explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1282: Monty Hall

2013-10-25T20:38:16Z

67.51.59.66:

This has absolutely nothing to do with "The Monty Hall Problem". It's strictly about the TV game show ''Let's Make a Deal''. In the game, contestants are often given a choice of several options (Curtains, boxes, envelopes etc). Generally, one has a valuable prize (such as a car), and the others either have a lesser prize or nothing. The "nothing" prizes are often given a colorful name, such as "A pig in a poke". Colloquially, such losing prizes are known as "winning the goat". The joke here is that the contestant, having lost the car, is happy to get a goat as a pet. (In fact, the fine print of the rules make it clear that contestant do not really get such "losing" prizes) [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]]) 15:21, 25 October 2013 (UTC)

: I believe this is correct. The focus of this comic is that he didn't win the prize, but instead got the gag prize. Most contestants on the show are bummed out, but Beret Guy is actually excited for a new pet goat! Sucks though that you can't actually keep the goat like the above commenter said. [[User:Uctriton00|Uctriton00]] ([[User talk:Uctriton00|talk]]) 17:41, 25 October 2013 (UTC)

Monty hall. Is this a Monty Python reference? Or something related to a skit of theirs'?
--[[User:Commarchinin|Commarchinin]] ([[User talk:Commarchinin|talk]]) 04:18, 25 October 2013 (UTC)
: [http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Monty+Hall Not a Monthy Python] -- {{w|Monty Hall}} is a game host famous for Let's Make a Deal which gave birth to the {{w|Monty Hall Problem}} [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]])

I don't understand "It is known that door 3 has a goat, but nothing else." What do you mean by that? At the beginning in the Monty Hall problem, a contestant knows nothing. --[[Special:Contributions/209.51.184.11|209.51.184.11]] 04:27, 25 October 2013 (UTC)
: See {{w|Monty Hall Problem}} [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]])
It goes like this: Player chooses door A, Monty then opens a door he knows there is a goat behind. Player is then offered a chance to switch.

If you do not switch you get a 1/3rd chance of winning because it was a 1 in 3 guess and nothing changed. But if you take into account that Monty will ALWAYS open a goat door and never a car door you can recalculate the odds. So you have a 1/3rd chance that you initially chose the car which means you will lose if you switch 1/3rd of the time, but you had a 2/3rd chance of not selecting the car initially meaning you have a 2/3rds chance if you switch at winning the car. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 04:58, 25 October 2013 (UTC)

:Reminds me a bit of [[1134]]: ''Goats make sense. Goats are fine.'' --[[Special:Contributions/132.230.1.28|132.230.1.28]] 08:39, 25 October 2013 (UTC)

[[User:Goldstein-Izayoi|Goldstein-Izayoi]] ([[User talk:Goldstein-Izayoi|talk]]) 14:53, 25 October 2013 (UTC) Umm, I think there's no telling if the Beret Guy chose A or C in the beginning~
:It's either A or C. Then the player should choose again between A or C. [[User:Xhfz|Xhfz]] ([[User talk:Xhfz|talk]]) 14:56, 25 October 2013 (UTC)

; Sequence of the events (assuming Beret Guy initially selects door A)
:''Monty:'' Pick a door.
:''Beret Guy:'' I choose A.
:''Monty:'' I will open another door. It is B. ''(He opens it and they see a goat).'' Do you want to switch doors? ''(Meaning if he will switch from A to C.)''
:''Beret Guy:'' I choose door B.
:''Beret Guy (to the goat):'' ...And my yard has so much grass, and I'll teach you tricks, and...
:''A few minutes later, the goat from behind door C drives away in the car that was behind door A.''

"In that scenario, if a goat is revealed, there is in fact an equal probability of winning by switching or keeping the initial door." I'm not sure of this, can anyone explain? It seems to be stating that simply because of the random chance of the host picking the goat door in this situation then the facts about probability change.This seems to be a very large stretch. Surely in this situation since the host is picking randomly then your probabilities of losing are increased but the moment he does randomly pick a goat door then your chances of winning by switching remain the same as they were in the original problem, 2/3. --[[User:Lackadaisical|Lackadaisical]] ([[User talk:Lackadaisical|talk]]) 17:29, 25 October 2013 (UTC)

I agree with the various comments above. While this comic does use a goat, it really isn't making use of "The Monty Hall Problem" at all. That involves offering a player a chance to switch doors, and there's no indication that happened here. In this comic, for all we know, Beret selected door B, won a goat and, unlike most players, was pleased with having won a goat.

Even if one were to assume the Month Hall Problem scenario occurred, Beret isn't following it. That scenario involves the player being offered a choice between keeping their original choice (a door currently closed) or switching to the other still closed door. Choosing the door that was opened is not part of the Problem. So if Beret was being offered the Problem choice, he took neither of the options offered to him. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 20:38, 25 October 2013 (UTC)

1282: Monty Hall

2013-10-25T20:31:24Z

67.51.59.66: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number = 1282
| date = October 25, 2013
| title = Monty Hall
| image = monty hall.png
| titletext = A few minutes later, the goat from behind door C drives away in the car.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a reference to the {{w|Monty Hall Problem}}, a probability puzzle based on the US game show '{{w|Let's Make a Deal}}' and named after its original host, {{w|Monty Hall}}. The premise of the show was that Hall would offer "deals" to contestants pulled from the audience in which they could win cash and prizes. Some deals involved games/tasks the contestant had to perform, while others simply involved the contestant making choices between a series of doors or boxes. In such games of choice, there were often several prizes and typically at least one "zonk", the show's name for an undesirable "gag" prize, which on the original Monty Hall version of the show were frequently animals such as goats.

In the classic version of the Monty Problem, a contestant is offered a choice of three doors. Behind two of the doors are goats, and behind one of them is a car. First, the contestant chooses a door, which remains closed. The host then opens one of the two remaining doors and reveals a goat. The contestant is then offered a final choice of whether to switch his choice to the remaining closed door, or keep the door they originally chose. The problem involves an analysis of the the probability of the contestant choosing the car given certain circumstances.

The problem assumes that a contestant would want to win a car, and would be disappointed to win a goat (a zonk), which most contestants would have no ability to house, and no use for. The comic shows that [[Beret Guy]], upon the host revealing that door B has a goat behind it, chooses to take the goat to keep as a pet, which makes them both very happy.

The title text references the car and the remaining goat, untouched behind the remaining doors.

===The Monty Hall Problem===
:''for an in-depth analysis of the Monty Hall Problem, see {{w|Monty Hall Problem|its article at Wikipedia}}''
The apparent "paradox" of the Monty Hall Problem is that many people's initial reaction once the host opens a door to reveal a goat, is that there are two remaining doors, one with a car and one with a goat; and therefore there is an equal probability the car is behind each door. Many people therefore believe that switching makes no difference to the odds of winning a car.

However, assuming that the host has knowledge of which doors contain goats, and that his choice of which door to open is always an unchosen door containing a goat, it is actually twice as likely that the contestant will win the car if they switch than if they keep their original choice. This is because the contestant initially had a one-in-three chance of choosing the car (and a two-in-three chance of choosing a goat). Switching always wins the car in those two-thirds of cases where the contestant initially chose a goat. The probability of winning by switching is therefore the same as the probability that the contestant initially chose a goat.

The switch essentially gives the contestant ''both'' remaining doors instead of just the ''one'' door originally chosen. Because the host ''always'' has at least one goat available, the fact that the host reveals a goat does not provide the contestant any new information about their initially chosen door. The initial door still has a two-in-three chance of being a goat, and switching still has a two-in-three chance of winning. Opening a goat-door simply shifts all of the probability of the remaining two doors being a car to the remaining unchosen door.

There has been great debate about the precise wording of the problem, and what assumptions or rules might apply. Variants of the problem have the host open one of the two remaining doors at random, which could result in the car being revealed, and the game ending. In that scenario, if a goat is revealed, there is in fact an equal probability of winning by switching or keeping the initial door.

==Transcript==
:[A game show presenter is standing in front of three doors, the left door labeled "A", the right door labeled "C", and the middle door presumably labeled "B". The "B" door is open. Beret Guy is walking away with a goat.]
:Beret Guy: ...And my yard has so much grass, and I'll teach you tricks, and...
:[There is an affectionate heart coming out of the goat's head, as if it likes this idea.]

==Trivia==
*The Monty Hall problem is strikingly similar to the {{w|Two envelope problem|Two Envelope Paradox}}, one of [http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/09/09/the-goddamn-airplane-on-the-goddamn-treadmill/ several notoriously provocative thought experiments] (some of which are "banned" on the xkcd forums). Admittedly, the Monty Hall problem has only one clear solution. Because of this, it is much less likely to spark the kinds of arguments like "the goddamn airplane on the goddamn treadmill" or the "{{w|Feynman sprinkler|Feynman_sprinkler}}" incite.

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

1282: Monty Hall

2013-10-25T20:27:21Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1282
| date = October 25, 2013
| title = Monty Hall
| image = monty hall.png
| titletext = A few minutes later, the goat from behind door C drives away in the car.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a reference to the {{w|Monty Hall Problem}}, a probability puzzle based on the US game show '{{w|Let's Make a Deal}}' and named after its original host, {{w|Monty Hall}}. The premise of the show was that Hall would offer "deals" to contestants pulled from the audience in which they could win cash and prizes. Some deals involved games/tasks the contestant had to perform, while others simply involved the contestant making choices between a series of doors or boxes. In such games of choice, there were often several prizes and typically at least one "zonk", the show's name for an undesirable "gag" prize, which on the original Monty Hall version of the show were frequently animals such as goats.

In the classic version of the Monty Problem, a contestant is offered a choice of three doors. Behind two of the doors are goats, and behind one of them is a car. First, the contestant chooses a door, which remains closed. The host then opens one of the two remaining doors and reveals a goat. The contestant is then offered a final choice of whether to switch his choice to the remaining closed door, or keep the door they originally chose. The problem involves an analysis of the the probability of the contestant choosing the car given certain circumstances.

The problem assumes that a contestant would want to win a car, and would be disappointed to win a goat (a zonk), which most contestants would have no ability to house, and no use for. The comic shows that [[Beret Guy]], upon the host revealing that door B has a goat behind it, chooses to take the goat to keep as a pet, which makes them both very happy.

The title text references the car and the remaining goat, untouched behind the remaining doors.

===The Monty Hall Problem===
:''for an in-depth analysis of the Monty Hall Problem, see {{w|Monty Hall Problem|its article at Wikipedia}}''
The apparent "paradox" of the Monty Hall Problem is that many people's initial reaction once the host opens a door to reveal a goat, is that there are two remaining doors, one with a car and one with a goat; and therefore there is an equal probability the car is behind each door. Many people therefore believe that switching makes no difference to the odds of winning a car.

However, assuming that the host has knowledge of which doors contain goats, and that his choice of which door to open is always an unchosen door containing a goat, it is actually twice as likely that the contestant will win the car if they switch than if they keep their original choice. This is because the contestant initially had a one-in-three chance of choosing the car (and a two-in-three chance of choosing a goat). Switching always wins the car in those two-thirds of cases where the contestant initially chose a goat. The probability of winning by switching is therefore the same as the probability that the contestant initially chose a goat.

The switch essentially gives the contestant ''both'' remaining doors instead of just the ''one'' door originally chosen. Because the host ''always'' has at least one goat available, the fact that the host reveals a goat does not provide the contestant any new information about their initially chosen door. The initial door still has a two-in-three chance of being a goat, and switching still has a two-in-three chance of winning. Opening a goat-door simply shifts all of the probability of the remaining two doors being a car to the remaining unchosen door.

There has been great debate about the precise wording of the problem, and what assumptions or rules might apply. Variants of the problem have the host open one of the two remaining doors at random, which could result in the car being revealed, and the game ending. In that scenario, if a goat is revealed, there is in fact an equal probability of winning by switching or keeping the initial door.

==Transcript==
:[A game show presenter is standing in front of three doors, the left door labeled "A", the right door labeled "C", and the middle door presumably labeled "B". The "B" door is open. Beret Guy is walking away with a goat.]
:Beret Guy: ...And my yard has so much grass, and I'll teach you tricks, and...
:[There is an affectionate heart coming out of the goat's head, as if it likes this idea.]

==Trivia==
*The Monty Hall problem is strikingly similar to the {{w|Two envelope problem|Two Envelope Paradox}}, one of [http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/09/09/the-goddamn-airplane-on-the-goddamn-treadmill/ several notoriously provocative thought experiments] (some of which are "banned" on the xkcd forums). Admittedly, the Monty Hall problem has only one clear solution. Because of this, it is much less likely to spark the kinds of arguments like "the goddamn airplane on the goddamn treadmill" or the "Feynman sprinkler" incite.

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

Talk:1281: Minifigs

2013-10-23T16:06:31Z

67.51.59.66: Let's ask Imelda Marcos

This is my first time at trying to explain something. Even if it's replaced by a better one, I hope it gets the point across.

Cheers!

[[Special:Contributions/189.186.138.149|189.186.138.149]] 05:34, 23 October 2013 (UTC)

Related question: what is the current population of Teddy bears? And what about Barbies? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 08:44, 23 October 2013 (UTC)
:Might Mattel be the world's largest shoe maker? [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 16:06, 23 October 2013 (UTC)

Then we are just waiting for a Wikipedian to remove the comparison of tires manufactures as Wikipedia is not the place for random facts appearing in XKCD comics. [[User:Pmakholm|Pmakholm]] ([[User talk:Pmakholm|talk]]) 10:17, 23 October 2013 (UTC)
::The information in the Wikipedia article on {{w|Lego tire|Lego tires}}, including the random fact that in 2011 it was the world's largest tire manufacturer, has been there since May 2012 [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 13:30, 23 October 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1280: Mystery News

2013-10-21T17:30:36Z

67.51.59.66:

I would just like to take this moment to say that Explain xkcd's ads are restricted to image files only, and will never play video/sound/flash stuff when you load the page, unlike the site that Cueball currently has open. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 06:59, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

This has to do with those news videos or live streams that pop up without your consent on some unreputable news sites. If you have a slow network and a lot of tabs, they're almost impossible to find. [[Special:Contributions/66.87.66.186|66.87.66.186]] 13:47, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

This comic is so 2005; I'm guessing Randal is not using adblockplus (maybe due to a moral enforced by the income from his xkcd.com) [[Special:Contributions/108.168.11.47|108.168.11.47]] 13:57, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

I'm guessing that he's not referring to audio ads, but rather to news sites that have a video and a story, but can sometimes take so long to load the video that you've read the story and moved on, or to the random sites that have the completely unrelated espn auto-play video in the sidebar. I personally installed an add-on that makes you have to click on a flash object solely for these annoyances.... [[Special:Contributions/66.249.85.193|66.249.85.193]] 14:08, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

An alternative situation: I sometimes have the domains youtube.com and ytimg.com blocked by NoScript. Then I allow them to watch something and three or four videos in background tabs start playing... [[Special:Contributions/83.41.36.244|83.41.36.244]] 14:41, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

This exact situation happens to me quite often. Here's the scenario: I scan the Google News homepage for today's news, and click the middle mouse button on the 5-10 stories that interest me, thus opening them up directly into background tabs, intending to read them one-by-one afterwards. If any of these articles have videos that autoplay, I start hearing random news reports without knowing which tab(s) the video is playing in, and have to frantically search through them to pause it. I'm pretty sure this is what Randall is referring to. [[Special:Contributions/216.174.143.92|216.174.143.92]] 14:56, 21 October 2013 (UTC)
: Yes, exactly. I often read a story which contains links to several others I'd like to read. So I open them in background tabs to get to after I finish the first story. And a few moments later some video on a tab (or several tabs) which I'm not looking at will start to play. Often it is difficult to find the tab(s) on which the video(s) is playing since, as noted above, the video is non-obvious. More often than not I find (if I can find it at all) that it's coming from some small ad running in a border area.
: Very frustrating and often leads me to just turn down the sound and ignore the thing that's clamoring for my attention. Gets the advertiser exactly the opposite reaction from me than what they want. Very counter-productive for the advertiser. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:29, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1280: Mystery News

2013-10-21T17:29:42Z

67.51.59.66:

I would just like to take this moment to say that Explain xkcd's ads are restricted to image files only, and will never play video/sound/flash stuff when you load the page, unlike the site that Cueball currently has open. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 06:59, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

This has to do with those news videos or live streams that pop up without your consent on some unreputable news sites. If you have a slow network and a lot of tabs, they're almost impossible to find. [[Special:Contributions/66.87.66.186|66.87.66.186]] 13:47, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

This comic is so 2005; I'm guessing Randal is not using adblockplus (maybe due to a moral enforced by the income from his xkcd.com) [[Special:Contributions/108.168.11.47|108.168.11.47]] 13:57, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

I'm guessing that he's not referring to audio ads, but rather to news sites that have a video and a story, but can sometimes take so long to load the video that you've read the story and moved on, or to the random sites that have the completely unrelated espn auto-play video in the sidebar. I personally installed an add-on that makes you have to click on a flash object solely for these annoyances.... [[Special:Contributions/66.249.85.193|66.249.85.193]] 14:08, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

An alternative situation: I sometimes have the domains youtube.com and ytimg.com blocked by NoScript. Then I allow them to watch something and three or four videos in background tabs start playing... [[Special:Contributions/83.41.36.244|83.41.36.244]] 14:41, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

This exact situation happens to me quite often. Here's the scenario: I scan the Google News homepage for today's news, and click the middle mouse button on the 5-10 stories that interest me, thus opening them up directly into background tabs, intending to read them one-by-one afterwards. If any of these articles have videos that autoplay, I start hearing random news reports without knowing which tab(s) the video is playing in, and have to frantically search through them to pause it. I'm pretty sure this is what Randall is referring to. [[Special:Contributions/216.174.143.92|216.174.143.92]] 14:56, 21 October 2013 (UTC)
: Yes, exactly. I often read a story which contains links to several others I'd like to read. So I open them in background tabs to get to after I finish the first story. And a few moments later some video on a tab (or several tabs) which I'm not looking at will start to play. Often it is difficult to find the tab(s) on which the video(s) is playing since, as noted above, the video is non-obvious. More often than not I find (if I can find it at all) it's coming from some small add running in a border area.
: Very frustrating and often leads me to just turn down the sound and ignore the thing that's clamoring for my attention. Gets the advertiser exactly the opposite reaction from me than what they want. Very counter-productive for the advertiser. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:29, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

1279: Reverse Identity Theft

2013-10-18T21:10:46Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */ removed repetitious redundancy

{{comic
| number = 1279
| date = October 18, 2013
| title = Reverse Identity Theft
| image = reverse identity theft.png
| titletext = I asked a few friends whether they'd had this happen, then looked up the popularity of their initials/names over time. Based on those numbers, it looks like there must be at least 750,000 people in the US alone who think 'Sure, that's probably my email address' on a regular basis.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Identity theft}} is the criminal method of assuming the identity of an unsuspecting person, usually to get credit in their name. While this is done deliberately, the comic introduces the idea of ''reverse'' identity theft: An older person with little knowledge of computers involuntarily uses another person's {{w|email address}} because he or she supposed it to be their own. Since most email addresses follow a generic pattern, they simply adapt the pattern to conform with their own name, unaware that someone with the same initial and last name already owns the address.

Most internet users face at some point the message that their desired email address is "already taken". Because email addresses must be unique and only a limited set of characters is allowed, people with common names usually add numbers to their name. The comic suggests that elder people might easily forget that they had to take, for instance, <code>rebeccamunroe42@gmail.com</code> when they signed up. Instead, the person would tell everyone that their address was <code>rmunroe@gmail.com</code>, since that follows the generic pattern and is the most intuitive assumption for them. They are in complete ignorance that the address belongs, in fact, to whoever claimed it first. (In this case, the address belongs to [[Randall]] himself.)

The comic has [[Cueball]] call an older person, who apparently gave Cueball's email address to the phone company, which now emails Cueball the bills. The person is not able to understand why this is not their email address (as it corresponds with their name) and is also very confused how Cueball got their phone number. The latter reveals a major problem of reverse identity theft: Using another person's email address for your own business matters exposes your own identity. The owner of the address could easily take advantage of the situation, leading to a scenario of regular identity theft. (Fortunately, Cueball seems to be more honest; Black Hat probably would not have given any warning.)

Due to the sheer mass of people online, nearly all simple nicknames are already taken; and the number of possible combinations is further diminished by services (e.g., {{w|GMail}}) which ignore the dot sign altogether and does not allow the use of hyphens or underscores. This policy is designed to prevent fraud, but it forces users to add numbers or other unique identifiers to their names. Apart from the scenario addressed in the comic, another subsequent problem is the use of wrong email addresses by third parties. Someone sending sensitive personal information to the wrong recipient can just as easily expose a person's identity as the person himself.

In the end, there is no practical solution to the problems arising from the uniqueness of usernames and email addresses. Instead, it is simply the consequence of naming itself: While a {{w|Personal name|name}} were originally intended to distinguish its bearer from a limited number of people (e.g. the rest of the village), the Internet makes it necessary to distinguish ourselves from the entire rest of the world (or at least everybody online).

Note that {{w|GMail}} ignores everything behind a plus sign. This is used as a way to create {{w|email alias}}es. The plus sign in the formula used in the comic should therefore considered to be only an indicator for concatenation, not a literal character in the address.

==Transcript==
:If your email address is [First initial]+[Last name]@gmail.com you gradually get to know lots of older people who have the same name pattern

:Cueball: Yes, I know it would make '''''sense''''' if that were your email address, but it's not.
:Person on the phone: But how did you get my number?
:Cueball: Your phone bill.

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

1131: Math

2013-10-11T17:18:39Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1131
| date = November 7, 2012
| title = Math
| image = math.png
| titletext = As of this writing, the only thing that's 'razor-thin' or 'too close to call' is the gap between the consensus poll forecast and the result.
}}

==Explanation==
In another election-themed comic (this one posted the day after the {{w|United States presidential election, 2012|2012 U.S. presidential election}} (see [[1122: Electoral Precedent]], [[1127: Congress]], and [[1130: Poll Watching]]), this comic shows a bar graph representing expected (see note below) electoral college votes in the election, including a dotted line indicating the 270 votes needed to win, a span of projections ("Forecast"), and the actual result.

The forecast range is above the 270 line, showing that Obama (the 'Blue Candidate' according to a convention used since the 2000 election) was always projected to win by statisticians like Nate Silver and others. The only question among these people was how much he was going to win by. By contrast, most of the media was calling the election too close to call, with some news outlets actually projecting a Romney win. Essentially the combined pressures of right wing self referencing media denial, the large number of republican pundits, and the desire for media to give any issue two dramatically or fictionally equal voices (for supposed "fairness") resulted in a lot of talking heads disbelieving the polls. Thus their belief became news which leads to the punch line of this story. You don't need to believe in science or statistics for it to effectively describe or predict reality. The progressively more radicalized republicans of this era are known for disregarding scientific or statistical consensus which reflects reality but does not conform to their world view.

For those unfamiliar with the US Presidential electoral process: unlike other political offices, the election for president is not a direct election. Instead, each state is apportioned a certain number of "electoral college" votes based on population. For the most part (and there is perennial discussion on whether this should be changed) the candidate that receives the most votes in a given state receives all the electoral college votes for that state. With 538 electoral votes total, receiving 270 electoral college votes ((half of 538) + 1) is sufficient to be declared president-elect. For this reason, sometimes one candidate actually receive more "popular" votes (more people voted for the candidate) but have fewer electoral college votes. This happened with the election of Andrew Jackson in 1824, Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, Benjamin Harrison in 1888, and George W. Bush in 2000.

The electoral college votes are expectations until the official voting in early November.

==Transcript==
:Heading: Math
:[Bar chart showing 58% blue and 42% red. Header showing range between 53-63% with heading "Forecast". Arrow below pointing at meeting of blue and red sections of graph with heading "Result"]
:Caption: '''''Breaking:''''' To surprise of pundits, numbers continue to be best system for determining which of two things is larger.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Math]]

Talk:1276: Angular Size

2013-10-11T17:12:35Z

67.51.59.66:

What is the meaning of "football field" in panel #2? --[[User:Kevang|Kevang]] ([[User talk:Kevang|talk]]) 04:50, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
:I was wondering the same thing. Probably misplaced text. [[User:Irino.|Irino.]] ([[User talk:Irino.|talk]]) 05:49, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
::It does seem to be misplaced, but if that's the only glitch, this is the only panel without a unique reference object. "20 football pitches long" isn't all that easy to grasp. [[User:Jameslucas|jameslucas]] ([[User talk:Jameslucas|" "]] / [[Special:Contributions/Jameslucas|+]]) 09:09, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
:::The image is fixed by Randall. I did an update here.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 11:28, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
::::Well, that's a letdown. I'm surprised Randall didn't use Heathrow. [[User:Jameslucas|jameslucas]] ([[User talk:Jameslucas|" "]] / [[Special:Contributions/Jameslucas|+]]) 13:42, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

I haven't done any lookups or maths to check these, but give the size of these as "stars" in the sky, everything from panel 2 onwards seems to me to be an order of magnitude or two too large. [[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 05:17, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: Not really. You see the stars and planets as points because their angular size is lower than your eyes' resolution. They have measurable (or, in case of really distant or small objects, computable) angular sizes. For stars etc. these angular sizes are really small - but Earth is quite big, so if you cut a portion of a sphere the radius of Earth corresponding to these small solid angles, you get sizable areas. I haven't checked Randall's math, but I'd rather believe his results. If it is non-intuitive for you consider the Sun and Moon example - when observed by naked eye, the Moon looks for you as being the size of a dime held up in your hand - and yet it's shadow during an eclipse covers quite an area of Earth's surface. It is true that sizes of some of these "footprints" are quite surprising compared to other ones. [[Special:Contributions/89.174.214.74|89.174.214.74]] 08:55, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
:: Definitely surprising. I'll put faith in Randall doing his math correctly, but still needed to check on a couple of these because they did elicit a "What? No. Really? Can't be." reaction. Using the formula described in the Explanation above, for Venus I get 12742 km (Earth radius) * 12104 km (Venus diameter) / 38000000 (shortest distance to Venus) = 2.03 km.
:: Hard to picture that something that is such a small dot in the sky is actually directly over such a large patch of ground. But there you are. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:11, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Does someone know how to use LaTeX formulas? And if so, can they translate my formula into something more pleasing to the eye? [[User:Irino.|Irino.]] ([[User talk:Irino.|talk]]) 05:49, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

According to the wikipedia page, the M25 is 117 miles long. That sounds more like "37 miles across" to me. [[User:Kaa-ching|Kaa-ching]] ([[User talk:Kaa-ching|talk]]) 08:46, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: it originally stated 15 miles, someone has fixed it now. Thanks! [[User:Kaa-ching|Kaa-ching]] ([[User talk:Kaa-ching|talk]]) 11:35, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Neither the sun or moon, nor Messier 25 (declination -19°) can ever culminate in the zenith over London. :-( Admittedly, Townsville, Australia would be sort of overwhelmed by M25. --[[Special:Contributions/129.13.72.198|129.13.72.198]] 11:27, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: M25 is a reference to the highway that surrounds London, not the Messier object, which is probably nowhere near the angular size of the moon. [[Special:Contributions/65.129.214.100|65.129.214.100]] 15:17, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
Does anyone know why the exoplanet "HD 189733 b" is labled as "Permadeath" ? Same question for the other weird names in the same pannel (the "tilde on keyboard" one) ? [[User:Jahvascriptmaniac|Jahvascriptmaniac]] ([[User talk:Jahvascriptmaniac|talk]]) 11:32, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: A reference to [[1253|Exoplanet Names]]. [[User:Squornshellous Beta|Squornshellous Beta]] ([[User talk:Squornshellous Beta|talk]]) 12:08, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

If you were looking from the center of the earth, as the situation suggests, wouldn't the M25 be reversed, east-to-west, as you look at the sun and the moon?--[[Special:Contributions/76.105.133.220|76.105.133.220]] 16:09, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: I visualize it as looking down on Earth, with the "shadow" of the celestial object on top of the M25/soccer field/laptop/etc. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:02, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1276: Angular Size

2013-10-11T17:11:53Z

67.51.59.66:

What is the meaning of "football field" in panel #2? --[[User:Kevang|Kevang]] ([[User talk:Kevang|talk]]) 04:50, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
:I was wondering the same thing. Probably misplaced text. [[User:Irino.|Irino.]] ([[User talk:Irino.|talk]]) 05:49, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
::It does seem to be misplaced, but if that's the only glitch, this is the only panel without a unique reference object. "20 football pitches long" isn't all that easy to grasp. [[User:Jameslucas|jameslucas]] ([[User talk:Jameslucas|" "]] / [[Special:Contributions/Jameslucas|+]]) 09:09, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
:::The image is fixed by Randall. I did an update here.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 11:28, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
::::Well, that's a letdown. I'm surprised Randall didn't use Heathrow. [[User:Jameslucas|jameslucas]] ([[User talk:Jameslucas|" "]] / [[Special:Contributions/Jameslucas|+]]) 13:42, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

I haven't done any lookups or maths to check these, but give the size of these as "stars" in the sky, everything from panel 2 onwards seems to me to be an order of magnitude or two too large. [[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 05:17, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: Not really. You see the stars and planets as points because their angular size is lower than your eyes' resolution. They have measurable (or, in case of really distant or small objects, computable) angular sizes. For stars etc. these angular sizes are really small - but Earth is quite big, so if you cut a portion of a sphere the radius of Earth corresponding to these small solid angles, you get sizable areas. I haven't checked Randall's math, but I'd rather believe his results. If it is non-intuitive for you consider the Sun and Moon example - when observed by naked eye, the Moon looks for you as being the size of a dime held up in your hand - and yet it's shadow during an eclipse covers quite an area of Earth's surface. It is true that sizes of some of these "footprints" are quite surprising compared to other ones. [[Special:Contributions/89.174.214.74|89.174.214.74]] 08:55, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
:: Definitely surprising. I'll put faith in Randall doing his math correctly, but still needed to check on a couple of these because they did elicit a "What? No. Really? Can't be." reaction. Using the formula described in the Explanation above, for Venus I get 12742 km (Earth radius) * 12104 km (Venus diameter) / 38000000 (shortest distance to Venus) = 2.03 km.
:: Hard to picture that something such a small dot in the sky is actually directly over such a large patch of ground. But there you are. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:11, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Does someone know how to use LaTeX formulas? And if so, can they translate my formula into something more pleasing to the eye? [[User:Irino.|Irino.]] ([[User talk:Irino.|talk]]) 05:49, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

According to the wikipedia page, the M25 is 117 miles long. That sounds more like "37 miles across" to me. [[User:Kaa-ching|Kaa-ching]] ([[User talk:Kaa-ching|talk]]) 08:46, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: it originally stated 15 miles, someone has fixed it now. Thanks! [[User:Kaa-ching|Kaa-ching]] ([[User talk:Kaa-ching|talk]]) 11:35, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Neither the sun or moon, nor Messier 25 (declination -19°) can ever culminate in the zenith over London. :-( Admittedly, Townsville, Australia would be sort of overwhelmed by M25. --[[Special:Contributions/129.13.72.198|129.13.72.198]] 11:27, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: M25 is a reference to the highway that surrounds London, not the Messier object, which is probably nowhere near the angular size of the moon. [[Special:Contributions/65.129.214.100|65.129.214.100]] 15:17, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
Does anyone know why the exoplanet "HD 189733 b" is labled as "Permadeath" ? Same question for the other weird names in the same pannel (the "tilde on keyboard" one) ? [[User:Jahvascriptmaniac|Jahvascriptmaniac]] ([[User talk:Jahvascriptmaniac|talk]]) 11:32, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: A reference to [[1253|Exoplanet Names]]. [[User:Squornshellous Beta|Squornshellous Beta]] ([[User talk:Squornshellous Beta|talk]]) 12:08, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

If you were looking from the center of the earth, as the situation suggests, wouldn't the M25 be reversed, east-to-west, as you look at the sun and the moon?--[[Special:Contributions/76.105.133.220|76.105.133.220]] 16:09, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: I visualize it as looking down on Earth, with the "shadow" of the celestial object on top of the M25/soccer field/laptop/etc. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:02, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1276: Angular Size

