In addition to eating foxes, rabbits can eat grass. The grass also eats foxes. Our equations chart the contours of Fox Hell.
}}
{{TOC}}
==Explanation==
This comic shows [[Miss Lenhart]] explaining a mathematical model of a predator-prey relationship. The model has the terms swapped, showing that 400 rabbits are preying on 20 foxes. The teacher realizes this mistake and says "If this were an ecology class, I would have to fix that." Instead of fixing the model, though, she instead begins to calculate using this flawed model, and notes that this model implies that rabbits are carnivores.

The equations start with Nrabbits(0)=400 and Nfoxes(0)=20, the number of rabbits and foxes at time 0, followed by what looks like the {{w|Lotka–Volterra equations}}, a pair of first-order nonlinear differential equations, frequently used to describe the dynamics of biological systems in which two species interact. One of the pair of equations describes the number of prey over time, the other the number of predators over time, differing only by a negative sign (and coefficients). It is easy to mix up which equation describes which species, leading to the inverted predator-prey relation described.

If this was indeed the case the rabbits would likely soon render the foxes extinct. They might not, if each rabbit requires to eat a very small amount of fox, and they hunt in packs, so that a single fox feeds many rabbits, but it would need to be a very small amount, very infrequently. The reason this doesn't happen in reality for rabbits is that they outnumber the foxes (20 foxes vs 400 rabbits) and thus enough of them can survive being preyed upon to maintain the species. Often the predator takes the old and sick animals first, thus keeping the rest of the animals more healthy. But following the math of the wrong formula would soon lead to zero foxes. As per the title text, the rabbits could survive without the foxes to prey on, since they still eat grass (assuming that there is not some specific nutrition requirement that is only fulfilled by the foxes). However, this reality is terrifying for the foxes, because they are rendered as prey.

The title text extends the joke by looking at an even more flawed model that incorporates grass. In the real world, rabbits eat grass and foxes do not directly interact with grass. In this model, the fox-eating rabbits also continue to eat grass and foxes do interact with grass. Even more unfortunately for them, this is in the form of the grass eating foxes, creating a "Fox Hell".

As a matter of fact, grass pulls nutrients from air and soil and synthesizes its energy through [https://soandmo.com/blogs/blog/where-does-the-grass-plant-get-its-energy-from photosynthesis], and may use foxes that have already died from other causes as fertilizer. Foxes do occasionally [https://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/animals/article/red-fox-diet-what-foxes-eat eat grass], although not as food, but for other health reasons.

==Transcript==
:[Miss Lenhart is holding a pointer to a whiteboard, indicating the last part of the last line of text.]
:Miss Lenhart: Hmm, looks like I accidentally swapped the predation terms.
:Miss Lenhart: If this were an ecology class, I would have to fix that.
:Miss Lenhart: Unfortunately for those 20 poor foxes, this is calculus, and the math says these 400 rabbits are hungry for meat.

:[There are three lines on the white board, where the '...' ellipses in the bottom line are illegible:]
:Nrabbits(0) = 400
:Nfoxes(0) = 20
:dN0/dt = ... dN.../... = ...

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Every broken mathematical model is just a glimpse into a terrifying alternate universe.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Animals]]

2943: Unsolved Chemistry Problems

2026-03-30T00:42:27Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 2943
| date = June 7, 2024
| title = Unsolved Chemistry Problems
| image = unsolved_chemistry_problems_2x.png
| imagesize = 361x386px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I'm an H⁺ denier, in that I refuse to consider loose protons to be real hydrogen, so I personally believe it stands for 'pretend'.
}}
{{TOC}}
==Explanation==
This comic is the second comic in the [[:Category:Unsolved Problems|Unsolved Problems series]]. It followed [[2529: Unsolved Math Problems]] and preceeded [[3115: Unsolved Physics Problems]]. Every field of research has unsolved problems considered "important" or "significant" that motivate continued research. The scientists at what is apparently the "grand opening" of their new chemistry lab list several real chemistry problems, followed by one also-unsolved-but-less-scientific problem (the p in pH)

; Arbitrary Enzyme Design: {{w|Enzymes}} are catalytic proteins. Enzyme catalysis is often unique in comparison with other catalysis methods as it is highly specific, or tailored to a specific reaction. As such, enzyme catalysis, besides being the basis of all biochemical processes, is becoming increasingly relevant to industrial synthesis processes. As enzymes can easily be produced synthetically through recombinant gene technology, being able to design an arbitrary enzyme for any reaction would mean that effectively any reaction could be relatively easily catalyzed, revolutionizing the chemical synthesis industry.

; Protein Folding: {{w|Protein|Proteins}} are large molecules that consist of chains of amino acids. These amino acid chains become {{w|Protein Folding|folded}} in extremely complex ways to form intricate 3D structures, and the way a protein is folded is of critical importance to its function. Because of the huge importance of proteins to biological life, biologists have devoted significant attention over many decades to the problem of {{w|Protein structure prediction|protein structure prediction}}. This refers to the ability to predict the 3D structure of a protein based on the amino acid sequence, and remains one of the most important problems in computational biology. The ability to predict protein structure purely from amino acid sequence — the so-called "de novo" prediction — is known in computational biology as an unusually difficult problem due to the complexity of amino acid chains. Known as "Levinthal's paradox," the number of possible conformations from the backbone conformations alone is estimated to be in the ballpark of 10^300. Despite this, protein folding occurs extremely quickly in reality. Because of this difficulty in sampling conformations, even with optimization, such as secondary structure prediction and Monte Carlo simulation, a "true" accurate simulation is extremely computationally expensive. Because of this, the most accurate solutions, such as AlphaFold, utilize a combination of homology modeling (sampling experimentally determined proteins with similar sequences to infer structural motifs and similarities) and deep learning to accurately guess protein structure. See also [[1430: Proteins]].

; Depolymerization: Polymers are very large molecules formed out of repeating subunits called monomers. Monomers are molecules, typically organic in nature, that can bond with at least one other molecule, with two or more making long chains or networks called polymers. That process is known as polymerization. Depolymerization is breaking polymers down into the small molecules they were originally made from. This is done through a variety of processes, such as radiation, electrolysis, adding chemicals, and other means. Plastics are the best-known polymers, but cellulose, proteins, and DNA are also technically polymers. The huge number of varieties and mixtures in plastics makes recycling them a huge challenge, and there is increasing concern about plastic waste damaging the environment.

: Polymerization is usually exothermic, releasing energy as heat. To reverse this would require adding energy in a targeted way. Simply ''destroying'' a polymer — by means of highly-reactive chemicals, heat, or radiation — doesn't generally release the monomer molecules to a significant degree; most of the reaction products are highly degraded. Most polymers are made by a process of catalysis, with the small monomer molecules interacting via a catalyst structure, often in liquid form, and the eventual product is usually solid. To reverse this would require getting the catalyst to interact in a very precise way with the solid polymer, and it's relatively difficult for the catalyst structure to get into the proper configuration with the solid tangled polymer molecules.

: Another highly-desired depolymerization process would be to convert cellulose into its component glucose molecules. That glucose could then be used for a variety of different purposes, including fermentation to alcohol to use as a fuel. Currently, when plants are grown, much of the solar energy and carbon dioxide they absorb ends up in the form of cellulose rather than as starch, sugar, protein, or other substances that we find useful. Our being able to make use of the cellulose would make farming much more energy-efficient. Some organisms are able to depolymerize cellulose by means of enzymes, but our ability to use similar processes on an industrial scale is still limited. (Those organisms use a complex multi-step biochemical process which essentially "invests" energy into splitting off a glucose molecule, then recoups the investment by metabolizing the glucose.) It's also possible to depolymerize cellulose at high temperature and pressure using nothing more than water and acid, but that process is energy-intensive. It ''might'' be possible to do it with a solar-heated reactor.

; What the “p” in pH stands for: “p” shows up in pH, pOH, pKa, pKb, and other things related to the concentration of H+ ions and OH- ions. The meaning of the "p" in "pH" has been the subject of much dispute. It is sometimes referred to as "power of Hydrogen", perhaps related to the fact that pH is a logarithmic scale, and the logarithm is the inverse of the exponented function and, in all three languages that pH was first published in, the word for "potency" is used for exponents. The term pH was introduced by {{w|Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen|Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen}}, who did not publish his results in English, and more accurately translates as "hydric exponent". The letter p could stand for, in the languages in which Sørensen published: the French 'puissance', German Potenz, or Danish potens, all referring to the concept of the "exponent" in exponential functions.

; Hydrogen Denier (title text): In the title text, Randall claims to be an H+ denier by refusing to consider loose protons to be hydrogen atoms, and as such, the “p” stands for pretend. Part of the joke is Randall's implication that this is a well-known conspiracy theory that he personally buys into (it isn't).{{cn}} The word "denier" is often used as shorthand for other conspiracy theories, such as a "climate change denier" or a "moon landing denier". Here's a breakdown of this joke:

:* H+ is the chemical symbol for a positively-charged atom of hydrogen, the smallest atom on the Periodic Table. Since hydrogen is normally just one proton and one electron, when you take the electron away, you make it positively charged (the + sign in the superscript) and you effectively end up with just a single loose proton. So the shorthand for "loose proton" is to refer to it as an H+ ion.

