explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1569: Magic Tree

2026-03-31T23:54:06Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1569
| date = August 26, 2015
| title = Magic Tree
| image = magic_tree.png
| titletext = Since people rarely try to cut down cell phone towers, after millions of years, as cell phone towers have gotten more treelike, trees have started growing fake cell phone tower attachments and shiny gray bark to protect themselves. This is a standard textbook example of convergent evolution.
}}

==Explanation==
{|style="float: right; border:1px solid dimgray; color:white" border="0" align="right" valign="top" cellpadding=10px cellspacing=0px
|+style="background:white; color:black"|'''Examples of camouflaged cell towers'''
|-align="center"
|[[Image:PalmCellTower.jpg|194x259px|Palm Cell Tower]]
|[[Image:AnotherCellTower.jpeg|Cell Tower Tree]]
|}

This comic features a running theme in the xkcd comics, [[Beret Guy]]'s naïve and/or odd ways of thinking. In the beginning of the comic, Beret Guy shows [[Megan]] what he believes to be a tree, and explains that it grew there because he placed magic beans in that spot yesterday. This is a reference to the fable "{{w|Jack and the Beanstalk}}", where the protagonist plants several magical beans he acquired, resulting in a beanstalk growing which ascends into the atmosphere. Megan, however, tells Beret Guy that the "tree" is actually a {{w|cell site|cell phone tower}}. Beret Guy disagrees, pointing out that it has branches, to which Megan tries to explain that this was in an attempt to make the [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Camouflaged_antenna_towers_and_masts towers look like trees], which is a common practice amongst building the towers in order to ensure that the tower isn’t an eyesore. She gives up, however, as Beret Guy has already begun climbing the tower, or because she fears that giving this explanation would only add fuel to the fire that is Beret Guy's imagination.

Later, Megan complains that her {{w|mobile phone signal|cell reception}} has disappeared. Beret Guy responds by saying that he had to cut down his "tree" because there were "scary giants with yellow helmets" in it (presumably, construction workers). This mirrors, again, the "Jack and the Beanstalk" fable, where the protagonist has to cut down his beanstalk to prevent the giant, whose lands the beanstalk connects to, from climbing down and chasing him. In reality, the "giants" were probably utility workers. Additionally, in reality it is a bad idea to cut down cell towers, as they contain dangerous electricity, as shown in the 2017 film {{w|Daddy's Home 2}}.

The title text suggests that, over time, trees will evolve to start looking more like cell phone towers in a form of {{w|mimicry}} in order to avoid people cutting them down. Mimicry is where a creature copies the appearance or behavior of another in order to confuse predators. In this scenario, the more defenseless trees attempt to mimic cell phone towers, which have the defense of people not wanting to cut them down or they would lose cell service (and likely a significant amount of money through fines) and because of society's general respect for the property of others, as well as the dangers of electrocution or radiation. This is similar to the counting pine, a tree in {{w|Terry Pratchett|Terry Pratchett's}} {{w|Discworld}} series that evolved to display its age with numbers on the outside (in the bark) in the hope that humans would not cut it down and count its rings. Of course now humans hunted it down trying to find a tree with numbers that would fit their house number instead, thus quickly rendering the trees almost completely extinct. (See the tribute to Terry in [[1498: Terry Pratchett]]).

{{w|Convergent evolution}} deals with multiple species acquiring similar characteristics to fulfill their role (such as dolphins and sharks both having a streamlined shape to swim fast) due to the species' common need to adapt to similar environments or tasks. [[Randall]] uses the term to describe the convergence in the appearances of cell towers whose design has "evolved" to include tree-like branches and trees which he predicts will evolve to resemble cell phone towers. Each of these "evolutions" would be for the purposes of camouflage, although the cell towers "evolve" by human design for purely aesthetic reasons and the trees would evolve naturally for self-preservation. This would therefore not be a true example of convergent evolution. It more closely resembles Batesian mimicry, or the evolutionary process by which a species remains noticeable, but treated as something it is not.

==Transcript==
:[Beret Guy and Megan stand next to a large pole with a note on it. Beret Guy points at the pole.]
:Beret Guy: Check it out! I threw my magic beans on the ground here yesterday, and this big tree appeared!

:[Zoom out, the pole is revealed to have branches. Around the pole are trees about 1/9th of the height of the pole.]
:Megan: That's a cell tower.
:Beret Guy: No way - it has branches!
:Beret Guy: See?
:Beret Guy: I'm gonna climb it!

:[Same as frame as the first. Beret Guy starts climbing the pole.]
:Megan: No, they just put those there to make it look-
:Megan: ...Never mind.

