https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=208.111.67.2 2026-07-09T21:13:50Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.30.0 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=180:_Canada&diff=24298 2013-01-02T23:17:20Z

<p>208.111.67.2: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | horizontal = yes<br /> | number = 180<br /> | date = November 6, 2006<br /> | title = Canada<br /> | image = canada.png<br /> | titletext = IT'S ALL REAL!<br /> | imagesize = <br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{w|Canada}} is the country north of the {{w|USA}}. During political seasons, it's often claimed by partisan voters that if their side loses, they'll move. For Americans, [http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/people-moving-to-canada-because-of-obamacare this often comes to claims of moving to Canada].<br /> <br /> The punchline may lie in the urban legend that if you die in your dream, you die in real life. In this case, the second person has replaced dreaming with Canada, in order to warn his friend that moving to Canada is not a smart choice.<br /> <br /> The punchline could also be insinuating that Canada isn't real life.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :[Two men stand talking to each other]<br /> :Cueball: If we lose this election, I'm moving to Canada.<br /> :Friend: You say that every year.<br /> :Cueball: I mean it this time.<br /> <br /> :Friend: Well, becoming a citizen takes work. Meanwhile, you have no money, half an art degree, and it's the start of winter. You'll freeze to death in the streets.<br /> :Cueball: Whatever.<br /> <br /> :[Friend raises his hands]<br /> :Friend: No, don't you get it? If you die in Canada, you die in REAL LIFE!<br /> <br /> {{Comic discussion}}<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br /> [[Category:Politics]]</div>

208.111.67.2 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1155:_Kolmogorov_Directions&diff=24297 2013-01-02T23:10:48Z

<p>208.111.67.2: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1155<br /> | date = January 2, 2013<br /> | title = Kolmogorov Directions<br /> | image = kolmogorov directions.png<br /> | titletext = People get really grumpy when they realize you're giving them directions for how to go to the store and buy a GPS.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{w|Andrey Kolmogorov}} was a mathematician who worked, among other things, on defining computational complexity. Roughly speaking, the {{w|Kolmogorov complexity}} of a string (of bits, words, symbols, etc) is the shortest description that allows an accurate reconstruction (or, in some variants, the length of the smallest program which will output the original string). Cueball's method of giving directions is very reminiscent of Kolmogorov's method of determining complexity.<br /> <br /> This is not the first time Cueball has had [[783|difficulties with directions]].<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :[Cueball on the phone.]<br /> :Phone: How do I get to your place from Lexington?<br /> :Cueball: Hmm...<br /> :Cueball: Ok, starting from your driveway, take every left turn that doesn't put you on a prime-numbered highway or street named for a president.<br /> :When people ask for step-by-step directions, I worry that there will be too many steps to remember, so I try to put them in minimal form.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}} <br /> [[Category:Math]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>

208.111.67.2 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1155:_Kolmogorov_Directions&diff=24296 2013-01-02T23:09:20Z

<p>208.111.67.2: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1155<br /> | date = January 2, 2013<br /> | title = Kolmogorov Directions<br /> | image = kolmogorov directions.png<br /> | titletext = People get really grumpy when they realize you're giving them directions for how to go to the store and buy a GPS.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{w|Andrey Kolmogorov}} was a mathematician who worked,among other things, on defining computational complexity. Roughly speaking, the {{w|Kolmogorov complexity}} of a string (of bits, words, symbols, etc) is the shortest description that allows an accurate reconstruction (or, in some variants, the length of the smallest program which will output the original string). Cueball's method of giving directions is very reminiscent of Kolmogorov's method of determining complexity.<br /> <br /> This is not the first time Cueball has had [[783|difficulties with directions]].<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :[Cueball on the phone.]<br /> :Phone: How do I get to your place from Lexington?<br /> :Cueball: Hmm...<br /> :Cueball: Ok, starting from your driveway, take every left turn that doesn't put you on a prime-numbered highway or street named for a president.<br /> :When people ask for step-by-step directions, I worry that there will be too many steps to remember, so I try to put them in minimal form.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}} <br /> [[Category:Math]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>

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