:* pH is taught in high school science class to essentially measure the concentration of extra loose protons in, say, an aquarium. (Different fish prefer slightly different pH levels/alkalinity.) As mentioned earlier, you can interpret the term "pH" to be referring to the "p" of "H" -- the power/potency of H+ ions.

:Note that in reality, lone H+ ions do not exist in water, and instead they glom onto H2O molecules to form H3O+ and H5O2+/(H2O--H--OH2)+ due to intermolecular hydrogen bonding. (If you don't know what these chemical symbols mean, don't worry about it.) But as an H+ denier, Randall doesn't consider loose protons to be hydrogen atoms. He has a purist's view of hydrogen, that it is just "pretending" to be hydrogen as soon as it loses an electron. As a denier, he interprets the term "pH" as referring to the concentration of "pretend Hydrogen".

==Transcript==
:[Hairbun stands behind a lectern on a podium speaking into a microphone on the lectern. A Cueball like guy stands to the left and another Cueball like guy and Megan stand to the right. There is a large sign hanging in the background along with some ornaments.]
:Sign: Grand Opening
:Hairbun: Our lab will be working on chemistry's top unsolved problems: arbitrary enzyme design, protein folding, depolymerization, and, of course, the biggest one of all:
:Hairbun: ''Figuring out what the "p" in "pH" stands for.''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:Unsolved Problems]]

2941: Cell Organelles

2026-03-30T00:40:41Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 2941
| date = June 3, 2024
| title = Cell Organelles
| image = cell_organelles_2x.png
| imagesize = 563x451px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It's believed that Golgi was originally an independent organism who was eventually absorbed into our cells, where he began work on his Apparatus.
}}
{{TOC}}
==Explanation==
This comic shows a {{w|Cell (biology)|biological cell}} diagram with a mix of real and fictional {{w|organelle}}s, giving both accurate {{w|Cell biology|cell biology}} terms and humorous ones. Actual cell components include the nucleus, mitochondria, and Golgi apparatus, while unrelated concepts come from geology, engineering, antivirus software, and even Star Wars. Labels like "evil endoplasmic reticulum" and "sticky endoplasmic reticulum" are variations of real cellular organelles. Other labels like "pith," "mantle," and "Vitreous humor," are borrowed from other types of circular cross-sectional diagrams (e.g., of fruit, planets, and eyeballs).

The title text is a fictional backstory to the {{w|Golgi apparatus}}, an essential cell organelle involved in processing and packaging proteins. It suggests that {{w|Camillo Golgi}}, the scientist who discovered the Golgi apparatus, was originally an independent organism that was supposedly absorbed into our cells, where it then started working on what is now known as the Golgi apparatus. The joke is a satirical take on {{w|Symbiogenesis|endosymbiotic theory}}, which posits that certain organelles within {{w|Eukaryote|eukaryotic}} cells, like {{w|mitochondria}} and {{w|chloroplasts}}, originated from independent symbiotic {{w|Prokaryote|prokaryotic organisms}} that were absorbed by a host {{w|germ cell}}. Golgi is drawn in the comic as a cute little alien.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Label
! Meaning
! Exists?
! Cell organelle?
! Explanation
|-
| {{w|Smooth endoplasmic reticulum}}
| A network of tubular membranes within the cytoplasm of the cell, involved in the transport of materials.
| Yes
| Yes
| An {{w|endoplasmic reticulum}} is considered "smooth" if it is not covered in ribosomes.
|-
| {{w|Lithosphere}}
| The rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.
| Yes
| No
| Term from geology; part of the Earth's crust. Labeled cross-sectional diagrams of cells and of the layers of the Earth are commonly found in science textbooks.
|-
| {{w|O-ring}}
| A mechanical gasket in the shape of a torus; used to seal connections.
| Yes
| No
| Engineering term. Both the o-ring and pith are drawn connected to the inner cell membrane. Made famous in pop culture for being the root cause of the {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster}}.
|-
| {{w|Pith}}
| The central tissue in plants, used for nutrient transport.
| Yes
| No
| Botanical term. Most people think of pith as the layer of soft tissue between the skin and the flesh of citrus fruit, which explains its position in the diagram. Both the pith and o-ring are drawn connected to the inner cell membrane. A layer of pith was recently seen only 101 comics ago, in [[2840: Earth Layers]].
|-
| {{w|Cell nucleus|Nucleus}}
| The central and most important part of an object, forming the basis for its activity and growth.
| Yes
| Yes
| The cell nucleus is an actual cell organelle which houses {{w|DNA}}.
|-
| {{w|Nucleolus}}
| A small dense spherical structure in the nucleus of a cell during {{w|interphase}}.
| Yes
| Yes
| Actual cell organelle, involved in {{w|ribosome}} production.
|-
| Nucleoloulous
| Not a real term, albeit a portmanteau of the aforementioned "Nucleus" and "Nucleolus" words
| No
| No
| A humorous continuation of the terms "nucleus" and "nucleolus"; as the nucleolus does have internal components (such as the fibrillar center). Still, none of the nucleolus's components go by the name "Nucleoloulous"...
|-
| {{w|Nucleon}}s
| Protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.
| Yes
| No
| While cells contain matter which is supposed to contain nucleons,{{Citation needed}} yet the depicted circles are far larger than actual nucleons.
|-
| Drain plug
| A stopper for a drain.
| Yes
| No
| A plumbing term, which could refer to a {{w|porosome}}. Even small, temporary damage to the integrity of the {{w|cell membrane}} puts the cell at immediate and great risk of death.
|-
| Evil endoplasmic reticulum
| Not a real term.
| No
| No
| The rough endoplasmic reticulum is covered in ribosomes; the "evil" endoplasmic reticulum in the comic is covered in small spikes, making it evil.
|-
| {{w|Hypoallergenic}} filling
| Materials that cause relatively fewer allergic reactions.
| Yes
| [[Technically]] not incorrect
| Consumer product term, used e.g. for pillows and mattresses. If the {{w|cytoplasm}} doesn't cause allergic reactions within the cell, it is hypoallergenic.
|-
| Weak spot
| A vulnerable point.
| Yes
| Conceivably
| {{w|Cell membrane}} surfaces do indeed vary in strength, often due to the presence of organelles such as {{w|ion channel pore}}s or {{w|porosome}}s, both of which can be leveraged by viruses to enter cells.
|-
| {{w|Mitochondria}}
| Organelles that generate energy for the cell.
| Yes
| Yes
| Actual cell organelles. Mitochondria are widely known as the "powerhouse of the cell," a phrase originally coined in 1957 by biologist {{w|Philip Siekevitz}}[https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/powerhouse-of-the-cell/] which came to prominence online in the mid-2010s.{{acn}}
|-
| {{w|Midichlorians}}
| Fictional microorganisms in the {{w|Star Wars}} universe, which confer Force sensitivity and thereby associated {{w|Jedi}} (and Sith) powers.
| No
| Fictional
| It's unclear whether {{w|George Lucas}} intended for "midi-chlorians" to be {{w|Symbiogenesis|endosymbiotic organelles}} or internal {{w|Symbiosis|symbionts}}.
|-
| {{w|Chloroplast}}s if you're lucky
| Organelles in plant cells responsible for {{w|photosynthesis}}.
| Yes
| Yes, but in plants and plantlike organisms
| Actual cell organelles, found in plant cells and those of several different lineages of non-plant microorganisms and seaweeds. The phrase "if you're lucky" alludes to the good fortune that an organism, be it plant, animal, or microbe, gains by being able to photosynthesize, getting energy from sunlight, rather than have to run around all the time chasing energy. This benefit makes chloroplasts {{w|Kleptoplasty|worth stealing}}. [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05499-y Experiments have been conducted] to transplant components of chloroplasts into mammal cells to slow disease. See also [https://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/1978/06/26 Zonker Harris].
|-
| Human skin
| The outer covering of the human body.
| Yes
| No
| Skin is a {{w|Tissue_(biology)|tissue}} (multicellular structure). The idea that a complex tissue can be wrapped around a single cell, as if it were a cell wall, or outer {{w|cell membrane}}, or {{w|extracellular matrix}}, is humorously backwards: human skin is made of cells, not the other way around.
|-
| {{w|Carbonation}}
| {{w|Carbon dioxide}} dissolved in a liquid.
| Yes
| No
| Carbonation causes soda pop and similar liquids to bubble, fizz, foam, and {{w|effervesce}}. The little dots depicted in the comic look like carbonation bubbles.
|-
| Golgi
| {{w|Camillo Golgi}} (1843–1926) was an Italian biologist and {{w|pathologist}} who discovered the Golgi apparatus; known also for his works on the central nervous system.
| Yes
| No
| The real Golgi was not and is not a tiny alien being who merged with our cells,{{Citation needed}} as the comic and title text imply. While the mitochondria and chloroplast may have been evolved in such a manner (through being consumed by a host cell), this is not considered the case for the Golgi apparatus.
|-
| {{w|Golgi apparatus}}
| A complex of {{w|vesicles}} and folded membranes involved in secretion and intracellular transport.
| Yes
| Yes
| Actual cell organelle, which takes {{w|polypeptide}} chains from the rough endoplasmic reticulum via transport vesicles and processes them into their protein structure before sending them (again via vesicles) to their destination such as an organelle or outside of the cell.
|-
| {{w|Norton AntiVirus}}
| A software product designed to protect computers from malware.
| Yes
| No
| Viruses do attempt to insert themselves into cells, and many cell types do have antiviral mechanisms (notably the {{w|CRISPR}} (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) DNA sequences in prokaryotes, which resist viral (bacteriophage) infection - however, the cell shown is not prokaryotic, since it contains a nucleus). A system designed to protect against computer viruses is unlikely to be helpful, though, since biological viruses are completely different, and cells have not been architected to support such software.
|-
| Sticky endoplasmic reticulum
| Not a real term, although parts of the reticula have sticky pockets.[https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2023.1156152/full]
| No
| No
| Another humorous twist on the actual types of endoplasmic reticula.
|-
| {{w|Pleiades}}
| A cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus.
| Yes
| No
| Even a single star is far too big to fit in a cell.{{Citation needed}} The labeled cluster in the comic looks like the actual constellation, as if this were a depiction of the night sky.
|-
| Natural flavor
| Flavoring derived from natural sources.
| Yes
| Conceivably
| A common ingredient on food labels (and sometimes cosmetics, etc.), usually meaning any substance to add flavor, aroma, or both, other than synthetic chemicals which are referred to as artificial flavors.
|-
| {{w|Cellophane}}
| A thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated {{w|cellulose}}.
| Yes
| No
| A type of packaging material. A {{w|cell wall}} is indeed made of cellulose, though not in the form of cellophane. Also, this drawing looks more like an animal cell (albeit a very odd one), which unlike plants and fungi, do not usually have a cell wall.
|-
| {{w|Rough endoplasmic reticulum}}
| Endoplasmic reticulum with {{w|ribosomes}} attached, involved in protein synthesis.
| Yes
| Yes
| Actual cell organelle. "Rough" refers to the presence of ribosomes covering its membrane, which translate {{w|messenger RNA}} into polypeptide chains. Normally the endoplasmic reticulum would wrap around the cell nucleus (as the nuclear envelope is itself a specialized part of the rough endoplasmic reticulum).
|-
| {{w|Ventricle}}
| A chamber of the heart that pumps blood out.
| Yes
| No
| Ventricles are actually part of the body, and they are composed of many cells. Possibly a pun on {{w|vesicle}} (or {{w|vacuole}}), a small membrane-enclosed vessel, such as the transport vesicles that carry polypeptides from the rough endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus for processing.
|-
| {{w|Mantle}} 
| The layer of the earth between the crust and the core.
| Yes
| No
| Misplaced geological term with many other meanings. Labeled cross-sectional diagrams of the layers of the Earth are commonly found in science textbooks.
|-
| {{w|Slime}}
| A moist, soft, and slippery substance, or a brand name for a {{w|Slime_(toy)|goopy substance sold as a toy}}.
| Yes
| No
| Could refer to the slimy texture and appearance of {{w|cytoplasm}}, but not specific to cells. Slime was a frequent appearance on the Nickelodeon TV kids channel during [[Randall]]'s youth in the 90s (a signature aspect of the network, it was introduced when Nickelodeon became the American home of the Canadian kids' show {{w|You Can't Do That on Television}}, which had a running gag of dumping green slime on anyone who said "I don't know").
|-
| {{w|Vitreous humour}}
| The clear gel that fills the space between the lens and the retina in the eyeball.
| Yes
| No
| The vitreous humour is in the eye's {{w|extracellular matrix}}, not inside cells. Labeled cross-sectional diagrams of eyes are also commonly found in science textbooks.
|-
| {{w|Seed}}s
| Plant embryos used for reproduction.
| Yes
| No
| Seeds are multicellular, and sometimes contain small proportions of non-cellular tissue. Cells are found in seeds, not the other way around. Seeds would be labeled on a cross-sectional diagram of a fruit, not a cell.
|}