:[There is a caption in a small frame inlaid at the top of the last frame:]
:Later...
:[Megan looks at her phone while Beret Guy walks towards her holding an axe.]
:Megan: Why do I have no signal?
:Beret Guy: There were scary giants with yellow helmets in that tree! Luckily I cut it down before they ate me.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Phones]]

1740: Rosetta

2026-03-30T02:02:29Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1740
| date = September 30, 2016
| title = Rosetta
| image = rosetta.png
| titletext = I WONDERED why he kept asking whether we thought the impact speed was too low.
}}

==Explanation==
On the day this comic was posted (September 30th 2016), the ''{{w|Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta}}'' mission ended with the final descent of ''Rosetta'' onto the comet {{w|67P}}. Landing Rosetta on the comet gave the scientists ([[Ponytail]], [[Megan]] and [[Hairy]]) a chance to collect extra data from very close to the comet, using the spacecraft's powerful sensors.

[[Cueball]] however [[1339: When You Assume|assumed]] that the landing was a "{{w|Asteroid_impact_avoidance#Kinetic_impact|kinetic impact}}" mission to deflect a comet that was on a collision course with Earth. A similar scenario (but using a nuclear weapon implanted inside of the asteroid to deflect it) was depicted in the 1998 film ''{{w|Armageddon (1998 film)|Armageddon}}'', of which Cueball is apparently a fan. ''Armageddon'' is a high-throttle action movie, [http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/01/nasa-uses-the-movie-armageddon-in-their-management-training-program/ infamous among NASA employees] for its incredibly liberal application of artistic license. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120591/goofs#factual_error IMDb has a list of factual inaccuracies].

In reality, at the time ''Rosetta'' landed, 67P was already leaving the inner solar system and was [http://sci.esa.int/where_is_rosetta/ a long way past Earth]. It will return to the inner solar system in around 5 years' time, but its orbit will not pass close to the Earth in any foreseeable time.

Also, as the title text hints, Rosetta's speed was only [https://astronomynow.com/2016/09/30/rosettas-final-hours/ 90 cm per second] relative to the surface at the moment of impact (or about 2 mph/3.25 km/h; the speed of a slow walk), while the comet was traveling at 14.39 km/s. Given that Rosetta only weighs a couple of tons (or [[1461: Payloads|six horses]]), and 67P weighs nearly 10 billion tons (or 22 billion horses), Rosetta's landing will have no actual measurable effect on the comet's momentum. Cueball however, thinking they were trying to deflect the comet, would have thought the impact speed would need to be higher.

''Rosetta'' (and its lander, ''Philae'') were previously the subject of the comics [[1402: Harpoons]] and [[1446: Landing]], and were mentioned in [[1461: Payloads]], [[1547: Solar System Questions]] and possibly [[1621: Fixion]]. Armageddon was also briefly referenced in the {{What If|18|bb gun “What if”}}

==Transcript==
:[A control room with Megan and Hairy sitting on stools in front of an opposite desk with computers. Hairy has his arms in the air. Ponytail is standing between them with Cueball, she is watching Megan and he is looking at Hairy.]
:Megan: Signal lost.
:Megan: ''Rosetta'' has impacted the comet.
:Ponytail: Good work everyone.
:Hairy: ''Woooo!''

:[Zoom on Ponytail, still looking at Megan and Cueball who has turned towards Ponytail.]
:Cueball: So.
:Cueball: Do you think we deflected it?

:[Ponytail turns to Cueball as does Hairy who turns and looks away from his computer.]
:Ponytail: Huh?
:Cueball: Did we hit the comet hard enough to deflect it away from Earth?

:[In a frame-less panel Ponytail talks with Cueball.]
:Ponytail: That... Is that what you thought we were doing?
:Cueball: I just assumed...

:[Megan enters whispering in Ponytail's ear, holding a hand up to her mouth. Ponytail still looks at Cueball who raises his arms up in the air.]
:Megan: He's a huge ''Armageddon'' fan. Let him have this.
:Ponytail: Okay, fine.
:Ponytail: Yes! We did it! The Earth is saved!
:Cueball: ''Wooo!''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Space probes]]

1740: Rosetta

2026-03-30T02:00:53Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1740
| date = September 30, 2016
| title = Rosetta
| image = rosetta.png
| titletext = I WONDERED why he kept asking whether we thought the impact speed was too low.
}}

==Explanation==
On the day this comic was posted (September 30th 2016), the ''{{w|Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta}}'' mission ended with the final descent of ''Rosetta'' onto the comet {{w|67P}}. Landing Rosetta on the comet gave the scientists ([[Ponytail]], [[Megan]] and [[Hairy]]) a chance to collect extra data from very close to the comet, using the spacecraft's powerful sensors.