2013-10-11T17:02:25Z

67.51.59.66:

What is the meaning of "football field" in panel #2? --[[User:Kevang|Kevang]] ([[User talk:Kevang|talk]]) 04:50, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
:I was wondering the same thing. Probably misplaced text. [[User:Irino.|Irino.]] ([[User talk:Irino.|talk]]) 05:49, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
::It does seem to be misplaced, but if that's the only glitch, this is the only panel without a unique reference object. "20 football pitches long" isn't all that easy to grasp. [[User:Jameslucas|jameslucas]] ([[User talk:Jameslucas|" "]] / [[Special:Contributions/Jameslucas|+]]) 09:09, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
:::The image is fixed by Randall. I did an update here.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 11:28, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
::::Well, that's a letdown. I'm surprised Randall didn't use Heathrow. [[User:Jameslucas|jameslucas]] ([[User talk:Jameslucas|" "]] / [[Special:Contributions/Jameslucas|+]]) 13:42, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

I haven't done any lookups or maths to check these, but give the size of these as "stars" in the sky, everything from panel 2 onwards seems to me to be an order of magnitude or two too large. [[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 05:17, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: Not really. You see the stars and planets as points because their angular size is lower than your eyes' resolution. They have measurable (or, in case of really distant or small objects, computable) angular sizes. For stars etc. these angular sizes are really small - but Earth is quite big, so if you cut a portion of a sphere the radius of Earth corresponding to these small solid angles, you get sizable areas. I haven't checked Randall's math, but I'd rather believe his results. If it is non-intuitive for you consider the Sun and Moon example - when observed by naked eye, the Moon looks for you as being the size of a dime held up in your hand - and yet it's shadow during an eclipse covers quite an area of Earth's surface. It is true that sizes of some of these "footprints" are quite surprising compared to other ones. [[Special:Contributions/89.174.214.74|89.174.214.74]] 08:55, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Does someone know how to use LaTeX formulas? And if so, can they translate my formula into something more pleasing to the eye? [[User:Irino.|Irino.]] ([[User talk:Irino.|talk]]) 05:49, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

According to the wikipedia page, the M25 is 117 miles long. That sounds more like "37 miles across" to me. [[User:Kaa-ching|Kaa-ching]] ([[User talk:Kaa-ching|talk]]) 08:46, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: it originally stated 15 miles, someone has fixed it now. Thanks! [[User:Kaa-ching|Kaa-ching]] ([[User talk:Kaa-ching|talk]]) 11:35, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Neither the sun or moon, nor Messier 25 (declination -19°) can ever culminate in the zenith over London. :-( Admittedly, Townsville, Australia would be sort of overwhelmed by M25. --[[Special:Contributions/129.13.72.198|129.13.72.198]] 11:27, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: M25 is a reference to the highway that surrounds London, not the Messier object, which is probably nowhere near the angular size of the moon. [[Special:Contributions/65.129.214.100|65.129.214.100]] 15:17, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
Does anyone know why the exoplanet "HD 189733 b" is labled as "Permadeath" ? Same question for the other weird names in the same pannel (the "tilde on keyboard" one) ? [[User:Jahvascriptmaniac|Jahvascriptmaniac]] ([[User talk:Jahvascriptmaniac|talk]]) 11:32, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: A reference to [[1253|Exoplanet Names]]. [[User:Squornshellous Beta|Squornshellous Beta]] ([[User talk:Squornshellous Beta|talk]]) 12:08, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

If you were looking from the center of the earth, as the situation suggests, wouldn't the M25 be reversed, east-to-west, as you look at the sun and the moon?--[[Special:Contributions/76.105.133.220|76.105.133.220]] 16:09, 11 October 2013 (UTC)
: I visualize it as looking down on Earth, with the "shadow" of the celestial object on top of the M25/soccer field/laptop/etc. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:02, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

899: Number Line

2013-10-09T16:16:17Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 899
| date = May 16, 2011
| title = Number Line
| image = number line.png
| titletext = The Wikipedia page "{{w|List of Numbers}}" opens with "This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it."
}}

== Explanation ==
{{incomplete}}
Once again, Randall seems to be just messing around, this time with a number line.

*Negative numbers have the same magnitude as positive numbers but can only be used to represent the removal of that same magnitude (hence the term "difference" being used for subtraction).

*'''0.99'''.... is {{w|0.999...|provably equal to 1}} because there is no number between 0.99.... and 1. ([http://www.exploringbinary.com/binary-converter/ Binary 0.0000000000000000000000000001 = 0.0000000037252902984619140625])

*The {{w|Golden ratio}} is the length to width of rectangles that are most pleasing to the eye. The number which is about 1.61803, is the numeric value is called "phi", named for the Greek sculptor Phidias. The {{w|Parthenon}} is a perfect rectangle in size. The number of spirals on the head of [http://www.popmath.org.uk/rpamaths/rpampages/sunflower.html Sunflowers] are also said to exhibit the Golden mean/ratio.

*Forbidden Region and Unexplored are both map jokes.

*{{w|e (mathematical constant)|e}}(Euler's number) is 2.71828... and π(pi) is 3.14159265...

*2.9299372 is a President's Day reference. It is the average of e and pi just as the American Presidents' Day is always observed on the 3rd Monday of February (between {{w|George Washington}} and {{w|Abraham Lincoln}}'s birthdays). (For non-US residents, Washington and Lincoln were the 1st and 16th Presidents of the USA, respectively. Each has a celebrated place in American history.)

*{{w|Gird}} Could be a reference to [http://www.strangehorizons.com/2000/20001120/secret_number.shtml Bleem] - a fictional integer between 3 and 4, also see [http://icarly.wikia.com/wiki/Derf iCarly's Derf] - a fictional integer between 5 and 6, [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bleen George Carlin's Bleen] - a fictional integer between 6 and 7, and [http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-033 SCP-033] - a fictional number that causes freaky things to happen.

*Site of the Battle of 4.108 is another map joke, implying that 4.108 is an actual location, where an eponymous battle was previously fought.

*It is often the case in the media that "It has been 7 years..." or "In the last 7 years..." etc. It is made to seem like a believable statistic but cannot always be true. Alternatively, it is intended as an absurd joke that the number 7 is just "not to be believed".

*8 is not the largest even prime. 2 is. A joke intended for those who clearly know that the claim is false.

*The title text is a literalist joke implying that Wikipedia would like its "List of Numbers" page to include every number from negative infinity to infinity.

== Transcript ==
:[Number line ranging from -1 to 10.]
:[Arrow pointing left, towards negative numbers] Negative "imitator" numbers (do not use)
:[Line right before the number one] 0.99... (acutally 0.0000000372 less than 1)
:[Line at the golden ratio.] Φ - Parthenon; sunflowers; golden ratio; wait, come back, I have facts!
:[Line at a region between two and 2.2] forbidden region
:[Line at Euler's number.] e
:[Line a bit before 3] 2.9299372 (e and pi, observed)
:[Line at π.] π
:[Line at 3.5 with a ribbon as the numeral] Gird - accepted as canon by orthodox mathematicians
:[Line a bit after 4.] site of battle of 4.108
:[Blob between 4.5 and 6.5 labeled unexplored.]
:[Line at seven.] Number indicating a factoid is made up ("every 7 years...", "science says there are 7...", etc)
:[Line at eight.] Largest even prime
:[Line at 8.75.] If you encounter a number higher than this, you"re not doing real math

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]

899: Number Line

2013-10-09T16:15:31Z

67.51.59.66: Undo revision 50275 by 67.51.59.66 (talk)

{{comic
| number = 899
| date = May 16, 2011
| title = Number Line
| image = number line.png
| titletext = The Wikipedia page "{{w|List of Numbers}}" opens with "This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it."
}}

== Explanation ==
{{incomplete}}
Once again, Randall seems to be just messing around, this time with a number line.

*Negative numbers have the same magnitude as positive numbers but can only be used to represent the removal of that same magnitude (hence the term "difference" being used for subtraction).

*'''0.99'''.... is {{w|0.999...|provably equal to 1}} because there is no number between 0.99.... and 1. ([http://www.exploringbinary.com/binary-converter/ Binary 0.0000000000000000000000000001 = 0.0000000037252902984619140625])

*The {{w|Golden ratio}} is the length to width of rectangles that are most pleasing to the eye. The number which is about 1.61803, is the numeric value is called "phi", named for the Greek sculptor Phidias. The {{w|Parthenon}} is a perfect rectangle in size. The number of spirals on the head of [http://www.popmath.org.uk/rpamaths/rpampages/sunflower.html Sunflowers] are also said to exhibit the Golden mean/ratio.

*Forbidden Region and Unexplored are both map jokes.

*{{w|e (mathematical constant)|e}}(Euler's number) is 2.71828... and π(pi) is 3.14159265...

*2.9299372 is a President's Day reference. It is the average of e and pi just as the American Presidents' Day is always observed on the 3rd Monday of February (between {{w|George Washington}} and {{w|Abraham Lincoln}}'s birthdays). (For non-US residents, Washington and Lincoln were the 1st and 16th Presidents of the USA, respectively. Both have a celebrated place in American history.)

*{{w|Gird}} Could be a reference to [http://www.strangehorizons.com/2000/20001120/secret_number.shtml Bleem] - a fictional integer between 3 and 4, also see [http://icarly.wikia.com/wiki/Derf iCarly's Derf] - a fictional integer between 5 and 6, [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bleen George Carlin's Bleen] - a fictional integer between 6 and 7, and [http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-033 SCP-033] - a fictional number that causes freaky things to happen.

*Site of the Battle of 4.108 is another map joke, implying that 4.108 is an actual location, where an eponymous battle was previously fought.

*It is often the case in the media that "It has been 7 years..." or "In the last 7 years..." etc. It is made to seem like a believable statistic but cannot always be true. Alternatively, it is intended as an absurd joke that the number 7 is just "not to be believed".

*8 is not the largest even prime. 2 is. A joke intended for those who clearly know that the claim is false.

*The title text is a literalist joke implying that Wikipedia would like its "List of Numbers" page to include every number from negative infinity to infinity.

== Transcript ==
:[Number line ranging from -1 to 10.]
:[Arrow pointing left, towards negative numbers] Negative "imitator" numbers (do not use)
:[Line right before the number one] 0.99... (acutally 0.0000000372 less than 1)
:[Line at the golden ratio.] Φ - Parthenon; sunflowers; golden ratio; wait, come back, I have facts!
:[Line at a region between two and 2.2] forbidden region
:[Line at Euler's number.] e
:[Line a bit before 3] 2.9299372 (e and pi, observed)
:[Line at π.] π
:[Line at 3.5 with a ribbon as the numeral] Gird - accepted as canon by orthodox mathematicians
:[Line a bit after 4.] site of battle of 4.108
:[Blob between 4.5 and 6.5 labeled unexplored.]
:[Line at seven.] Number indicating a factoid is made up ("every 7 years...", "science says there are 7...", etc)
:[Line at eight.] Largest even prime
:[Line at 8.75.] If you encounter a number higher than this, you"re not doing real math

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]

899: Number Line

2013-10-09T16:14:37Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */ plurals

{{comic
| number = 899
| date = May 16, 2011
| title = Number Line
| image = number line.png
| titletext = The Wikipedia page "{{w|List of Numbers}}" opens with "This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it."
}}

== Explanation ==
{{incomplete}}
Once again, Randall seems to be just messing around, this time with a number line.

*Negative numbers have the same magnitude as positive numbers but can only be used to represent the removal of that same magnitude (hence the term "difference" being used for subtraction).

*'''0.99'''.... is {{w|0.999...|provably equal to 1}} because there is no number between 0.99.... and 1. ([http://www.exploringbinary.com/binary-converter/ Binary 0.0000000000000000000000000001 = 0.0000000037252902984619140625])

*The {{w|Golden ratio}} is the length to width of rectangles that are most pleasing to the eye. The number which is about 1.61803, is the numeric value is called "phi", named for the Greek sculptor Phidias. The {{w|Parthenon}} is a perfect rectangle in size. The number of spirals on the head of [http://www.popmath.org.uk/rpamaths/rpampages/sunflower.html Sunflowers] are also said to exhibit the Golden mean/ratio.

*Forbidden Region and Unexplored are both map jokes.

*{{w|e (mathematical constant)|e}}(Euler's number) is 2.71828... and π(pi) is 3.14159265...

*2.9299372 is a President's Day reference. It is the average of e and pi just as the American Presidents' Day is always observed on the 3rd Monday of February (between {{w|George Washington}} and {{w|Abraham Lincoln}}'s birthdays). (For non-US residents, Washington and Lincoln were the 1st and 16th Presidents of the USA, respectively. Both have celebrated places in American history.)

*{{w|Gird}} Could be a reference to [http://www.strangehorizons.com/2000/20001120/secret_number.shtml Bleem] - a fictional integer between 3 and 4, also see [http://icarly.wikia.com/wiki/Derf iCarly's Derf] - a fictional integer between 5 and 6, [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bleen George Carlin's Bleen] - a fictional integer between 6 and 7, and [http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-033 SCP-033] - a fictional number that causes freaky things to happen.

*Site of the Battle of 4.108 is another map joke, implying that 4.108 is an actual location, where an eponymous battle was previously fought.

*It is often the case in the media that "It has been 7 years..." or "In the last 7 years..." etc. It is made to seem like a believable statistic but cannot always be true. Alternatively, it is intended as an absurd joke that the number 7 is just "not to be believed".

*8 is not the largest even prime. 2 is. A joke intended for those who clearly know that the claim is false.

*The title text is a literalist joke implying that Wikipedia would like its "List of Numbers" page to include every number from negative infinity to infinity.

== Transcript ==
:[Number line ranging from -1 to 10.]
:[Arrow pointing left, towards negative numbers] Negative "imitator" numbers (do not use)
:[Line right before the number one] 0.99... (acutally 0.0000000372 less than 1)
:[Line at the golden ratio.] Φ - Parthenon; sunflowers; golden ratio; wait, come back, I have facts!
:[Line at a region between two and 2.2] forbidden region
:[Line at Euler's number.] e
:[Line a bit before 3] 2.9299372 (e and pi, observed)
:[Line at π.] π
:[Line at 3.5 with a ribbon as the numeral] Gird - accepted as canon by orthodox mathematicians
:[Line a bit after 4.] site of battle of 4.108
:[Blob between 4.5 and 6.5 labeled unexplored.]
:[Line at seven.] Number indicating a factoid is made up ("every 7 years...", "science says there are 7...", etc)
:[Line at eight.] Largest even prime
:[Line at 8.75.] If you encounter a number higher than this, you"re not doing real math

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]

1270: Functional

2013-09-27T16:10:44Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1270
| date = September 26, 2013
| title = Functional
| image = functional.png
| titletext = Functional programming combines the flexibility and power of abstract mathematics with the intuitive clarity of abstract mathematics.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|if that's the recursion pun I think it is, Randall needs a caning.}}

'''TL;DR:''' After [[White Hat]] questions his faith in {{w|functional programming}}, [[Cueball]] says that "tail recursion is its own reward." This is a play on the pun "Tail recursion is its own reword". To reword a statement is to express it using different words. Tail recursion is when a function finishes by going back and calling itself with different arguments, forming a loop. The structure of this technique allows a compiler to be compiled into a more efficient form ("reworded"). If you aren't groaning by now, read on.

Recursion refers to functions that invoke themselves at some point to perform a smaller part of their computation - except where the task at hand is simple enough not to require it.

For example, the {{w|factorial}} function has a recursive definition:

factorial(n) = 1 if n = 0
factorial(n) = n * factorial(n - 1) if n > 0

which can be coded as:

factorial(n):
if n == 0:
return 1
else:
return n * factorial(n - 1)

{{w|Tail recursion}} refers to a recursive function whose final operation is to invoke the function itself - crucially with no subsequent computation involved. This means that instead of pushing each level of recursion onto the stack, the compiler can simply arrange for the recursive call to jump to the start of the function with the new parameters - effectively turning a recursive call into an iterative loop, whilst retaining the simplicity of a recursive call.

The efficiency and elegance are the literal rewards of tail recursion.

The {{w|greatest common divisor}} function can be coded as:

gcd(a, b):
if b == 0:
return a
else:
return gcd(b, a % b)

Here, the recursive call to gcd is tail recursive since its the last step of the function.

The first example is not tail recursive because the multiplication cannot be evaluated until after its right operand has been calculated. This next example performs its multiplication before the final step - the recursion - and is, thereby, tail recursive.

factorial2(n, acc):
if n == 0:
return acc
else:
return factorial2(n - 1, n * acc)

factorial(n):
return factorial2(n, 1)

The technique used here is to use a helper function with an additional argument called an accumulator which will accumulate results from previous calls to the function. It is often used to implement tail recursive or iterative versions of recursive functions. This is not applicable for all recursive functions, though.

Cueball is making the pun that "(functional programming) is an end unto itself", which would be both figuratively and literally correct.

The title text describes that to {{w|Abstract mathematics|abstract mathematicians}} functional programming is both powerful and flexible, as well as intuitive and clear since it comes very close to the way mathematicians usually describe functions. On the other hand to non-mathematicians, functional programming can be exactly the opposite (thus being non-intuitive and unclear as abstract mathematics appears to them).

The title text is also a reference to a common saying about C (An {{w|Imperative programming|imperative programming}} language): "C combines the flexibility and power of assembly language with the user-friendliness of assembly language".

==Transcript==
:[White Hat stands behind Cueball, who is sitting at a computer]
:White Hat: Why do you like functional programming so much? What does it actually ''get'' you?
:Cueball: Tail recursion is its own reward.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Recursion]]

1269: Privacy Opinions

2013-09-25T17:17:53Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */ mis-use of e.g.

{{comic
| number = 1269
| date = September 25, 2013
| title = Privacy Opinions
| image = privacy opinions.png
| titletext = I'm the Philosopher until someone hands me a burrito.
}}

==Explanation==
When it comes to the topic of privacy in the digital age, there are a number of opinions and attitudes people have. Randall features six of them here in an exaggerated fashion:

* The {{w|Philosopher}} - the intellectual who likes to talk about the topic, often boring those around him who don't think or worry much about privacy.
* The {{w|Cryptography|Crypto Nut}} - the one who goes crazy with security, even for things needing none.
: Since a large percentage of people and companies present in the internet don't have the ability or intention to do strong cryptography, the crypto nut's communication is limited to talking with other crypto nuts - which indicates cryptography as a topic. A real crypto nut will encrypt not just the important stuff because otherwise the attacker (here: NSA) will know which mails contain stuff that was secret enough to warrant encrypting, thus giving them information about whom he's doing secret business with.
* The {{w|Conspiracist}} - well, there's no shortage of these on the Internet, regardless of the topic. Just see below.
:The (data) warehouse mentioned is the {{w|Utah Data Center}} which seems to be of impressive size. The punchline is created by taking the iceberg and warehouse analogies literally.
* The {{w|Nihilism|Nihilist}} - Resigned to the idea that all actions are meaningless (and thus, so is the data those actions generate).
: This type is typically overstrained by the NSA scandal. Since he cannot defend himself against such an opponent (due to a lack of technical capability and political influence), he surrenders and decides to arrange with the problem by ignoring it.
* The {{w|Exhibitionist}} - Assumes people are invading his privacy, and using it to show off.
: This type is predominantly associated with twitter, but other social networks as well.
* The {{w|Wisdom|Sage}} - Seems to know the difference between the real and the imaginary.. or does he?
: The monolog alludes to a scene in {{w|The Matrix}} in which Cypher arranges with the evil machines to become a traitor.
: The Sage is apparently immediately satisfied when he has food and prosperity. He does not need privacy or other democratic rights as long as he does not individually suffer from their absence.

The title text could be a reference to the general picture of a philosopher being poor (there is not much money paid for thinking about the world as a whole and the meaning of it etc.) and to a degree uncomfortable with the world in its current state. Handing him a burrito would feed him, thus making him more comfortable with the world and removing the need to change it. Or perhaps it simply is a reference to suggest that he enjoys burritos so much that being handed one even while philosophising would stop him in his tracks to eat the burrito.

==Transcript==
:'''Opinions on Internet Privacy'''
:The Philosopher:
::Megan: "Privacy" is an impractical way to think about data in a digital world so unlike the one in which our soci--
::Ponytail: ''' ''So bored.'' '''
:The Crypto Nut:
::Cueball: My data is safe behind six layers of symmetric and public-key algorithms.
::Friend: What data is it?
::Cueball: Mostly me emailing with people about cryptography.
:The Conspiracist:
::Cueball talks to Megan.
::Cueball: These leaks are just the tip of the iceberg. There's a warehouse in Utah where the NSA has the ''entire'' iceberg. I don't know how they got it there.
:The Nihilist:
::Megan: Joke's on them, gathering all this data on me as if anything I do means anything.
:The Exhibitionist:
::Cueball is watching a surveillance console, Officer Ponytail stands behind him.
::Console: ''Mmmm,'' I sure hope the NSA isn't watching me bite into these juicy strawberries!! ''Oops,'' I dripped some on my shirt! Better take it off. Google, are you there? Google, this lotion feels soooo good.
::Cueball: Um.
:The Sage:
::Beret Guy and Cueball sitting at a table.
::Beret Guy: I don't know or care what data ''anyone'' has about me. Data is imaginary. This burrito is real.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]

Talk:1258: First

2013-08-30T18:22:53Z

67.51.59.66:

First! [[User:Edo|Edo]] ([[User talk:Edo|talk]]) 04:28, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

:This is a wiki, not some xkcd reader's blog. [[User:GameZone|GameZone]] ([[User talk:GameZone|talk]]) 04:30, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

::(it's called a joke) [[User:Edo|Edo]] ([[User talk:Edo|talk]]) 04:38, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

::I thought it was funny. [[Special:Contributions/75.37.205.50|75.37.205.50]] 07:42, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

:Ha! I was going to do the same thing. --[[User:Druid816|Druid816]] ([[User talk:Druid816|talk]]) 07:58, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

When I saw today's comic on XKCD.com, I came here just to check if someone made a "First!" comment in comic's discussion page. [[Special:Contributions/78.205.5.80|78.205.5.80]] 08:13, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

:Yep, I wanted to come here and post "first!" I thought that would be fun and original. [[User:Porkypine|Porkypine]] ([[User talk:Porkypine|talk]]) 14:50, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

I agree it is likely Megan offscreen, but can we be sure? [[Special:Contributions/83.227.33.35|83.227.33.35]] 09:57, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

:Is Megan the canonical name for the long-haired brunette? Interesting... [[Special:Contributions/188.76.190.204|188.76.190.204]] 12:10, 30 August 2013 (UTC)
:: Yes. See [[159:_Boombox]] --[[User:Rael|Rael]] ([[User talk:Rael|talk]]) 14:51, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

I corrected the indents, dont be mad at me :) [[Special:Contributions/188.76.190.204|188.76.190.204]] 12:10, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Can someone explain what it means? I first guessed it was the proliferation on the "exactly zero" sentence, but it can also means "not comments at all". [[Special:Contributions/188.76.190.204|188.76.190.204]] 12:10, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

:He is being ironic because there have been so many annoying internet behaviours have come about. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 13:09, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

:Could also be self referencing, as massive use of irony can be considered an annoying internet behaviour. --[[Special:Contributions/132.230.150.44|132.230.150.44]] 13:13, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

:If someone comes with a new annoying behavior, it will be the first! [[Special:Contributions/179.219.106.94|179.219.106.94]] 14:20, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

1254: Preferred Chat System

2013-08-21T20:09:18Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */ phrasing

{{comic
| number = 1254
| date = August 21, 2013
| title = Preferred Chat System
| image = preferred chat system.png
| titletext = If you call my regular number, it just goes to my pager.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}

As more options become available for communication, it becomes more and more difficult to determine the social etiquette of how you choose to communicate with people. It is generally customary to return a communication from someone in the same medium that they contacted you. For example, a voicemail is generally returned with a phone call, or an email with an email, etc. However, sometimes people respond through a different channel, such as texting a response to a voicemail or emailing a reply to a text. This can create confusion that [[Randall]] is pointing out, because the recipient doesn't know whether to go back to their original communication method, or whether the response was a signal that the recipient prefers the new communication method. Similarly, it becomes commonplace for people to know which communication is preferred by the recipient or most likely to reach the recipient quickly and generate the fastest response.

Randall portrays the difficulty [[Cueball]] is facing when communicating with a seemingly irrational recipient. Today's multitude of social networks and communication systems only amplifies the problem. Cueball is leaving a voicemail for his intended recipient to clarify the best way to reach them. He is doing so, he says, because he initially tried texting the recipient which they replied to with one message on the instant-messaging service {{w|Google Talk}} (commonly called GChat). This is unusual because instant messaging services are usually used to engage in longer conversations than one message. Cueball further is confused because the recipient, although silent on Google Talk, continues responding on {{W|Internet Relay Chat|IRC}} (presumably to others or in public chat rooms). Cueball then attempted to communicate by email, but the response came on {{w|Skype}}, another instant messaging service that features voice and video chat along with text. The recipient mentions that the email "''woke [them] up''", which is generally something that might happen with a ringing phone call, but is not common with email (people generally don't set their email to to give immediate audible alarms).

Cueball clarifies that he appreciates that the recipient is very quick to respond, but his confusion stems from his inability to determine the proper medium to use. As he finishes his voicemail, an Owl flies towards him carrying a written message. This appears to be a reference to [http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Owl_post owl post], which is a form of communication in the {{w|Harry Potter}} lore which itself is presumably based on the real-world usage of {{w|Carrier pigeon|Carrier pigeons}}. The owl post message indicates that the voicemail was received, and suggests using {{w|Google Voice}} next time, which is an alternative form of voice and text to the standard telecom companies.

The title text mentions a {{w|pager}}, a wireless telecommunications device that receives text messages. The first use was in 1950 for physicians in New York City .

==Transcript==
:[Cueball talks on a cell phone.]
:Cueball: Sorry for the voicemail, but I'm confused about how to reach you.
:Cueball: When I text you, you reply once on GChat, then go quiet, yet answer IRC right away. I emailed you, and you replied on Skype and mentioned that the email "woke you up".
:Cueball: You're very responsive - I just haven no sense of how you use technology.
:[An owl appears in the sky.].
:Cueball: ?!?
:[Cueball reads the letter brought by the owl.]
:did you try to call me? use my google voice number next time.

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

Talk:1245: 10-Day Forecast

2013-07-31T17:48:53Z

67.51.59.66:

Any possible significance of people seeming having longer legs that usuall on "monday" frame? Also, why should that "tuesday" figure be {{w|antichrist}}? Looks more like {{w|Loki_(comics)|Loki}} to me (although if it SHOULD be Loki he would probably look even more similar). And "sunday" frame looks more like {{w|Bee}}s that {{w|Locust}}, but it's true I never heard of plague of bees :-). (On the other hand, if {{w|Plagues of Egypt|Plague of locusts}} would be referenced, one would expect the other plagues as well.) Also note that if that should reference {{w|Book of Revelation|Christian Apocalypse}}, it should include more horses. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:16, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:I think the "legs" thing is indicating they're floating up due to the {{w|Rapture}}. --[[User:Druid816|Druid816]] ([[User talk:Druid816|talk]]) 10:26, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

Also, WHY negative zip codes? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:53, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:It may be a reference to [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MinusWorld Minus Worlds], implying that the ZIP codes are levels in a video game and the negative ones are glitches, although that's a stretch. [[Special:Contributions/38.108.195.69|38.108.195.69]] 13:41, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

The person in the tuesday picture reminded me of the Rabbit "Frank" from Donnie Darko / S. Darko. --[[Special:Contributions/95.33.125.63|95.33.125.63]] 10:33, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:If he is, it may mean that negative zip codes are located in a [http://www.donniedarko.org.uk/explanation/ Tangent Universe] --[[User:Danroa|Danroa]] ([[User talk:Danroa|talk]]) 11:02, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

I think that it's actually Megan that says the title text, and not Cueball, mainly because the title text is agreeing with what Cueball said ("Oh, definitely not"). If Cueball were to confirm his own sentence, it wouldn't make sense. {{User:Grep/signature|11:20, 31 July 2013}}

Isn't Sunday a plague of flies? And, judging by the curvature of the earth (I assume) on Tuesday One, wouldn't the character be the size of Galactus? With horns like Galactus? I think it makes sense that it's Galactus. And Monday is just a weird day, just like in my zip code. [[Special:Contributions/67.60.145.86|67.60.145.86]] 13:36, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

What's a zip code? [[Special:Contributions/80.2.179.200|80.2.179.200]] 14:15, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
: Seriously? See {{w|ZIP code}}. [[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 15:09, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:: Not so off-the-wall. The zip code is an American-only thing. Might be worth a mention for non-American readers. [[User:Vyzen|Vyzen]] ([[User talk:Vyzen|talk]]) 16:21, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:::Strongly disagree with that statement. I live in Israel and we have and use zip codes. [[Special:Contributions/95.35.56.169|95.35.56.169]] 17:42, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

Doesn't the Monday guy sort of look like ''{{w|The Scream}}''?
[[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 15:09, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

Did anyone else try to put in a negative zipcode because of this? I think Google should use this as one of the easter eggs they're so fond of. [[Special:Contributions/138.162.8.57|138.162.8.57]] 16:14, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
: at weather.com a negative ZIP code gets you a "can't find" type result with Cancun, Mazatlan and Amsterdam offered as suggestions for where you were interested in. (I tried ZIPs from 10012 to 98072, same result for all I tried). Google Maps just ignores the negative and gives correct results. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:48, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

1245: 10-Day Forecast

2013-07-31T17:43:53Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1245
| date = July 31, 2013
| title = 10-Day Forecast
| image = 10 day forecast.png
| titletext = Oh, definitely not; they don't have Amazon Prime.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}

The 10-day forecast is a prediction of the weather extending 10 days into the future (with varying degrees of accuracy). However, when Cueball checks the forecast for his local area, it predicts extreme lightning storms, a plague of locusts, people running screaming, and the appearance of what appears to be the anti-Christ. The anti-Christ appears on Tuesday, and then the world ends (hence why all forecasts after that are labeled "Tuesday").
When asked about this, Megan explains that Cueball put a minus (-) sign in front of his ZIP code, and that all negative ZIP codes are like that. (The ZIP code (Zone Improvement Plan) is a numeric postal code used in the United States, which is often used to specify a local region geographically for the purposes of weather reports).

[http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Services-LLC-Prime/dp/B00DBYBNEE Amazon Prime] is a service provided by Amazon.com in which the user pays a flat yearly fee and in exchange gets access to a number of "enhanced" Amazon services, including free two-day shipping, free access to a library of streaming videos, and the ability to borrow books. In the title text, Megan agrees with Cueball's desire not to move to that ZIP code area, the punchline being that her reason is not to avoid the apocalypse, but to retain access to Amazon Prime, which shows that her priorities are amusingly warped.

==Transcript==
:

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1245: 10-Day Forecast

2013-07-31T17:43:04Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */ ZIP

{{comic
| number = 1245
| date = July 31, 2013
| title = 10-Day Forecast
| image = 10 day forecast.png
| titletext = Oh, definitely not; they don't have Amazon Prime.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}

The 10-day forecast is a prediction of the weather extending 10 days into the future (with varying degrees of accuracy). However, when Cueball checks the forecast for his local area, it predicts extreme lightning storms, a plague of locusts, people running screaming, and the appearance of what appears to be the anti-Christ. The anti-Christ appears on Tuesday, and then the world ends (hence why all forecasts after that are labeled "Tuesday").
When asked about this, Megan explains that Cueball put a minus (-) sign in front of his ZIP code, and that all negative ZIP codes are like that. (The ZIP code (Zone Improvement Plan) is a numeric postal code used in the United States, which is often used to specify a local region geographically for the purposes of weather reports).

[http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Services-LLC-Prime/dp/B00DBYBNEE Amazon Prime] is a service provided by Amazon.com in which the user pays a flat yearly fee and in exchange gets access to a number of "enhanced" Amazon services, including free two-day shipping, free access to a library of streaming videos, and the ability to borrow books. In the title text, Megan agrees with Cueball's desire not to move to that area code, the punchline being that her reason is not to avoid the apocalypse, but to retain access to Amazon Prime, which shows that her priorities are amusingly warped.

==Transcript==
:

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

1243: Snare

2013-07-26T15:46:48Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1243
| date = July 26, 2013
| title = Snare
| image = snare.png
| titletext = It's going in A collection of satellites skewered with pins and mounted in display boxes. Not necessarily MY collection.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
This comic satirises the art of {{w|Insect_collecting‎|butterfly catching}}, which is typically done with a net on a long pole called a {{w|Butterfly_net|butterfly net}}. In this comic, Black Hat's contraption to catch an {{w|International Space Station}} (ISS) has just been discovered and is all over the news.

The giant ring from the first panel is the {{w|Tevatron}}, a former circular particle accelerator at the {{w|Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory}} (Fermilab), east of Batavia, near Chicago, Illinois

Although Black Hat does not specify the exact space station he wants to catch, it is probable that he plans to catch the ISS which has a mean orbital height of 260 miles. The other currently operational space station is {{w|Tiangong-1}} with a mean orbital height of 223 miles, which would make it harder to catch for reasons explained later. Even if this comic occurs in the past, {{w|Mir}} is an unlikely target (~230 mi) or the {{w|Salyut|Salyuts}} (~150 mi) and {{w|Skylab}} was too high up (~273 mi). While he could possibly catch the space stations orbiting at a lower height, the effective aperture that the space station would need to pass through to be captured would be smaller as the net would have to be held at a lower angle, unless there is a mechanism for lowering the shaft into the mantle or shortening it while being operated. This would greatly complicate operations.

Also, it is unlikely that the ISS could survive such an impact as it would be disintegrated on impact. The mechanics of retrieving the station is a gigantic winch in St. Louis, the 630-foot high {{w|Gateway Arch|Gateway Arch Monument}}. It is the tallest man-made monument in the United States.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is talking to Black Hat. Black Hat is using a laptop.]
:Cueball: They said on the news that they found a giant ring lying in a field outside Chicago. Strung with some kind of superstrong mesh.
:Black Hat: Mhm?
:Cueball: Then they found a 260 mile long shaft connected to the ring, running from Chicago to St. Louis. In St. Louis they found a gigantic winch.
:Black Hat: Did they.
:Cueball: It sounds kind of like...
:Cueball: ...a butterfly net.
:Cueball: ...are you planning on catching the International Space Station?
:Black Hat: I'm planning to catch an International Space Station. Not sayin' which.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]

Talk:1239: Social Media

2013-07-17T15:57:27Z

67.51.59.66: Created page with "So how have folks responded to this one on Twitter? ~~~~"

So how have folks responded to this one on Twitter? [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 15:57, 17 July 2013 (UTC)

1237: QR Code

2013-07-16T15:46:54Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */ parallel phrasing

{{comic
| number = 1237
| date = July 12, 2013
| title = QR Code
| image = qr code.png
| titletext = Remember, the installer is watching the camera for the checksum it generated, so you have to scan it using your own phone.
}}

==Explanation==
{{W|QR code}}s are a type of 2D barcode that can be scanned using any of several apps on a smartphone. This comic illustrates installation of a new application that requires the smartphone to scan a QR code on its own screen. There is no conceivable purpose for such a step, so it would be completely silly. Even with two mirrors or a front-facing camera and mirror, most smartphones would be unable to simultaneously display the camera feed for the QR scanner and the QR code itself.

If scanned, the QR code in the comic reads <tt>http://xkcd.com/1237/scan/</tt>, a link to a nearly identical image, but the line above the QR code reads, "To continue reading," and the caption reads, "How to trap a webcomic reader in an infinite loop". The QR code is identical to the previous one. So, if scanned again, it would simply return teh scanner to the same image in an "infinite loop".

==Transcript==
:[A mobile phone screen.]
:To continue installing,
:[Image of a QR code which contains a link.]
:Scan this code.
:12 Seconds remaining

:How to freak out a mobile app user

==Trivia==
*Randall jokes about Webcomic Readers, trying to find all the secrets he hides. Not all of them have been found yet.

{{comic discussion}}

1237: QR Code

2013-07-12T17:46:28Z

67.51.59.66: /* Transcript */ .

{{comic
| number = 1237
| date = July 12, 2013
| title = QR Code
| image = qr code.png
| titletext = Remember, the installer is watching the camera for the checksum it generated, so you have to scan it using your own phone.
}}

==Explanation==
{{W|QR code}}s are a type of 2D barcode that can be scanned using mobile app on a smartphone. This comic illustrates a user installing a new mobile application that requires the smartphone to scan a QR code on its own screen. Even with two mirrors or a front-facing camera and mirror, most smartphones would be unable to simultaneously display the camera feed for the QR scanner and the QR code itself.

If scanned, the QR code in the comic links to a nearly identical image with a slightly changed caption that reads "How to trap a webcomic reader in an infinite loop".

==Transcript==
:[A mobile phone screen.]
:To continue installing,
:[Image of a QR code which links to http://xkcd.com/1237/scan/]
:Scan this code.
:12
:Seconds remaining
:How to freak out a mobile app user
{{comic discussion}}

1237: QR Code

2013-07-12T17:44:52Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */ .

{{comic
| number = 1237
| date = July 12, 2013
| title = QR Code
| image = qr code.png
| titletext = Remember, the installer is watching the camera for the checksum it generated, so you have to scan it using your own phone.
}}

==Explanation==
{{W|QR code}}s are a type of 2D barcode that can be scanned using mobile app on a smartphone. This comic illustrates a user installing a new mobile application that requires the smartphone to scan a QR code on its own screen. Even with two mirrors or a front-facing camera and mirror, most smartphones would be unable to simultaneously display the camera feed for the QR scanner and the QR code itself.

If scanned, the QR code in the comic links to a nearly identical image with a slightly changed caption that reads "How to trap a webcomic reader in an infinite loop".

==Transcript==
:[A mobile phone screen.]
:To continue installing,
:[Image of a QR code with link to http://xkcd.com/1237/scan/]
:Scan this code.
:12
:Seconds remaining
:How to freak out a mobile app user
{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1236: Seashell

2013-07-10T17:10:28Z

67.51.59.66: correction

Transcript looks terrible on a phone. --[[Special:Contributions/81.23.24.44|81.23.24.44]] 14:26, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
:Screenshot: http://www.imgur.com/A4nortJ.png --[[Special:Contributions/81.23.24.44|81.23.24.44]] 15:13, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
:Is it possible to make <math> comments somehow? --[[User:Chtz|Chtz]] ([[User talk:Chtz|talk]]) 14:57, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
It doesn't indicate that most times he has put the shell to his ear were not at the beach, he indicates that if he is picking up a shell not at a beach it is probably only to put it to his ear. Or rather, he rarely picks up seashells unless at the beach, and if he does then its only to test this crazy old wives tale.
[[Special:Contributions/75.158.106.126|75.158.106.126]] 14:33, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

The wrong equation was corrected. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Faedrivin Faedrivin] 15:59, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

I have usually tested the "shell by my ear" at home, far away from sea or ocean... and still heard "the sea" --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 16:20, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
: If what I read somewhere once (how's that for backing up my claim with an actual reference?) is correct what you actually hear is the sound of your own blood flowing through your veins. Not sure that's really true, but expect it is actually something of yourself you're hearing that happens to sound similar to a sea. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:09, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1236: Seashell

2013-07-10T17:09:42Z

67.51.59.66: blood is seawater, says Hemo the Magnificent.

Transcript looks terrible on a phone. --[[Special:Contributions/81.23.24.44|81.23.24.44]] 14:26, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
:Screenshot: http://www.imgur.com/A4nortJ.png --[[Special:Contributions/81.23.24.44|81.23.24.44]] 15:13, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
:Is it possible to make <math> comments somehow? --[[User:Chtz|Chtz]] ([[User talk:Chtz|talk]]) 14:57, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
It doesn't indicate that most times he has put the shell to his ear were not at the beach, he indicates that if he is picking up a shell not at a beach it is probably only to put it to his ear. Or rather, he rarely picks up seashells unless at the beach, and if he does then its only to test this crazy old wives tale.
[[Special:Contributions/75.158.106.126|75.158.106.126]] 14:33, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

The wrong equation was corrected. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Faedrivin Faedrivin] 15:59, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

I have usually tested the "shell by my ear" at home, far away from sea or ocean... and still heard "the sea" --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 16:20, 10 July 2013 (UTC)
: If what I read somewhere once (how's that for backing up my claim with an actual reference?) what you actually hear is the sound of your own blood flowing through your veins. Not sure that's really true, but expect it is actually something of yourself you're hearing that happens to sound similar to a sea. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:09, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

1231: Habitable Zone

2013-06-28T22:12:32Z

67.51.59.66: /* Trivia */ No. The possessive is correct (habitable zone of that single star), plural is not.

{{comic
| number = 1231
| date = June 28, 2013
| title = Habitable Zone
| image = habitable zone.png
| titletext = They have a telescope pointed RIGHT AT US!
}}

==Explanation==
While searching for {{w|extrasolar planet}}s this gullible astronomer is looking at a reflection of the Earth itself. He's very excited because he found a planet in a stars {{w|habitable zone}}, with visible oceans and weather. It is presumably quite likely to have life on it, which would be the first discovery many astronomers are looking for.

The title text goes on and says that the planet under observation has a mirror where the telescope is pointing on, so it's just a hint that the astronomer is actually only viewing the Earth. But even pointing to a mirror at a distance of the moon would require a real huge one, probably more than one hundred kilometer in diameter.

This was probably brought on by [http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=128372&org=NSF&from=news the discovery of three superearths in the habitable zone of a star].

==Transcript==
:Cueball: I've discovered an earth-sized planet in a star's habitable zone!
:Cueball: It even has oceans!
:Cueball: And visible weather!
:To mess with an astronomer, put a mirror in the path of their telescope.

==Trivia==
*Searching for extrasolar planets is still a hard job, so even the results from the {{w|Kepler (spacecraft)|Kepler mission}} are only classified as candidates. The findings still have to be confirmed by other (mostly earth based) telescopes.
*As in June 2013 there are no earth-sized planets confirmed, habitable or not.

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

1224: Council of 300

2013-06-12T17:26:18Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1224
| date = June 12, 2013
| title = Council of 300
| image = council_of_300.png
| titletext = 'And hypnotize someone into thinking they've uploaded it and passed it around.' 'But then won't the uploader get suspicious that it pauses at 301+ for a while? Why don't we just forge the number entirel--' ::BLAM:: 'The Council of 299 is adjourned.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|YouTube}} (a video sharing site) has an odd quirk in its view counter. When a video hits 301 views, the view counter briefly stops updating. This means that YouTube is checking the views to make sure that no foul play is going on. (The choice of the number 301 is due to a harmless off-by-one error; Numberphile produced a [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIkhgagvrjI video] that explains all this very well.) At times the number 301 catches some YouTubers off guard — for very popular videos, it may appear that the video has more likes than views!

More recently YouTube added a "301+" to indicate that the video has reached the 301 point and is awaiting review.

The author plays with the near coincidence of this number, and a conspiracy theory entity known as "The Committee of 300". "''The Committee of 300 aka The Olympians is a conspiracy theory which alleges the existence of a group founded by the British aristocracy in 1727.[1] Proponents believe the Committee to be an international council which organizes politics, commerce, banking, media, and the military for centralized global efforts.''" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_of_300 Wikipedia Article]

==Transcript==
:[A dark room with various silhouettes of cloaked figures, apparently seated at a table. Above them is a YouTube video. One of the figures (a leader of some kind) is holding up his hand.]
:Leader: ...then it is settled.
:We, the 300 members of the secret council,
:decree that this video meets our standards,
:and shall "go viral."

:Leader: Send it to one of our agents to be leaked to the common folk.
:Off-panel: Some of them are noticing the number.
:Leader: ...Add a plus sign to throw them off.
:Off-panel: Very well.

:[Cueball using a laptop.]
:Laptop: Ooh! Check out this great video I found!
:''click''

:[Closeup of a YouTube view counter displaying 301+.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:YouTube]]

1224: Council of 300

2013-06-12T17:25:32Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1224
| date = June 12, 2013
| title = Council of 300
| image = council_of_300.png
| titletext = 'And hypnotize someone into thinking they've uploaded it and passed it around.' 'But then won't the uploader get suspicious that it pauses at 301+ for a while? Why don't we just forge the number entirel--' ::BLAM:: 'The Council of 299 is adjourned.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|YouTube}} (a video sharing site) has an odd quirk in its view counter. When a video hits 301 views, the view counter briefly stops updating. This means that YouTube is checking the views to make sure that no foul play is going on. (The choice of the number 301 is due to a harmless off-by-one error; Numberphile produced a [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIkhgagvrjI video] that explains all this very well.) At times the number 301 catches some YouTubers off guard — for very popular videos, it may appear that the video has more likes than views!

More recently YouTube added a "301+" to indicate that the video has reached the 301 point and is awaiting review.

The author plays with the near coincidence of this number, and a conspiracy theory entity known as "The Committee of 300", ''The Committee of 300 aka The Olympians is a conspiracy theory which alleges the existence of a group founded by the British aristocracy in 1727.[1] Proponents believe the Committee to be an international council which organizes politics, commerce, banking, media, and the military for centralized global efforts.'' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_of_300 Wikipedia Article]

==Transcript==
:[A dark room with various silhouettes of cloaked figures, apparently seated at a table. Above them is a YouTube video. One of the figures (a leader of some kind) is holding up his hand.]
:Leader: ...then it is settled.
:We, the 300 members of the secret council,
:decree that this video meets our standards,
:and shall "go viral."

:Leader: Send it to one of our agents to be leaked to the common folk.
:Off-panel: Some of them are noticing the number.
:Leader: ...Add a plus sign to throw them off.
:Off-panel: Very well.

:[Cueball using a laptop.]
:Laptop: Ooh! Check out this great video I found!
:''click''

:[Closeup of a YouTube view counter displaying 301+.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:YouTube]]

Talk:1215: Insight

2013-05-23T17:03:55Z

67.51.59.66:

Indeed, somebody speaking circathe same remark but instead of Google Glass the subject could have been something then new such as the Horseless Carriage, a technology now known as the Automobile in which I will soon drive to work.
[[Special:Contributions/24.91.233.200|24.91.233.200]] 09:2013 (UTC)

:The same could be said for electrification (utility-provided mains, especially when extended to rural areas), steam locomotives, and industrialization as a whole. '''--BigMal27''' // [[Special:Contributions/192.136.15.177|192.136.15.177]] 11:2013 (UTC)

:: Yes. Exactly the point made by the comic. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:03, 23 May 2013 (UTC)

Let's make a list! --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 13:2013 (UTC)
:added <fire>, sorted by date--~~ ~~

*Maybe before we rush to adopt <Google Cornea Implants> we should stop to consider the consequences of blithely giving this technology such a central position in our lives. ''(2020)''
*Maybe before we rush to adopt <the internet> we should stop to consider the consequences of blithely giving this technology such a central position in our lives. ''(1986)''
*Maybe before we rush to adopt <TV> we should stop to consider the consequences of blithely giving this technology such a central position in our lives. ''(1954)''
*Maybe before we rush to adopt <automobiles> we should stop to consider the consequences of blithely giving this technology such a central position in our lives. ''(1914)''
*Maybe before we rush to adopt <electrification> we should stop to consider the consequences of blithely giving this technology such a central position in our lives. ''(1880's)''
*Maybe before we rush to adopt <growing food> we should stop to consider the consequences of blithely giving this technology such a central position in our lives. ''''
*Maybe before we rush to adopt <fire> we should stop to consider the consequences of blithely giving this technology such a central position in our lives. ''''



I think that most people initially view a new idea or technology with skepticism and/or suspicion, but eventually accept it and learn to incorporate into their everyday life. This generally works out fine, and of. Historical examples of this abound: the telephone, electricity, and the automobile, for example, probably all caused controversy when they were first rolled out to the general public, but today we couldn't imagine our lives without them. Another great example is civil rights. At first, the public attacks civil rights activists as radicals, then tolerates them as equals, and eventually hails them as heroes who fought for good and justice.

However, I would caution against thinking that every new idea is equally beneficial, and that those who express initial concern about the latest gizmo are merely backward Luddites. Humans are generally a lot better at figuring out how to make/do/use something before we figure out if it's good for us. Just look at drug companies like Bayer at the turn of the, who marketed aspirin (good) right alongside heroin (not so good) as great new drugs for modern medicine. Or think about eugenics, which developed out of evolutionary theory. While evolution was, is, and probably will always be the foundation of modern biology, eugenics provided justification for some truly horrible actions in thepeople decided that it was all bull**** science.

Or, take Google Streetview. Sure, it's a great new technology, and I use it almost daily. But think about the unprecedented amount of information Google has been able to collect on (literally) the entire world. I don't think anywe fully understand the repercussions that these new Google technologies will have on our lives, and I'd argue that it's premature to ignore or ridicule people who advocate caution with Google Glasses. After all, we're talking about strapping a camera to your face! Just my .

TL;DR: New technology isn't always good technology.

Hi '''Chris j''', please sign your posts by using the sign button on top of the editor. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:2013 (UTC)

<blockquote>unprecedented amount of information Google has been able to collect on (literally) the entire world</blockquote>
Nothing like the entire world. Vast areas have no streets. Even where there are streets, there are large areas either nowhere near a street or not visible from the street. I await Google JungleView, SteppeView and (ahem) BedroomView. Or maybe not. [[Special:Contributions/203.206.118.14|203.206.118.14]] 02:2013 (UTC)

Talk:1215: Insight

2013-05-22T18:08:59Z

67.51.59.66:

Talk:1212: Interstellar Memes

2013-05-16T16:18:54Z

67.51.59.66:

I'm surprised ponies didn't make the list given how massively and completely they took over the Internet in recent years. Then again, xkcd hasn't made any mention of the phenomenon, which is pretty nice, I guess. [[Special:Contributions/76.106.251.87|76.106.251.87]] 04:35, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:Given that the closest one, "I'm on a boat," predates the first episode of MLP:FiM by more than a year (the brony phenomenon by even more), it's safe to say that ponies have not reached the nearest star yet. --[[Special:Contributions/24.145.230.202|24.145.230.202]] 04:42, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:: Agreed. MLP:FIM premiered in October 2010. The show will hit the Alpha Centauri system early 2015. [[User:Frijole|Frijole]] ([[User talk:Frijole|talk]]) 16:28, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

It would be great to have the distances (in light years) of the stars as a fourth column. This would also provide a chronological order. --[[Special:Contributions/84.75.61.103|84.75.61.103]] 08:06, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

If I look at the page source, there is no transcript this time... [[User:Kaa-ching|Kaa-ching]] ([[User talk:Kaa-ching|talk]]) 08:41, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

anyone else notice Sirius is getting the Bellatrix one? [[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 08:49, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:Yeah, it was funny :D [[User:Zakator|Zakator]] ([[User talk:Zakator|talk]]) 10:55, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
::Should this reference be mentioned? On the one hand, it is a spoiler, but on the other hand, a) we *are* here to explain the jokes, and b) the book is almost a decade old, so I'm pretty sure there's a statute of limitations involved here. [[User:Curtmack|Curtmack]] ([[User talk:Curtmack|talk]]) 14:56, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:::It's also funny that Sirius ''is'' a character in Harry Potter books/films. Double joke? --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 15:21, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

If any civilization have nothing better to do that repeating our memes, there is no need to apologize to them: they will obviously be glad they have at least something. How many people on our planet are repeating memes from other civilizations? None. (The circles in crop doesn't count, they are not send by radio.) -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 08:51, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

Given that the Rick Astley one is on the same star as Portal, which came out in 2007, it's probably meant to refer to rickrolling (and thus the date should also be 2007 for that one). [[User:Zakator|Zakator]] ([[User talk:Zakator|talk]]) 10:55, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

All your base are belong to us didn't start as a meme in the 1970. I don't have precise data right now but I'm pretty sure it was 1997-99 when it first appeared on the internet. Also, what is the Sun doing? [[Special:Contributions/195.32.50.126|195.32.50.126]] 11:14, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:1998 according to knowyourmeme. And I think the Sun is probably sending out all those radio waves for the aliens to listen to, or something? But I couldn't find an accurate way to portray it, so I just left it at that. [[User:Zakator|Zakator]] ([[User talk:Zakator|talk]]) 11:18, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:: The map only shows stars, or rather star systems. We live in the sol system, where all these memes originate from, hence the sun is shown as the origin of the "radio waves". In the same fashion, these supposed aliens don't actually live on the stars themselves, but rather on planets (or maybe moons?) around the stars. --[[User:Buggz|Buggz]] ([[User talk:Buggz|talk]]) 11:49, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

In "Take me to your leader! - No, Steve", what is the "No, Steve" part referencing? The link currently is just for the "take me to your leader" part. [[Special:Contributions/72.92.72.222|72.92.72.222]] 15:14, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:I thought that the "No, Steve" made it into an explicit reference to Newsboys album/song (Steve Taylor wrote the lyrics for it). But then, that's a song fron 1996, and it would not be consistent with distance, while 1953 makes more sense... [[Special:Contributions/195.32.50.126|195.32.50.126]] 15:49, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

If you order the list by distance, further stars should get memes from earlier times, but this is not always the case. I think that some of the memes deserve more investigation, namely: "Internets!", "You're the man now, dog" and "All your base are belong to us!". Sort the list by distance and it becomes immediately apparent what I mean. [[Special:Contributions/195.32.50.126|195.32.50.126]] 15:54, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:"Internets" was from George W Bush but in 2004. [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/internets internets meme]--[[Special:Contributions/145.253.244.103|145.253.244.103]] 16:08, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:"You're the man now, dog" refers to a web site launched in 2001 which fits to the approx. 12 Lj.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:29, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:"All your base are belong to us!" should also belong to 2001. I found this [http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2001/02/42009 wired.com] which explains that the internet meme probably began in 2001. But I am not sure.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:37, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

Wouldn't "I'm on a boat!", as a popular and well-known meme known to the wider public, refer to the Old Spice commercial, rather than a song by the The Lonely Island? None of the few I spoke with had ever heard of the group, but all credited the quote to "the Old Spice guy". [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:56, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:I thought about this also before. But "I'm on a boat!" is the meme published by "The Lonely Island".--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:02, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:>meme
:>published
:pick one [[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 21:36, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
::Old Spice Guy says "You're on a boat", and finishes with "I'm on a horse"[http://lybio.net/old-spice-the-man-your-man-could-smell-like/commercials/]... "I'm on a boat" isn't quite right for OSG. --[[User:SurturZ|SurturZ]] ([[User talk:SurturZ|talk]]) 03:45, 16 May 2013 (UTC)
:::I sit corrected. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 16:18, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1212: Interstellar Memes

2013-05-15T17:56:47Z

67.51.59.66:

I'm surprised ponies didn't make the list given how massively and completely they took over the Internet in recent years. Then again, xkcd hasn't made any mention of the phenomenon, which is pretty nice, I guess. [[Special:Contributions/76.106.251.87|76.106.251.87]] 04:35, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:Given that the closest one, "I'm on a boat," predates the first episode of MLP:FiM by more than a year (the brony phenomenon by even more), it's safe to say that ponies have not reached the nearest star yet. --[[Special:Contributions/24.145.230.202|24.145.230.202]] 04:42, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:: Agreed. MLP:FIM premiered in October 2010. The show will hit the Alpha Centauri system early 2015. [[User:Frijole|Frijole]] ([[User talk:Frijole|talk]]) 16:28, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

It would be great to have the distances (in light years) of the stars as a fourth column. This would also provide a chronological order. --[[Special:Contributions/84.75.61.103|84.75.61.103]] 08:06, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

If I look at the page source, there is no transcript this time... [[User:Kaa-ching|Kaa-ching]] ([[User talk:Kaa-ching|talk]]) 08:41, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

anyone else notice Sirius is getting the Bellatrix one? [[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 08:49, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:Yeah, it was funny :D [[User:Zakator|Zakator]] ([[User talk:Zakator|talk]]) 10:55, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
::Should this reference be mentioned? On the one hand, it is a spoiler, but on the other hand, a) we *are* here to explain the jokes, and b) the book is almost a decade old, so I'm pretty sure there's a statute of limitations involved here. [[User:Curtmack|Curtmack]] ([[User talk:Curtmack|talk]]) 14:56, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:::It's also funny that Sirius ''is'' a character in Harry Potter books/films. Double joke? --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 15:21, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

If any civilization have nothing better to do that repeating our memes, there is no need to apologize to them: they will obviously be glad they have at least something. How many people on our planet are repeating memes from other civilizations? None. (The circles in crop doesn't count, they are not send by radio.) -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 08:51, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

Given that the Rick Astley one is on the same star as Portal, which came out in 2007, it's probably meant to refer to rickrolling (and thus the date should also be 2007 for that one). [[User:Zakator|Zakator]] ([[User talk:Zakator|talk]]) 10:55, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

All your base are belong to us didn't start as a meme in the 1970. I don't have precise data right now but I'm pretty sure it was 1997-99 when it first appeared on the internet. Also, what is the Sun doing? [[Special:Contributions/195.32.50.126|195.32.50.126]] 11:14, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:1998 according to knowyourmeme. And I think the Sun is probably sending out all those radio waves for the aliens to listen to, or something? But I couldn't find an accurate way to portray it, so I just left it at that. [[User:Zakator|Zakator]] ([[User talk:Zakator|talk]]) 11:18, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:: The map only shows stars, or rather star systems. We live in the sol system, where all these memes originate from, hence the sun is shown as the origin of the "radio waves". In the same fashion, these supposed aliens don't actually live on the stars themselves, but rather on planets (or maybe moons?) around the stars. --[[User:Buggz|Buggz]] ([[User talk:Buggz|talk]]) 11:49, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

In "Take me to your leader! - No, Steve", what is the "No, Steve" part referencing? The link currently is just for the "take me to your leader" part. [[Special:Contributions/72.92.72.222|72.92.72.222]] 15:14, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:I thought that the "No, Steve" made it into an explicit reference to Newsboys album/song (Steve Taylor wrote the lyrics for it). But then, that's a song fron 1996, and it would not be consistent with distance, while 1953 makes more sense... [[Special:Contributions/195.32.50.126|195.32.50.126]] 15:49, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

If you order the list by distance, further stars should get memes from earlier times, but this is not always the case. I think that some of the memes deserve more investigation, namely: "Internets!", "You're the man now, dog" and "All your base are belong to us!". Sort the list by distance and it becomes immediately apparent what I mean. [[Special:Contributions/195.32.50.126|195.32.50.126]] 15:54, 15 May 2013 (UTC)
:"Internets" was from George W Bush but in 2004. [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/internets internets meme]--[[Special:Contributions/145.253.244.103|145.253.244.103]] 16:08, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

Wouldn't "I'm on a boat!", as a popular and well-known meme known to the wider public, refer to the Old Spice commercial, rather than a song by the The Lonely Island? None of the few I spoke with had ever heard of the group, but all credited the quote to "the Old Spice guy". [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:56, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1204: Detail

2013-04-26T16:48:52Z

67.51.59.66: .

I'm not certain as to what the date should be, as I'm in New Zealand. I've taken one off of my current date (26th) as a precaution. Anyone who knows the right date (or right timezone) please edit it accordingly. --[[User:ZephireNZ|ZephireNZ]] ([[User talk:ZephireNZ|talk]]) 04:25, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

This comic arrive a day early, right?[[User:Afhoke|Afhoke]] ([[User talk:Afhoke|talk]]) 04:42, 26 April 2013 (UTC)
:Most likely a result of the time machine. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 05:02, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Any idea if the typo Ne*ghborhood is intentional and what it might refer to? [[Special:Contributions/141.17.83.10|141.17.83.10]] 07:11, 26 April 2013 (UTC)
: It appears to have just been a mistake, as it's now been corrected on the panel at kxcd. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 16:48, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Forget electronic microscope. Where do you think they would be STORING the maps? Nearby galaxies? Other dimension? .... oh, I see: Black Mesa Research Facility is a google service company researching storage technologies. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 08:13, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Shouldn't the vertical axis be reversed? If the Planck length is the theoretical smallest length, wouldn't most readers expect the smallest value to be lowest on the vertical axis? Thus the log scale line would angle downward, more clearly indicating that the resolution lengthy is getting smaller with time. The way it it is drawn, the first impression might be that the resolution length is increasing, not decreasing. Just a suggestion. XKCD is my favorite comic because I learn something new almost every day! {{unsigned|Matthew-e-hackman}}
: I had the same thought. Had to pause a moment to reassure myself Planck Length is a small thing. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 16:48, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Randall really likes pointing out the dangers of excessive extrapolation, doesn't he! One of his key themes. And this one is taking extremes to the extreme. [[User:Robbak|Robbak]] ([[User talk:Robbak|talk]]) 13:00, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1203: Time Machines

2013-04-24T16:30:03Z

67.51.59.66: QL

This one kinda went over my head; the explanation is the best I could come up with. [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 05:00, 24 April 2013 (UTC)
:Examine the transcript and Cueball's movement in the second and third panel. The time machine in this comic is a time-reversing one, not a time jumping one. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 05:13, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

My thoguhts:
Cueball turns on the time machine, which starts up and they start going back in time, returning to the time the machine it turned on. Time is going in perfect reverse, so the machine switches off and then he is back where he started. [[Special:Contributions/216.81.49.162|216.81.49.162]] 05:10, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

The Machine even turns back Cueballs actions, so maybe even his memory of turning it on, what might make him so puzzled - eventually - if he decides rational to try the machine (and if desicdes always rational) - he will get in a loop of turning it on - travelling back and forgetting that event - and turning it on again. - That might get Interesting [[Special:Contributions/212.202.64.10|212.202.64.10]] 05:32, 24 April 2013 (UTC) Lupo

I don't think he looks puzzled because nothing happened, I think he's curious b/c he just came across a Time Machine. That is, the last frame of the strip takes place seconds before the first. So the "trouble" with time machines (of this variety) is that if you go back in time you can't take the present with you, and nothing changes.
[[Special:Contributions/76.95.49.45|76.95.49.45]] 06:00, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

Alternative view: Feedback. Stephen Hawking has discussed the general problem with a whole class of time machines (namely, wormwhole based time machines), where the energy from the future is added exponentially to the system due to system feedback. More or less as a microphone cannot get too close to its speaker without having that horrible sound. This would explain who the guy in the comic turns the machine off... there is a large buildup of energy feedback and this can be observed in the EEEEE...

"In the end, I think a wormhole like this one can't exist. And the reason for that is feedback. If you've ever been to a rock gig, you'll probably recognise this screeching noise. It's feedback. What causes it is simple. Sound enters the microphone. It's transmitted along the wires, made louder by the amplifier, and comes out at the speakers. But if too much of the sound from the speakers goes back into the mic it goes around and around in a loop getting louder each time. If no one stops it, feedback can destroy the sound system.
The same thing will happen with a wormhole, only with radiation instead of sound. As soon as the wormhole expands, natural radiation will enter it, and end up in a loop. The feedback will become so strong it destroys the wormhole. So although tiny wormholes do exist, and it may be possible to inflate one some day, it won't last long enough to be of use as a time machine. That's the real reason no one could come back in time to my party.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1269288/STEPHEN-HAWKING-How-build-time-machine.html#ixzz2RMMowXrs" {{unsigned ip|128.12.95.6}}

But with that above analogy, in a sound system, you have external power to amplify the signal - the energy the microphone takes out is not what gets put back out. In a wormhole, unless there is something to amplify the radiation that comes out the other end then it's a closed system (and if you do amplify it then where did THAT energy come from). (Nigel 08:39, 24th April (UTC))

A more generalized flow chart explaining the problem with time machines, assuming you get to keep moving forward: http://i4.minus.com/jqqrkqg1QKp84.png --[[User:Willowy burrito|Willowy burrito]] ([[User talk:Willowy burrito|talk]]) 13:17, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

Another problem with this design of a time machine is that it draws power from the wall. What would happen if he crosses the time when there was no outlet at that location? Or no power grid at all? But that may not pose a problem here because it seems he doesn't get too far back into the past anyway. So, for our future time machine inventors: make those machines self-contained! --[[Special:Contributions/216.165.95.66|216.165.95.66]] 15:24, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

:I think that pretty much somes up why some people think you can't use a time machine to go back in time before the time machine ''itself'' existed. If it was an ancient time machine, you could go back quite far, but if one was made on February 5, 2013 you couldn't travel before that point because the time machine wouldn't exist before that time, so no time machine anymore, no travel. Hence what you said about crossing the time when there was no outlet. Cueball couldn't go back that far. --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 15:36, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

:: Paging <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Beckett#Dr._Beckett.27s_string_theory">Dr Sam Beckett</a>... [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 16:30, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

PRIMER!!!!!!!

Talk:1200: Authorization

2013-04-17T17:11:45Z

67.51.59.66:

This is the reason that I set sudo to not prompt for a password. I just make sure my computer locks itself aggressively. [[Special:Contributions/130.18.105.246|130.18.105.246]] 06:59, 17 April 2013 (UTC)

The admin account should still be guarded EXACTLY for the ability to install drivers. The driver you don't want to have installed is keylogger stealing your passwords. I mean, you don't have your bank password remembered in browser, do you? Still, auto-logout or auto-lock is important feature. You should also set-up and use separate account for high-risk activities (like opening emails from unknown persons promising naked celebrities ... ok, you actually shouldn't be opening such emails at all, but if you are really curious ...). -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:06, 17 April 2013 (UTC)

:Even if you can log into your bank account, you could not transfer money without authorizing transactions. [[User:BKA|BKA]] ([[User talk:BKA|talk]]) 11:23, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
::My bank account website logs me out if I'm inactive for 10 minutes. It doesn't even leave the page up, it switches to a login screen. [[Special:Contributions/24.77.229.71|24.77.229.71]] 14:35, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
:I wonder how useful a keylogger would be if you never typed a username or e-mail to go with the password. Every important account I have has that remembered, and I just type the password. It sounds like it would be zero context. [[Special:Contributions/76.106.251.87|76.106.251.87]] 15:09, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
::Except usernames tend to be reasonably easy to figure. E-mails certainly are what with folks tending to broadcast their e-mail addresses to everyone. So passwords, although also often not overly difficult to crack (http://xkcd.com/936/), remain the part not generally known. Not worrying about a keylogger picking up a password, even "out of context" would be a mistake. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:11, 17 April 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1177: Time Robot

2013-02-22T22:48:27Z

67.51.59.66:

A lot of Randall's recent comics are quite poetic. It's like some kind of trend. '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 05:14, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

Is this a Terminator reference? (Never seen the movies) [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 05:20, 22 February 2013 (UTC)
:Yeah, it probably is. '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 11:26, 22 February 2013 (UTC)
:And you should see them sometime. They're pretty good. (The first two.) [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 22:48, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

[http://www.xkcd.com/602 A similar reference] has been made before(by Randall).09:22, 22 February 2013 (UTC)
:Did you mean to post the ep602 link against the previous comic 1176? [[User:DreamingDaemon|DD]] ([[User talk:DreamingDaemon|talk]]) 11:20, 22 February 2013 (UTC)
: Probably [[652: More Accurate|6'''5'''2]]. [[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 20:53, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

1177: Time Robot

2013-02-22T22:46:29Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1177
| date = February 22, 2013
| title = Time Robot
| image = time robot.png
| titletext = NO FATE BUT THE NARRATIVES WE IMPOSE ON LIFE'S RANDOM CHAOS TO DISTRACT OURSELVES FROM OUR EXISTENTIAL PLIGHT
}}

==Explanation==
The comic starts with a scene similar to one in the 1984 science fiction action film ''{{w|The Terminator}}''. In the movie a killing robot (played by {{w|Arnold Schwarzenneger}}) is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor, the main female protagonist of the movie. A human, Kyle Reese, also travels back in time to protect her (and he acquires a {{w|sawed-off shotgun}} which Cueball holds in the strip).

However, in the following panels, Cueball explains that, even if he succeeds protecting Megan from the killing robot, we all are hunted by an unstoppable enemy trying to kill us – time. He goes on to point to the similarities between the time and a Terminator. The clock visible in the third panel features a red light in the place of a 3-hour marker, which is a reference to {{w|Terminator (character concept)#Physical characteristics|glowing red eyes}} of a Terminator.

In the final panel, “come with me if you want to live” is a [http://terminator.wikia.com/wiki/Come_with_me_if_you_want_to_live. famous phrase from the movie], but in this case, amended with the facts about the inevitability of eventual death.

Also, the title text is a play on a quote from ''The Terminator'', where Sarah Connor starts to believe that “[http://terminator.wikia.com/wiki/There%27s_no_fate_but_what_we_make_for_ourselves. There's no fate but what we make for ourselves.]”. It is also a reference to the character “{{w|Death (Discworld)|Death}}” in {{w|Terry Pratchett}}’s ''{{w|Discworld}}'' novels. In the Discworld novels, Death’s voice is always depicted in small caps and he is often caught making sometimes bizarre philosophical statements about life and death.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball runs towards Megan with shotgun in hand.]
:Cueball: I'm from the future!
:Cueball: You're being stalked by an unstoppable robotic assassin!

:[Close up of Cueball's head.]
:Cueball: Of course, in a sense, we're ''all'' being stalked by an unstoppable robot.
:Cueball: A robot called ''time''.

:[Cueball looking at a clock.]
:Cueball: I see it in the mirror. I see wrinkles, grey hairs.
:Cueball: I hear its metallic footsteps in the relentless rhythm of the ticking clock.

:[Cueball reaches out to Megan.]
:Cueball: Anyway, uhh - come with me if you want to live for a while.
:Cueball: You'll still die eventually.
:Cueball: We all will.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

Talk:1175: Moving Sidewalks

2013-02-18T16:59:11Z

67.51.59.66:

I'm not quite sure what the joke here is supposed to be. Many have tried to develop variable speed walkways, as one can see in [patents|http://worldwide.espacenet.com/searchResults?page=0&compact=false&ST=advanced&locale=en_EP&DB=EPODOC&CPC=B66B23%2f26%2flow]. There was even a pair of these that were installed circa Y2K in the Paris subway (Châtelet-Les-Halles, IIRC), which is renowned for its long passageways. It is AFAIK no longer in service, I don't know why. When I saw it an attendant was present to watch over for making sure that users wouln't fall. This contraption is way more complicated than standard rubber-belt conveyors with its meshing steps. --[[Special:Contributions/70.52.115.181|70.52.115.181]] 15:59, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

I know what I'm building this weekend... [[Special:Contributions/207.237.164.241|207.237.164.241]] 06:22, 18 February 2013 (UTC)
:I just wonder if it is possible to remove these stupid posts and the panel on top of them from my treadmill without breaking it... {{unsigned|89.174.214.74}}

Isn't "of" suppose to be "off" in the title text? {{unsigned|67.161.114.84}}

Do anybody know examples of such belts. The ones I recall has all one-speed-only [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 10:43, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

I was under the impression (from the alt-text), that they would take the belts inward traveling faster until they hi-five. Then, as they sped away, they would change sides and repeat the process. 10:56, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

I don't see why they are positioned as they are. If they were taking the belts inward, they would take advantage of the momentum imparted by the belts and be going much faster than their stride would normally take them. The way they are positioned, they would have to be running to just catch up to each other in the middle. [[Special:Contributions/64.121.163.170|64.121.163.170]] 11:06, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

:This is surely the point. They have to run faster as they get closer. [[Special:Contributions/77.99.26.23|77.99.26.23]] 12:00, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

There doesn't appear to be any 'trick' to this one. Like the commenter above, I initially thought they were being taken towards each other by the conveyers. I thought the joke was that they would be accelerated to a ridiculous speed which would make it impossible to high five without obliterating each other, but the alt text didn't indicate anything like this and I looked again and realised I had read way too much into it. It's probably most sensible to interpret the speed multiples as relating to the first belts, not the last one you were on. This makes the difference between the '5x' belts going at 5x the speed of the outer ones, instead of 100x if each was the specified multiple of the last. If this alternative situation were the case, the outer belts would have to be going very slowly (of the order of 0.1m/s) for them to ever be able to high five. [[Special:Contributions/77.99.26.23|77.99.26.23]] 12:00, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

The appears reminiscent of Improv Everywhere's prank, "High-Five Escalator" http://improveverywhere.com/2009/02/09/high-five-escalator/ [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]])

I'm sure I would fall over trying to use this one. --[[Special:Contributions/173.49.75.121|173.49.75.121]] 14:09, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

Randall updated the comic, explaining that he meant to draw the arrows going the way Cueball and Megan are facing, not opposite. I'd change the wiki, but I don't get it now. :) [[User:Zpletan|Zpletan]] ([[User talk:Zpletan|talk]])

The Comic has been changed: "Oops! I originally put up a version with backward sidewalk arrows. I should know better than to edit and post comics while sleep-deprived. Sorry!" [[Special:Contributions/86.32.218.17|86.32.218.17]] 14:28, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

I don't think they're going a multiple of the previous belt, but a multiple of base speed. Just my 2 cents :) Also, I think the belts are moving toward each other to get the ultimate "high five" in terms of velocity of the impact. {{unsigned|161.31.32.81}}

I don't see why anyone would think the "5x speed" etc would mean 5 times the previous tile. Seems obvious to me that the first tile is moving at some speed, the second tile is moving twice that base speed, the third moving 3x that base, etc. So when the pass each other their moving at 10x the base speed. Assuming the base speed is something reasonable, something near a typical walking speed, the high five would take place at a speed similar to if they were just sprinting past each other. Hardly a "ridiculous speed which would make it impossible to high five without obliterating each other." [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 16:58, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1175: Moving Sidewalks

2013-02-18T16:58:38Z

67.51.59.66:

I'm not quite sure what the joke here is supposed to be. Many have tried to develop variable speed walkways, as one can see in [patents|http://worldwide.espacenet.com/searchResults?page=0&compact=false&ST=advanced&locale=en_EP&DB=EPODOC&CPC=B66B23%2f26%2flow]. There was even a pair of these that were installed circa Y2K in the Paris subway (Châtelet-Les-Halles, IIRC), which is renowned for its long passageways. It is AFAIK no longer in service, I don't know why. When I saw it an attendant was present to watch over for making sure that users wouln't fall. This contraption is way more complicated than standard rubber-belt conveyors with its meshing steps. --[[Special:Contributions/70.52.115.181|70.52.115.181]] 15:59, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

I know what I'm building this weekend... [[Special:Contributions/207.237.164.241|207.237.164.241]] 06:22, 18 February 2013 (UTC)
:I just wonder if it is possible to remove these stupid posts and the panel on top of them from my treadmill without breaking it... {{unsigned|89.174.214.74}}

Isn't "of" suppose to be "off" in the title text? {{unsigned|67.161.114.84}}

Do anybody know examples of such belts. The ones I recall has all one-speed-only [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 10:43, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

I was under the impression (from the alt-text), that they would take the belts inward traveling faster until they hi-five. Then, as they sped away, they would change sides and repeat the process. 10:56, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

I don't see why they are positioned as they are. If they were taking the belts inward, they would take advantage of the momentum imparted by the belts and be going much faster than their stride would normally take them. The way they are positioned, they would have to be running to just catch up to each other in the middle. [[Special:Contributions/64.121.163.170|64.121.163.170]] 11:06, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

:This is surely the point. They have to run faster as they get closer. [[Special:Contributions/77.99.26.23|77.99.26.23]] 12:00, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

There doesn't appear to be any 'trick' to this one. Like the commenter above, I initially thought they were being taken towards each other by the conveyers. I thought the joke was that they would be accelerated to a ridiculous speed which would make it impossible to high five without obliterating each other, but the alt text didn't indicate anything like this and I looked again and realised I had read way too much into it. It's probably most sensible to interpret the speed multiples as relating to the first belts, not the last one you were on. This makes the difference between the '5x' belts going at 5x the speed of the outer ones, instead of 100x if each was the specified multiple of the last. If this alternative situation were the case, the outer belts would have to be going very slowly (of the order of 0.1m/s) for them to ever be able to high five. [[Special:Contributions/77.99.26.23|77.99.26.23]] 12:00, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

The appears reminiscent of Improv Everywhere's prank, "High-Five Escalator" http://improveverywhere.com/2009/02/09/high-five-escalator/ [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]])

I'm sure I would fall over trying to use this one. --[[Special:Contributions/173.49.75.121|173.49.75.121]] 14:09, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

Randall updated the comic, explaining that he meant to draw the arrows going the way Cueball and Megan are facing, not opposite. I'd change the wiki, but I don't get it now. :) [[User:Zpletan|Zpletan]] ([[User talk:Zpletan|talk]])

The Comic has been changed: "Oops! I originally put up a version with backward sidewalk arrows. I should know better than to edit and post comics while sleep-deprived. Sorry!" [[Special:Contributions/86.32.218.17|86.32.218.17]] 14:28, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

I don't think they're going a multiple of the previous belt, but a multiple of base speed. Just my 2 cents :) Also, I think the belts are moving toward each other to get the ultimate "high five" in terms of velocity of the impact. {{unsigned|161.31.32.81}}

I don't see why anyone would think the "5x speed" etc would mean 5 times the previous tile. Seems obvious to me that the first tile is moving at some speed, the second tile is moving twice that base speed, the third moving 3x that base, etc. SO when the pass each other their moving at 10x the base speed. Assuming the base speed is something reasonable, something near a typical walking speed, the high five would take place at a speed similar to if they were just sprintint past each other. Hardly a "ridiculous speed which would make it impossible to high five without obliterating each other." [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 16:58, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1175: Moving Sidewalks

2013-02-18T16:58:23Z

67.51.59.66:

I'm not quite sure what the joke here is supposed to be. Many have tried to develop variable speed walkways, as one can see in [patents|http://worldwide.espacenet.com/searchResults?page=0&compact=false&ST=advanced&locale=en_EP&DB=EPODOC&CPC=B66B23%2f26%2flow]. There was even a pair of these that were installed circa Y2K in the Paris subway (Châtelet-Les-Halles, IIRC), which is renowned for its long passageways. It is AFAIK no longer in service, I don't know why. When I saw it an attendant was present to watch over for making sure that users wouln't fall. This contraption is way more complicated than standard rubber-belt conveyors with its meshing steps. --[[Special:Contributions/70.52.115.181|70.52.115.181]] 15:59, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

I know what I'm building this weekend... [[Special:Contributions/207.237.164.241|207.237.164.241]] 06:22, 18 February 2013 (UTC)
:I just wonder if it is possible to remove these stupid posts and the panel on top of them from my treadmill without breaking it... {{unsigned|89.174.214.74}}

Isn't "of" suppose to be "off" in the title text? {{unsigned|67.161.114.84}}

Do anybody know examples of such belts. The ones I recall has all one-speed-only [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 10:43, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

I was under the impression (from the alt-text), that they would take the belts inward traveling faster until they hi-five. Then, as they sped away, they would change sides and repeat the process. 10:56, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

I don't see why they are positioned as they are. If they were taking the belts inward, they would take advantage of the momentum imparted by the belts and be going much faster than their stride would normally take them. The way they are positioned, they would have to be running to just catch up to each other in the middle. [[Special:Contributions/64.121.163.170|64.121.163.170]] 11:06, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

:This is surely the point. They have to run faster as they get closer. [[Special:Contributions/77.99.26.23|77.99.26.23]] 12:00, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

There doesn't appear to be any 'trick' to this one. Like the commenter above, I initially thought they were being taken towards each other by the conveyers. I thought the joke was that they would be accelerated to a ridiculous speed which would make it impossible to high five without obliterating each other, but the alt text didn't indicate anything like this and I looked again and realised I had read way too much into it. It's probably most sensible to interpret the speed multiples as relating to the first belts, not the last one you were on. This makes the difference between the '5x' belts going at 5x the speed of the outer ones, instead of 100x if each was the specified multiple of the last. If this alternative situation were the case, the outer belts would have to be going very slowly (of the order of 0.1m/s) for them to ever be able to high five. [[Special:Contributions/77.99.26.23|77.99.26.23]] 12:00, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

The appears reminiscent of Improv Everywhere's prank, "High-Five Escalator" http://improveverywhere.com/2009/02/09/high-five-escalator/ [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]])

I'm sure I would fall over trying to use this one. --[[Special:Contributions/173.49.75.121|173.49.75.121]] 14:09, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

Randall updated the comic, explaining that he meant to draw the arrows going the way Cueball and Megan are facing, not opposite. I'd change the wiki, but I don't get it now. :) [[User:Zpletan|Zpletan]] ([[User talk:Zpletan|talk]])

The Comic has been changed: "Oops! I originally put up a version with backward sidewalk arrows. I should know better than to edit and post comics while sleep-deprived. Sorry!" [[Special:Contributions/86.32.218.17|86.32.218.17]] 14:28, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

I don't think they're going a multiple of the previous belt, but a multiple of base speed. Just my 2 cents :) Also, I think the belts are moving toward each other to get the ultimate "high five" in terms of velocity of the impact. {{unsigned|161.31.32.81}}

I don't see why anyone would thing the "5x speed" etc would mean 5 times the previous tile. Seems obvious to me that the first tile is moving at some speed, the second tile is moving twice that base speed, the third moving 3x that base, etc. SO when the pass each other their moving at 10x the base speed. Assuming the base speed is something reasonable, something near a typical walking speed, the high five would take place at a speed similar to if they were just sprintint past each other. Hardly a "ridiculous speed which would make it impossible to high five without obliterating each other." [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 16:58, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1173: Steroids

2013-02-13T17:27:32Z

67.51.59.66:

Does anyone know what that 'something' is? That's what I came here to find out... :/ --[[User:NeatNit|NeatNit]] ([[User talk:NeatNit|talk]]) 11:57, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

:I had a lot of ideas, but I don't know. It might be a molecule, some sort of portal transmitting sound, a star, a future life form.
:--[[User:Jaap-Jan|Jaap-Jan]] ([[User talk:Jaap-Jan|talk]]) 12:13, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

::My first instinct was that Megan was talking to the asterisk that gets put next to world records held by athletes who have been suspected of using steroids.
::[[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 17:08, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

I think the "artificial boundary" isn't so artificial. There is a clear difference between food chemicals, which are healthy for us, vs steroid chemicals, which cause all sorts of health problems. Of course, then Megan would have to explain that we have limited lifespans and we greatly value our quality of life, and these steroids would decrease our quality of life. [[Special:Contributions/70.31.159.230|70.31.159.230]] 13:41, 13 February 2013 (UTC)
:So on the one side of this "clear boundary" you'd have something like Big Macs (food, good for us) and on the other you'd have vitamin supplements (non-food chemicals, bad)?
:Like trying to line up all the people in the world and draw a clear line to divide blacks from whites, it's too much of a gradual spectrum to be anything other than arbitrary. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:27, 13 February 2013 (UTC)
== Douglas Adams ==

Does anyone else feel that the title text has a strong Douglas Adams flavour?
And if so, can we make that hard with a quote from one of his books?

:It's a biblical reference, Genesis 3:19, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return", King James version.[[User:Jasqm|Jasqm]] ([[User talk:Jasqm|talk]]) 14:03, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

:D.N.A. has been known to reference the bible:
:-"In the beginning, the universe was created. This made a lot of people unhappy and has been widely regarded as a bad move."
:-"And then one day, nearly two thousand years after one man was nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be if people were nice to each other for a change..."
:[[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 17:08, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

Ive said that Douglas Adams write for XKCD for years now...Notice if you change all the letters to their corresponding number (A=1, B=2, etc) and add them, you get 42 ;) [[Special:Contributions/90.205.199.80|90.205.199.80]] 12:49, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

Not just a Biblical reference, the comic is published on (western christian) Ash Wednesday... [[User:Patmiller|Patmiller]] ([[User talk:Patmiller|talk]]) 14:58, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

1172: Workflow

2013-02-11T17:41:20Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */ users didn't create it

{{comic
| number = 1172
| date = February 11, 2013
| title = Workflow
| image = workflow.png
| titletext = There are probably children out there holding down spacebar to stay warm in the winter! YOUR UPDATE MURDERS CHILDREN
}}

==Explanation==
Users will often try to work around bugs in software, and are sometimes able to get used to having the bugs around. Some bugs are even interpreted as features and users complain when the software authors fixed them. A similar effect may be caused by other improvements, particularly those which involve changes in the user interface.

The comic shows a somehow extreme example. Some software had a bug causing the CPU to overheat when you hold the spacebar. In version 10.17, the bug was fixed. Soon, longtimeuser4 complained that they liked the "feature" of CPU overheating on holding spacebar, presents the workflow how they use it (which is, again, more weird than usual) and wants an option to re-enable it. Emacs (''E''ditor ''MAC''ro''S'') is a text editor popular in Linux (with ports to virtually all operating systems including Android) that features a very powerful internal macro language. Macros are little programs or scripts for automating repetitive tasks.

Examples of real life changes in software which, though often acclaimed by critics, caused great annoyance among existing user base include ribbons introduced in Microsoft Office 2007, Start screen of Windows 8 or Unity desktop manager bundled with Ubuntu since version 11.10. In the latter case, developers included an option to use the older interface; for the rest, applications emulating (to some extent) old behaviour were developed by third parties.

The title text makes a hyperbole to humorous effect, children will freeze to death during the winter because they won't be warmed by a rather unconventional heater. Proving (or creating an illusion of) a connection between one's opinion and care for children's welfare is a common method of gaining public support for this opinion, as such arguments are hard to deflect by the other side of the debate.

==Transcript==
Latest: 10.17       [Update]
----
:'''Changes in version 10.17:'''
:The CPU no longer overheats
:when you hold down spacebar.
----
:<div style="margin-left: 5em;">Comments:</div>
:'''LongtimeUser4''' writes:

:This update broke my workflow!
:my control key is hard to reach,
:so I hold spacebar instead, and I
:configured Emacs to intepret a
:rapid temperature rise as "control".

:'''Admin''' writes:

:That's horrifying.

:'''LongtimeUser4''' writes:

:Look, my setup works for me.
:Just add an option to reenable
:spacebar heating.

:Every change breaks someone's workflow.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Computers]]

Talk:1162: Log Scale

2013-01-18T18:24:00Z

67.51.59.66:

The fictional notation MAY BE a parody of Knuth's up-arrow notation - and uranium MAY BE an effective energy source. By the way, labeling the energy sources just with material name is insufficient: how good energy source is hydrogen? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:17, 18 January 2013 (UTC)
:It has a calorific value of about 150 kJ/gm(much higher when compared to coal,etc.) but is too explosive[[User:Guru-45|Guru-45]] ([[User talk:Guru-45|talk]]) 14:24, 18 January 2013 (UTC)
:is it really a parody? (well, probably arrow notation grows much more, here there is just a log log log etc) --[[User:.mau,|.mau.]] ([[User talk:.mau,|talk]]) 14:10, 18 January 2013 (UTC)
It's true that uranium has an extremely high energy density, which is of great importance for mobile power plants; however, nuclear fission has a lot of safety issues, especially for mobile power, which is why it is used only for stationary power plants and large military vessels, such as aircraft carriers and subs.

Hydrogen is pretty good when highly compressed so as to get high energy volume density as well, but that leads to problems too. Also, hydrogen leaks more easily than almost anything else. That is especially a problem for an extremely flammable gas. On the plus side for hydrogen, nothing burns more cleanly.

:"The log scale can also be abused to make data look more uniform than it really is, so on a log scale sugar and other materials would look largely equal energy density when they clearly are not."
I think this is missing the point, which I take to be that displaying the data on a log scale would understate the vast difference between ''uranium'' and the hydrocarbons/carbohydrates:
E/m log(E/m)
sugar 19 1.3 *
coal 24 1.4 *
fat 39 1.6 **
gas 46 1.7 **
uranium 76e6 7.9 ****.***
Uranium is clearly larger than the others, but only by a factor of 4, so the real magnitude of the difference may not be appreciated.
With the stack of paper, he's proposing a way to show linear values for the data without having the uranium column simply shooting off the top of the page, with an arrow and the number. [[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 17:26, 18 January 2013 (UTC)
: or, he could just print at a scale that allows 76,000,000 to fit on the page, with the other values shown as near-infinitesimally thin lines. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 18:23, 18 January 2013 (UTC)

1131: Math

2012-11-08T21:41:28Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */ battleground states are hotly contested more because they could go either way, not because of the number of electoral votes they have.

{{comic
| number = 1131
| date = November 7, 2012
| title = Math
| image = xkcdmath.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = As of this writing, the only thing that's 'razor-thin' or 'too close to call' is the gap between the consensus poll forecast and the result.
}}

==Explanation==
In another election-themed comic (this one posted the day after the {{w|United States presidential election, 2012|2012 U.S. presidential election}} (see [[1122: Electoral Precedent]], [[1127: Congress]], and [[1130: Poll Watching]]), this comic shows a bar graph representing expected (see note below) electoral college votes in the election, including a dotted line indicating the 270 votes needed to win, a span of projections ("Forecast"), and the actual result.

The forecast range is above the 270 line, showing that Obama (the 'Blue Candidate' according to convention since the 2000 election) was always projected to win by statisticians like Nate Silver and others. The only question among these people was how much he was going to win by. By contrast, most of the media was calling the election too close to call, and some news outlets actually projecting a Romney win.

For those unfamiliar with the US Presidential electoral process: unlike other political offices, the election for president is not a direct election. Instead, each state is apportioned a certain number of "electoral college" votes based on population. For the most part (and there is perennial discussion on whether this should be changed) the candidate that receives the most votes in a given state receives all the electoral college votes for that state. With 538 electoral votes total, receiving 270 electoral college votes ((half of 538) + 1) is sufficient to be declared president-elect. For this reason, it is possible to have one candidate actually receive more "popular" votes (more people voted for the candidate,) but have fewer electoral college votes.

The electoral college votes are expectations until the official voting in early December.

==Transcript==
:Heading: Math
:[Bar chart showing 58% blue and 42% red. Header showing range between 53-63% with heading "Forecast". Arrow below pointing at meeting of blue and red sections of graph with heading "Result"]
:Caption: '''Breaking:''' To surprise of pundits, numbers continue to be best system for determining which of two things is larger.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics with charts]]

1131: Math

2012-11-07T19:00:11Z

67.51.59.66: /* Explanation */ 270 isn't just "deemed" sufficient to win, it *IS* all you need to win.

{{comic
| number = 1131
| date = November 7, 2012
| title = Math
| image = xkcdmath.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = As of this writing, the only thing that's 'razor-thin' or 'too close to call' is the gap between the consensus poll forecast and the result.
}}

==Explanation==
In another election-themed comic (this one posted the day after the {{w|United States presidential election, 2012|2012 U.S. presidential election}} (see [[1122: Electoral Precedent]], [[1127: Congress]], and [[1130: Poll Watching]]), this comic shows a bar graph representing expected (see note below) electoral college votes in the election, including a dotted line indicating the 270 votes needed to win, a span of media & exit poll projections ("Forecast"), and the actual result. Such a visual -- and the true result of the election -- can only be based on the actual data available, proving the comic's point that the numbers matter more than any rhetoric.

For those unfamiliar with the US Presidential electoral process: unlike other political offices, the election for president is not a direct election. Instead, each state is apportioned a certain number of "electoral college" votes based on population. For the most part (and there is perennial discussion on whether this should be changed) the candidate that receives the most votes in a given state receives all the electoral college votes for that state. With 538 electoral votes total, receiving 270 electoral college votes is sufficient to be declared president-elect. For this reason, it is possible to have one candidate actually receive more "popular" votes (more people voted for the candidate,) but have fewer electoral college votes, and consequently, why some "battleground states" are so hotly contested.

The electoral college votes are expectations until the official voting in early December.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Politics]]

Talk:1125: Objects In Mirror

2012-10-24T18:43:26Z

67.51.59.66:

Anyone else think that the smallness of this comic is unusual? I can barely read the mirror. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 14:41, 24 October 2012 (UTC)
:Agreed. The key part of the "punchline" is the word "bluer", and it's '''really''' hard to read. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 18:43, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

Text on the mirror is larger than it appears.

It's probably from the viewpoint of the driver.--[[User:Castriff|Jimmy C]] ([[User talk:Castriff|talk]]) 16:49, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

I think title text refers to the expansion of the universe and the speed of light. The observable universe is viewed from light that originated in the past. The further away the object, the further back in time we observe it. In an expanding universe, the universe we observe today is actually how it looked in the past (smaller) and we are unable to observe it's present size (larger) due to the great distances and the time it takes for the light to arrive. Thus, the universe is larger than it appears, no matter if you view it traveling towards or away from any object. --[[User:Bpiltz|Bpiltz]] ([[User talk:Bpiltz|talk]]) 15:47, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

----

If the object in the mirror were another car overtaking this one, it would actually be redder than it appears. --[[User:Prooffreader|Prooffreader]] ([[User talk:Prooffreader|talk]]) 17:51, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

Talk:1123: The Universal Label

2012-10-19T18:20:26Z

67.51.59.66:

I think Randall may be going for another pun with the title text, as "H" is the chemical symbol for hydrogen.--[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 15:42, 19 October 2012 (UTC)
----
I suspect that without Helium and a little Lithium we wouldn't even be here discussing this. These were both formed independently of Hydrogen shortly after the BB and without them the first stars would have been huge and short-lived...[[Special:Contributions/62.255.252.76|62.255.252.76]] 14:34, 19 October 2012 (UTC)
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But you can make matter using energy, therefore, you only need energy and time! Ray
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The label's missing energy. Just saying. [[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]] ([[User talk:Davidy22|talk]]) 04:34, 19 October 2012 (UTC)
:But isn't it somehow contained in the hydrogen? I don't know squat about quantum physics, so I'm probably wrong. [[Special:Contributions/108.233.253.211|108.233.253.211]] 04:49, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

::Actually, the amount of energy in any grocery or non-grocery (even in explosives) is significally lower that the amount of energy in hydrogen used for their creation. Sure, you need energy to grow crops, but where does that energy come from? Hydrogen fusion in Sun - which is first step of creating the carbon the crop is from (not the same crop, of course). -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:12, 19 October 2012 (UTC)
----
So when [http://xkcd.com/282/ Mussolini made the trains run on thyme] he was really making them run on hydrogen '''and''' time?--[[User:Pmakholm|Pmakholm]] ([[User talk:Pmakholm|talk]]) 08:18, 19 October 2012 (UTC)
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I think this is the smallest xkcd comic ever. :-)
--[[Special:Contributions/85.159.196.21|85.159.196.21]] 09:43, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

It's also the first in a long time to make me laugh out loud! Steve B.
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I suspect Randall was influenced by this quote: "Given enough time, hydrogen starts to wonder where it came from, and where it is going", attributed to Edward R. Harrison. --[[User:Prooffreader|Prooffreader]] ([[User talk:Prooffreader|talk]]) 10:58, 19 October 2012 (UTC)
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Actually, I'm not sure you can make antimatter with just regular hydrogen.

--[[Special:Contributions/85.159.196.21|85.159.196.21]] 11:24, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

:Why would food contain antimatter? --[[User:Kronf|Kronf]] ([[User talk:Kronf|talk]]) 12:21, 19 October 2012 (UTC)
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I think I've spotted my first Randall mistake. Using this ingredient list, The amount of time must exceed the amount of hydrogen (unless the product is hydrogen) thus Time should be listed first on the label. — Comment by [[User:14:09, 19 October 2012|14:09, 19 October 2012]] ([[User talk:14:09, 19 October 2012|talk]]) Anthingy ''(please sign your comments)''

:Which units are you using? How do you relate a cup full of Time and a day full of Hydrogen? [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 18:20, 19 October 2012 (UTC)
----
Yes, that may be a mistake, but the FDA website mentions "predominance by weight." I'm not sure how time would compare to hydrogen in that respect. Also I translated thyme = H+time = tHime. --[[Special:Contributions/207.170.250.186|207.170.250.186]] 14:25, 19 October 2012 (UTC)
:Also, it's not Randall's first mistake, he made some in the last comic. [[User:???|?]][[User talk:???|?]][[Special:Contributions/???|?]] 14:31, 19 October 2012 (UTC)
::Implying the above commentor is Randall. [[Special:Contributions/76.122.5.96|76.122.5.96]] 15:15, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Time is not a proper ingredient like hydrogen. It is permitted in Randall's ingredient list by cartoon license.