==Transcript==
Cell Organelles
[A cell is shown with the following structures and areas labeled, counter-clockwise from upper left:]

* Smooth endoplasmic reticulum
* Lithosphere
* O-Ring
* Pith
* Nucleus
* Nucleolus
* Nucleoloulous
* Nucleons
* Drain plug
* Evil endoplasmic reticulum
* Hypoallergenic filling
* Weak spot
* Mitochondria
* Midichlorians
* Chloroplasts if you're lucky
* Human skin
* Carbonation
* Golgi
* Golgi apparatus
* Norton AntiVirus
* Sticky endoplasmic reticulum
* Pleiades
* Natural flavor
* Cellophane
* Rough endoplasmic reticulum

[These labels are inside the cell:]

* Ventricle
* Mantle
* Slime
* Vitreous humour
* Seeds

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Biology]]

2940: Modes of Transportation

2026-03-30T00:39:38Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 2940
| date = May 31, 2024
| title = Modes of Transportation
| image = modes_of_transportation_2x.png
| imagesize = 510x518px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = My bold criticism might anger the hot air balloon people, which would be a real concern if any of them lived along a very narrow line directly upwind of me.
}}
{{TOC}}
==Explanation==
Randall's chart compares different modes of transportation by how convenient and dangerous they are. At the top-left (high in convenience and low in danger) are airliners and trains, as these are both fast-moving vehicles on which many millions of dollars have been spent to make them safer. In the top-right, motorcycles are at the same convenience level, but are rated much more dangerous, since they are easy to lose control of at high speeds, and careless drivers (of cars) can easily hit a motorcycle and cause extreme harm. Things like unicycles (bottom-left) are considered much lower on the convenience scale, being not very fast or easy ways to travel, but relatively safe, while towards the centre, skis are apparently moderately convenient and moderately dangerous, since they are relatively easy to fall on if going fast downhill. Way out on their own in the bottom-right, hot air balloons appear to be unique in being rated least on convenience and highest on danger. Presumably, modes of transportation similar to hot air balloons (like zeppelins and blimps) are left off the chart to increase the gap for comedic effect.

The modes are grouped into several zones by darkened backgrounds -- the easiest or most effective that are also the safest ones (trains, cars, walking, biking, boats, etc.) are in the '''Zone of Practicality''' at the upper left. The ones that are mixed, ranging from very useful for travel but dangerous (motorcycles and helicopters) in the upper-right, through moderately dangerous and moderately unpractical (go karts, skateboards, rollerblades, skis, light aircraft) in the middle, to quite safe but totally unpractical for travel (bumper cars, unicycles, sleds) in the lower-left are in the '''Zone of Specialty or Recreational Vehicles'''. At the extreme of dangerous and very unpractical (lower-right) is a zone labeled simply '''?????''' containing only one mode: Hot Air Balloons.

Because a hot air balloon is rated so poorly, if an optimization algorithm considers it the optimal mode of transportation, it must be the result of a sign error (e.g. having a minus sign where a plus sign is supposed to be, or vice versa), making the algorithm optimize for the opposite result by mistake. This could be because, unusually, on the y axis of the chart higher is better, whereas on the x axis lower is better. If these were treated the wrong way around, it would result in the air balloon appearing to be the best result. More typically, you might plot convenience vs ''safety'', so that a higher value on either axis would represent a better result. However, both measures are still likely to need to take underlying data (for safety, incident counts, etc.; for convenience, travel time, etc.) and invert them, leading to potential for errors.

In order to compare the relative danger from each mode of transport, one can look at statistics of fatalities and injuries sustained during each activity. Traditionally this can be reported in fatalities/{{w|Killed_or_Seriously_Injured|KSI}} per mile driven or passenger mile (or other unit of distance), to account for the fact that some modes are used much more than others and make valid comparisons. They may also be reported per capita (but this ignores the relative usage of different modes), or per journey (but this doesn't take into account the fact that different modes typically have different journey lengths and times). All of these are somewhat flawed, since they are really measuring the danger ''to'' users of that mode of transport, both from their own conveyance, and from other sources such as other road users. Since ballooning is not a very common mode of transport, hot air balloon incidents are [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9533500/ correspondingly uncommon], and flights are not routinely monitored or registered, it is difficult to draw strong conclusions from the data for hot air balloons.

The title text makes a joke that if a hot air balloon enthusiast disagrees with the ranking and is angered by it, they may wish to remonstrate or retaliate, but will have a difficult time getting to Randall's house with their preferred mode of transportation, because they are limited to travelling in the direction of the wind. If they chose an alternative form of transport, they would be making his point for him. In reality, hot air balloons have some freedom to choose their direction of travel, since by controlling their altitude they can access different wind directions at different heights. Randall should, therefore, be concerned about hot air balloonists who live within a wedge spanned by the various wind directions accessible on a given day. In principle, if the weather conditions are favorable, this could cover every direction from Randall's house. The phrase "hot air balloon people" is reminiscent of "autogyro people" from the title text of [[1972: Autogyros]].