[[Cueball]] however [[1339: When You Assume|assumed]] that the landing was a "{{w|Asteroid_impact_avoidance#Kinetic_impact|kinetic impact}}" mission to deflect a comet that was on a collision course with Earth. A similar scenario (but using a nuclear weapon implanted inside of the asteroid to deflect it) was depicted in the 1998 film ''{{w|Armageddon (1998 film)|Armageddon}}'', of which Cueball is apparently a fan. ''Armageddon'' is a high-throttle action movie, [http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/01/nasa-uses-the-movie-armageddon-in-their-management-training-program/ infamous among NASA employees] for its incredibly liberal application of artistic license. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120591/goofs#factual_error IMDb has a list of factual inaccuracies].

In reality, at the time ''Rosetta'' landed, 67P was already leaving the inner solar system and was [http://sci.esa.int/where_is_rosetta/ a long way past Earth]. It will return to the inner solar system in around 5 years' time, but its orbit will not pass close to the Earth in any foreseeable time.

Also, as the title text hints, Rosetta's speed was only [https://astronomynow.com/2016/09/30/rosettas-final-hours/ 90 cm per second] relative to the surface at the moment of impact (or about 2 mph/3.25 km/h; the speed of a slow walk), while the comet was traveling at 14.39 km/s. Given that Rosetta only weighs a couple of tons (or [[1461: Payloads|six horses]]), and 67P weighs nearly 10 billion tons (or 22 billion horses), Rosetta's landing will have no actual measurable effect on the comet's momentum. Cueball however, thinking they were trying to deflect the comet, would have thought the impact speed would need to be higher.

''Rosetta'' (and its lander, ''Philae'') were previously the subject of the comics [[1402: Harpoons]] and [[1446: Landing]], and were mentioned in [[1461: Payloads]], [[1547: Solar System Questions]] and possibly [[1621: Fixion]]. Armageddon was also briefly referenced in the {{what if|18|bb gun “What if”}}

==Transcript==
:[A control room with Megan and Hairy sitting on stools in front of an opposite desk with computers. Hairy has his arms in the air. Ponytail is standing between them with Cueball, she is watching Megan and he is looking at Hairy.]
:Megan: Signal lost.
:Megan: ''Rosetta'' has impacted the comet.
:Ponytail: Good work everyone.
:Hairy: ''Woooo!''

:[Zoom on Ponytail, still looking at Megan and Cueball who has turned towards Ponytail.]
:Cueball: So.
:Cueball: Do you think we deflected it?

:[Ponytail turns to Cueball as does Hairy who turns and looks away from his computer.]
:Ponytail: Huh?
:Cueball: Did we hit the comet hard enough to deflect it away from Earth?

:[In a frame-less panel Ponytail talks with Cueball.]
:Ponytail: That... Is that what you thought we were doing?
:Cueball: I just assumed...

:[Megan enters whispering in Ponytail's ear, holding a hand up to her mouth. Ponytail still looks at Cueball who raises his arms up in the air.]
:Megan: He's a huge ''Armageddon'' fan. Let him have this.
:Ponytail: Okay, fine.
:Ponytail: Yes! We did it! The Earth is saved!
:Cueball: ''Wooo!''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Space probes]]

3225: Satellite Pollution

2026-03-30T00:20:12Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3225
| date = March 27, 2026
| title = Satellite Pollution
| image = satellite_pollution_2x.png
| imagesize = 400x334px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = We're working to make sure the images are as up-to-date and accurate as possible, with a minimum number of sponsored galaxies.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by a SATELLITE BOT SHOWING A FAKE XKCD COMIC. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

A common concern with new satellite constellations like {{w|Starlink}} is that, because that they rely on large numbers, they make ground-based astronomy more difficult by adding more noise, such as disruptive {{w|satellite flare}} producing something like {{w|star trail}}s during normal observations. They may also possibly obscure targets, though as the background stars (or even most other astronomical objects) are greatly outpaced by most examples of artificial satellite (especially those in {{w|low Earth orbit}}), this would be a momentary {{w|occultation}} at best, and longer term observations should at least give some opportunities to salvage some decent data.

This comic satirizes this, by talking about a hypothetical satellite company that knowingly launches large inaccurate star maps to be overlaid across the night sky. This would not only obscure a fair amount of stars from view, but also potentially shows stars that don't actually exist in the night sky, thus providing confusion for an astronomer who fails to identify the interference, and annoyance for any that can.

