Talk:3212: Little Red Dots

2026-02-26T13:19:50Z

2A12:F43:143E:0:E14C:82A5:E0BC:8959:

Everyone why is absolutely nothing here yet [[User:Ehogin|Ehogin]] ([[User talk:Ehogin|talk]]) 03:08, 26 February 2026 (UTC)
:Because this comic came out like 2 hours ago. [[User:Xkdvd|Xkdvd]] ([[User talk:Xkdvd|talk]]) 04:17, 26 February 2026 (UTC)
::Yeah by the amount of people who read xkcd you would think at least 100 people saw this and did not do anything for ''two hours'' [[User:Ehogin|Ehogin]] ([[User talk:Ehogin|talk]]) 04:45, 26 February 2026 (UTC)
:::Its not a question of how many people read xkcd, its how many people use explain xkcd, and edit, and know what to put here. EDIT: forgot my signature. oops. [[User:Xkdvd|Xkdvd]] ([[User talk:Xkdvd|talk]]) 04:51, 26 February 2026 (UTC)
:OK, we want something here? I get [https://www.google.com/search?q=clover+mites Clover Mites] a lot. On the patio table, on the deck chairs. On the car, but I fooled them this time: I got a cherry-red car. Maybe they got into the JWST? --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 05:32, 26 February 2026 (UTC)

Current title text explanation seems like a bit of a stretch to me; see [[2359]] for a more refined take on explaining a very a similar joke. [[Special:Contributions/204.77.3.72|204.77.3.72]] 08:32, 26 February 2026 (UTC)
:Sure, whatever you say Father Dougal. --[[Special:Contributions/2A10:D586:3E93:0:21B8:BB66:6F56:9A06|2A10:D586:3E93:0:21B8:BB66:6F56:9A06]] 08:53, 26 February 2026 (UTC)

TV criminologists: a pattern centered on the killer's home. [[Special:Contributions/194.75.188.171|194.75.188.171]] 11:15, 26 February 2026 (UTC)

I don't know if it is "nitpicking" per se (though admittedly that is a clever pun, even though nits are generally brown and are rarely red). It could be that the graphic designer is genuinely interested in helping identify the color. [[User:Cwallenpoole|Cwallenpoole]] ([[User talk:Cwallenpoole|talk]]) 12:41, 26 February 2026 (UTC)

My complements to whomever added the color dots; nicely done. -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 12:54, 26 February 2026 (UTC)

I've added a link to the oldest (so far) black hole discovery -- dww-uk

3212: Little Red Dots

2026-02-26T13:16:19Z

2A12:F43:143E:0:E14C:82A5:E0BC:8959:

{{comic
| number = 3212
| date = February 25, 2026
| title = Little Red Dots
| image = little_red_dots_2x.png
| imagesize = 634x306px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = After a lot of analysis, I've determined that they're actually big red dots; they're just very far away.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a LITTLE RED BOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The {{w|Little red dot (astronomical object)|little red dot}}s that the comic refers to are actually [https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/astronomers-detect-oldest-black-hole-ever-observed young black holes] from 400-700 million years after the Big Bang observed by the JWST telescope.

The comic purports to give the responses of several different experts in unrelated fields when asked to identify them:
* According to the {{w|Entomology|entomologists}} (scientists who study insects and related arthropods), they are {{w|Clover mite | clover mites}} (''Bryobia praetiosa'') — very small red arachnids.
* According to the {{w|Computer_science|computer scientists}}, they are {{w|defective pixel|stuck pixels}} — pixels that do not work properly, and are stuck to one single color (red in this case).
* According to the {{w|Dermatology|dermatologists}} (doctors who specialize in skin disorders), they are {{w|Cherry angioma|cherry angiomas}} — harmless, non-cancerous skin growths made of clusters of dilated capillaries, appearing as bright red, smooth, or slightly raised spots.
* According to the {{w|Graphic_design|graphic designers}}, they are colors of type [https://www.colorhexa.com/d73b3e Jasper] (<span style="color:#d73b3e">●</span> #d73b3e) or [https://www.colorhexa.com/e34234 Vermillion] (<span style="color:#e34234">●</span> #e34234, sometimes called Cinnabar).

Part of the punchline is the shift in focus: instead of trying to identify the object, the designer is nitpicking the description of "red dot." Additionally, the graphic designer is also requesting [[Cueball]]'s {{w|Color_calibration|color settings}}, implying they believe the reason Cueball calls them "red" is due to poor display settings, and not due to using the common term for the color.

==Transcript==
:[Caption above all the panels:]
:Astronomers asking researchers from different departments to help them identify the "little red dots" in JWST images:

:[In each panel, Cueball stands at the left of an easel. The easel is shown each time as having a black image with three red dots on it. At the right of the easel in each panel is a different character looking at the image on the easel and commenting on it. At the top of each panel is a caption indicating the type of researcher commenting on the image.]

:Caption: Entomologists
:Megan: Clover mites.

:Caption: Computer scientists
:Knit Cap: Stuck pixels.

:Caption: Dermatologists
:Ponytail: Cherry angiomas.

:Caption: Graphic designers
:Hairy: No, those are vermillion, or maybe jasper.
:Hairy: Can I see your color settings?

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Knit Cap]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Telescopes]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Graphic designers]]

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Talk:3212: Little Red Dots

3212: Little Red Dots