Curiously, the comic includes most common forms of transport, and a number of less common ones, but omits examples such as buses (a mass transit solution arguably more convenient than trains). It is not clear if this is an error, or a deliberate choice to maintain the comic's layout and presentation. Another omitted mode of transportation is horseback riding, which would possibly win over hot air balloons in sign-error optimization because in spite of horseback riding's increased convenience relative to hot air balloons, it is also more dangerous, [https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/12/us/churchill-downs-racing-horse-deaths/index.html especially if counting horse deaths]. However, unlike hot air balloons, horseback riders could get to Randall's house even if the wind is not blowing in the exact right direction, and once they are at Randall's house, they could potentially have their horse kick down Randall's front door or even kick Randall, the latter of which could be fatal, so perhaps Randall intentionally omitted horses from the diagram for his personal safety.

This is the second comic in a row to feature an algorithm.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Transportation !! Description !! Convenience !! Danger !! Zone
|-
|{{w|Train}}s
|Mass transit on rails, typically between urban centers.
|data-sort-value="89%"|''89±2%'': Convenient and comfortable, provided proper funding/maintenance and filled timetables. Allows relatively cheap travel for many people at once.
|data-sort-value="11%"|''11±7%'': Exceedingly safe, due to dedicated tracks along a controlled environment. In places with strong safety regulations and well-maintained infrastructure, fatalities are generally limited to individuals wandering onto the off-limit tracks.
|Practicality
|-
|{{w|Airliner}}s
|Mass transit by aircraft
|data-sort-value="81%"|''81±2%'': Extremely fast travel between population centers for larger groups of people. Less comfortable and more expensive than trains.
|data-sort-value="16%"|''16±9%'': Extremely safe due to strong regulation and relatively little traffic interactions. Most accidents are also minor, resulting in few if any injuries and no fatalities. However, the few catastrophes that do happen often have high death counts.
|Practicality
|-
|{{w|Car}}s
|Motorised road vehicle Most common method of long distance travel, used by many individuals to reach specific destinations
|data-sort-value="90%"|''90±2%'': Owners of a car can usually go easily to any road-accessible location within a 200 mile/300 km radius. Requires constant focus, but can transport a few passengers or some cargo. Parking, maintenance, and infrastructure requirements are often ignored when judging car convenience.
|data-sort-value="30%"|''30±5%'': While collisions can be extremely serious, due to the high speeds and large mass of most cars, decades of advancement have resulted in most cars being designed around safety considerations, which protect the passengers from serious injuries in most accidents. While road fatalities remain high in many countries, the per-mile rate rate of injury and death is relatively low, compared to many means of transit in this chart.
|Practicality
|-
|Scooters
|Either: 
*{{w|Kick scooter}} - Less convenient than the placing would suggest.
*{{w|Scooter (motorcycle)|Low powered motorbike/moped}} - More dangerous than the placing would suggest.
*{{w|Motorized scooter|Engine-powered scooter}} - A middle-ground.
|data-sort-value="89%"|''89±2%'': Kick scooter-style vehicles are probably less convenient than bicycles as they do not provide seating, and are less efficient at converting energy into motion. A low-powered motorbike is about as convenient as a bicycle, requiring refueling in lieu of pedalling, and going much faster.
|data-sort-value="46%"|''46±10%'': Kick scooters are much slower – and therefore safer – than bicycles. Some motorized scooters can reach speeds comparable to car travel, but they are usually limited to speeds around average cycling speeds. Falling from one might be slightly safer than from a bicycle. Low-powered motorbikes often go much faster than bicycles, and would therefore be much more dangerous. All leave the rider vulnerable to danger from motorised traffic sharing the same space.
|Practicality
|-
|{{w|Bicycle}}s
|Human-powered (or {{w|Electric bicycle|mostly so}}) two-wheeled road vehicle
|data-sort-value="84%"|''84±2%'': Assuming proper road or trail connections, bicycles are highly flexible for traveling to any location within a ~10 km radius, or further. They are a very efficient use of human power for producing motion.
|data-sort-value="41%"|''41±9%'': Bicycles mostly move slow enough for falls or collisions to have little impact, though they are vulnerable to motorized traffic where it shares the road. Around 66% of fatal bicycle accidents occur due to collisions with cars, vans, or trucks.<ref>[https://swov.nl/en/fact-sheet/cyclists#:~:text=The%20crash%20registration%20shows%20that,occurred%20in%20single%2Dbicycle%20crashes swov.nl on cyclists].</ref>
|Practicality
|-
|{{w|Boat}}s
|Watercraft of various types
|data-sort-value="67%"|''67±2%'': Specialized for water traffic, which is a very common form of transportation. Quite comfortable (unless you suffer from seasickness), but usually very slow.
|data-sort-value="23%"|''23±6%'': Sinking, capsizing, or falling overboard, whether by collision or misuse, can be lethal, especially on the sea. However, collisions are very rare.
|Practicality
|-
|{{w|Walking}}
|Personal bipedal ambulation 
|data-sort-value="53%"|''53±2%'': Can travel between any two connected points regardless of infrastructure, but most people only find it comfortable for a few kilometers. Very slow compared to even bicycles, but the energy intensity is good for exercise.
|data-sort-value="14%"|''14±8%'': Due to the slow speed of walking, it's extremely rare for the activity to cause serious injuries or death. The primary risk from walking itself is falling, particularly down stairs or from some other height. Walking may expose a person to outside risks (eg: vehicle collisions, weather exposure, wildlife encounters, crime), but the act of walking itself is exceptionally safe.
|Practicality
|-
|{{w|Motorcycle}}s
|Two-wheeled motorized vehicles, generally powered by an internal combustion engine.
|data-sort-value="91%"|''91±2%'': As practical as cars to move between locations, and sometimes quicker, due to the ability to filter in traffic, but generally less comfortable, especially in rough weather.
|data-sort-value="86%"|''86±13%'': Motorcycles generally move as fast as cars, introducing all of the dangers that come with speed. Having two wheels, rather than four, there's a significantly higher risk of losing control and falling. Being smaller than a car, there's more danger of not being seen in a potential collision. Most importantly, the driver is fully exposed, lacking both the enclosure of a car or truck and all of the safety features that come with it, and has no protection other than any personal gear they're wearing. In consequence, motorcycles have a per-mile fatality rate 25 times higher than cars, leading to many entries in {{w|List of deaths by motorcycle crash}}.
|Speciality/Recreational 
|-
|{{w|Helicopter}}s
| Rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors.
|data-sort-value="81%"|''81±2%'': Effective to move between any two points as long as there are landing pads of reasonable size. Can be used to hover relatively still in the air. Speed for utility helicopters is comparable to trains. Very loud, and very difficult to learn to fly.
|data-sort-value="90%"|''90±13%'': As per {{w|Harry Reasoner}}: "An airplane by its nature wants to fly, and if not interfered with too strongly by unusual events or by a deliberately incompetent pilot, it will fly. A helicopter does not want to fly. It is maintained in the air by a variety of forces and controls working in opposition to each other, and if there is any disturbance in this delicate balance the helicopter stops flying; immediately and disastrously. There is no such thing as a gliding helicopter." While the last {{w|Autorotation|is a slight exaggeration}}, it remains much easier for a helicopter to enter an unrecoverable state than an airplane.
|Speciality/Recreational
|-
|{{w|Light aircraft}}
|In the United States, the general category of [https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/design_approvals/small_airplanes/categories small aircraft] covers a variety of aircraft certified to weigh 19,000 pounds (8618 kg) or less at takeoff. Maximum allowed weight varies by specific category.
|data-sort-value="74%"|''74±4%'':Convenience greatly depends on style of aircraft, proximity of airfields to intended destination as well as "first and final mile" transportation, etc. In many areas the need for a trained pilot as well as costs and time spent on the ground at an airfield ("taxi time"), plotting and filing of flight plans, and the variability of weather conditions make surface transportation (automobiles, trains, buses) and scheduled heavy commercial aircraft more practical. However, in areas such as the Alaskan interior and north slope, light airplane travel becomes critically important for living and working in remote areas.
|data-sort-value="65%"|''65±9%'':
|Speciality/Recreational
|-
|{{w|Go-kart}}s
|Low profile, [https://www.cpsc.gov/FAQ/Fun-CartsGo-Karts unregulated], four-wheel, motorized platforms that are not {{w|Street-legal vehicle|street legal}}
|data-sort-value="63%"|''63±2%'': A lack of proper suspension makes for a bumpy ride, poor clearance would leave them at risk of grounding on more uneven terrain, and the maximum speed is quite low.
|data-sort-value="51%"|''51±9%'': Crashing is much more likely to cause spinal damage than bicycles, but the relatively low speed would make them much safer than other motorized vehicle options.
|Speciality/Recreational
|-
|{{w|Skateboard}}s
| A board on four wheels
|data-sort-value="55%"|''55±2%'': Much slower and less energy-efficient than bicycles.
|data-sort-value="44%"|''45±13%'': As with walking, the primary risks are falling (particularly from a height) or being exposed to some outside danger (such as being hit by a vehicle). Because skateboards can move faster than walking (particularly when going downhill), the risks are somewhat greater, but unless the rider is deliberately doing dangerous tricks, serious injuries are relatively rare.
|Speciality/Recreational
|-
|{{w|Inline skates|Rollerblades}}
| Shoes with a single line of wheels at the bottom
|data-sort-value="49%"|''49±2%'': Much slower and less energy-efficient than bicycles.
|data-sort-value="45%"|''45±14%'': Almost identical to skateboards, and for the same reasons. The primary danger comes from falling. The potential speed means that falls are more dangerous than for walkers.
|Speciality/Recreational
|-
|{{w|Ski}}s
| Narrow strips of material to stand on while sliding across a low-friction surface
|data-sort-value="40%"|''40±2%'': A fine way to move downhill relatively fast, but maintenance of the slope is required. Also a fairly quick way to travel on the flat when there is snow cover that would make other modes of transport challenging. Less useful in less conducive conditions.
|data-sort-value="46%"|''46±4%'':Downhill skiers can reach high speeds at which collisions could cause significant injury to the skier's lightly protected body. It can be hard to control your speed at lower skill levels, but as long as low speeds are maintained (as it might when used as a transportation option), skiing is not that dangerous. See also {{w|List of skiing deaths}}.
|Speciality/Recreational
|-
|{{w|Unicycle}}s
| One-wheeled human-powered vehicle
|data-sort-value="32%"|''32±2%'':While it can be a [https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/24351890.wellington-teen-circumnavigates-globe-unicycle/ practical form of transport] for skilled riders, unicycles are very low on the "convenience" scale. Having only a single wheel makes balance much more difficult, especially over longer distances, and the lack of gearing makes pedalling less efficient and more taxing, particularly as road conditions change.
|data-sort-value="24"|''24±9%'': While riders may be more likely to fall off unicycles than bicycles (particularly when new to them), the low speed and minimal height mean that falls are highly unlikely to cause serious injuries. Despite their difficulty, it's almost unheard of for people to die in unicycle accidents, though low usage rates mean that drawing conclusions from injury data is problematic.
|Speciality/Recreational
|-
|{{w|Sled}}s
| A construction that can slide over snow, ice, or sand
|data-sort-value="26%"|''26±2%'': Useful in limited conditions in which other forms of transport might struggle to cope with.
|data-sort-value="28%"|''28±6%'': It is hard to properly control your speed downhill, but extremely safe on level terrain or slight slopes.
|Speciality/Recreational
|-
|{{w|Bumper Cars}}
| Small electric karts with rubber bumpers
|data-sort-value="10%"|''10±4%'': Only really convenient for making ''very'' short journeys. Typically require an electronic mesh in the ceiling to move at all.
|data-sort-value="14%"|''14±8%'': Because these vehicles usually travel only at very slow speeds, are confined to a small and controlled area, and are protected by large, shock-absorbing bumpers, the risk of serious or fatal injury is low, though riders may be at risk from whiplash, bracing injuries, or impact injuries to hands placed outside the car. Many operators will have rules against ramming other cars head-on, to minimise the risk of injuries.
|Speciality/Recreational
|-
|{{w|Hot Air Balloon}}s
| A basket tied to a huge bag of heated air
|data-sort-value="11%"|''11±4%'': Provide limited control and low speeds, and expose the user to the elements at altitude. They were the primary form of air-travel available in the 19th-century, but were overtaken by powered air-travel.
|data-sort-value="83%"|''83±10%'': A malfunction in the balloon can result in a very rapid descent, from great height. A poorly executed descent could result in a mid-air collision (e.g. with trees, powerlines, etc.) with potential for a nasty fall. The air that provides the lift is heated by a flame, which may be open, and the envelope catching fire would very likely cause an uncontrolled descent with high likelihood of death. Further known dangers are malfunctions of the propane tanks fueling the burner causing an explosion and falling down the edge of the basket due to improper or no tethering. While accidents aren't especially common, this is because hot air balloons are not common forms of transit. The number of injuries per passenger-mile is at least as high as any other form of transit in this chart.
|????? 
|}