Of course, such a plan would have many problems in implementing, such as the pure size and strength needed for the banner to survive in space while being large enough to be noticed by casual observers. Also, the banner would need to have its own light source, powerful enough to be seen from Earth (although, depending on the distance the banner is from the Earth, it would be easy to make lights capable of being visible from our planet; see the {{What If|13|laser pointer "What-If"}}) or rely upon reflecte sunlight. Finally, the banner would only provide a convincing star map for observers located on a small area of the Earth's surface; observers outside this small area would see {{w|foreshortening}} of the star map, and experience strong {{w|motion parallax}} effects when travelling across the Earth's surface, making for an unconvincing "sky". Another reason it would be so hard for the banners to be implemented is because of a basic physics concept, gravity. Unless the banner is orbiting around the earth in order to stay at the attitude it’s at or it has its own power source complete with engines to occasionally use said power to keep it above the earth’s atmosphere (which seems like a fair assumption, since the lights need a power source too) it’s going to be victim to gravity really quickly and fall back down to earth. While it’s likely that the banner has solar panels on the other side, if it runs on oil/gas/nuclear power or something else, it has to be refueled eventually, which would require periodic trips to make sure the “stars” don’t go out.

The title text provides one potential reason for the inaccuracies in the banners (and possibly for the banner project as a whole). It seems that certain parties have been sponsoring the project, paying money in exchange for having galaxies added to the star maps on these banners. Possibly these sponsors were disappointed by the relative lack of galaxies visible to the naked eye in the night sky; aside from the {{w|Milky Way}} itself, portions of which can be seen from the Earth as a band stretching all the way across the night sky. Only the {{w|Large Magellanic Cloud|Large}} and {{w|Small Magellanic Cloud}} (two of the Milky Way's {{w|Satellite galaxies of the Milky Way|many satellite galaxies}}) and the {{w|Andromeda Galaxy}} are visible without at least using binoculars. All are easily obscured by {{w|light pollution}}, with even the Milky Way itself being invisible in the washed-out night skies of populated urban and suburban areas where most humans live; even in dark rural skies, however, although the Milky Way itself can provide a breathtaking view, the Magellanic Clouds appear as irregular blotches and are primarily visible from the less-populated Southern Hemisphere, while the Andromeda Galaxy is visible as a tiny, easy-to-miss oval. The sponsors may have agreed to sponsor the project in order to add additional visible "galaxies" to the night sky and thus make the sky "more beautiful". Fortunately, it seems that the people in charge of the project have realized the problem, and have resolved to cut down on the number of sponsored galaxies in order to present a more accurate star map not as cluttered by fake space objects (although they do not ''completely'' remove them, implying that some level of sponsored embellishment to the star map is still required to keep the project running).

This comic may have a connection to the "collapse" of Google Image Search, where trying to find a real picture of a historical event or scientific phenomenon will now produce an overwhelmingly intrusive quantity of results produced by generative AI and easily mistaken as fact.

==Transcript==
:[White Hat and Ponytail are standing on the left, Cueball is on the right, in front of a poster on the wall. The poster has a portion of the Earth at the bottom, with outer space above it. The space scene has lots of stars, along with a few nebulae and galaxies. Part of the space scene is enclosed in a quadrilateral (apparently a rectangle skewed by perspective) which is attached at the middle of its left side to a much smaller object. Its upper edge shows that it has a little thickness, or at least a parallel stiffening frame, rather than being two-dimensional.]
:Ponytail: Aren't you worried these will be disruptive for ground-based astronomy?
:Cueball: No, why?
:[Caption below comic:]
:My new company is being criticized for our satellites that deploy 100-mile-wide banners painted with inaccurate pictures of the night sky.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

3225: Satellite Pollution

2026-03-30T00:17:14Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3225
| date = March 27, 2026
| title = Satellite Pollution
| image = satellite_pollution_2x.png
| imagesize = 400x334px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = We're working to make sure the images are as up-to-date and accurate as possible, with a minimum number of sponsored galaxies.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by a SATELLITE BOT SHOWING A FAKE XKCD COMIC. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

A common concern with new satellite constellations like {{w|Starlink}} is that, because that they rely on large numbers, they make ground-based astronomy more difficult by adding more noise, such as disruptive {{w|satellite flare}} producing something like {{w|star trail}}s during normal observations. They may also possibly obscure targets, though as the background stars (or even most other astronomical objects) are greatly outpaced by most examples of artificial satellite (especially those in {{w|low Earth orbit}}), this would be a momentary {{w|occultation}} at best, and longer term observations should at least give some opportunities to salvage some decent data.

This comic satirizes this, by talking about a hypothetical satellite company that knowingly launches large inaccurate star maps to be overlaid across the night sky. This would not only obscure a fair amount of stars from view, but also potentially shows stars that don't actually exist in the night sky, thus providing confusion for an astronomer who fails to identify the interference, and annoyance for any that can.