==Transcript==
:[A chart is shown, where the Y axis is labeled "Convenient for travel" and has an arrow pointing up and the X axis is labeled "Dangerous" and has an arrow pointing right.]
:[In gray text, "Zone of practicality" points to a large irregular area fitting in to the top left corner of the chart with a gray background. The following modes are shown in this area, starting with the first few bunched at highest convenience:]
::Trains [very convenient, very safe]
::Airliners
::Cars
::Scooters [the most dangerous of this set, at medium-low danger]
::Bicycles
::Boats [medium-high convenience, a slight amount of danger]
::Walking [the least convienient, at roughly half, and lowest danger of this set]
:[In gray text, "Zone of specialty and recreational vehicles" points to a large irregular swathe from the top right to the bottom left with a gray background. The following modes are shown in this area, with the nodes spread in rough order from high convenience/danger to low convenience/danger:]
::Motorcycles [highly convenient, nearly maximum danger]
::Helicopters [not quite fully convenient, most danger]
::Light aircraft
::Go karts
::Skateboards
::Rollerblades
::Skis
::Unicycles
::Sleds
::Bumper cars [lowest convenience and lowest danger item]
:[In gray text, "?????" points to a small blob in the bottom right corner with a gray background, notably distant from the nearest other group. A single mode is included in this area:]
::Hot air balloons [placed as almost the least convenient and most dangerous, of all labels]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Hot air balloons are the optimal mode of transportation, if your optimization algorithm has a sign error.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Scatter plots]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Skateboard]]

2939: Complexity Analysis

2026-03-30T00:38:29Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 2939
| date = May 29, 2024
| title = Complexity Analysis
| image = complexity_analysis_2x.png
| imagesize = 430x361px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = PERPETUALLY OPTIMISTIC CASE: Early in the execution, our research group makes a breakthrough in proving P=NP.
}}
{{TOC}}
==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] is teaching about an algorithm's complexity. The average-case complexity of the algorithm is written in {{w|Big O notation}} as O(''n'' log ''n''), expressing the limiting behavior of the algorithm's runtime as its number of inputs grows larger and larger.

The comic's joke involves taking the terms "best case" and "worst case" far more broadly and literally than intended. Cueball presents not just the best/worst cases for the data input into the function, but also the global environment as a whole, taking in factors such as the United States Congress which should fall ''far'' outside the algorithm's scope.

In particular, the joke regards the analysis of a closed system, which is common in engineering. An algorithm's "best case" is typically its runtime when its inputs have optimal values and it runs in as little time as possible. One example would be a {{w|Sorting algorithm#Comparison of algorithms|sorting algorithm}} that is called with an already-sorted list of numbers; an algorithm ''may'' only need to check each item in the list, in one pass, to confirm this, compared with having to compare an arbitrary number of items against an arbitrary number of others across a number of cycles. The worst case would be when a list is 'unsorted' in a way that presents the maximum number of challenges and actions to the sorting algorithm (possibly, but ''not necessarily'', when presented with the initial list exactly in the wrong order/reversed). These two limits can each be given by an O-notation, but a single O-notation generally indicates the mean complexity of operation encountered for all inputs.

The joke here is that not only does this algorithm 'run' quicker than what would otherwise be considered its best case scenario, by being terminated early because it is deemed to be 'unnecessary', but its runtime appears to be an hour shorter still because of an act of Congress changing {{w|daylight saving time}}, giving it an end time (in local time) that is an hour less than it would have been under other circumstances. Potentially this would result in an end time that is recorded as earlier than its start time (depending on [[2867: DateTime|how the times are handled]]), and therefore an apparently ''negative'' 'runtime'. Daylight saving time is a [[:Category: Daylight saving time|recurrent theme]] on xkcd, and it is clear that Randall is not a fan, so Congress making surprise DST changes is another way for Randall to mock the concept.

The "worst case" refers to the movie {{w|Groundhog Day (movie)|Groundhog Day}}, in which the same events occur over and over in a sort of time loop. (This movie has been referenced before in [[1076|1076: Groundhog Day]].) If the hardware running the algorithm is present in this kind of loop then it may also reset to a previous time before it gets finished, meaning the algorithm would never terminate. This gives rise to a philosophical question about the movie as to whether the whole world is reset after every day, or just the town where the movie takes place. If it is just the town, and you could still connect to their hardware from outside, then from that perspective the algorithm would appear to be taking an interminably long time to run. If the whole world resets, since people (aside from the movie's main character) do not experience the reset, it would only appear to take as long as it does once the last (non-resetting cycle) leads it into the expected following day.

This may be an indirect reference to the {{w|halting problem}}, a famous problem in computer science. The halting problem is {{w|undecidable}}, meaning that no general algorithm can tell whether a given algorithm will halt, but the widely accepted traditional proof of this relies on external action on details of a system considered closed.