Of course, such a plan would have many problems in implementing, such as the pure size and strength needed for the banner to survive in space while being large enough to be noticed by casual observers. Also, the banner would need to have its own light source, powerful enough to be seen from Earth (although, depending on the distance the banner is from the Earth, it would be easy to make lights capable of being visible from our planet; see the {{What If|13|laser pointer "What-If"}}) or rely upon reflecte sunlight. Finally, the banner would only provide a convincing star map for observers located on a small area of the Earth's surface; observers outside this small area would see {{w|foreshortening}} of the star map, and experience strong {{w|motion parallax}} effects when travelling across the Earth's surface, making for an unconvincing "sky". Another reason it would be so hard for the banners to be implemented is because of a basic physics concept, gravity. Unless the banner has its own power source complete with engines to occasionally use said power to keep it above the earth’s atmosphere (which seems like a fair assumption, since the lights need a power source too) it’s going to be victim to gravity really quickly and fall back down to earth. While it’s likely that the banner has solar panels on the other side, if it runs on oil/gas/nuclear power or something else, it has to be refueled eventually, which would require periodic trips to make sure the “stars” don’t go out.

The title text provides one potential reason for the inaccuracies in the banners (and possibly for the banner project as a whole). It seems that certain parties have been sponsoring the project, paying money in exchange for having galaxies added to the star maps on these banners. Possibly these sponsors were disappointed by the relative lack of galaxies visible to the naked eye in the night sky; aside from the {{w|Milky Way}} itself, portions of which can be seen from the Earth as a band stretching all the way across the night sky. Only the {{w|Large Magellanic Cloud|Large}} and {{w|Small Magellanic Cloud}} (two of the Milky Way's {{w|Satellite galaxies of the Milky Way|many satellite galaxies}}) and the {{w|Andromeda Galaxy}} are visible without at least using binoculars. All are easily obscured by {{w|light pollution}}, with even the Milky Way itself being invisible in the washed-out night skies of populated urban and suburban areas where most humans live; even in dark rural skies, however, although the Milky Way itself can provide a breathtaking view, the Magellanic Clouds appear as irregular blotches and are primarily visible from the less-populated Southern Hemisphere, while the Andromeda Galaxy is visible as a tiny, easy-to-miss oval. The sponsors may have agreed to sponsor the project in order to add additional visible "galaxies" to the night sky and thus make the sky "more beautiful". Fortunately, it seems that the people in charge of the project have realized the problem, and have resolved to cut down on the number of sponsored galaxies in order to present a more accurate star map not as cluttered by fake space objects (although they do not ''completely'' remove them, implying that some level of sponsored embellishment to the star map is still required to keep the project running).

This comic may have a connection to the "collapse" of Google Image Search, where trying to find a real picture of a historical event or scientific phenomenon will now produce an overwhelmingly intrusive quantity of results produced by generative AI and easily mistaken as fact.

==Transcript==
:[White Hat and Ponytail are standing on the left, Cueball is on the right, in front of a poster on the wall. The poster has a portion of the Earth at the bottom, with outer space above it. The space scene has lots of stars, along with a few nebulae and galaxies. Part of the space scene is enclosed in a quadrilateral (apparently a rectangle skewed by perspective) which is attached at the middle of its left side to a much smaller object. Its upper edge shows that it has a little thickness, or at least a parallel stiffening frame, rather than being two-dimensional.]
:Ponytail: Aren't you worried these will be disruptive for ground-based astronomy?
:Cueball: No, why?
:[Caption below comic:]
:My new company is being criticized for our satellites that deploy 100-mile-wide banners painted with inaccurate pictures of the night sky.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

3225: Satellite Pollution

2026-03-28T19:20:52Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D:

1639: To Taste

2026-03-28T15:52:01Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1639
| date = February 5, 2016
| title = To Taste
| image = to_taste.png
| titletext = Look, recipe, if I knew how much was gonna taste good, I wouldn't need you.
}}

==Explanation==
The imprecision of {{w|recipes}} is often a source of frustration to culinary novices, especially the more analytically-minded. [[Cueball]] expects a recipe to provide instructions precise enough that by following them carefully, a cook can create a dish exactly as the recipe author intended. Unfortunately, exact replication is impossible in cooking because of the natural variation of ingredients as well as differences in equipment. In addition, most home cooks lack the tools needed to make precise measurements, such as scales and thermometers. Thus, a recipe for strawberry {{w|smoothies}} might read "add sugar '''to taste'''" because the recipe-writer can't specify precisely how ripe the strawberries are to begin with. In addition, a smoothie recipe would typically specify imprecise quantities of fruit such as "1 banana" or "1 cup of strawberries" (much less precise than specifying the weight, although at least "1 cup" ''could be'' assumed to be a {{w|Cup (unit)|standard volume}}, that may yield a {{w|Sphere packing|vaguely similar}} mass of small rounded fruit when used). Thus, it is impossible for the cook to determine the correct amount of {{w|sugar}} without actually tasting the drink.{{Citation needed}}

The instruction "to {{w|taste}}" can also be used for ingredients that alter a simple aspect of the food's flavor, such as {{w|sweetness}}, {{w|Taste#Sourness|sourness}}, {{w|Taste#Saltiness|saltiness}}, {{w|Taste#Bitterness|bitterness}} or {{w|Taste#Savoriness|savoriness}}/umami without affecting the quality of the overall dish. Individual preferences can vary wildly and it's not possible for a recipe's author to predict how much the reader will want. Specifying any exact amount in these cases will inevitably lead to the food being too {{w|Bland diet|bland}} for some, while being too {{w|Pungency|strong}} for others.

In this comic, Cueball is shown as having no idea how to cook (or having a ridiculously large sweet tooth), and the suggestion that he is going to add large crates of sugar to a small pot is, of course, silly. This would ruin the dish, as whatever was in the pot would be drowned out by the sugar. Alternatively, he could simply bring in enough sugar to make sure he will not run out of this particular ingredient before it reaches the correct level of sweetness for his taste. This too would display a complete lack of understanding about what it is to cook; even a beginner cook should be able to logically deduce that this is far too much sugar.

Another possible explanation would be that Cueball plans to add as much sugar as possible to the dish and eat it, so that he can sue the recipe book's writer for any ill effects he receives as a result. Needless to say, this would be a complete waste of effort - he would probably lose the lawsuit, and even if he won and received compensation money, he would not be able to enjoy it thanks to his ill health.

The title text is [[Randall]]'s (and Cueball's) personal comment on what he thinks a recipe should do to fulfill his needs. If he knew how much of each ingredient would be appropriate for a given dish, then he would not need the recipe in the first place. The title text actually scolds the recipe for being imprecise. In his view, mixing in imprecise or "use your own judgment" language makes it less of a "recipe" for the dish, and thus less suitable for those looking for the specific instructions to make the dish because they either have no cooking experience, feel they don't have the expertise to make their own decisions, or simply want to follow clearly defined steps without any decision making required.

This is the second comic this week that concerns one of the basic {{w|condiments}} for food, and also regards one of the five {{w|Taste#Basic_tastes|basic tastes}}. The first one, about salt, was [[1637: Salt Mine]]. Lately Randall has made several [[:Category:Food|food related comics]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing near a stove holding a pot just above it. He is looking away from the stove, reading the recipe from a piece of paper he is holding in the other hand.]
:Recipe: ...And add sugar to taste.

:[Cueball has placed the pot on the stove looking at it while holding the paper down along his side.]
:Cueball: ??

:[Cueball leaves the pot and stove to walks off-panel left with the recipe.]

:[Cueball returns backing up to the stove with a dolly loaded with three crates, labeled "sugar". The bottom crate is still not fully inside the panel and the first letter cannot be seen.]
:Sugar
:Sugar
:ugar

==Trivia==
This is the official transcript of 1639, as of 21st March, 2023, valid for [[1637: Salt Mine]].
:[Three women and a (stick) figure stand in a salt mine. There's a control panel with two benches in the centre, and two piles of salt to the right. Two figures are talking, and two are shovelling salt into their mouths.]
:Woman 1: So you've build this particle detector in a salt mine to block out cosmic rays?
:Woman 2: Yes. That is definitely why.
:Woman 3 and figure: <<Homf nomf nomf>>

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

1639: To Taste

2026-03-28T15:49:51Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1639
| date = February 5, 2016
| title = To Taste
| image = to_taste.png
| titletext = Look, recipe, if I knew how much was gonna taste good, I wouldn't need you.
}}

==Explanation==
The imprecision of {{w|recipes}} is often a source of frustration to culinary novices, especially the more analytically-minded. [[Cueball]] expects a recipe to provide instructions precise enough that by following them carefully, a cook can create a dish exactly as the recipe author intended. Unfortunately, exact replication is impossible in cooking because of the natural variation of ingredients as well as differences in equipment. In addition, most home cooks lack the tools needed to make precise measurements, such as scales and thermometers. Thus, a recipe for strawberry {{w|smoothies}} might read "add sugar '''to taste'''" because the recipe-writer can't specify precisely how ripe the strawberries are to begin with. In addition, a smoothie recipe would typically specify imprecise quantities of fruit such as "1 banana" or "1 cup of strawberries" (much less precise than specifying the weight, although at least "1 cup" ''could be'' assumed to be a {{w|Cup (unit)|standard volume}}, that may yield a {{w|Sphere packing|vaguely similar}} mass of small rounded fruit when used). Thus, it is impossible for the cook to determine the correct amount of {{w|sugar}} without actually tasting the drink.{{Citation needed}}