The title text refers to perhaps an even more famous problem in computer science: {{w|P versus NP problem|P versus NP}}. This asks whether every problem whose solution can be quickly verified (in nondeterministic polynomial time, {{w|NP_(complexity)|NP}}) can also be quickly solved (in polynomial time, {{w|polynomial time|P}}). The P-versus-NP problem is one of the seven {{w|Millennium Prize Problems}}, and as such has a $1 million prize for its solution. Presumably, the problem discussed here is in NP, so if P=NP, its worst-case runtime would be some polynomial O(''nk)''. However, P vs. NP is a Millennium Prize Problem for a reason; most computer scientists expect that P≠NP, so hoping for a breakthrough in proving P=NP is "perpetually optimistic". This may be a reference to {{w|optimism bias}} and the {{w|planning fallacy}}, whereby people tend to assume that the most favourable outcome will be the most likely.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is holding a presentation pointer stick, pointing to a table behind him that towers above him. The table has a heading above it and then two columns and three rows. The first column is slim and the second much broader.]

:[Table Heading]
::Results of algorithm complexity analysis:

:[Row 1]
::Average case
::O(n log n)

:[Row 2]
::Best case
::Algorithm turns out to be unnecessary and is halted, then Congress enacts surprise daylight saving time and we gain an hour

:[Row 3]
::Worst case
::Town in which hardware is located enters a Groundhog Day scenario, algorithm never terminates

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Daylight saving time]]
[[Category:Fiction]]

2933: Elementary Physics Paths

2026-03-30T00:26:29Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 2933
| date = May 15, 2024
| title = Elementary Physics Paths
| image = elementary_physics_paths_2x.png
| imagesize = 464x672px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = ==COSMOLOGY==> 'Uhhh ... how sure are we that everything is made of these?'
}}
{{TOC}}
==Explanation==
This comic explores the complexities of understanding the fundamental building blocks of the universe.

The absurdity of understanding ''everything'' starting from just understanding basic particles is similar to the fallacy presented in [[1570: Engineer Syllogism]].

In the first panel, Cueball expresses the idea that if he understands the behavior of tiny particles, he'll understand everything. This reflects a common scientific pursuit, {{w|reductionism}}, to uncover the basic principles underlying all physical phenomena in order to understand them. For example, most chemical reactions can be explained as the recombinations of a few dozen common elements.

The comic then splits into two branches representing different fields of physics which refute Cueball's optimistic assumption: {{w|condensed matter physics}} and {{w|quantum field theory}}.

On the left, the concept of {{w|antireductionism}} (or {{w|holism}}) is demonstrated by the Condensed Matter Physics branch. Cueball encounters a cloud of vibrating particles, which symbolizes the complexity that arises when simple particles combine to produce complex behaviors. The issue with reducing down to particles is that the number of different interactions between particles to understand makes the topic no longer simple. This highlights the challenge of predicting macroscopic properties from microscopic interactions, a central theme in condensed matter physics. This is shown in everyday life, from things like a baseball curving through the air, to how a mirror reflects light. [[1734: Reductionism]] also touches on the impracticality of gaining knowledge about a larger construct through understanding its constituent parts.

On the right, in the Quantum Field Theory branch, Cueball is faced with the issue that particles at the quantum level aren't simple. Quantum Field Theory deals with the fundamental particles and forces of nature, and it describes a complex world where particles can behave as both waves and particles simultaneously, among other strange phenomena.

The title text introduces a third branch: the field of {{w|cosmology}}, which deals with the large-scale structure and history of the universe. Cosmology suggests that even our catalog of the most fundamental particles might be inadequate - perhaps an allusion to theorized phenomena like dark matter and dark energy - raising questions about the nature of existence itself.

No matter how you study the universe, it's complicated.{{cn}}

==Transcript==
:[Cueball gestures at a particle, represented as a dot with motion lines around it.]
:Cueball: Everything is made of tiny particles. If I understand those, I'll understand everything!
:[The comic splits into two branches.]
:[Condensed Matter Physics branch]
:[Cueball is fretting over a cloud of particles.]
:Cueball: Oh no.
:Cueball: Simple particles can combine to produce complex behaviors.
:[Quantum Field Theory branch]
:[Cueball is fretting over the same particle as in the first panel.]
:Cueball: Oh no.
:Cueball: '''''These particles aren't simple!'''''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Cosmology]]

2932: Driving PSA

2026-03-30T00:25:38Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 2932
| date = May 13, 2024
| title = Driving PSA
| image = driving_psa_2x.png
| imagesize = 414x538px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = This PSA brought to you by several would-be assassins who tried to wave me in front of speeding cars in the last month and who will have to try harder next time.
}}
{{TOC}}
==Explanation==
A PSA is a {{w|Public Service Announcement}}. Some drivers, when having {{w|Traffic#Passage_priority_(right_of_way)|priority}} by the rules of the road (termed "right of way" in US legal statutes), will let others take it before them. However, yielding the right of way when it is not required does not legally grant the other driver the right of way -- they may still be required to yield to other vehicles on the road. (Hence the title of the PSA: "Random drivers can't grant you the right of way as a gift.")

At a 4-way stop, giving another driver the right of way is usually safe and courteous, but in other cases it can be dangerous. This comic is saying that people who exhibit this behavior dangerously can be assumed to be {{w|The_Terminator|Terminator}}-style assassins, sent to kill you by sending you into contention with other traffic to make it look like an accident, and thereby prevent some future act on your part that is not to their liking.

In this comic, the deferential driver is holding up a queue of vehicles (including a large tractor-trailer truck) that is obscuring the immediate view of oncoming traffic. Instead of simply turning left and reducing the queue, they are waving Randall's car into that traffic, perhaps because they forgot that the other lanes have priority over the crossing driver. The effect could be to wave him through right into the path of another car traveling at full speed — a clever way for a time-traveling assassin to take down one's target without arousing suspicion.

Not pulling into traffic when your view is obstructed is good advice, and Randall's comical exaggeration may make the advice more memorable. Always check for yourself that your way is clear, and if your view is blocked, sit tight.

However, Randall seems to be assuming that the waving gesture can only ever mean one thing: Pull all the way into traffic. It may be that a "waving out" gesture is intended to give the waiting car a chance to turn into the median strip (see details below). Viewing courteous behavior as conclusive evidence of a temporal assassination conspiracy is humorously ego-centric and improbable.

The title text explains that Randall made this PSA because he has experienced this multiple times in the last month, and that the assassins should try harder next time.

===Alternate interpretation of the waving gesture===

Note that in this comic, as currently illustrated, there appears to be sufficient room in the median strip for the waiting car to pass the first set of lanes and stop in the median strip, protected from passing traffic on both sides, to legally wait for the second stream of traffic to safely subside. Waiting in this median turning area is a normal maneuver in suburban and exurban US areas where these types of non-signaled intersections are common. There's no reason to assume that the supposed would-be assassin is not simply waving the waiting car to the safety of the median strip. Randall's message of caution is still sound, but he accidentally illustrated an intersection diagram that fails to optimally support his case.

[[File:2932 Alt.png|frameless|Illustration showing room to safely turn left halfway, stopping in the median strip]]

'''Legality'''

Median strips are typically used to allow vehicles to safely make left turns without impeding the flow of traffic. When emerging from a side road, vehicles can cross the first lane(s) of traffic and wait in the median strip until it is safe to merge into the opposite lane(s).
* In Texas, using the median strip to wait for a gap in traffic is generally acceptable. The Texas Department of Public Safety suggests that drivers use the median strip when appropriate. Source: [https://www.texashighwayman.com/laws.shtml Texas laws]
* [https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title41/Chapter6A/41-6a-S801.html?v=C41-6a-S801_2015051220150512 The state of Utah also allows this to happen.]
* In {{w|Denmark}}, it is considered bad practice to pause in the median strip when crossing; left turns should be carried out in a continuous maneuver.
* In Melbourne, Australia, the tram network takes precedence over the flow of traffic. In order to turn against the flow of traffic, drivers must pull over to the side of the road (left, since Australia uses right-hand drive) and wait until the intersection is clear & their light is green before turning.

==Transcript==
:Driving PSA:
:Random drivers can’t grant you the right of way as a gift.
:[A T-intersection with a major road separated by a concrete median going from top to bottom, and a minor road coming from the left]
:[A car is stopped at the end of the minor road]
:First car [arrow pointing to car]: You, waiting to turn left
:[A second car is stopped in the dedicated left turn lane of the right major road, with a third car, a truck hauling cargo, and a fourth car lined up behind it]
:Second car [in a speech bubble]: You go ahead! I’m feeling generous.
:Second car [arrow pointing to car]: Time traveler pretending to be polite
:[In the second lane is a black arrow pointing upwards, with text below it reading 45 MPH, and a fifth car below the text]
:Fifth car [arrow pointing to car]: Car that they are waving you into the path of
:If someone waves you out, assume that they are an assassin sent from the future to kill you and make it look like an accident.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Time travel]]
[[Category:Public service announcement]]

2932: Driving PSA

2026-03-30T00:23:58Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 2932
| date = May 13, 2024
| title = Driving PSA
| image = driving_psa_2x.png
| imagesize = 414x538px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = This PSA brought to you by several would-be assassins who tried to wave me in front of speeding cars in the last month and who will have to try harder next time.
}}
{{toc}}
==Explanation==
A PSA is a {{w|Public Service Announcement}}. Some drivers, when having {{w|Traffic#Passage_priority_(right_of_way)|priority}} by the rules of the road (termed "right of way" in US legal statutes), will let others take it before them. However, yielding the right of way when it is not required does not legally grant the other driver the right of way -- they may still be required to yield to other vehicles on the road. (Hence the title of the PSA: "Random drivers can't grant you the right of way as a gift.")

At a 4-way stop, giving another driver the right of way is usually safe and courteous, but in other cases it can be dangerous. This comic is saying that people who exhibit this behavior dangerously can be assumed to be {{w|The_Terminator|Terminator}}-style assassins, sent to kill you by sending you into contention with other traffic to make it look like an accident, and thereby prevent some future act on your part that is not to their liking.

In this comic, the deferential driver is holding up a queue of vehicles (including a large tractor-trailer truck) that is obscuring the immediate view of oncoming traffic. Instead of simply turning left and reducing the queue, they are waving Randall's car into that traffic, perhaps because they forgot that the other lanes have priority over the crossing driver. The effect could be to wave him through right into the path of another car traveling at full speed — a clever way for a time-traveling assassin to take down one's target without arousing suspicion.

Not pulling into traffic when your view is obstructed is good advice, and Randall's comical exaggeration may make the advice more memorable. Always check for yourself that your way is clear, and if your view is blocked, sit tight.

However, Randall seems to be assuming that the waving gesture can only ever mean one thing: Pull all the way into traffic. It may be that a "waving out" gesture is intended to give the waiting car a chance to turn into the median strip (see details below). Viewing courteous behavior as conclusive evidence of a temporal assassination conspiracy is humorously ego-centric and improbable.

The title text explains that Randall made this PSA because he has experienced this multiple times in the last month, and that the assassins should try harder next time.

===Alternate interpretation of the waving gesture===

Note that in this comic, as currently illustrated, there appears to be sufficient room in the median strip for the waiting car to pass the first set of lanes and stop in the median strip, protected from passing traffic on both sides, to legally wait for the second stream of traffic to safely subside. Waiting in this median turning area is a normal maneuver in suburban and exurban US areas where these types of non-signaled intersections are common. There's no reason to assume that the supposed would-be assassin is not simply waving the waiting car to the safety of the median strip. Randall's message of caution is still sound, but he accidentally illustrated an intersection diagram that fails to optimally support his case.

[[File:2932 Alt.png|frameless|Illustration showing room to safely turn left halfway, stopping in the median strip]]

'''Legality'''

Median strips are typically used to allow vehicles to safely make left turns without impeding the flow of traffic. When emerging from a side road, vehicles can cross the first lane(s) of traffic and wait in the median strip until it is safe to merge into the opposite lane(s).
* In Texas, using the median strip to wait for a gap in traffic is generally acceptable. The Texas Department of Public Safety suggests that drivers use the median strip when appropriate. Source: [https://www.texashighwayman.com/laws.shtml Texas laws]
* [https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title41/Chapter6A/41-6a-S801.html?v=C41-6a-S801_2015051220150512 The state of Utah also allows this to happen.]
* In {{w|Denmark}}, it is considered bad practice to pause in the median strip when crossing; left turns should be carried out in a continuous maneuver.
* In Melbourne, Australia, the tram network takes precedence over the flow of traffic. In order to turn against the flow of traffic, drivers must pull over to the side of the road (left, since Australia uses right-hand drive) and wait until the intersection is clear & their light is green before turning.

==Transcript==
:Driving PSA:
:Random drivers can’t grant you the right of way as a gift.
:[A T-intersection with a major road separated by a concrete median going from top to bottom, and a minor road coming from the left]
:[A car is stopped at the end of the minor road]
:First car [arrow pointing to car]: You, waiting to turn left
:[A second car is stopped in the dedicated left turn lane of the right major road, with a third car, a truck hauling cargo, and a fourth car lined up behind it]
:Second car [in a speech bubble]: You go ahead! I’m feeling generous.
:Second car [arrow pointing to car]: Time traveler pretending to be polite
:[In the second lane is a black arrow pointing upwards, with text below it reading 45 MPH, and a fifth car below the text]
:Fifth car [arrow pointing to car]: Car that they are waving you into the path of
:If someone waves you out, assume that they are an assassin sent from the future to kill you and make it look like an accident.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Time travel]]
[[Category:Public service announcement]]

2931: Chasing

2026-03-30T00:23:13Z

2001:4450:81E7:1E00:ADD6:A33:300F:1CBB:

{{comic
| number = 2931
| date = May 10, 2024
| title = Chasing
| image = chasing_2x.png
| imagesize = 462x474px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Certain hybrid events can only happen in certain locations where all the conditions are present; chasers flock to the area in and around Kansas known as tumbleweed-colliding-with-possum alley.
}}
{{TOC}}
==Explanation==

This comic is a scatter plot comparing how exciting it is to see various things with how possible it is to chase them using a convoy of coordinated vehicles.

The least chasable are stationary places like the {{w|Grand Canyon}} or {{w|International Date Line}}. It makes no sense to chase them because they don't move around, you simply go to their known locations. At the other end of the chasability spectrum are animals that move around rapidly, and fleeting astronomical and atmospherical phenomena like {{w|clouds}}, {{w|meteors}} and {{w|aurora}}. However, some of these are difficult to chase because they're small and hard to detect from a moving vehicle, e.g. {{w|gnats}}.

In the top-right position of most chasable and most exciting, tornadoes have a community of 'chasers' who attempt to predict their appearance and get as close to them as possible, which was the subject of a {{w|Twister_(1996_film)|1996 film}}, for which a sequel was due to be released shortly after this comic. A major {{w|Tornado_outbreak_of_May_6%E2%80%9310,_2024|tornado outbreak}} had also taken place immediately preceding the comic's publication.

The title text suggests that combining some of these things into a single event would multiply the excitement derived from them. This makes sense on the surface, as the rarity value of the resulting event would be high, so even two relatively mundane events could, when combined, produce an interesting outcome. However, it somewhat undermines this by suggesting that, in this particular location, the event in question (possums being hit by passing tumbleweeds) is relatively routine.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Entity !! colspan="2" | Estimate of... !! rowspan="2" | Explanation
|-
! Chasing || Excitement
|-
| {{w|Grand Canyon|The Grand Canyon}}|| 10% || 90% || Stationary place in Arizona. It's the largest canyon in the US (but not the world), in addition to being very beautiful due to its depth and the color changes from different geological strata. Seeing a famous tourist attraction in person is exciting.
|-
| {{w|Niagara Falls}} || 15% || 75% || A generally stationary place on the border of US and Canada, between the state of New York and the province of Ontario. The waterfall is the largest in North America by width and water volume, making it very beautiful to watch.
|-
| {{w|Tourist attractions}} || 15% || 55% || Other stationary places that attract many tourists (e.g. national parks, monuments and historic places) are exciting to see.
|-
| {{w|Tourist traps}} || 10% || 40% || Stationary places that market themselves as tourist attractions, but don't really have much to offer and exist mainly to sell food and souvenirs.
|-
| {{w|Hazard (golf)#Bunker|Sand trap}} || 15% || 25% || Pits of sand in golf courses. If your golf ball lands in one, it loses all its momentum almost instantly and it is difficult to hit out to the grassy portions (fairways or greens), which is why it is a "trap". A convoy of golf-carts might "chase" a golf-ball to the sand trap it lands in, but this would not be very exciting.
|-
| The International Date Line || 15% || 10% || A jagged conceptual line running from the North to South poles around 180 degrees of longitude, used to separate the time zones that start and end each day. There's nothing to see at these locations, as the line is an abstraction and does not actually coincide with anything in real life, as well as mostly being in the Pacific Ocean, by-passing actual landfall, as well as across the Arctic Southern Oceans. The zones for {{w|time in Antarctica}} are already more pragmatically simplified or just fall back to {{w|Coordinated Universal Time}}.
|-
| Meteors || 35% || 95% || Also called "shooting stars". These are fleeting streaks of light that are visible when bits of rock or dust enter the atmosphere and burn up. These are generally rare, making them exciting to see, but there are {{w|meteor showers}} when many are visible due to the Earth passing through a large cloud of dust (usually the remnants of a comet). To astronomy buffs, these can be like natural fireworks shows. Because each meteor streak lasts for a fraction of a second, it's not generally possible to chase them, although if the rock is large enough it may survive to the ground and become a {{w|meteorite}}, which chasers [[1723: Meteorite Identification|may be able to find]] by tracking its path through the sky.
|-
| {{w|Rainbows}} || 35% || 90% || A visual effect that occurs when sunlight is refracted by water droplets in the air, spreading the light into a spectrum of different colors. Their 'location' is relative to each observer, so long as the necessary components combine correctly in the first place, so any coordinated movement is restricted to finding the right sort of standpoint from which a rainbow is visible. Moving "towards" a rainbow typically results in the rainbow "moving away" from the observer at the same speed.
|-
| {{w|Comets}} || 40% || 85% || Comets are chunks of rock and ice that orbit the Sun, usually in highly eccentric orbits that take them from the inner Solar System to the {{w|Kuiper Belt}} or {{w|Oort Cloud}} at the extreme outskirts of the Solar System. Few of them are visible to the naked eye until they are close to the Sun. They're exciting to see because they are rare, and one of the few astronomical objects that looks like more than just a tiny dot because there is a glowing "tail". While they are moving very rapidly through the Solar System, from the Earth they don't appear to move much faster than planets. So there's no need to chase them; when near the Earth, they will be visible from much of the planet for days or weeks.
|-
| {{w|Sunsets}} || 35% || 75% || Disappearance of the Sun below the horizon, should happen usually once every 24 hours (except close to the poles). Depending on weather conditions, they can sometimes be very pretty. Traveling around the Earth from east to west is needed for a continuous view of a sunset. [https://what-if.xkcd.com/42/ There has been a What If? on this].
|-
| {{w|The Moon}} || 40% || 70% || Earth's only natural satellite with a predictable orbit. While Randall is most likely referring to chasing the Moon on the Earth, the {{w|Apollo Missions}} very much fit the description of "chase in a convoy of vehicles coordinating over radio and using instruments and data to find optimal viewing locations". That is exactly what the astronauts did, they "chased" the Moon (the Moon was moving while they flew towards it) using a convoy of vehicles (the multi-stage rockets) while they "coordinated" to Earth with their radios. Only 12 people (the {{w|Apollo astronauts}}) have actually visited it in person; the rest of us see it from about 250,000 miles (400,000 km) away. Weather permitting, it's visible for about half of every day/night cycle (though may be more obvious when this occurs significantly in the night sky, for several reasons). It doesn't move quickly in the sky, by apparent movement, so little chasing is necessary. A 'supermoon' is when the Moon looks the largest and shiniest, occurring when a full moon appears closest to the Earth in its orbit, though Randall doesn't consider this phenomenon impressive (as seen in [[1394:_Superm*n]] and in How To, chapter 21).
|-
| Unusual clouds || 40% || 55% || Clouds with unique forms or shapes, like {{w|Lenticular clouds}}. People may want to chase after them if they’re drifting away, as they may want to view the cloud further, perhaps for scientific purposes.
|-
| Regular clouds || 35% || 40% || Clouds are an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets. People may chase clouds for the same reasons as wanting to chase unusual clouds.
|-
| {{w|Fog}} || 30% || 25% || Atmospheric condition where water droplets are very dense near the Earth's surface, resulting in a visible haze. Fog does not move much, but dissipates over time. Fog might pull away from its least ideal conditions before it vanishes completely. This entry might be a reference to {{w|Phileas Fogg}}, who was pursued around the world.
|-
| {{w|Rain}} || 35% || 20% || Water droplets falling from clouds. In most of the world, this is a pretty common occurrence. Unless the volume is extremely high, there's rarely much excitement due to them, but extreme cases may cause flooding that can be dangerous. The only people who might chase rain are weather reporters who want to get wet.
|-
| {{w|Gnats}} || 35% || 5% || Hardly anybody wants to track down gnats, as they are annoying to chase and difficult to see, but people could theoretically use advanced instruments to do so.
|-
| Aurora || 60% || 95% || Impressive light displays that result from excitement of the Earth's {{w|magnetosphere}} by charged particles in the {{w|solar wind}}. These are generally only visible in high latitudes, so most people do not live where they're visible. Their visibility can be tracked and forecasted via monitoring of solar wind output from the Sun, and particularly intense episodes can be predicted (as well as locations for viewing) on the basis of the solar cycle and solar flare activity. The release of this comic coincided with the strongest geomagnetic storm warning forecasted by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 20 years [https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/g4-watch-effect-may-11] ({{w|May 2024 solar storms}}).
|-
| Your favorite band's shows || 60% || 80% || Musical acts often plan tours, where they go around the country (or world) putting on shows every few days. Extreme fans with time (and money) on their hands may "chase" them by going to a series of their shows. Since the tour dates are planned and publicized well in advance, the shows are easy to find. However, depending on the popularity of your favorite band, this might be an expensive hobby, especially for optimal viewing. Also, tickets may be sold out.
|-
| Rare birds || 60% || 60% || Many birders will "twitch" to see rare birds, and this requires a fair amount of checking location, behavior, etc. Also, rare birds tend to be exciting to see.
|-
| Regular birds || 55% || 40% || These are easier to see than rare birds.
|-
| Regular balloons || 55% || 25% || Both children and adults accidentally let go of helium balloons, and may attempt to chase after them to retrieve them.
|-
| {{w|Tumbleweed|Tumbleweeds}} || 60% || 15% || A roughly spherical portion of certain plants that breaks off from its roots and rolls along the ground, propelled by winds, to distribute the seeds of the parent plant. Most people don't find them very interesting to look at, and they're often used as a shorthand for nothing of interest happening. They don't usually travel very quickly, so it would be possible to chase them if you were so inclined. The locomotion of tumbleweeds is of interest to ecologists, as the non-native and extremely invasive plant disperses its seeds across a region.
|-
| {{w|Speed_limit_enforcement|Speed traps}} || 65% || 5% || A section of a road where police often wait for passing drivers who are exceeding the speed limit, so they can catch them and issue speeding tickets. Frequent drivers, especially truck drivers, have developed systems to warn each other of these locations ({{w|citizens band radio}} was once the most popular method, but now this can be done using mobile phone using services like {{w|Waze}}).
|-
| {{w|Tornadoes}} || 85% || 95% || Wanting to witness a tornado is the typical objective of {{w|storm chaser}}s.
|-
| {{w|Whales}} || 85% || 90% || Widely distributed and diverse group of marine mammals. They are some of the largest animals to ever live, and often travel in groups, making them exciting and easy to see (when active at the surface). They have often been chased by humans, both for the purposes of hunting and exploiting them as a resource and by tourist-oriented whale-watching trips.
|-
| {{w|Icebergs}} || 85% || 75% || Piece of freshwater ice broken off a glacier or ice shelf. These come in many sizes and shapes, making it interesting to see a new one. At the time of this comic, there had recently been substantial interest in tracking the progress of the giant {{w|Iceberg A23a}}.
|-
| {{w|Hot air balloons}} || 80% || 60% || An aircraft whose bag is filled with heated air. Hot air balloons are ridden for a variety of reasons (entertainment, sport, advertisement, etc.) and they usually involve a "chase crew" of people on the ground. To an uninvolved observer, catching an unexpected glimpse of an airborne balloon is a moderately exciting event; giving chase is not advised, however, as it may interfere with the chase crew's operation and may be perceived as a hostile act, thereby creating ''uncomfortable'' levels of excitement.
|-
| {{w|Radiosondes}} || 85% || 50% || Small instruments carried in weather balloons to gather and transmit atmospheric parameters. There's not much to see in them, but they're easy to track with a proper receiver.
|-
| Neighborhood possums || 85% || 35% || "Possum" is a common term for {{w|Virginia opossum}}s, the only species of opossum found in North America. In urban areas they will get into human garbage, and may carry diseases, so many may consider them pests and hunt them. A coordinated group of hunters can track them.
|-
| {{w|Ice cream trucks}} || 85% || 25% || Vans that sell ice cream. They're easy to chase because they often play music and/or ring a loud bell so customers will know they're coming, and make frequent stops to allow customers to make purchases. Ice cream trucks may typically be chased by children too young to drive a convoy of vehicles for their pursuit, but their excited screams might provide data that can be used to track an ice cream truck through a city.
|-
| Other chasers || 90% || 10% || May result in an awkward or friendly encounter if met in person. Chasers may bond over their enjoyment of chasing various objects, much like how [[Geohashing|geohashers]] connect with each other at specific geohashed locations. However, another group of chasers might not appreciate it if they find out that they're being the target themselves.
|}

==Transcript==

:[An X-Y axis graph]
:[Y axis label:]
:Exciting to see in person
:[X axis label:]
:Possible to chase in a convoy of vehicles coordinating over radio and using instruments and data to find optimal viewing locations?
:[X and Y axis values (from bottom left):]
:No
:Yes

:[Top left quarter:]
:The Grand Canyon
:Meteors
:Rainbow
:Comets
:Niagara Falls
:Sunsets
:The Moon
:Tourist attractions
:Unusual clouds

:[Top right quarter:]
:Aurora
:Tornadoes
:Whales
:Your favorite band's shows
:Icebergs
:Rare birds
:Hot air balloons

:[Bottom left quarter:]
:Tourist traps
:Regular clouds
:Sand traps
:Fog
:Rain
:The International Date Line
:Gnats

:[Bottom right quarter:]
:Regular birds
:Radiosondes
:Neighborhood possums
:Regular balloons
:Ice cream trucks
:Tumbleweeds
:Speed traps
:Other chasers

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Scatter plots]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Rankings]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Tornadoes]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Weather]]
[[Category:Aurora]]