The instruction "to {{w|taste}}" can also be used for ingredients that alter a simple aspect of the food's flavor, such as {{w|sweetness}}, {{w|Taste#Sourness|sourness}}, {{w|Taste#Saltiness|saltiness}}, {{w|Taste#Bitterness|bitterness}} or {{w|Taste#Savoriness|savoriness}} without affecting the quality of the overall dish. Individual preferences can vary wildly and it's not possible for a recipe's author to predict how much the reader will want. Specifying any exact amount in these cases will inevitably lead to the food being too {{w|Bland diet|bland}} for some, while being too {{w|Pungency|strong}} for others.

In this comic, Cueball is shown as having no idea how to cook (or having a ridiculously large sweet tooth), and the suggestion that he is going to add large crates of sugar to a small pot is, of course, silly. This would ruin the dish, as whatever was in the pot would be drowned out by the sugar. Alternatively, he could simply bring in enough sugar to make sure he will not run out of this particular ingredient before it reaches the correct level of sweetness for his taste. This too would display a complete lack of understanding about what it is to cook; even a beginner cook should be able to logically deduce that this is far too much sugar.

Another possible explanation would be that Cueball plans to add as much sugar as possible to the dish and eat it, so that he can sue the recipe book's writer for any ill effects he receives as a result. Needless to say, this would be a complete waste of effort - he would probably lose the lawsuit, and even if he won and received compensation money, he would not be able to enjoy it thanks to his ill health.

The title text is [[Randall]]'s (and Cueball's) personal comment on what he thinks a recipe should do to fulfill his needs. If he knew how much of each ingredient would be appropriate for a given dish, then he would not need the recipe in the first place. The title text actually scolds the recipe for being imprecise. In his view, mixing in imprecise or "use your own judgment" language makes it less of a "recipe" for the dish, and thus less suitable for those looking for the specific instructions to make the dish because they either have no cooking experience, feel they don't have the expertise to make their own decisions, or simply want to follow clearly defined steps without any decision making required.

This is the second comic this week that concerns one of the basic {{w|condiments}} for food, and also regards one of the five {{w|Taste#Basic_tastes|basic tastes}}. The first one, about salt, was [[1637: Salt Mine]]. Lately Randall has made several [[:Category:Food|food related comics]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing near a stove holding a pot just above it. He is looking away from the stove, reading the recipe from a piece of paper he is holding in the other hand.]
:Recipe: ...And add sugar to taste.

:[Cueball has placed the pot on the stove looking at it while holding the paper down along his side.]
:Cueball: ??

:[Cueball leaves the pot and stove to walks off-panel left with the recipe.]

:[Cueball returns backing up to the stove with a dolly loaded with three crates, labeled "sugar". The bottom crate is still not fully inside the panel and the first letter cannot be seen.]
:Sugar
:Sugar
:ugar

==Trivia==
This is the official transcript of 1639, as of 21st March, 2023, valid for [[1637: Salt Mine]].
:[Three women and a (stick) figure stand in a salt mine. There's a control panel with two benches in the centre, and two piles of salt to the right. Two figures are talking, and two are shovelling salt into their mouths.]
:Woman 1: So you've build this particle detector in a salt mine to block out cosmic rays?
:Woman 2: Yes. That is definitely why.
:Woman 3 and figure: <<Homf nomf nomf>>

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

1639: To Taste

2026-03-28T15:48:19Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1639
| date = February 5, 2016
| title = To Taste
| image = to_taste.png
| titletext = Look, recipe, if I knew how much was gonna taste good, I wouldn't need you.
}}

==Explanation==
The imprecision of {{w|recipes}} is often a source of frustration to culinary novices, especially the more analytically-minded. [[Cueball]] expects a recipe to provide instructions precise enough that by following them carefully, a cook can create a dish exactly as the recipe author intended. Unfortunately, exact replication is impossible in cooking because of the natural variation of ingredients as well as differences in equipment. In addition, most home cooks lack the tools needed to make precise measurements, such as scales and thermometers. Thus, a recipe for strawberry {{w|smoothies}} might read "add sugar '''to taste'''" because the recipe-writer can't specify precisely how ripe the strawberries are to begin with. In addition, a smoothie recipe would typically specify imprecise quantities of fruit such as "1 banana" or "1 cup of strawberries" (much less precise than specifying the weight, although at least "1 cup" ''could be'' assumed to be a {{w|Cup (unit)|standard volume}}, that may yield a {{w|Sphere packing|vaguely similar}} mass of small rounded fruit when used). Thus, it is impossible for the cook to determine the correct amount of {{w|sugar}} without actually tasting the drink.{{Citation needed}}

The instruction "to {{w|taste}}" can also be used for ingredients that alter a simple aspect of the food's flavor, such as {{w|sweetness}}, {{w|Taste#Sourness|sourness}}, {{w|Taste#Saltiness|saltiness}}, {{w|Taste#Bitterness|bitterness}} or {{w|Taste#Spiciness|spiciness}} without affecting the quality of the overall dish. Individual preferences can vary wildly and it's not possible for a recipe's author to predict how much the reader will want. Specifying any exact amount in these cases will inevitably lead to the food being too {{w|Bland diet|bland}} for some, while being too {{w|Pungency|strong}} for others.

In this comic, Cueball is shown as having no idea how to cook (or having a ridiculously large sweet tooth), and the suggestion that he is going to add large crates of sugar to a small pot is, of course, silly. This would ruin the dish, as whatever was in the pot would be drowned out by the sugar. Alternatively, he could simply bring in enough sugar to make sure he will not run out of this particular ingredient before it reaches the correct level of sweetness for his taste. This too would display a complete lack of understanding about what it is to cook; even a beginner cook should be able to logically deduce that this is far too much sugar.

Another possible explanation would be that Cueball plans to add as much sugar as possible to the dish and eat it, so that he can sue the recipe book's writer for any ill effects he receives as a result. Needless to say, this would be a complete waste of effort - he would probably lose the lawsuit, and even if he won and received compensation money, he would not be able to enjoy it thanks to his ill health.

The title text is [[Randall]]'s (and Cueball's) personal comment on what he thinks a recipe should do to fulfill his needs. If he knew how much of each ingredient would be appropriate for a given dish, then he would not need the recipe in the first place. The title text actually scolds the recipe for being imprecise. In his view, mixing in imprecise or "use your own judgment" language makes it less of a "recipe" for the dish, and thus less suitable for those looking for the specific instructions to make the dish because they either have no cooking experience, feel they don't have the expertise to make their own decisions, or simply want to follow clearly defined steps without any decision making required.

This is the second comic this week that concerns one of the basic {{w|condiments}} for food, and also regards one of the five {{w|Taste#Basic_tastes|basic tastes}}. The first one, about salt, was [[1637: Salt Mine]]. Lately Randall has made several [[:Category:Food|food related comics]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing near a stove holding a pot just above it. He is looking away from the stove, reading the recipe from a piece of paper he is holding in the other hand.]
:Recipe: ...And add sugar to taste.

:[Cueball has placed the pot on the stove looking at it while holding the paper down along his side.]
:Cueball: ??

:[Cueball leaves the pot and stove to walks off-panel left with the recipe.]

:[Cueball returns backing up to the stove with a dolly loaded with three crates, labeled "sugar". The bottom crate is still not fully inside the panel and the first letter cannot be seen.]
:Sugar
:Sugar
:ugar

==Trivia==
This is the official transcript of 1639, as of 21st March, 2023, valid for [[1637: Salt Mine]].
:[Three women and a (stick) figure stand in a salt mine. There's a control panel with two benches in the centre, and two piles of salt to the right. Two figures are talking, and two are shovelling salt into their mouths.]
:Woman 1: So you've build this particle detector in a salt mine to block out cosmic rays?
:Woman 2: Yes. That is definitely why.
:Woman 3 and figure: <<Homf nomf nomf>>

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

3225: Satellite Pollution

2026-03-28T14:45:33Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: /* Explanation */

3225: Satellite Pollution

2026-03-28T14:44:39Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: /* Explanation */

3225: Satellite Pollution

2026-03-28T14:42:18Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: /* Explanation */

3225: Satellite Pollution

2026-03-28T14:40:34Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D:

3225: Satellite Pollution

2026-03-28T14:30:04Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D:

3225: Satellite Pollution

2026-03-28T14:27:57Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: /* Explanation */

3225: Satellite Pollution

2026-03-28T14:26:09Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D:

3225: Satellite Pollution

2026-03-28T14:23:30Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D:

3225: Satellite Pollution

2026-03-28T14:21:18Z

2603:6011:1F0:2A40:B1ED:C033:1C84:EE0D: