explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2921: Eclipse Path Maps

2024-04-18T08:31:17Z

Condor70:

Can anyone think of some particularly pathological solar eclipse examples? [[User:Lordpipe|Lordpipe]] ([[User talk:Lordpipe|talk]]) 06:11, 18 April 2024 (UTC)
:The {{w|Solar eclipse of August 12, 2026|2026 eclipse}} will be pretty hard to see. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.193.195|172.68.193.195]] 07:42, 18 April 2024 (UTC)

This fictional map has a passing resemblance to the {{w|Solar_eclipse_of_August_12,_2026|august 12, 2026 solar eclipse}} passing over Greenland, Iceland and the north of Spain.
Calling Iceland the isle of perpetual fog is kind of fitting, but there are hardly any tornados in Africa. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 08:29, 18 April 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2921: Eclipse Path Maps

2024-04-18T08:29:01Z

Condor70:

Can anyone think of some particularly pathological solar eclipse examples? [[User:Lordpipe|Lordpipe]] ([[User talk:Lordpipe|talk]]) 06:11, 18 April 2024 (UTC)
:The {{w|Solar eclipse of August 12, 2026|2026 eclipse}} will be pretty hard to see. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.193.195|172.68.193.195]] 07:42, 18 April 2024 (UTC)

This fictional map has a passing resemblance to the {{w|Solar_eclipse_of_August_12,_2026|august 12, 2026 solar eclipse}} passing over Greenland, Iceland and the north of Spain.
Calling Iceland the isle of fog is kind of fitting. But there are hardly any tornados in Spain. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 08:29, 18 April 2024 (UTC)

2778: Cuisine

2023-05-22T15:05:24Z

Condor70:

{{comic
| number = 2778
| date = May 19, 2023
| title = Cuisine
| image = cuisine_2x.png
| imagesize = 200x312px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = My connection to it goes way back, to my early days, when I was just a cloud of primordial hydrogen collapsing in the darkness of space.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a MICHELIN-RATED BROWN DWARF. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Fusion cuisine}} is a style of cuisine based on combining aspects of the cuisines of two or more cultures, such as a combination of French and Chinese food, or Mexican and Korean food.

[[Cueball]] conflates the reference to fusion in "fusion cuisine", combining cooking styles to create exciting new forms of food, with {{w|nuclear fusion}}, combining atomic nuclei to create new kinds of atoms. The recipe is described as the initiation of {{w|deuterium}} fusion in a kilogram ("four cups") of {{w|heavy water}} and allowing the reaction to continue to its endpoint, {{w|iron}}. The "very high heat" specified in the recipe would be the million-plus Kelvin at which {{w|deuterium fusion}} is initiated in stars.

The title text refers to {{w|stellar fusion}} as responsible for at least one atom in each molecule of every living thing (excepting a tiny proportion of {{w|lithium hydride}}){{Actual citation needed}}, all our food and water, and indeed everything but primordial [[2719: Hydrogen Isotopes|hydrogen isotopes]], and the tiny proportions of helium and lithium that were synthesized at the end of the {{w|radiation-dominated era}}; thus Cueball's personal interest in "fusion" cuisine. People often say that an interest of theirs goes back to their "early days", referencing their childhood, but in this case it appears that Cueball's interest goes back to before when he was born, which is unusual.{{fact}}

==Transcript==
:[White Hat stands behind Cueball, who is cooking on a stove seen from the side. Cueball has his left hand on the handle of a pot which is on one of the stove's burners. In Cueball's right hand is a small cup.]
:Cueball: Next, we heat four cups of heavy water over ''very'' high heat until it thickens and becomes rich in iron.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I'm getting really into fusion cuisine.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Food]]

2719: Hydrogen Isotopes

2023-01-04T08:53:58Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2719
| date = January 2, 2023
| title = Hydrogen Isotopes
| image = hydrogen_isotopes_2x.png
| imagesize = 442x250px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Oops, All Neutrons is also known as Neutral Quadrium, Nydnonen, and Goth Tritium.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BREAK ROOM DE BROGLIE MICROWAVE USER. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{W|Hydrogen}} is the simplest of the chemical atoms, usually consisting of an electron orbiting a lone proton, but with two other naturally occuring {{w|isotope}}s. This comic shows real and humorously fictional forms of hydrogen, generally depicted according the {{w|Discovery of the neutron#Proton–neutron model of the nucleus|Chadwick model}} of the atom; see [[2100: Models of the Atom]] for details.

{| class="wikitable"
! "Isotope"
! Real?
! Description
|-
|Hydrogen
|Yes
|Hydrogen-1 is the most common isotope of hydrogen, with one proton and one electron, shown with the electron orbiting the proton. It is also known as protium.
|-
|Deuterium
|Yes
|{{w|Deuterium}} is the second most common isotope of hydrogen, with one electron and both a neutron and proton in its nucleus. About one of every 6,760 hydrogen atoms in seawater is deuterium.
|-
|Tritium
|Yes
|{{w|Tritium}} is the third most common isotope of hydrogen, with one electron and a nucleus of one proton and two neutrons, for an atomic mass of about three {{w|Dalton (unit)|daltons}}. It is radioactive with a half-life of about twelve years, and is very rare (but not as rare as unbound "instant hydrogen" neutrons.)
|-
|Ium
|Not as shown
|This is depicted as an electron orbiting around nothing. Heavier hydrogen isotopes are named from a prefix designating the number of {{w|nucleons}} followed by the suffix "-ium" (which is also {{w|systematic element name|used to name newly discovered elements}} before they are given a proper name, e.g. {{w|unununium}} for element 111) so no nucleus is designated here with no prefix. A free electron will not circle around nothing, but instead will gain momentum towards positive and away from negative electromagnetic field potentials. At very high densities, free electron momentum is also influenced by {{w|electron degeneracy pressure}} but it doesn't result in circular motion either.
|-
|Wheelium
|No
|This fictional form consists of a proton, electron, and neutron orbiting around nothing, shaped similarly to a wheel. The neutron could bind to the proton, but will more likely {{w|Elastic_scattering#Nuclear particle physics|elastically scatter}} away.
|-
|Instant hydrogen (ready in 15 minutes)
|Yes, but rare
|This is just a single neutron. An unbound neutron will decay into a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino, with a mean lifetime of just under fifteen minutes. The proton and electron ''can'' form into a hydrogen atom, but that [https://van.physics.illinois.edu/ask/listing/1207 only happens about four times in a million.] The name is likely a reference to "instant" food such as noodles which are reduced for convenience and can be quickly reconstituted.
|-
|Hydrogen (maximum strength)
|No
|This fictional isotope consists of a proton, an electron, and what appear to be at least 14 neutrons. This isotope's proton would not be bound to all the neutrons. It would immediately decay by {{w|Nuclear drip line|dripping}} most all of them away, producing a large amount of energy. "Maximum strength" may be a reference to over-the-counter medicines containing the largest quantity of active ingredients permitted.
|-
|Oops, All Neutrons
|Maybe
|This fictional form consists of four neutrons, a {{w|tetraneutron}}, with one orbiting around a group of three. The name is likely a reference to an American breakfast cereal called {{w|Cap'n Crunch#Variations|Oops! All Berries}}.

The title text provides three other names: 1. "Neutral Quadrium": {{w|Isotopes_of_hydrogen#Hydrogen-4|Quadrium}} is an extremely rare artificial isotope of hydrogen with a proton and three neutrons.[https://www.chem.ccu.edu.tw/~hu/Web_Lib/articles/Muonium+H2_Science_2011.pdf][https://www.lenr-canr.org/acrobat/GodesRcontrolled.pdf] The proton and electron have been replaced with neutrons. 2. "Nydnonen" is the word "hydrogen" with three consonants replaced by the letter 'n' so it has four of them representing the four neutrons. 3. "Goth Tritium": All the particles in the depiction are black, resembling typical {{w|gothic fashion}}, and in the same configuration as the particles of tritium.
|}

{{notice2|The Mountain View, California Public Library is hosting an online chat with [[Randall Munroe]] Tuesday, January 31 at 11am Pacific. [https://libraryc.org/mountainviewlibrary/22032 Register here to send your question(s) to the moderators.]|image=Crystal Project Agt announcements.png}} 

==Transcript==
:[Eight drawings of different versions of hydrogen atoms are shown. They are arranged in two rows of four. The depictions use the planetary model version with for instance a negative electron (with a "-" written inside a small circle) orbiting a positive proton (with a "+" written inside a larger circle) and a black neutron depicted as a circle of the same size as the neutron, as in the second atom - Deuterium. Each has a label underneath. Here, they are listed in reading order:]
:[An electron orbiting a proton:]
:Hydrogen

:[An electron orbiting a proton connected with a neutron:]
:Deuterium

:[An electron orbiting a proton connected with two neutrons, so they form a triangle:]
:Tritium

:[An electron orbiting nothing:]
:Ium

:[An electron a proton and a neutron all orbiting on the same circle around nothing. They are placed equidistant from each other forming a large triangle:]
:Wheelium

:[A single neutron:]
:Instant Hydrogen (ready in 15 minutes)

:[An electron orbiting a proton connected with many neutrons, 13 visible with six touching the proton which are in front. Four more are close to those six and mostly shown and then three are only just visible behind the others. Looking closely there are also two smaller dots near the edge indicating at least two more, for 15 that can be seen. And several more would be behind the visible neutrons if this forms a spherical shape. The electrons orbit just barely goes around the outer neutrons:]
:Hydrogen (maximum strength)

:[Four neutrons arranged like the particles in Tritium with a neutron orbiting a triangle of neutrons.]
:Oops, all neutrons

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]

2717: L6 Lagrange Point

2022-12-28T20:22:58Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2717
| date = December 27, 2022
| title = L6 Lagrange Point
| image = l6_lagrange_point_2x.png
| imagesize = 399x400px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It's difficult to orbit L6 stably due to gravitational perturbation from Akron and Toledo.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LANDED LAGRANGE POINT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In celestial mechanics, the {{w|Lagrange point}}s are points of equilibrium for small-mass objects under the influence of two massive orbiting bodies. Or in simpler terms, positions in space where objects can float motionless relative to the defining bodies. The L1, L2, and L3 points are unstable, as any drifting off the point (e.g. due to the gravity of other bodies) might quickly increase the tendency to depart the area. However, there are quasi-stable halo orbits around these points, like the one used by the James Webb telescope. The L4 and L5 points can actually retain objects stably over long periods, resulting in the Sun-Jupiter L4 and L5 points capturing the {{w|Trojan (celestial_body)|Trojan Asteroids}}.

There are five traditional Lagrange points. Two form equilateral triangles with the two massive objects (in this case the Earth and the Sun), and three more are collinear with the massive objects. Randall claims that a sixth Lagrange point has been discovered outside of {{w|Cleveland}}, {{w|Ohio}}. This is pretty obviously farcical, as this would be part of the Earth and thus not gravitationally balanced between Earth and the Sun, and the joke [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlaceWorseThanDeath plays on Cleveland's reputation as a strange place]. The joke is that there is a different type of place named Lagrange: {{w|LaGrange,_Ohio|Lagrange, OH}} is a small (population 2,103) village outside Cleveland ([https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lagrange,+OH+44050/ map].)

The title text mentions {{w|Akron}} and {{w|Toledo,_Ohio|Toledo}}, two other large cities in Ohio. It says that their gravitational influence is the reason why orbits around the Cleveland L6 are unstable. Trying to orbit around a point on the ground would, of course, run into much more serious problems.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:Grey on white diagram of the Earth orbiting the Sun, not to scale. Earth is depicted as a circle with pale grey continents on darker grey seas, and shows a view from above the North Pole without any Arctic ice. The sun is drawn surrounded by radially symmetrical exaggerated wave pattern.
:Also in grey, approximate locations of Lagrange points 1 to 5 are marked with dots and labels: "L1" "L2" "L3" "L4" "L5".
:In black, a point on the Earth's surface within the boundary of a continent that could be North America. Also in black, an arrow pointing towards the point, and the label "L6".
:Caption: "Huge space news: Astronomers have discovered a new Lagrange point just outside Cleveland."

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Science]]

Talk:2705: Spacetime Soccer

2022-12-01T09:20:58Z

Condor70:

Wow, that was fast {{unsigned ip|172.70.131.8|03:48, 1 December 2022‎}}
:What was? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.46|172.70.162.46]] 04:27, 1 December 2022 (UTC)
Does someone want to point out to Randall that it is the offside rule, not offsides rule [[Special:Contributions/172.70.134.122|172.70.134.122]] 04:57, 1 December 2022 (UTC)
:It's often pluralized in American English, per Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offside_(sport) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.151.44|172.71.151.44]] 05:22, 1 December 2022 (UTC)
I currently have no time to expand the explanation, but it should be pointed out that the gravity well drawing is a graph and not an actual surface. Also, people are perfectly fine with moving though 4 dimensional spacetime. We do it every day. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 09:19, 1 December 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2705: Spacetime Soccer

2022-12-01T09:19:38Z

Condor70:

Wow, that was fast {{unsigned ip|172.70.131.8|03:48, 1 December 2022‎}}
:What was? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.46|172.70.162.46]] 04:27, 1 December 2022 (UTC)
Does someone want to point out to Randall that it is the offside rule, not offsides rule [[Special:Contributions/172.70.134.122|172.70.134.122]] 04:57, 1 December 2022 (UTC)
:It's often pluralized in American English, per Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offside_(sport) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.151.44|172.71.151.44]] 05:22, 1 December 2022 (UTC)
I currently have no time to expand the explanation, but it should be pointed out that the gravity well drawing is a graph and not an actual surface. Also, people are perfectly fine with moving though spacetime. We do it every day. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 09:19, 1 December 2022 (UTC)

2647: Capri Suns

2022-07-18T19:56:25Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2647
| date = July 18, 2022
| title = Capri Suns
| image = capri_suns.png
| titletext = [As security is dragging me away] "Come on, at least I didn't make the mistake in the other direction!"
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a DISGUSTED NURSE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Capri Sun}}, a German juice concentrate drink, is a soft, flat, rectangular bag you poke a straw into. The most common flavor is Orange. In hospitals, saline (and urine) bags are also soft, flat, rectangular bags with the end of an IV drip connection tube sticking out. {{w|Saline (medicine)}} solutions are usually about 0.90% sodium chloride (table salt), so would taste fairly salty compared to a Capri Sun which is mostly just sugar. It's also possible the bag is a urine bag with urine from a patient, which would likewise be salty as the function of {{w|Urine|urine}} is to filter out excess salts and substances from the body.

The title text is pointing out that mistakenly drinking saline ''out'' of the bag like a Capri Sun is better than a Capri Sun being put ''into'' a patient's body, similar to a saline IV drip, as this would likely seriously endanger, if not kill, the recipient. The speaker appears to be using this as a justification for their actions, since their incompetence was, while inexcusable, at least not actually deadly to anyone. The security mentioned in the title text are likely not impressed by this, as hospitals are places where the act of pretending to be a doctor has the potential for many dangerous outcomes.

The comic arguably functions as a continuation of [[451: Impostor]] and [[699: Trimester]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Created by SOMEONE W.H.O. IS NOT A DOCTOR - Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball, wearing a lab coat, is drinking out of a straw inserted into an IV drip bag. The figure is surrounded by doctors and hospital staff who appear to include Ponytail and Megan, all of whom are looking at Cueball.]
:Cueball: You know, these Capri Suns are good, but they're ''really'' salty.

:[Caption below panel:]
:I think the hospital may be starting to realize that I'm not actually a doctor.

:[Title text:]
:[As security is dragging me away] "Come on, at least I didn't make the mistake in the other direction!"

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Doctor Ponytail]]

Talk:2578: Sword Pull

2022-02-08T16:25:23Z

Condor70:

I was going to opine that the title text should have said "mini bike" instead of "dirt bike" since the former is usually started by a recoil pull rope and the latter by a kick start. But I guess technically neither one is started by a magic sword so kind of a toss up. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.221|172.70.126.221]] 22:48, 7 February 2022 (UTC)Pat
:I know nothing of these machines but a quick google search brought me to [https://www.funbikes.co.uk/sc67_pull-start-parts this page] with three items listed as "Dirt Bike Pull Start" so seems that is a thing? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:56, 8 February 2022 (UTC)
There is a pun with dirt mound / mount.

Hope u like my explanation {{unsigned ip|172.70.110.151}}

I though the sword belongs to {{w|Lady of the Lake}} ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:29, 7 February 2022 (UTC)
:The sword from the stone (proof of lineage/fate) really should be considered differently from the one from the lake ("strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88DZhwKqHM4 Citation])", but they do tend to be conflated by some versions of the storytelling. The various myths were already that confused/contradictory/clashing centuries ago. (Some versions have Excalibur drawn from the stone to start his destiny, but ultimately then have him (...have a trusted but reluctant knight to) 'return' it to the Lady Of The Lake, from whence it presumably came (before being set in the stone), at the end of his life.)
:But I choose to go with the strand of canon that says that the 'kingmaker' sword was separate, got broken in a personal combat he should not rightfully have fought, and that only after reparations for the incident was he directed to go receive Excalibur, as its replacement, from its watery source.
:Really though, it probably is all a mistelling (and probably very Freudian, in every way!) of what never quite happened anyway. Except for the version where the time-traveller does the setting up of the contest with tidally-powered electromagnets and possibly an unintended recipient of the legend made true... ;) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.79|172.70.85.79]] 00:34, 8 February 2022 (UTC)

::I thought Lancelot (possibly one of the others?) received Excalibur as a proof of valor, and chose to pass it on to his king as a sign of respect; no longer the knight whose pride in his own virtue stops him bowing to a higher authority. Guess there's more versions than I know. ''Returning'' the sword I remember; but I thought he originally obtained it second hand, so the Lady accepting the sword back was the final proof that he had been worthy to have it. [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 02:03, 8 February 2022 (UTC)

:::Honestly, there are so many versions of the story, and so many unrelated stories merged into it, that it's probably impossible to identify the "canonical" version. Monty Python's version is no less valid than Geoffrey of Monmouth's. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.228|162.158.187.228]] 16:02, 8 February 2022 (UTC)

Merlin is a brand of motorcycle produced in Spain from 1980-1984. [[User:KingPenguin|KingPenguin]] ([[User talk:KingPenguin|talk]]) 01:36, 8 February 2022 (UTC)

:Wow, I heard of them but didn't realise the brand was so short-lived. [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 02:03, 8 February 2022 (UTC)

"Dirt bike" could also be interpreted as an -apparently motorized- bike made of dirt. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 16:25, 8 February 2022 (UTC)

2528: Flag Map Sabotage

2021-10-14T08:24:42Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2528
| date = October 13, 2021
| title = Flag Map Sabotage
| image = flag_map_sabotage.png
| titletext = Delaware hopes to explore the western edge of areas marked with the Belgian flag, once the tornadoes die down.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a GOD-EMPEROR OF GREATER DELAWARE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The comic refers to a style of map uses a map legend to demonstrate the country's borders. This flag contains a fake map legend that causes the colors of country flags to be reinterpreted according to the legend. For example the south of Russia would become part of Greater Delaware as the bottom of the Russian flag is red, which the legend marks as Greater Delaware. A number of common flag colors are included.

The title text refers to the flag of Belgium, which consists of three vertical stripes in the order black, yellow, and red. The western part of Belgium would, according to the legend, be unexplored, while the eastern part would be Greater Delaware. The middle would therefore be a tornado zone separating the unexplored area from Greater Delaware. Depending on how the flags are aligned it would be possible to explore from the south. The north is not viable as rebel forces would be present.

Also, because Belgium is ther northern neighbor of France, whose flag is made of vertical stipes with Blue-White-Red, the French Greater Delaware may be conveniently located to help said exploration.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A flag displays a white country-shaped area surrounded by a red field. Inside the shape sits a map legend.]

:Map Legend
:[Bright blue rectangle] Disputed territory
:[Green rectangle] Newly independent
:[Blue rectangle] Demilitarized zone
:[Yellow rectangle] Tornado warning
:[Dark blue rectangle] Held by rebel forces
:[Red rectangle] Greater Delaware
:[Black rectangle] Unexplored

:[Caption below panel]
:Our new country's flag sabotages those maps where geographic areas are colored in with flag patterns.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Maps]]
[[Category:Sabotage]]

548: Kindle

2021-09-09T19:30:28Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 548
| date = February 25, 2009
| title = Kindle
| image = kindle.png
| titletext = I'm happy with my Kindle 2 so far, but if they cut off the free Wikipedia browsing, I plan to show up drunk on Jeff Bezos's lawn and refuse to leave.
}}

==Explanation==
The {{w|Amazon Kindle}} is a device that allows people to read books via ebook format. The comic was published three weeks after {{w|Amazon.com|Amazon}} released the {{w|Amazon_Kindle#Kindle_2|Kindle 2}}, which included the ability to read {{w|Wikipedia}} articles via the 3G connection that was included with the device.

[[Cueball]] remarks that "ebooks are for chumps", but goes on to explain the real reason for purchasing a Kindle. Since it has free cellular web access, he could navigate through any city (presumably with 3G access), assisted by {{w|Wikipedia}} and {{w|Wikitravel}}.

[[Megan]] believes she has heard such a description of a device before and snatches the Kindle away from Cueball. When she scratches off the Amazon Kindle logo at the top of the device she reveals that the device is actually ''{{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (fictional)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}''. This fictional electronic encyclopedia is described in the {{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|real-life franchise}} of the same name. Those works recount the tale of a travel editor who works for and owns a copy of the ''Guide'', which provides travel tips throughout the galaxy, including {{w|Mostly Harmless|an entry for Earth}}. The comic suggests that Amazon simply re-brands copies of the ''Guide'' as Kindles.

The title text refers to the great utility of having the ability to access Wikipedia for free on an easy-to-carry device. The speaker states that should this utility ever become disabled, he would stage a drunk protest on the lawn of {{w|Jeff Bezos}}, the CEO and founder of Amazon.com. This method of protest is used by the protagonist of the Hitchhiker's series, in the beginning of the first book, in an attempt to prevent his house from being demolished, by lying in front of the bulldozer (in vain).

Amazon warned customers using 1st and 2nd generation Kindles in 2021 that 3G connectivity will seize to work, because network operators are upgrading their networks from 3G to 4G. Since this is not Amazon's fault, a drunk protest doesn't seem appropriate though.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is looking at a tablet.]
:Megan: A kindle? Ebooks, huh?
:Cueball: Ebooks are for chumps.
:Megan: Why get a kindle, then?
:Cueball: One reason:

:[Text is above the frame in which Cueball wanders a city with the tablet and with small bubbles forming above his head to indicate him being intoxicated.]
:Cueball (narrating): Free cellular web access. Even if I spend months broke and drunk in a strange city, I'll still be able to use Wikipedia and Wikitravel to learn about anything I need.

:[Megan takes the tablet from Cueball.]
:Megan: Why does that sound familiar?
:Megan: Gimme that.

:[Zoom in on the top of the tablet where the name is written:]
:Amazon Kindle

:[Zoom out to Megan who scratches at the top of the tablet.]
:Scrape, scrape, scrape

:[Zoom back to the damaged top of the tablet where a layer has been scraped off. This partly reveals a new name, where the first and last two letters are only partly visible:]
:Hitchhiker's Guide

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

2492: Commonly Mispronounced Equations

2021-07-22T06:56:46Z

Condor70:

{{comic
| number = 2492
| date = July 21, 2021
| title = Commonly Mispronounced Equations
| image = commonly_mispronounced_equations.png
| titletext = "Epsihootamoo doopsiquorps" --the Schrödinger equation for the hydrogen atom
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LAGRONJ EYSIBARYMOODMOOSIOYLERSIBRYMOOAMOOBAMOOSIMASIBRSIQORTFAHMOOVYFAHMOOVY. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a collection of famous physical and mathematical equations, along with their "correct" pronunciations. Equations are normally voiced out loud either by their names ("Mass–energy equivalence") or by saying the parts out loud using normal linguistic rules ("E equals M C squared"). This comic instead asserts that equations are meant to be said out loud like words, using their own set of phonic rules.

The pronunciation given for F=MA is the same as the actual pronunciation of FEMA, the acronym for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

List of equations:
* {{w|Newton%27s_law_of_universal_gravitation|Newton's law of universal gravitation}}
* {{w|Mass%E2%80%93energy_equivalence|Mass-energy equivalence}}
* {{w|Pythagorean_theorem|Pythagorean theorem}}
* {{w|Area_of_a_circle|Area of a circle}}
* {{w|Entropy_(information_theory)|Entropy}}
* {{w|Ideal_gas_law|Ideal gas law}}
* {{w|Euler%27s_identity|Euler's identity}}
* {{w|Newton%27s_laws_of_motion|Newton's laws of motion}}
* {{w|Wave_equation|Wave equation}} (c should be c2 in the comic!)
* {{w|Difference_quotient|Difference quotient}}
* {{w|Quadratic_equation|Quadratic equation}}
* {{w|Schrödinger_equation|Schrödinger equation}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category: Language]]

Talk:1884: Ringer Volume/Media Volume

2021-05-01T21:00:09Z

Condor70:

So, is this about the volume buttons controlling all aspects of volume on the phone, and it being difficult to control sometimes (a lot!)? ~Chris {{unsigned ip|108.162.245.220}}
:Yes, but it's strange because the default action of the volume control should be the ''main volume'' and NOT the ''ring tone volume''. Nevertheless a video advertisement is often much louder than the movie where it is embedded. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 14:50, 1 September 2017 (UTC)
:: "Should be" is a weird concept. On Android (at least the mutilated version on my phone), there is no "master volume". Volume keys control the volume for the channel which is currently making noise, or the ring tone volume if there isn't any current noise. --[[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 16:49, 2 September 2017 (UTC)
Protip: on Android when loading a youtube video, lock your phone and then unlock it. The video will then start paused, allowing you to adjust volume and then press play.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.206.4|172.68.206.4]] 15:06, 1 September 2017 (UTC)

On my Android phone, pressing either volume key results in the ringer volume slider appearing at the top of the screen. To its right is a downward-pointing caret. Pressing that caret adds sliders for media and alarm volumes. These can be moved using the touchscreen or the user can tap to select one to adjust and use the volume keys. [[User:D5xtgr|D5xtgr]] ([[User talk:D5xtgr|talk]]) 16:23, 1 September 2017 (UTC)
: These didn't exist in Android Lollipop, and were presumably added in Marshmallow [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.34|108.162.245.34]] 06:57, 2 September 2017 (UTC)
:: My old phone has KitKat and still has this option...[[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.112|162.158.214.112]] 08:16, 4 September 2017 (UTC)
::: With the android customization Gravity Box, you could alter the default volume slider to Media, the perfect solution in my opinion [[User:SirKitKat|sirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 14:43, 4 September 2017 (UTC)

Don't understand this comic at all... why would you frantically turn your volume up and down like that in the seconds before a video starts? Do other people do this?? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.69.81|141.101.69.81]] 16:24, 1 September 2017 (UTC)
:People aren't intentionally doing that. The viewer is trying to turn down the media volume; however, Android defaults to those buttons adjusting the volume for incoming calls, which people usually leave maxed. The viewer is accidentally decreasing the incoming call volume, but only wants the media volume turned down. [[User:Mulan15262|Mulan15262]] ([[User talk:Mulan15262|talk]]) 00:46, 2 September 2017 (UTC)

Here's my understanding (though I don't have a smart phone and don't have first hand experience): The user has selected the video to start, it is about to begin (loading), and the user wants to turn down the volume on the video, but instead mistakenly turns down the volume on the ringer. Once noticing their mistake, they restore the volume to its original state and try again. Only to fail again. They repeat this cycle again, until the video finishes loading and catches them on the upswing. I believe once the video is loaded the volume controls on the side switch functions from ringer to media. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.238|108.162.216.238]] 16:36, 1 September 2017 (UTC)
: My experience (multiple Android phones, from a Droid, through a Note and back to a Droid, and now a Pixel) has been the same except for one thing at the end that changes this, pretty critically: when the video starts, the volume control stays controlling the system volume, and does not change to media volume, but blocks that switch until the window times out (usually a second or two after I stop attempting to adjust it). this behavior, I think, would prevent the comic timeline from actually ''increasing'' the volume of the media, but would certainly not allow you to ''decrease'' it as well... (?) -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 14:47, 28 September 2017 (UTC)

Addressing '''"Interestingly, some earlier versions of Windows allow adjusting volume on per-program basis using a single on-screen control. This feature was eventually removed as it was deemed to confusing to users."''', I use Windows 10 on my laptop, and I can right click on the sound manager, open volume mixer, and that allows me to adjust the volume of each active program. So I'm pretty sure this line is incorrect, as it is still a feature. (Alan) {{unsigned ip|108.162.212.47}}
: I think that line is supposed to refer to the quick volume control, rather than the full mixer. {{unsigned ip|162.158.154.121}}

On iPhones, there is an option to have the buttons always control media volume, even when there is no media playing. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.119|162.158.79.119]] 19:11, 1 September 2017 (UTC)

The title texts idea of using this phenomena to bring advertisement also in other rooms, reminds me a little of the clever PR idea of Burger King. They asked Google in their TV-spot, what a Whopper is. And since a lot of people have an active Google speaker next to their TV-set, Google started answering with the first lines of the Wikipedia article about the Whopper. Coincidentally somebody has edited the Wiki-article about the Whopper a few days before, so that it sounds much more like advertisement. Mario {{unsigned ip|162.158.89.55}}

My Android phone doesn't behave like that, although I wish it did. If you press the volume buttons before a video starts, and immediately after while the onscreen volume is still visible, it ''continues to adjust the ringer volume''. This fixes the behavior in the comic, kind of, but it means that I ''still'' can't easily adjust the volume even after the video starts. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.109|162.158.111.109]] 10:57, 2 September 2017 (UTC)
:I have that problem too. I also note that at least some apps use the wrong channel; so videos use the media volume, but the ads come off the notification volume or similar. Also annoys me that certain fitness apps use the media volume for the synthesised speech to tell you that you're passed a mile; meaning you can't adjust it independantly of your music. Would really appreciate if each app could define its own output channels, which you can then connect to the system-wide volume channels (or apply filters to?) in whatever configuration you want. --[[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 16:49, 2 September 2017 (UTC)

Per-application volume mixer was new in Windows Vista; XP and previous versions only had the system-wide volume control. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.121|162.158.154.121]] 11:00, 2 September 2017 (UTC)
:That's not quite true, the mixer - the program allowing more specific volume control than a Master Volume - has existed at least since Windows 95. It was somewhere around Vista that I started finding it harder to find, somewhat hidden. Per-application might be newer, or somewhat, but then that would beg the question of what else was in the mixer. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:56, 5 September 2017 (UTC)

I have a game on my phone called Papi Wall which I don't even play anymore, but which has a silent menu screen when you open it, which despite its silence is somehow occupying the media volume. So I open the game, which opens quickly, to quickly adjust the media volume at the menu screen and then switch back to the other app. It's the reason why it's still on my phone despite the fact that I don't play it. I think any Papi game, such as Papi Jump, would work for this, if you want to try. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.26.41|172.68.26.41]] 12:37, 2 September 2017 (UTC)

There's an Android application called Rocker Locker that plays a silent tone in the background, forcing the volume buttons to always control media volume. Cheers! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.22|108.162.219.22]] 23:37, 2 September 2017 (UTC)
: I like this idea, but surely the battery consumption is huge? I'd prefer an iOS style setting on my Android.[[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 07:55, 4 September 2017 (UTC)
:: There are reports of increased battery usage, but from personal experience across 3 different devices, some of which having it for more than a year, I never noticed such an issue. In the battery use menu it will show that the Android media server used 1–2%, but that's frankly incredibly miniscule. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.46|162.158.63.46]] 19:05, 4 September 2017 (UTC)

The video he's trying to load is certainly https://youtu.be/iAjCxadppcQ "Welcome to the World" (or one of the many remixes) by Kevin Rudolf. It's an on topic example media for what Randall is complaining about because it's a notably soft...THEN LOUD kind of song. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.58|162.158.142.58]] 01:35, 3 September 2017 (UTC)
:Could be, but I think it's just a common greeting (I thought of Let's Plays, personally). --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.11.5|172.68.11.5]] 03:13, 4 September 2017 (UTC)
:Actually, "Hello, and welcome to..." is the starting phrase of just about every non-fiction show of the lifetime of television, LOL! Talk shows, interview shows, speciality shows... These days this extends to YouTube channels. "Hello, and welcome to OverwatchToday, where we discuss all the latest great plays and fails." :) Most likely a channel Randall likes is notoriously loud in their videos, that's all (lately in my looking for help on a game the Google results have frequently included this one channel where I found the reverse, that the volume is too low and I had to connect headphones, so I likewise started doing that ahead of time). Plus, from this description of "soft then loud" means it can't be the video. Randall's video starts loud. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 06:09, 5 September 2017 (UTC)

I initially understood this to mean that Randall wanted the ringer volume down during the video to focus on the video and hear it better, but is trying to minimize how long it's lowered for. I realize in retrospect this is silly, an incoming call will interrupt the video anyway, LOL! Understanding the issue now, I don't know what Randall is complaining about, I just checked, and if I start the YouTube app (for example) on my Android, the volume keys are attached to Media Volume already, before I even choose a video. As for the idea that the volume keys should be attached to Master Volume, I've never seen a smartphone that HAD a Master Volume, only the segregated volume controls. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:49, 5 September 2017 (UTC)

This comic was released 10 days qfter the release of Android 8, which changed the default volume from ringer to media. Thereby fixing the issue described in the comic. It should be noted that due to the release method used by Google and phone manufacturers, hardly any phone would have been running Android 8 at that time. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 21:00, 1 May 2021 (UTC)

2439: Solar System Cartogram

2021-03-22T16:33:54Z

Condor70:

{{comic
| number = 2439
| date = March 19, 2021
| title = Solar System Cartogram
| image = solar_system_cartogram.png
| titletext = For sentimental reasons, every active Mars rover is counted as one person, although that's not enough to make Mars more than a dot.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BELOVED MARS ROVER. Show an example of an electoral cartogram for illustration. Please mention here why else this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In this comic, [[Randall]] has made a {{w|cartogram}} showing the planets in the {{w|solar system}}. Cartograms are a type of map in which geographic area is displayed proportionately to some secondary characteristic - in this case, population. From the title text it is clear that the population in question is human (persons) (but even if all life forms where counted it it wouldn't matter, since the only confirmed life in the Solar System is on Earth). Thus the other planets have a population of 0 and are shown as nothing more than dots.

This comic is a joke about electoral cartograms. A standard {{w|United States Electoral College|American electoral map}} is very misleading. Though the split between Democrats and Republicans is about 50-50, most of the area of the U.S. map is shown in red (the color currently associated with the Republican Party). That’s because many Democrats live in densely packed districts, while many Republicans live in rural ones. This has led to the rise of electoral cartograms, where districts are proportionally adjusted in direct relation to population, correcting the misimpression that most of America is conservative.

Solar system diagrams are likely also to be misleading. Illustrators are overwhelmingly forced to use a far more scaled-down spacing between planets, compared to their scaled sizes; even if they can (or care to) maintain consistency in the relative distances and/or radii on linear scales. (The huge factors of difference involved instead may lend themselves to being {{w|Solar_System_model#Scale_models_in_various_locations|physically modeled}} to better give some sense of the spacing and sizing differences.) Here, Randall has intentionally applied the wrong solution to the problem.

The title text states that, even though Randall counts every active [[:Category:Mars rovers|Mars rover]] as a person (for sentimental reasons), they are almost nothing compared to Earth's roughly 7,800,000,000 persons. Mars therefore is still nothing more than a dot compared to the Earth. There are a total of five rovers at the moment; in chronological order, they are Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance. Only the latter two were functional at the time of the comic's publication, giving Mars a rover population of two. (This is a tie for all-time high. Spirit and Opportunity were active together from 2004 to 2010, when Spirit shut down. Opportunity was still active when Curiosity arrived in 2012, and remained so until 2018. With the arrival of Perseverance in 2021, there are again two active rovers. A third rover, China's {{w|Tianwen-1}}, is currently in orbit around Mars and expected to land in May 2021.)

Mars rovers are a [[:Category:Mars rovers|recurring theme]] on xkcd and only a few weeks earlier, a comic named [[2433: Mars Rovers]] was released. This is the fourth comic this year to reference Mars Rovers. [[Randall]] probably has a special interest in rovers, since he worked as a {{w|Randall_Munroe#NASA|roboticist at NASA}}.

This graph also ignores the International Space Station which had seven people onboard<ref name="EXP-64">[https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/exp-64-summary.pdf]</ref> at the time of publication. This may be a reference to areas of the United States which lack representation in Congressional and/or the ability to vote in Presidential elections. Although it is as likely just to be that the ISS does not in any useful way count as a 'planet'; especially as the numerous dwarf-planets (and other asteroids, comets, moons, possibly the Sun itself) are left entirely unrepresented, despite being more qualified, even as a zero-population dots.

==Transcript==
:Most solar system diagrams are misleading.
:This chart offers a more accurate view by showing the planets sized by population.
:[The eight planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are shown in order with labels. All but Earth show up as tiny indistinguishable dots. Earth is large and clearly drawn, with a view approximately centered on southeast Asia.]
:[The spacing between the surfaces of each planet is equal. Earth's label floats below it, while the other planets' labels connect to their respective dots with lines.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Mars rovers]]

2439: Solar System Cartogram

2021-03-22T16:33:03Z

Condor70:

{{comic
| number = 2439
| date = March 19, 2021
| title = Solar System Cartogram
| image = solar_system_cartogram.png
| titletext = For sentimental reasons, every active Mars rover is counted as one person, although that's not enough to make Mars more than a dot.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BELOVED MARS ROVER. Show an example of an electoral cartogram for illustration. Please mention here why else this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In this comic, [[Randall]] has made a {{w|cartogram}} showing the planets in the {{w|solar system}}. Cartograms are a type of map in which geographic area is displayed proportionately to some secondary characteristic - in this case, population. From the title text it is clear that the population in question is human (persons) (but even if all life forms where counted it it wouldn't matter, since the only confirmed life in the Solar System is on Earth). Thus the other planets have a population of 0 and are shown as nothing more than dots.

This comic is a joke about electoral cartograms. A standard {{w|United States Electoral College|American electoral map}} is very misleading. Though the split between Democrats and Republicans is about 50-50, most of the area of the U.S. map is shown in red (the color currently associated with the Republican Party). That’s because many Democrats live in densely packed districts, while many Republicans live in rural ones. This has led to the rise of electoral cartograms, where districts are proportionally adjusted in direct relation to population, correcting the misimpression that most of America is conservative.

Solar system diagrams are likely also to be misleading. Illustrators are overwhelmingly forced to use a far more scaled-down spacing between planets, compared to their scaled sizes; even if they can (or care to) maintain consistency in the relative distances and/or radii on linear scales. (The huge factors of difference involved instead may lend themselves to being {{w|Solar_System_model#Scale_models_in_various_locations|physically modeled}} to better give some sense of the spacing and sizing differences.) Here, Randall has intentionally applied the wrong solution to the problem.

The title text states that, even though Randall counts every active [[:Category:Mars rovers|Mars rover]] as a person (for sentimental reasons), they are almost nothing compared to Earth's roughly 7,800,000,000 persons. Mars therefore is still nothing more than a dot compared to the Earth. There are a total of five rovers at the moment; in chronological order, they are Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance. Only the latter two were functional at the time of the comic's publication, giving Mars a rover population of two. (This is a tie for all-time high. Spirit and Opportunity were active together from 2004 to 2010, when Spirit shut down. Opportunity was still active when Curiosity arrived in 2012, and remained so until 2018. With the arrival of Perseverance in 2021, there are again two active rovers. A third rover, China's {{w|Tianwen-1}}, is currently in orbit around Mars and expected to land in May 2021.)

Mars rovers are a [[:Category:Mars rovers|recurring theme]] on xkcd and only a few weeks earlier, a comic named [[2433: Mars Rovers]] was released. This is the fourth comic this year to reference Mars Rovers. [[Randall]] probably has a special interest in rovers, since he worked as a {{w|Randall_Munroe#NASA|robotocist at NASA}}.

This graph also ignores the International Space Station which had seven people onboard<ref name="EXP-64">[https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/exp-64-summary.pdf]</ref> at the time of publication. This may be a reference to areas of the United States which lack representation in Congressional and/or the ability to vote in Presidential elections. Although it is as likely just to be that the ISS does not in any useful way count as a 'planet'; especially as the numerous dwarf-planets (and other asteroids, comets, moons, possibly the Sun itself) are left entirely unrepresented, despite being more qualified, even as a zero-population dots.

==Transcript==
:Most solar system diagrams are misleading.
:This chart offers a more accurate view by showing the planets sized by population.
:[The eight planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are shown in order with labels. All but Earth show up as tiny indistinguishable dots. Earth is large and clearly drawn, with a view approximately centered on southeast Asia.]
:[The spacing between the surfaces of each planet is equal. Earth's label floats below it, while the other planets' labels connect to their respective dots with lines.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Mars rovers]]

Talk:2439: Solar System Cartogram

2021-03-22T16:30:45Z

Condor70:

;Planet list seems incomplete
Where's Pluto? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.154|172.68.65.154]] 20:30, 19 March 2021 (UTC)
:Demoted to dwarf planet status in 2006, to the continued frustration of people like myself. [[User:Captain Video|Captain Video]] ([[User talk:Captain Video|talk]]) 20:33, 19 March 2021 (UTC)
::If the biggest Kuiper Belt object is a planet, the biggest Asteroid Belt object (Ceres) should be one too. They're both dwarf planets. Ceres was also considered a planet upon discovery until the rest of the similar-looking belt around it was discovered. [[User:Zowayix|Zowayix]] ([[User talk:Zowayix|talk]]) 00:24, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::: if dwarf planets count as 'planets', sailor moon would last centuries[[User:Hiihaveanaccount|Hiihaveanaccount]] ([[User talk:Hiihaveanaccount|talk]]) 16:13, 22 March 2021 (UTC)
:::Okay. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.186|172.69.34.186]] 02:11, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::::See [[473: Still Raw]]--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:31, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::::: The Pluto thing is just never going to go away. The IAU is in ego lock about how bad this decision was. "Clearing the neighborhood" serves no scientific value whatsoever. Supporters I've asked can't even articulate how big Pluto's neighborhood actually is. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.106|162.158.75.106]] 12:55, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
:::::: There's no need of a precise definition. [https://www.quora.com/According-to-the-IAU-definition-how-big-is-Plutos-neighborhood-If-it-were-scaled-to-the-same-size-as-Mercurys-neighborhood-would-Pluto-then-be-a-planet/answer/Milan-Minic-2] The difference between a planet and a dwarf planet in terms of cleaning their neighborhood is like comparing a pebble to a mountain, they simply belong to different classes. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.145|162.158.89.145]] 20:28, 21 March 2021 (UTC)

What about exoplanets? [[User:Wilh3lm|Wilh3lm]] ([[User talk:Wilh3lm|talk]]) 20:49, 19 March 2021 (UTC)
:They're not in our solar system. [[User:Bubblegum|bubblegum]]-[[User_talk:Bubblegum|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Bubblegum|contribs]] 20:57, 19 March 2021 (UTC)
::We should rectify that ASAP! A few more planets slotted between/woven through the current set would make for some interesting possibilities... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.207|141.101.99.207]] 22:52, 19 March 2021 (UTC)
:::Yes, interesting in the "ancient Chinese curse" way: despite most of solar system being empty, you would need to be VERY careful to fit even single planet inside without risking collision. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 04:31, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::::We'll never know for sure without trying, right? ;p [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.22|141.101.98.22]] 22:34, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Surprised no one has gotten technical and talked about how Earth is not drawn to be 7.8 billion times larger than the others (which would be around 300,000px wide) , meaning it's still off the same way other depictions tend to be. [[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 05:51, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
:Maybe it's a logarithmic cartogram. Log scales are generally needed when differences in sizes are so vast. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 06:01, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::The dots are dimensionless, thus have zero size according to their population. Only exception is Mars, but with two it would still almost be zero size and thus just a dot. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:31, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Needs to be amended to note that this reflects only HUMAN life detected on these planets. Just because we haven't found any yet doesn't mean that Jupiter might not be housing billions of Jovians, or Mars isn't teeming with Martians. [[User:RAGBRAIvet|RAGBRAIvet]] ([[User talk:RAGBRAIvet|talk]]) 06:53, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
:Well there is no evidence of any lifeforms in the solar system beyond Earth. It talks about Persons in the title text, thus it needs to be intelligent to have that label. And thus animals would not count. So until we have evidence of aliens on the other planets, or until we inhabit them, their population would be zero. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:31, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::Remember, "intelligent" = capable of mass producing extinction level weapons, and stupid enough that they know they will push the button one day.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.174|108.162.237.174]] 00:52, 21 March 2021 (UTC)

;Bad map projection?
IMHO, this also qualify as kind of a [[:Category:Bad_Map_Projections|bad map projection]] (in the wider sense of a population density-anamorphic cartogram) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.160|141.101.77.160]] 21:11, 19 March 2021 (UTC)
:No, it is not a map at all. But you could mention in the explanation that it has similarity to bad maps projections. But this one is not actually bad, it is technically correct, it is just useless. Also removed the map category as there is not map in this comic! It is a globe. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:31, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
:: How do you tell the difference between a picture of a globe and a picture of a map? In any case a picture of a globe is a map with an orthographic projections. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.71|172.69.63.71]] 19:08, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::: At least mention that Randall has previously published several distorted maps that are actually useful. E.g. https://xkcd.com/2399/ But I think it is a map (of the solar system). [[User:Gvanrossum|Gvanrossum]] ([[User talk:Gvanrossum|talk]]) 23:59, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
::::It's a diagram. Not sure it qualifies as a map. The relationship between features (planets) is purely sequential, and (however much I use Perl's ''map {func($_)} @list'' operation, which derives more from the pure mathematical usage) I expect my maps to have slightly more than 1D of layout to them, whatever other distortions they display/don't avoid. There are indeed 'strip maps' of roads/routes pulled straight, but they are mostly called "straight line diagrams" anyway (or contour/slope diagrams using the route as the cross-section path, so 2D in a perpendicular variation). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.207|141.101.99.207]] 03:38, 21 March 2021 (UTC)

If the explanation is going to mention electoral maps, would it make sense to include [[2399: 2020 Election Map]] and [[1939: 2016 Election Map]]? [[User:Aerin|Aerin]] ([[User talk:Aerin|talk]]) 00:03, 21 March 2021 (UTC)

Does anyone else find it strange that the title text explicitly states "although that's not enough to make Mars more than a dot." It seems in keeping with XKCD humor just to leave it at "For sentimental reasons, every active Mars rover is counted as one person." and leave the reader to consider if that had any appreciable impact on the size it was drawn at. Perhaps it truly was only a sentimental gesture, and the point of the title text is simply to express his sadness that it didn't alter the size he was able to draw Mars at. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.36|172.69.22.36]] 14:27, 21 March 2021 (UTC)

Is anyone else pondering what he knows that we don't that mandate the planets even get a dot? What populations beside rovers get them represented at all? oh and do populations of moons get neglected or added to the total of their barycenter (which is usually inside and thus named after a planet)? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.143.76|172.68.143.76]] 19:16, 21 March 2021 (UTC)

But [https://xkcd.com/482/] shows that there is life on moons of Jupiter and Saturn! So those dots need to be larger. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.37.44|172.68.37.44]] 15:18, 22 March 2021 (UTC)

Should the explanation really mention electoral maps? The joke is clearly about solar system maps comparing sizes of different planets, ignoring distance. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 16:30, 22 March 2021 (UTC)

== Population Specific rather than Vote by County ==

Existing explanation is assuming that the joke is purely about the means of showing electoral votes by county regardless of population in terms of red/blue. There is no indication in comic or title text that this is the case. Instead, a more direct take on 2439 is that this is taking the population cartogram to the extreme level of the solar system. A good example of the world view population cartogram is [https://worldmapper.org/maps/grid-population-2020/ Population Year 2020 | Worldmapper]. In this view, regions with larger population densities are shown to be larger than rural areas, yet still having the general shape of continents. To correlate with this, in [https://worldmapper.org/maps/population-year-1/ Population Year 1] the comment is made "The estimated population of New Zealand was zero", yet New Zealand is still clearly visible on the map, just razer thin (to line up with a single dot for all of the other planets). With all of the above, I believe the paragraph relating 2439 to the US Election Vote by County views is not relevant to the comic, other than it being a misinterpretation of the comic. In terms of content, worldmapper.org content is CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, so the image could be included. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.69|172.68.132.69]] 20:58, 21 March 2021 (UTC)

2399: 2020 Election Map

2020-12-17T10:27:56Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2399
| date = December 16, 2020
| title = 2020 Election Map
| image = 2020_election_map.png
| titletext = There are more Trump voters in California than Texas, more Biden voters in Texas than New York, more Trump voters in New York than Ohio, more Biden voters in Ohio than Massachusetts, more Trump voters in Massachusetts than Mississippi, and more Biden voters in Mississippi than Vermont.
}}

*A [https://xkcd.com/2399/large/ larger version] of this image can be found by clicking the image at xkcd.com - the comic's page can also be accessed by clicking on the comic number above.

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BIDEN VOTER IN OHIO. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is a sequel to an earlier comic, [[1939: 2016 Election Map]]. The United States elects its president not directly by popular vote but by an Electoral College composed of a number of electors, partially proportional to population, from each state. Presently, a "winner-take-all" system is used in most states: the winner of the popular vote in each state receives all of the electoral votes for that state. Though, strictly speaking, the electors are not required to cast their ballots according to this system, many states impose penalties on them if they don't. Technically, the popular vote in each state is to elect a slate of electors who in turn elect the President.

Many electoral results map color the states a solid color, indicating which state won the electoral votes, but this may not be representative of the population size of the state, or the number of voters. Furthermore, the states of Maine and Nebraska do not have a pure winner-takes-all system, but instead two of each state's electors vote for whoever won the statewide vote, and there is also one elector each assigned to a specific district's count. For example, while Biden won Maine statewide, he only got 3 out of its 4 votes, as the elector representing its second district voted for Trump, as expected.

Other maps used to demonstrate that "corn doesn't vote, people vote" (or similar rebuttals, referring to non-voting 'open space') include maps distorting the otherwise recognisable geography to make areas strictly proportional to the populations (or registered voters, actual voters or majority gap) within them. As an example, Los Angeles County, alone, is more populous than each of the states except for the nine most populous (even if you deprived California of it, for the duration) - or all of the ten least populous (plus DC) added together. Alaska, the largest state but with one of the fewest inhabitants, could be split and yet both halves each still cover more land area than Texas (and potentially both Alaskas now ranked firmly at the bottom of the population table).

Another mapping solution used by commentators was to use coloured circles sized to represent the quantities of voters (or majorities) that do something very similar to Randall's map by showing vast areas with small and sparse splotches of hue and other areas packed tightly with the local 'flavour' of votes.

The title text compares different voter pools in terms of absolute size. Unexpected truths - e.g., "There are more Trump voters in California than Texas" - can be explained by differences in population size. California (which was won by Biden) has a larger population than Texas (which was won by Trump), which has a higher population than New York (won by Biden), and so on. For example, Trump received over 6 million votes in California (though Biden received 11 million votes in winning the state) compared to 5.9 million votes received by Trump in Texas.

{| class="wikitable"
!|
!colspan="2"|Biden/Harris
!colspan="2"|Trump/Pence
!rowspan="2"|Total
Votes
|-
!|State
!|Votes
!|Perc
!|Votes
!|Perc
|-
|California
|style="text-align: right;"|11,110,250
|style="text-align: right;"|63.48%
|style="text-align: right;"|6,006,429
|style="text-align: right;"|34.32%
|style="text-align: right;"|17,500,881
|-
|Texas
|style="text-align: right;"|5,259,126
|style="text-align: right;"|46.48%
|style="text-align: right;"|5,890,347
|style="text-align: right;"|52.06%
|style="text-align: right;"|11,315,056
|-
|New York
|style="text-align: right;"|5,230,985
|style="text-align: right;"|60.86%
|style="text-align: right;"|3,244,798
|style="text-align: right;"|37.75%
|style="text-align: right;"|8,594,826
|-
|Ohio
|style="text-align: right;"|2,679,165
|style="text-align: right;"|45.24%
|style="text-align: right;"|3,154,834
|style="text-align: right;"|53.27%
|style="text-align: right;"|5,922,202
|-
|Massachusetts
|style="text-align: right;"|2,382,202
|style="text-align: right;"|65.60%
|style="text-align: right;"|1,167,202
|style="text-align: right;"|32.14%
|style="text-align: right;"|3,631,402
|-
|Mississippi
|style="text-align: right;"|539,508
|style="text-align: right;"|41.06%
|style="text-align: right;"|756,789
|style="text-align: right;"|57.60%
|style="text-align: right;"|1,313,894
|-
|Vermont
|style="text-align: right;"|560,282
|style="text-align: right;"|37.65%
|style="text-align: right;"|865,140
|style="text-align: right;"|58.13%
|style="text-align: right;"|1,488,289
|}
{{w|2020_United_States_presidential_election#Results_by_state|Source}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:2020 Election Map
:[One stick figure in a black circle] = 250,000 votes
:[Stick figure in a blue circle] Biden
:[Stick figure in a red circle] Trump
:[Stick figure in a green circle] Other
:Votes are distributed by state as accurately as possible while keeping national totals correct.
:Location within each state is approximate.
:[Blue, red, and green circles are distributed across a map of the United States.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Large drawings]]
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]]
[[Category:Maps]]

2399: 2020 Election Map

2020-12-17T10:24:25Z

Condor70: Format table

{{comic
| number = 2399
| date = December 16, 2020
| title = 2020 Election Map
| image = 2020_election_map.png
| titletext = There are more Trump voters in California than Texas, more Biden voters in Texas than New York, more Trump voters in New York than Ohio, more Biden voters in Ohio than Massachusetts, more Trump voters in Massachusetts than Mississippi, and more Biden voters in Mississippi than Vermont.
}}

*A [https://xkcd.com/2399/large/ larger version] of this image can be found by clicking the image at xkcd.com - the comic's page can also be accessed by clicking on the comic number above.

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BIDEN VOTER IN OHIO. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is a sequel to an earlier comic, [[1939: 2016 Election Map]]. The United States elects its president not directly by popular vote but by an Electoral College composed of a number of electors, partially proportional to population, from each state. Presently, a "winner-take-all" system is used in most states: the winner of the popular vote in each state receives all of the electoral votes for that state. Though, strictly speaking, the electors are not required to cast their ballots according to this system, many states impose penalties on them if they don't. Technically, the popular vote in each state is to elect a slate of electors who in turn elect the President.

Many electoral results map color the states a solid color, indicating which state won the electoral votes, but this may not be representative of the population size of the state, or the number of voters. Furthermore, the states of Maine and Nebraska do not have a pure winner-takes-all system, but instead two of each state's electors vote for whoever won the statewide vote, and there is also one elector each assigned to a specific district's count. For example, while Biden won Maine statewide, he only got 3 out of its 4 votes, as the elector representing its second district voted for Trump, as expected.

Other maps used to demonstrate that "corn doesn't vote, people vote" (or similar rebuttals, referring to non-voting 'open space') include maps distorting the otherwise recognisable geography to make areas strictly proportional to the populations (or registered voters, actual voters or majority gap) within them. As an example, Los Angeles County, alone, is more populous than each of the states except for the nine most populous (even if you deprived California of it, for the duration) - or all of the ten least populous (plus DC) added together. Alaska, the largest state but with one of the fewest inhabitants, could be split and yet both halves each still cover more land area than Texas (and potentially both Alaskas now ranked firmly at the bottom of the population table).

Another mapping solution used by commentators was to use coloured circles sized to represent the quantities of voters (or majorities) that do something very similar to Randall's map by showing vast areas with small and sparse splotches of hue and other areas packed tightly with the local 'flavour' of votes.

The title text compares different voter pools in terms of absolute size. Unexpected truths - e.g., "There are more Trump voters in California than Texas" - can be explained by differences in population size. California (which was won by Biden) has a larger population than Texas (which was won by Trump), which has a higher population than New York (won by Biden), and so on. For example, Trump received over 6 million votes in California (though Biden received 11 million votes in winning the state) compared to 5.9 million votes received by Trump in Texas.

{| class="wikitable"
!|
!colspan="2"|Biden/Harris
!colspan="2"|Trump/Pence
!|Total
|-
!|State
!|Votes
!|Perc
!|Votes
!|Perc
!|Votes
|-
|California
|11,110,250
|63.48%
|6,006,429
|34.32%
|17,500,881
|-
|Texas
|5,259,126
|46.48%
|5,890,347
|52.06%
|11,315,056
|-
|New York
|5,230,985
|60.86%
|3,244,798
|37.75%
|8,594,826
|-
|Ohio
|2,679,165
|45.24%
|3,154,834
|53.27%
|5,922,202
|-
|Massachusetts
|2,382,202
|65.60%
|1,167,202
|32.14%
|3,631,402
|-
|Mississippi
|539,508
|41.06%
|756,789
|57.60%
|1,313,894
|-
|Vermont
|560,282
|37.65%
|865,140
|58.13%
|1,488,289
|}
{{w|2020_United_States_presidential_election#Results_by_state|Source}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:2020 Election Map
:[One stick figure in a black circle] = 250,000 votes
:[Stick figure in a blue circle] Biden
:[Stick figure in a red circle] Trump
:[Stick figure in a green circle] Other
:Votes are distributed by state as accurately as possible while keeping national totals correct.
:Location within each state is approximate.
:[Blue, red, and green circles are distributed across a map of the United States.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Large drawings]]
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]]
[[Category:Maps]]

2399: 2020 Election Map

2020-12-17T10:17:12Z

Condor70: Title text numbers

{{comic
| number = 2399
| date = December 16, 2020
| title = 2020 Election Map
| image = 2020_election_map.png
| titletext = There are more Trump voters in California than Texas, more Biden voters in Texas than New York, more Trump voters in New York than Ohio, more Biden voters in Ohio than Massachusetts, more Trump voters in Massachusetts than Mississippi, and more Biden voters in Mississippi than Vermont.
}}

*A [https://xkcd.com/2399/large/ larger version] of this image can be found by clicking the image at xkcd.com - the comic's page can also be accessed by clicking on the comic number above.

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BIDEN VOTER IN OHIO. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is a sequel to an earlier comic, [[1939: 2016 Election Map]]. The United States elects its president not directly by popular vote but by an Electoral College composed of a number of electors, partially proportional to population, from each state. Presently, a "winner-take-all" system is used in most states: the winner of the popular vote in each state receives all of the electoral votes for that state. Though, strictly speaking, the electors are not required to cast their ballots according to this system, many states impose penalties on them if they don't. Technically, the popular vote in each state is to elect a slate of electors who in turn elect the President.

Many electoral results map color the states a solid color, indicating which state won the electoral votes, but this may not be representative of the population size of the state, or the number of voters. Furthermore, the states of Maine and Nebraska do not have a pure winner-takes-all system, but instead two of each state's electors vote for whoever won the statewide vote, and there is also one elector each assigned to a specific district's count. For example, while Biden won Maine statewide, he only got 3 out of its 4 votes, as the elector representing its second district voted for Trump, as expected.

Other maps used to demonstrate that "corn doesn't vote, people vote" (or similar rebuttals, referring to non-voting 'open space') include maps distorting the otherwise recognisable geography to make areas strictly proportional to the populations (or registered voters, actual voters or majority gap) within them. As an example, Los Angeles County, alone, is more populous than each of the states except for the nine most populous (even if you deprived California of it, for the duration) - or all of the ten least populous (plus DC) added together. Alaska, the largest state but with one of the fewest inhabitants, could be split and yet both halves each still cover more land area than Texas (and potentially both Alaskas now ranked firmly at the bottom of the population table).

Another mapping solution used by commentators was to use coloured circles sized to represent the quantities of voters (or majorities) that do something very similar to Randall's map by showing vast areas with small and sparse splotches of hue and other areas packed tightly with the local 'flavour' of votes.

The title text compares different voter pools in terms of absolute size. Unexpected truths - e.g., "There are more Trump voters in California than Texas" - can be explained by differences in population size. California (which was won by Biden) has a larger population than Texas (which was won by Trump), which has a higher population than New York (won by Biden), and so on. For example, Trump received over 6 million votes in California (though Biden received 11 million votes in winning the state) compared to 5.9 million votes received by Trump in Texas.

{|
|
|Biden/Harris
|
|Trump/Pence
|
|Total
|+
|State
|Votes
|Perc
|Votes
|Perc
|Votes
|-
|California
|11,110,250
|63.48%
|6,006,429
|34.32%
|17,500,881
|-
|Texas
|5,259,126
|46.48%
|5,890,347
|52.06%
|11,315,056
|-
|New York
|5,230,985
|60.86%
|3,244,798
|37.75%
|8,594,826
|-
|Ohio
|2,679,165
|45.24%
|3,154,834
|53.27%
|5,922,202
|-
|Massachusetts
|2,382,202
|65.60%
|1,167,202
|32.14%
|3,631,402
|-
|Mississippi
|539,508
|41.06%
|756,789
|57.60%
|1,313,894
|-
|Vermont
|560,282
|37.65%
|865,140
|58.13%
|1,488,289
|}
{{w|2020_United_States_presidential_election#Results_by_state|Source}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:2020 Election Map
:[One stick figure in a black circle] = 250,000 votes
:[Stick figure in a blue circle] Biden
:[Stick figure in a red circle] Trump
:[Stick figure in a green circle] Other
:Votes are distributed by state as accurately as possible while keeping national totals correct.
:Location within each state is approximate.
:[Blue, red, and green circles are distributed across a map of the United States.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Large drawings]]
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]]
[[Category:Maps]]

2317: Pinouts

2020-06-09T07:06:30Z

Condor70: Micro USB actual pin layout

{{comic
| number = 2317
| date = June 8, 2020
| title = Pinouts
| image = pinouts.png
| titletext = The other side of USB-C is rotationally symmetric except that the 3rd pin from the top is designated FIREWIRE TRIBUTE PIN.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a FIREWIRE TRIBUTE PIN. Should include a column for the actual purpose of the pin. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Electronics connecters are designed to transport both information and power. A {{w|pinout}} diagram describes the function of each pin such as to communicate data, transport power, physical function (keying), etc. In this comic there is an absurd alternative to the actual pins used in connectors.

The real life diagrams are as follows: [http://unitedtechnologies.com.pk/Nti/image/10ci.png HDMI], [https://www.arrow.com/en/research-and-events/articles/micro-connector-usb-pinout Micro USB], [https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/technical-articles/introduction-to-usb-type-c-which-pins-power-delivery-data-transfer/ USB-C].

=== HDMI ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Label !! Explanation !! Pin No. !! Actual purpose
|-
| +3.3V DC
| 3.3V is a typical voltage in digital electronics. The "+" Indicates a voltage positive with respect to Ground.
| 1
| TMDS Data2+
|-
| Data
| Most digital communications cables contain at least one wire that carries data. Typically there will be a more descriptive name if there are multiple data pins.
| 2
| TMDS Data2 Shield
|-
| -3.3V DC
| Negative voltages were used more frequently in the past; however, modern systems typically generate any negative voltages they might require internally from the given positive voltages.
| 3
| TMDS Data2-
|-
| +5V
| Many actual pin configurations use +5 volts to supply power to a device. That's not what this means.
| 4
| TMDS Data1+
|-
| Tx
| "Tx" typically refers to pins used to transmit as opposed to "Rx"/receive
| 5
| TMDS Data1 Shield
|-
| +6VI
| V is usually used to represent volts, but here, VI represents the Roman numeral 6. (See Pin 4)
| 6
| TMDS Data1-
|-
| Wx
| "Wx" does not typically exist in the "Tx"/"Rx" scheme. In the weather forecasting community, Wx means "weather" .
| 7
| TMDS Data0+
|-
| +7VII
| V is usually used to represent volts, but here, VII represents the Roman numeral 7, continuing the pattern from above.
| 8
| TMDS Data0 Shield
|-
| Rx Only
| "Rx" typically refers to pins used to receive as opposed to "Tx"/transmit. In this case "Rx" is used as part of a pun on "Rx (prescription) only." This description might also be related to the fact that most ethernet devices can exchange the Rx and Tx port automatically, if needed, in order to eliminate the need for crossover cables and the fact that it is legal to insert the USB-C connector rotated by 180°.
| 9
| TMDS Data0-
|-
| Antidata
| Some ports use differential signaling, where a signal and its inverse are sent over a pair of pins (e.g. D+ and D-). The combined signal is more robust to interferences. This mixes that practice with a humorous reference to the notion of matter versus antimatter. Currently there is no such thing as antidata. Antidata pins could be needed in the future as low-entropy or high-entropy source in quantum communication connectors to securely dispose of data.
| 10
| TMDS Clock+
|-
| Unknown
| Occasionally extra pins will be included for future use; however they will typically be labeled "reserved" to point out that their usage is not yet defined. The use of "unknown" suggests that this pinout is based on an incomplete reverse-engineering of the HDMI format, instead of on the official documentation, or maybe the official documentation doesn't explain it and this pin's function is being kept as a secret by the ones who designed it.
| 11
| TMDS Clock Shield
|-
| Water
| Labs often have ports connecting to common sources of various supplies (oxygen, water, fuel, vacuum).
| 12
| TMDS Clock-
|-
| +240V DC
| High voltage DC is only sometimes used in small communications connectors. It would help to keep the current of power lines low to avoid generating excess heat. With +240V DC inside the HDMI cable, monitors would not need any longer a separate power plug. This is similar to Power-over-Ethernet, which does not exceed 60V, or ISDN, which goes up to 110V depending on country, and help surveillance cameras or telephones to work with one connecting cable only.
| 13
| CEC
|-
| Vacuum
| Labs often have ports connecting to common sources of various supplies (oxygen, water, fuel, vacuum).
| 14
| Reserved (1.0-1.3a), Utility (1.4+, optional)
|-
| 5V AC
| Pins often supply low voltage direct current to devices. This pin supplies 5V alternating current, which is not typically supplied.
| 15
| SCL (I²C serial clock for DDC)
|-
| Amazon Copyright Pin
| HDMI can optionally be protected by a digital rights management (DRM) scheme, known as HDCP. This pin humorously implies the presence of a different DRM scheme specific to Amazon.com, as well as poking fun at the fact that copyright is an explicit part of the HDMI protocol (although it is not assigned to a specific pin).
| 16
| SDA (I²C serial data for DDC)
|-
| GND
| GND typically refers to "ground" on pinout diagrams. Remarkably, this is correct.
| 17
| DDC/CEC Ground
|-
| Decorative
| Decorative elements are pieces of an assembly that serve only an aesthetic purpose without any technical function. This would not be particularly useful inside a connector, as almost no one will ever see it--however, in HDMI, pin 14 was reserved for future use in versions 1.0–1.3a (and was only assigned an official use in 1.4).
| 18
| +5V
|-
| Ground
| Compared to Pin 17 ("GND"), this appears to be the same ground pin. However, the presence of both GND and Ground seems to imply that GND represents something other than the standard "ground" pin, unless it is this one that supplies something like soil (like [[1293|soup]]). Some systems have different grounds for analog and digital sections, but they would typically be disambiguated by terms like AGND.
| 19
| Hot Plug Detect
|}

HDMI uses four pairs of shielded twisted-pair connectors, along with seven other connectors. (Twisted-pair means a wire is wrapped with the other wire that returns the current to the original device, thus minimizing electromagnetic noise. Shielding refers to wrapping a cable with a conductor to absorb the energy of noise.) Three of these pairs are for data (TMDS Data0, Data1, and Data2) and the other is a clock. These pairs take up three pins as one of them is a ground pin for the shielding wrapped around each pair. TMDS stands for "{{w|Transition-minimized Differential Signaling}}" and is also used in the DVI standard.

DDC stands for "Display Data Channel" and is based on the {{w|I²C}} serial standard. It is used to allow the transmitting device to learn what formats of data the receiving device can accept.

CEC stands for "Consumer Electronics Control" and is supposed to allow a single remote control to control multiple devices.

"Hot Plug Detect" refers to hot-plugging, where a cable is connected to a device already turned on. The device should then ideally detect that the cable has been plugged in and respond appropriately.

=== Micro USB ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Label !! Explanation !! Pin No. !! Actual purpose
|-
| GND
| A ground pin
| 1
| +5V VDC
|-
| GND
| A second ground pin
| 2
| Data -
|-
| GND
| A third ground pin
| 3
| Data +
|-
| USB
| Apparently the only data pin in this connector.
| 4
| USB OTG ID
|-
| GND
| A fourth ground pin. On a real micro USB this is the actual only ground pin.
| 5
| Ground
|}

A ground pin is commonly found on USB and other pin connectors. At least one ground is necessary to complete the circuit, and some cables use multiple ground lines to distribute current or to support {{w|twisted pair}}s. However, there is no purpose served by having many more ground pins than data pins. Therefore, it seems rather silly for the micro USB to have 4 ground pins and only 1 functional "USB" pin. It also does not give much information about what the "USB" pin would do, as opposed to a standard pinout diagram. This diagram also leaves out the +5V power pin that is present in the real micro USB connector, which would render most USB peripherals unable to function.

The ordering and count of the pins may be an allusion to {{w|Monty Python}}'s {{w|Spam (Monty Python)|"Spam"}} sketch, in which one of the many Spam-related menu items is "Spam, Spam, Spam, egg, and Spam".

=== USB-C ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Label !! Explanation
|-
| +5V DC
| A common electronics supply voltage.
|-
| +3.3V DC
| Another common electronics supply voltage. This pin is not present on USB type C, mostly because the voltage is too low to supply useful levels of power at the current limit of the pins.
|-
| +120V AC
| Residential supply voltage in the United States; its use on an electronics connector would be very unusual, as it would burn out any unguarded transistor-logic electronics. But this high a voltage might be an allusion to the high voltages USB-C screens and similar devices can request in order to get enough energy without exceeding the cable's current limit.
|-
| Boobytrap Pin (Pure Solder)
| {{w|Solder}} is a metal alloy with a low melting temperature (typically around 360°C, but in special cases melting points between 90°C and 450°C or above are available), used to bond electronic components together permanently. Most solder materials are quite docile so it might be too easy for the forces a connector is subject to to permanently change their shape. Along with the fact that the resistance of solder is typically way higher than that for copper the pin under heavy electrical stress could overheat and melt, thus bonding the connector to its receptacle, and thereby "trapping" the receptacle. Additionally putting a pin that might slightly change their shape directly next to a high voltage pin means risking to accidentally connect two power rails with entirely different voltages together (causing an overvoltage in the lower-voltage rail that is likely to break the circuit, as has happened with some Apple devices). In this case the +120V AC pin might be able to deliver enough power to actually fuse the solder-only pin.
|-
| Mechanical
| All connectors include portions whose job is to ensure a solid connection between the cable and the port. This is typically not the job of the pins, however. In real USB type C connectors, this task is performed by the center tongue of the female connector.
|-
| +3.3eV/C
| {{w|Electron-volts}} per {{w|coulomb}} would be a very unusual unit to see in a pinout. It would be a unit of electric potential equivalent to approximately 1.60217662 * 10^-19 volts. There 3.3eV/C would be 5.287183 * 10^-19 volts, or slightly more than 1/2 attovolt. It could also be read as +3.3 eV/c (per {{w|speed of light}}), in which case it is equivalent to a momentum of 5.3E-28 kg m/s, In high-energy physics, the momentum of particles is sometimes expressed in MeV/c or GeV/c units.
|-
| Candlepin
| Randall is making a pun on the word ''pin'', which refers to a electrical connector pin as well as a thing to knock down in bowling. {{w|Candlepin bowling}} is a form of bowling.
|-
| Facebook use
| This would imply that Facebook had a hand in specifying USB type C, and had a pin dedicated to their use. This would be strange given Facebook's primary business is web technology and would have little need for a dedicated pin in the USB standard.
|-
| +5V (Positrons)
| {{w|Positron}}s are the antimatter counterparts to electrons. So this pin is supplying +5V, but does so by sourcing positrons into the device rather than sinking electrons out. NOTE: Positrons cannot be conducted through normal matter conductors as they would annihilate with the electrons.
|-
| Pin Roulette
| Presumably in the same vein as "Chat Roulette", this pin's purpose is not rigidly defined and is instead left to chance. According to the title text, this pin's counterpart on the other side of the connector is the "FireWire Tribute Pin", so this cable would only be truly rotationally symmetric (which is the whole point of the USB-C connector) when the pin roulette ball lands on that same function.
|-
| GND
| Ground pin. Typically denoted as "GND".
|-
| SKY
| Reference to the ground pin, which refers to the common grounding on the larger metal body. There is no corresponding "sky" pin, although sky is often thought as the opposite of ground.
|-
| FireWire Tribute Pin
| ''In Title text:'' {{w|FireWire}} is Apple's version of IEEE 1394 which is a 6 pin connector that has a ground pin a power pin and two pairs of data pins. It was something of a competitor to USB, and had faster data rates than USB 2.0, but is much less popular now. Presumably the writers of the USB-C standard (which far outpaces its data rates) wished to memorialize it somehow, although it's not clear how the pin actually works for that purpose.
|}

The fact that only half of the USB-C pins are documented might hint to an alternative way to manufacture connectors that can be legally inserted rotated by 180°: Make the receiver use only the right side of the pins and make the sender connect both the left and the right side so all Pins that might match a function are connected correctly no matter if the cable is rotated by 180°.

=== Coax ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Label !! Explanation
|-
| Pin
| An {{w|RF connector|coaxial RF connector}} has two contacts - one pin, and the shield; typically the whole connector is labeled with whatever function/signal is carried by the pair.
|}

==Transcript==

:[Caption at top]
:Pinouts
:Quick Reference Guide

:[Four common connectors are depicted - vertically, rather than the usual horizontal orientation.]

:[The first connector is a 19-pin HDMI connector.]
:[The nine pins on the left are labeled:]
:*Data
:*+5V
:*+6VI
:*+7VII
:*Antidata
:*Water
:*Vacuum
:*Amazon Copyright Pin
:*Decorative
:[The ten pins on the right are labeled:]
:*+3.3V DC
:*-3.3V DC
:*Tx
:*Wx
:*Rx Only
:*Unknown
:*+240V DC
:*5V AC
:*GND
:*Ground

:[The second connector is a 5-pin Micro USB connector.]
:[The five pins are labeled:]
:*GND
:*GND
:*GND
:*USB
:*GND

:[The third connector is a 24-pin USB-C connector, with only the right side labeled.]
:[The twelve pins on the right are labeled:]
:*+5V DC
:*+3.3V DC
:*+120V AC
:*Boobytrap Pin (Pure Solder)
:*Mechanical
:*+3.3eV/C
:*Candlepin
:*Facebook Use
:*+5V (Positrons)
:*Pin Roulette
:*GND
:*SKY

:[The fourth and final connector is a 1-pin COAX connector.]
:[The one pin in the center is labeled:]
:*Pin

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

Talk:91: Pwned

2020-04-01T14:41:21Z

Condor70:

[[User:Rikthoff|Rikthoff]] ([[User talk:Rikthoff|talk]]) Does anybody know why this comic is stored in Portable Graphic Format (PNG) instead of JPEG? Is this an inside joke? -- 12:29, 3 August 2012‎ (UTC)

Guest: An alternate way to look at this uses the same three cultural acknowledgements, but with a little more of thoughtful understanding. The grue lies in wait in the dark and devours the player, and likewise a 'camper' player in CS would wait for a player and kill them upon entry. It can be looked at that the blindness of entering the room that the camper kills the player at is comparable to the darkness that the grue eats the player from. All-in-all this amounts to a frustrating experience of dying in a game, and so a correlation is drawn. Because they seem to be similar frustrations, in which the only effective difference is whether you read it or see it, the text thus implies that there is no actual leverage that makes graphical games favored.
It may also further extend from this to additionally taunt the relatively basic slang of getting killed in Counter-Strike being immature, brief, and unfulfilling compared to the larger descriptions that try to pull the player into the game that was needed for Zork to accommodate for the lack of graphics. {{unsigned ip|66.177.70.225|03:20, 20 September 2012‎ (UTC)}}

It's not worth changing the description, as it's not relevant to the context, but Zork was ''not'' "typical" because it could understand more complex commands than most other (non-{{w|Infocom}}) text adventures, like "kill the troll with the axe". [[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 12:33, 13 April 2013 (UTC)

You know, it's not just (standard) processor and memory improvements that led to graphical games but (unsurprisingly) actual graphical capability... Text-based games (including MUDs) could be played on anything, even text-only terminals and over telnet connections and the like. Graphical capabilities beyond CGA (which limits us to ASCII-art or 'ASCII-shaded' depictions of things, in leiu of sticking to text-only descriptions) allowed a progression to FPS-ish, via the likes of graphical tile-based games (although see Dwarf Fortress as a game that could have been text-only in its tile-ness, albeit that even the vanilla character-based display is ''implemented'' with graphics of said characters), and even if it was EGA you ''could'' now get graphics, and have to start worrying about whether you could calculate the image quickly enough to start looking at pre-Dooms, especially when you don't yet ''necessarily'' have anything approximating a separate GPU and graphics RAM... Which is much as originally said, but... ;)

Oh, and (referencing Rikthoff's question) IMO the .PNG format is far more suited to Randall's comics than .JPG, so I'm not sure there's any inside-joke. Indeed, some of the other early comics with colours (that may have been saved as JPEGs, I haven't checked) appear to have quite a lot of artefacts in them, but I don't know if anyone's enumerated the formats used. Certainly the very latest are PNG, which I say is all for the best. I can think of at least one (the Steve Jobs memorial one) that was almost certainly .GIF, because it needed animation. Inferior to .PNG, but still superior to JPEG for largely monochrome line-drawings (and not bad even for colour-filled ones, if not requiring the full gamut of colours that the current favoured format technically allows). [[Special:Contributions/178.98.31.27|178.98.31.27]] 05:50, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

::I think the title text is a reference to this: http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=523--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.85|173.245.50.85]] 00:29, 9 April 2014 (UTC)
I doubt the reference is to a Command & Conquer expansion pack and not to the Half-Life expansion pack, though there's nothing in the strip itself to say either way. --[[User:Alex|Alex]] ([[User talk:Alex|talk]]) 21:39, 18 April 2014 (UTC)
::I agree. I've put more time into C&C than CS and I immediately connect this with the Valve game. Additionally, units in C&C are inherently light sources, so they are grue-proof. I am going to change the explain. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.63|173.245.54.63]] 18:06, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

I made an edit to change the definition of RPG -NotAnAccount [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.111|173.245.56.111]] 21:16, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

There is now a text-only CounterStrike, albiet with some ASCII art: http://csstory.net/ [[User:Pablo360|Pablo360]] ([[User talk:Pablo360|talk]]) 19:48, 16 February 2016 (UTC)

I know I'm going to sound like a grammar nazi for saying this, but to whoever put "it's subsequent sequel", it's "its" in this situation. Don't worry, i fixed it. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 13:22, 14 September 2016 (UTC)

The RPG genre and the adventure game genre aren't mutually exclusive. Weren't the {{Wikipedia|Quest for Glory}} games, for example, adventure games and RPGs at the same time? Wiki even describes them as hybrid adventure/role-playing games. [[User:Pelosujamo|Pelosujamo]] ([[User talk:Pelosujamo|talk]]) 16:14, 29 October 2018 (UTC)

The computers mentioned (IBM-XT, Atari, or C64) are too new. Zork was originally written for a DEC PDP-10 and ported to several other text-only computers. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 14:41, 1 April 2020 (UTC)

Talk:2283: Exa-Exabyte

2020-03-20T21:32:19Z

Condor70:

Is this the first non-coronavirus related comic after eight in a row? -- brad

My personal suspicion is that this one came out so late in the day because Randall was trying to think up another coronavirus-related comic so as not to break his streak :) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.5|108.162.242.5]] 20:05, 20 March 2020 (UTC)

We sure this is not covid-19 related? A comic revolving around how hard biology is doesn't seem to me like a definite chain breaker for a biology related topic. Though I'll admit its a bit of a stretch [[Special:Contributions/172.69.198.58|172.69.198.58]] 21:14, 20 March 2020 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure the comic is SARS-CoV-2 related. The virus genome can be found all over the internet lately, it is even used for spamming. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 21:32, 20 March 2020 (UTC)

2269: Phylogenetic Tree

2020-02-17T09:33:22Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2269
| date = February 17, 2020
| title = Phylogenetic Tree
| image = phylogenetic_tree.png
| titletext = And I was kicked out of my March Madness pool because I wouldn't shut up about the evidence for NBA/ABA endosymbiosis.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PHYLOGENETIC TREE WITH MARCH MADNESS BRACKETS. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
{{w|Phylogenetic tree|Phylogenetic trees}} are a way of showing evolutionary relationships with the most recent common ancestor at the root of the tree. [[Randall]] replaced the trees in a biology paper with a basketball {{w|March_Madness_pools|March Madness bracket}} which is not related to biology{{Citation needed}}
The title text shows the inverse of what the comic says: Apparently the March Madness pool removed Randall after he tried to introduce biology-related evidence, comparing the {{w|National_Basketball_Association|NBA}} and {{w|American_Basketball_Association|ABA}} to organisms and claiming the ABA is an {{w|endosymbiont}} living inside the NBA. The NBA and ABA {{w|ABA–NBA_merger|merged}} in 1976 after which the ABA seized to exist.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[A circular phylogenetic tree is shown, with various parts of the tree colored red, green, blue, and black.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I was kicked off the biology project after I secretly replaced all the phylogenetic trees in our new paper with March Madness brackets.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Tournament bracket]]

Talk:2216: Percent Milkfat

2019-10-17T09:54:58Z

Condor70:

I've always called 2% milk "98% water".
Also, these comics have been arriving ''really'' late this week; I hope Randall is doing alright.
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 00:19, 17 October 2019 (UTC)

Is the fact that the comic arrived later in the day responsible for the bottom of the page brokenly saying this is a "Thursday" comic? That doesn't seem editable in the normal wiki manner.
: I don't know the cause, or if they are related, but I was able to manually fix all that--even adding the appropriate categories that got left off. [[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 04:17, 17 October 2019 (UTC)
::Randall was presenting his new book at a speech he gave in Berlin on the 15th of October. However being in Europe would make his comics more early, unless he has made an error with the cript doing the upload (mmoving time zone in the wrong direction) or he is uploading very early morning the next day. Alternatively he is just jet-lagged and his schedule is messed up. [https://www.fu-berlin.de/presse/informationen/fup/2019/fup_19_281-randall-munroe-tu/index.html See the German Press release of the university he is visiting.] He also advertised it on the header of the page, if the OS/Browser is set to German language. [[Talk:xkcd Header text|I wanted to put this on the wiki, but got no replies for it and hadn't had the time to do it on my own.]] --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:26, 17 October 2019 (UTC)
:::Lupo, can you post an image of how it looks in the German version if there is a current version with different header? Also will it be possible that this is saved in a web archive? I would like to add it to the explanation, but without any kind of visual to show that it is indeed the case, it would be a bit thin as part of an explanation. I think it is an interesting information, but this page is about a US comic, so it should only be for the informational value, not something that needed to be fully included in the [[xkcd Header text|header text explanation]]. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 06:47, 17 October 2019 (UTC)
::::The announcement of his speech in Berlin has been replaced by a image of the German bookcover and the simple text (which is a link to the publishers shop), roughly translated as "In stores now". I am currently at work, but will look into getting a screenshot in the evening. Apperantly some IP-User has found a way to view the different localized versions at the talk page of the header, as I just noticed. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:08, 17 October 2019 (UTC)
:::: There is also an anouncement of this, and of a tour across the UK last week at [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ xkcd.com/how-to] --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:11, 17 October 2019 (UTC)

2% milk is called half-full in the Netherlands. As a child I once asked my mother why anybody would want to buy a milk carton that was only half full :-).

Talk:2189: Old Game Worlds

2019-08-14T10:09:59Z

Condor70:

;Older games
Quote from explanation: "Some readers might wonder why there's no mention of even older games like Space Invaders (1978) and Pac-Man (1980), but these games were so abstracted, so pixelated; that there's never an expectation that anything in them would age or deteriorate. Likewise with older text games like the Zork series (1977–79) or their predecessor, Colossal Cave (1976–77). So they are sadly ignored on the timeline of games."
*Nope, sorry, I completely disagree with this. Pacman always felt like a real world to me. Imagine a night club in the afternoon, cleaners mopping, a couple of ghosts sleeping in the corner, sick on a wall, another wall crumbled, muzak playing, the threadworn patterned carpet now visable, pellets scattered, a uniformed teen carefully placing new shiny pellets, another uniformed teen sneaking up on the sleeping ghosts with a net. Space Invaders: the aliens have gone, people have built house out of the ruins of the bunkers, the laser is crashed in a field missing vital parts, cows mill around eating the grass, a guy with an end-is-nigh sign babbles incessantly about aliens coming. Meanwhile Zork and Colossal Cave would also be perfect for this scenario - being text the only limit on then is the imagination of the author (and memory space etc, but shhh). Personally I feel the list just represents some of Randall's favourite games - he was born in 1984 so these games here are ''before his time'' and not really games he would gravitate towards when making a list of just '''13''' games. [[User:A74xhx|A74xhx]] ([[User talk:A74xhx|talk]]) 07:08, 14 August 2019 (UTC)
::Yes, it is easy, with a bit of imagination (and at time of publishing of the games, limiting alternative experiences in video games), to really dive in deeply. But it wouldn't make a good comic, to do these "modern" adaptions to the simple layout of the actual user interface of e.g. pacman. Nevertheless i am not sure if that actually belongs to the explanation, as it is only speculation about something that is NOT in the comic. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:27, 14 August 2019 (UTC)
:::Not to mention that the list might just be incomplete and continue on below the visible space. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.28|108.162.249.28]] 07:13, 14 August 2019 (UTC)
:::: Ok, removed the paragraph [[User:A74xhx|A74xhx]] ([[User talk:A74xhx|talk]]) 9:30, 14 August 2019 (UTC)

"Mario kart" is a series, not a game. Its first title "Super Mario Kart" was released in 1992, which would be older than the "very old game" "Escape Velocity (1996)". Maybe Randall referred to "Mario kart 64", which was released in North America 1997 in, rendering it newer than "Escape Velocity". Stefan 08:51, 14 August 2019 (UTC)
:Agree, that makes sense with both the title and the chronology. I will correct my own explanation.--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:55, 14 August 2019 (UTC)

Somebody should make a Videogames subcategory for Kerbal Space Program and assign it to comics 1106, 1244, 1350 and 1356. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 10:09, 14 August 2019 (UTC)

2189: Old Game Worlds

2019-08-14T09:19:36Z

Condor70: Not Super Mario Kart

{{comic
| number = 2189
| date = August 14, 2019
| title = Old Game Worlds
| image = old_game_worlds.png
| titletext = Ok, how many coins for a cinnamon roll?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a VERY OLD GAME CHARACTER. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Randall]] sits at his computer looking at a menu of games which have been ordered into three sections, New, Old and Very old games (see [[#List of games|List of games]] below). At the bottom of this list, 2nd to last, he chooses to click on ''{{w|Super Mario Bros.}}'' which then opens as shown in the next four panels.

This comic explores the difference between the real world, where artificial structures require constant upkeep and communities change with time, and the digital worlds of video games, where everything is static until the plot demands otherwise. Although ''online'' games do require server maintenance by the owners, offline games are - and always have been - perpetual existences, unchanging so long as the data is intact.

As the narration explores this incongruity, and theorizes about the idea of it not being so, the comic displays the alternative with the ubiquitous video game - ''Super Mario Bros.'' (1985) - as an example. {{w|Mario}} arrives in World 1-1 to find a {{w|Goomba}} expressing surprise that the plumber has deigned to return to the place where his '''first''' journey began. As he advances, he finds both signs of progress - a {{w|Cell site|cellphone tower}}, an {{w|Motorized scooter|e-scooter}}, a {{w|Quadcopter|drone}} - and signs of disrepair - damaged {{w|Warp (video gaming)|Warp Pipes}}, loose blocks. At World 1-Castle, he finds {{w|Toad (Nintendo)|Toad}} - usually warning him that {{w|Princess Peach|the Princess}} is being held elsewhere - informing him that the castle has been remodeled into a {{w|Panera Bread|Panera}} bakery. As shown in the previous comic, [[2188: E Scooters]] are not universally seen as a good thing. Similar, the selected modern elements, cellphone towers and (survilance) drones, also might put a dystopian feel to the changed video game world.

The title-text abruptly switches to Mario's acceptance of the changes to World 1-1, and deciding to make the most of it by purchasing a {{w|cinnamon roll}}. "Coins" are the ubiquitous currency of the {{w|Mushroom Kingdom}} and most other locations Mario visits in the ''Mario'' series, taking the form of large nondescript golden circles, usually with a rectangular indent on the sides.

Some readers might wonder why there's no mention of even older games like ''{{w|Space Invaders}}'' (1978) and ''{{w|Pac-Man}}'' (1980), but these games were so abstracted, so pixelated; that there's never an expectation that anything in them would age or deteriorate. Likewise with older text games like the ''{{w|Zork}}'' series (1977–79) or their predecessor, ''{{w|Colossal Cave Adventure|Colossal Cave}}'' (1976–77). So they are sadly ignored on the timeline of games. Also these games may not be on Randall's computer, as they were originally {{w|arcade games}}. However, the list only show the top 13 games, and it could go on below with ancient games etc.

===List of games===
The first panel shows a list of games in a supposedly reverse chronological order of their release:
#New games:
##{{w|Subnautica}} (2014)
##[https://spookysquid.com/rsd Russian Subway Dogs] (2018)
##{{w|Kerbal Space Program}} (2015). (Has been mentioned several times in xkcd).
#Old games:
##{{w|Worms Armageddon}} (1999)
##{{w|Elasto Mania}} (2000)
##{{w|Katamari Damacy}} (2004)
##{{w|Mario Kart 64|Mario Kart}} (1997) (due to it's placement in the timeline this is probably Mario Kart 64!, because the first {{w|Super_Mario_Kart|Mario Kart}} from 1992 would classify as a very old game). Mario kart is also referenced [[:Category:Mario Kart|several times]] on xkcd.
#Very old games:
##{{w|Link's Awakening}} (1993) (aka The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening)
##{{w|Escape Velocity (video game)|Escape Velocity}} (1996)
##{{w|SimCity}} (1989)
##{{w|Prince of Persia}} (1989). (This game was [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e2/1608_Comparing_Prince_of_Persia_maze_with_real_level_1.png featured] in [[1608: Hoverboard]]).
##{{w|Super Mario Bros.}} (1985)
##{{w|History_of_Microsoft_Flight_Simulator#Flight_Simulator_3.0|MS Flight Simulator 3}} (1988)

The first game in the {{w|Mario Kart}} series was {{w|Super Mario Kart}} from 1992. As can be seen that Mario Kart game would be older than Link's Awakening. So it looks like Randall was referring to {{w|Mario Kart 64}} from 1997, the first in the series to begin with Mario Kart leaving out the Super. With this in mind all the games in the two bottom sections are older than all those in the previous section. But they are not listed chronological within the three sections.

Russian Subway Dogs is the newest game from 2018 (and did not have a Wikipedia page as the only of the 13 games at the time of this comics release in August 2019).

Super Mario Bors. the chosen game is the oldest of the 13. The first version of {{w|Microsoft Flight Simulator}}, {{w|History_of_Microsoft_Flight_Simulator#Flight_Simulator_1.0|MS flight simulator 1.0}}, was from 1982, but it is specifically the third from 1988 that is on the list.

The first three games are from 2014-2018. The next four from between 1997-2004 and the last six from between 1985-1996. So if the split is 1985-1996, 1997-2005 and then just never games than 2005 it would fit. But it would have made more sense with 1985-1995, with the Escape Velocity game in the Old game section.

==Transcript==
:[A light gray drop down menu is shown with three sections split up with three grays lines split up with section titles in the same gray font. Beneath each section title is 3, 4 and 6 lines of black text. An white arrow cursor hovers over the second last option, which is thus highlighted with a dark gray background and white text.]
:New Games
:Subnautica
:Russian Subway Dogs
:Kerbal Space Program
:Old Games
:Worms Armageddon
:Elasto Mania
:Katamari Damacy
:Mario Kart
:Very Old Games
:Link's Awakening
:Escape Velocity
:SimCity
:Prince of Persia
<div style="background-color:gray; padding:5px; width:fit-content; margin-left: 2em">
Super Mario Bros.</div>
:MS Flight Simulator 3

:[A colorful scene is shown from the Super Mario Bros. side-scrolling game, the first level World 1-1. Mario with red hat and trousers is standing on the brown blocks beneath the blue sky. Another character in the game, Goomba, is standing in front of some green bushes. Above them is narration text:]
:Narrator: It feels weird that you can go into old games and the whole world is still there.
:Goomba: Mario?
:Mario: It'sa me!
:Goomba: What are ''you'' doing here?

:[Mario stands between an e-scooter, a dismounted and broken Question Mark Box lying on it side and a cellphone tower. Narration continues above:]
:Narrator: Part of me expects to find that everything's changed.

:[Mario looks at a damaged green but rusty Warp Pipe and there is a quadcopter drone flying by over his head. Weed is growing both from the pipe and from the blocks he is walking on. Narration continues above:]
:Narrator: That pipes have rusted, walls have crumbled, bad guys have moved on.

:[Mario has moved on to World 1-Castle, the castle has been replaced with a bakery. The blocks beneath his feet are now smaller and gray and above them is black background. The character Toad with the white hat with red circles is standing in front of a bakery disc with shelves of bread and cake behind it. There is a green sign on the front of the brown disk. Toad talks to Mario with white text in the black background. Above the black part of the image is more narration in a frame-less white section:]
:Narrator: That even our game worlds can't escape the passage of time.
:Toad: Thank you, Mario!
:Toad: But this is a Panera now!
:Sign: Panera

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Mario Kart]]
[[Category:Drones]]

2179: NWS Warnings

2019-07-23T08:06:25Z

Condor70:

{{comic
| number = 2179
| date = July 23, 2019
| title = NWS Warnings
| image = nws_warnings.png
| titletext = Kind of rude of them to simultaneously issue an EVACUATION - IMMEDIATE alert, a SHELTER IN PLACE alert, and a 911 TELEPHONE OUTAGE alert.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a NWS EMPLOYEE IN A BREAK. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The {{w|National Weather Service}} (NWS) is a United States federal agency that is tasked with issuing national weather forecasts and {{w|Severe weather terminology (United States)|extreme weather alert}}s.

This comic portrays the NWS as a person that needs breaks, which is absurd, as it is an important service and would probably always have staff active, even on holidays. For example, the NWS [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/10/04/weather-service-office-begs-please-pay-us-in-secret-message/ continued to work during federal government shutdowns], as it was considered an essential service for the protection of life and property. Even if one of the NWS's 122 local weather offices were to be incapacitated, contingency plans are in place to ensure that nearby offices act as emergency cover; as happened in March 2019 with [https://twitter.com/mikeseidel/status/1106705454435057666 flooding in Nebraska forcing the NWS office in Valley to evacuate.]

Regardless, the NWS has decided to take a break, and so has opted to issue every extreme weather alert possible for the entire country to make sure one is not caught by surprise by extreme weather, since the NWS will not be able to issue warnings. As the NWS could not be sure which areas will need to get warned of severe incidents, the NWS has decided to issue warning polygons that cover the entire United States. A layer of humor is that this would necessitate warnings where they would be highly unlikely to occur in real life; examples include issuing Blizzard Warnings for Florida, where any amount of snow is rare, and Tsunami Warnings for areas very far from any ocean coastline.

The title text mentions how some of the warnings that have been issued require action to get to safety that contradicts the other warnings, for example, an evacuation warning and a shelter in place order, since doing one would mean failing the other. This adds another layer to the absurdity of the occurrence of the NWS taking a break.

This comic was likely inspired by the heat wave that impacted two-thirds of the US for more than a week.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[Title in frame]

Alert: Everyone Just Keep An Eye Out In General

[A map of the 48 contiguous states of the United States, surrounded by several warning polygons that cover most or all of the area, along with parts of neighboring countries or the sea.]

[The following warning headers are printed in different colors around the map of the United States, some of which are cut off by the frame. Assumptions about text outside of the frame are given in parentheses]

Gale Warning, Tornado Warning, Flash Flood Warning, Air Quality (Alert) 
Frost Advisory, Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Dense Fog Advisory 
(Hurricane Force W)ind Watch, Tropical Storm Warning, Ice Stor(m Warning) 
(Extreme Cold) Warning, Heat A(dvisory) 
(Flood) Advisory, Snow (Squall Warning) 
(Storm Surge) Warning, Brisk W(ind Advisory) 
(Lake Effect Snow) Watch, Coastal Fl(ood Advisory) 
Dense Smo(ke Advisory) 
(Severe Weather Sta)tement, Gale War(ning) 
(Lakeshore Flood) Advisory, Wind Chill Ad(visory) 
(Extreme) Cold Warning, Blizzard Warn(ing) 
Hurricane Warning, Extreme Fire (Danger) 
(Freezing Fog Adv)isory, Tsunami Warning, Avalanche W(arning) 
(Ice S)torm Warning, Frost Advisory, Fire Warning, Volcano Warn(ing) 
Ashfall Advisory, Red Flag Warning, Radiological Hazard Warning 

[Text below frame]

When the National Weather Service needs to take a day off, they just issue warnings for everything so no one is caught by surprise.
{{comic discussion}}

2169: Predictive Models

2019-07-01T14:00:54Z

Condor70: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number = 2169
| date = June 28, 2019
| title = Predictive Models
| image = predictive_models.png
| titletext = WE WILL ARREST THE REVOLUTION MEMBERS [AT THE JULY 28TH MEETING][tab] "Cancel the meeting! Our cover is blown."
}}

*When the image is clicked the "Not Available" xkcd post opens up: [https://xkcd.com/%5BAT%2520THE%2520JULY%252028TH%2520MEETING%5D%5Btab%5D <nowiki>https://xkcd.com/[AT%20THE%20JULY%2028TH%20MEETING][tab]</nowiki>]
==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PREDICTIVE MODEL THAT WILL BE FIRST AGAINST THE WALL WHEN THE REVOLUTION COMES. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Predictive text}} is a feature on many systems where as you type the system automatically suggests likely words or phrases to follow what you have written to that point. For instance, if you type "I'm heading" the system may suggest "home" or "back" as likely words to follow. Predictive systems usually use prior input to generate their predictions, so if you frequently type "Totally amazing!" the system will suggest "amazing!" every time you type "totally" even if you actually want to type "totally true" sometimes.

In the comic, [[Cueball]] is using predictive text to uncover a plot against his organization/government, but instead of using only his personal input, the system is using input from ''all'' users. By typing in an obscure phrase related to revolution and a meeting, he gets the predictive text algorithm to display where and when the next supposedly secret meeting will be held based on other users input. This works because it is unlikely that anyone else other than revolutionaries would be typing this phrase, thus the only data the algorithm has to predict from is the actual message from the revolutionaries on their next meeting. The caption of the comic is pointing out that systems which use prior input for predictive purposes in this way can end up leaking information that might otherwise be considered private. (However, this method may produce outdated information. On June 29, 2019, typing in Google "Long live the revolution. Our next meeting will be at" gave the predicted completion "long live the revolution. our next meeting will be at comic con 2018", which would not be useful information to anyone looking for revolutionaries, because Comic-Con 2018 was already over.)

As humanity adapts to a digital world, people are finding that their digital communications provide the illusion of confidentiality, with damaging results when the information leaks out. Real-life examples include a [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36391957 2016 British trainee doctor strike], where a technically-secure WhatsApp group leaked information to the press.

The title text shows the revolutionaries using the same technique. By typing in "We will arrest the revolution members" they are hoping that the algorithm will suggest the time and date of their planned arrest, since no one other than the authorities would be typing in that phrase. Pressing the key [tab] to autocomplete that text produces "WE WILL ARREST THE REVOLUTION MEMBERS [AT THE JULY 28TH MEETING]", and the revolutionaries then say "Cancel the meeting! Our cover is blown." The revolutionaries have apparently made the serious mistake of holding secret meetings on regular, predictable dates (such as the 28th day of each month, the last date guaranteed to exist in any month of the Gregorian Calendar), and the authorities have successfully figured this out, either through the predictive-text attack or by other means.

Both examples assume that the revolutionaries and the authorities would be talking about very secret information in the clear on a network accessible to their adversaries. In the real world people engaged in sensitive activities would communicate via code, encryption, or both, or would do so through secure channels. There is still the danger of secret information leaking via non-secret channels, however.

Although the comic title is "Predictive Models", the term {{w|Predictive modelling}} usually refers to computer programs that try to predict outcomes from data aggregation, such as reviewing health records to identify people most at risk from certain diseases based on weight, prior injuries, etc., before testing directly for the diseases themselves. This is similar to but not precisely like the example in the comic, since predictive text is using direct input to predict further input, while predictive modelling is using related input (such as make and model of a car along with driver acceleration patterns) to predict a different output (such as likelihood of a crash). Both predictive text and predictive modelling could leak information as the comic suggests, however. A famous example occurred in World War II. The Germans kept tank production figures a secret, but they gave items like engine blocks sequential serial numbers. The Allies wanted to know exact tank production figures, so they solved the {{w|German tank problem}} by using statistical methods to analyze the distribution of these numbers on captured vehicles. They were able to predict tank production figures extremely accurately, to the point they predicted 270 tanks in a month when 276 were actually built. Thus the secret information on tank production leaked.

Predictive text and the possibility to leak unintended information has been parodied on xkcd before in [[1068: Swiftkey]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is sitting in an office chair at a desk typing on a laptop. Above him is the text he writes along with what the predictive text tool suggests, the latter in grey text. The TAB at the end is in a small frame.]
:Cueball typing: Long live the revolution. Our next meeting will be at| the docks at midnight on June 28 [tab]
:Cueball: ''Aha, found them!''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:When you train predictive models on input from your users, it can leak information in unexpected ways.

==Trivia==
*Clicking on a comic takes you to this page: [https://xkcd.com/%5BAT%2520THE%2520JULY%252028TH%2520MEETING%5D%5Btab%5D <nowiki>https://xkcd.com/[AT%20THE%20JULY%2028TH%20MEETING][tab]</nowiki>], which as of this moment only shows "404 Not Found".
**The anchor actually contains invalid HTML <nowiki><a href=" [AT THE JULY 28TH MEETING][tab] "Cancel the meeting! Our cover is blown.""></nowiki>. This would suggest that [[Randall]] didn't intend this behaviour.
**It is also possible that [[Randall]] may add what he intends to add at a later date, most likely July 28, the date mentioned in the title text. In this case the page will likely remain this way until then.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

957: Development

2019-06-12T15:17:36Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 957
| date = September 28, 2011
| title = Development
| image = development.png
| titletext = Funding was quickly restored to the NHC and the APA was taken back off hurricane forecast duty.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] is a [[:Category:News anchor|news anchor]] reporting on a hurricane.

First, some definitions: NHC is the {{w|National Hurricane Center}} and the APA is the {{w|American Psychological Association}}.

The reference to {{w|Piaget's theory of cognitive development#Sensorimotor Stage|Piaget Stage 5}} in the comic is a reference to {{w|Jean Piaget|Piaget}}'s {{w|Piaget's theory of cognitive development|Stages of Development}} in which stage 5 is where (to quote Wikipedia and Gruber, H.E.; Voneche, J.J.. eds. ''The essential Piaget''.)

:"Infants become intrigued by the many properties of objects and by the many things they can make happen to objects; they experiment with new behavior." This stage is associated primarily with the discovery of new means to meet goals. Piaget describes the child at this juncture as the "young scientist," conducting pseudo-experiments to discover new methods of meeting challenges."

This is exactly what the comic is describing in sustained interest in objects and their properties and the handy "?"s around the picture behind the newscaster in this comic.

With that out of the way, this comic is a pun on the use of the word "development" to classify hurricanes which also uses categories from 1 to 5 as defined by the {{w|Saffir%E2%80%93Simpson_scale|Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale}} (Piaget's Stages go from 1-6). The comic is making a joke that if the APA were on hurricane forecast duty instead of the NHC, that the hurricanes would be classified with Piaget's stages instead of categories.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is a news anchor at desk reporting. Behind him to the left is a black screen showing a white icon of a hurricane moving over the black ocean towards a thin sliver of white land in the top left corner. There are three white question-marks around the hurricane.]
:Cueball: Fear turned to confusion today as Hurricane Rina developed to Piaget stage 5, with sustained interests in objects and their properties.
:Hurricane: ? ? ?

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:News anchor]]
[[Category:Hurricanes]]
[[Category:Puns]]

Talk:2136: Election Commentary

2019-04-15T12:28:40Z

Condor70:

A lot of election commentary falls under the category of Bayesian inference. The various news agencies have prior distributions for the votes from all of the precincts, and update their estimates of the final total votes based on the precincts that have reported so far. Thus, "Candidate X is leading Candidate Y in votes received, but since only the precincts that previously have favoured X-like candidates have reported in so far, and they aren't giving X as much a lead as expected, we think this means Y will win overall." [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.208|162.158.63.208]] 18:11, 12 April 2019 (UTC)

Anybody else getting tired of whiny Californicators and New Yorkers trying to use their superior population to dictate to the rest of the country how to live? [[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 20:12, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
:Anybody else getting tired of the middle of the country trying to use their geographic footprint to dictate to the majority of the population how to live? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.52|172.68.34.52]] 23:01, 14 April 2019 (UTC)
:No, I'm tired of small communities trying to use "oh but added up we have a larger population than you!" to try and justify insulting California and New York.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.143.144|172.68.143.144]] 21:12, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
::Except for they don't, because they still don't. You can add together the populations of all the other states combined and not have a majority of voters.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 21:14, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
::: California population: 40 million. New York population: 20 million. US population: 330 million. Please check your sources next time.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.143.144|172.68.143.144]] 21:18, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
: Anybody else getting tired of whiny Kansans, Oklahomans, and other podunk nutjobs trying to act like they're even remotely important and meaningful? (Unsigned post by 162.158.75.88)
:I'm just tired of people who don't want to live by the rules preferred by a larger portion of society getting undue influence over the rules & leadership of that society. It's blatantly un-democratic & the corporate driven corruption it enables is now so egregious that I believe treason charges would be appropriate in many cases...
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 15:44, 13 April 2019 (UTC)
::'''U.S. Code Title 18.''' ''Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.'' [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 06:15, 14 April 2019 (UTC)
::'''U.S. Constitution Article III, Section 3.''' ''Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. (clause break) The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.'' (Side note here, this is most of where the Title 18 stuff originated. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.88|162.158.75.88]] 23:19, 14 April 2019 (UTC)

Someone do a left-brained election night show, try to hide who you personally favor even though the other candidate sucks, do the digit lead thing and put it on Youtube. Please! But not monotone, make it sound like CNN. Preferably taped on election night so the lack of foreknowledge is real. Like someone could type updates as they come in, give them to the "newscasters" and they'd take the page and be like "this just in, Trump's millions digit in Pennsylvania is now 3, this completely eliminates Bernie's advantage in the other digits, if he doesn't increase this digit (points at digit) to 3 his chances of becoming president drop from 60 to 20 percent. What do you think the chances of that are Bob? Well, since the last time we've analyzed it the chance of that digit exceeding 2 has decreased slightly, to 70%, and even if he wins that digit the battleground just returns to lower digits, his chance of winning the state is still only 50%. The state most likely to vote for the election winner is PA so we'll be watching the shit out of it, even more than Michigan and Wisconsin (the chance of Trump and Sanders becoming president updates)" Even if it's just 2 suits changing cards on a wall with digits and states names on them and a cardboard red and blue map I'd totally watch that the day after. (Unsigned post by 108.162.216.226)
:Do you really believe Sanders will get the nomination this time? I don't see any evidence of that: I think the nomination will go to someone more "centrist" (read: collusive) again & that the Democratic base will once again be so disgusted by the nomination of yet another faux progressive that they stand a good chance of losing critical votes again. I don't think the DNC is ''willing'' to elect a truly progressive candidate. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 16:04, 13 April 2019 (UTC)

I'm surprised Randall didn't do a comic on Julian Assange being arrested yesterday after living for six years in an embassy for safety. It fits with election theme a little: WikiLeaks' release of Hillary's e-mails was big for Trump's election, and now he is getting arrested during Trump's administration. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.40|172.69.62.40]] 22:44, 12 April 2019 (UTC)

Should the explanation mention that comparing numbers like in the comic is valid for some sports (e.g. tennis). [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 12:28, 15 April 2019 (UTC)

2101: Technical Analysis

2019-01-21T10:20:24Z

Condor70: Fixed Wikipedia links

{{comic
| number = 2101
| date = January 21, 2019
| title = Technical Analysis
| image = technical_analysis.png
| titletext = "I [suspect] that we are throwing more and more of our resources, including the cream of our youth, into financial activities remote from the production of goods and services, into activities that generate high private rewards disproportionate to their social productivity. I suspect that the immense power of the computer is being harnessed to this 'paper economy', not to do the same transactions more economically but to balloon the quantity and variety of financial exchanges." --James Tobin, July 1984
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete| Comic is still undergoing TECHNICAL ANALYSIS (this is just the prologue). Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Technical analysis is field which attempts to study stocks, cryptocurrency, etc. statistically, seeking to profit off of the patterns that are found there.

The theoretical value of a stock is the sum of all its future earnings, with earnings in the future discounted appropriately to account for the {{w|Time_value_of_money|time value of money}}. Because these earnings are never fully predictable, traders may have different ideas about the true value of a stock, and buy the stock if they believe the currently offered prices are particularly low, or sell it when the prices are high.

Technical analysis, however, does not even attempt to understand the earnings of the stock, instead focusing on the shapes and patterns that result from traders making their moves. While there is a human behavioral component to stock trading, it is not clear that one can extract much information from the shapes of stock charts. To the extent it does work, a substantial part of its success may be simply an artifact of the herd behavior of traders who engage in technical analysis, a zero-sum game.

The comic displays a stock price chart, annotated with labels which purport to be technical analysis. These labels are nonsense: "allegro" and "prologue" (musical terms such as may be used in the introduction of a performed piece), "lumbar support" (the thing in a chair shaped to better support your back), "bathtub" (possibly a reference to the so-called "{{w|Bathtub curve}}"). One label celebrates that "these two points define a line! Promising signal." (In Euclidian geometry, any two points define a line.)

The mouseover text is a quote from {{w|James Tobin}} (from his 1984 paper [https://economicsociologydotorg.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/tobin-on-the-efficiency-of-the-financial-system.pdf On the efficiency of the financial system]) that raises a question of very talented people building systems to make themselves a lot of money without actually accomplishing anything worth money. This concern is perhaps not in and of itself about technical analysis, but more about the stock market and related trading ecosystems in general, in particular high speed traders. While it is not always easy to understand why certain forms of market activity might be valuable, and hard to put a price tag on concepts like "risk," "liquidity" and "price discovery," sometimes people are just working to trick others into bad deals, or forcing market participants to pay them {{w|Rent-seeking|unearned money}}. This may make the smart people a lot of money, but it does so by harming society, not helping it.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{comic discussion}}

2101: Technical Analysis

2019-01-21T10:17:49Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2101
| date = January 21, 2019
| title = Technical Analysis
| image = technical_analysis.png
| titletext = "I [suspect] that we are throwing more and more of our resources, including the cream of our youth, into financial activities remote from the production of goods and services, into activities that generate high private rewards disproportionate to their social productivity. I suspect that the immense power of the computer is being harnessed to this 'paper economy', not to do the same transactions more economically but to balloon the quantity and variety of financial exchanges." --James Tobin, July 1984
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete| Comic is still undergoing TECHNICAL ANALYSIS (this is just the prologue). Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Technical analysis is field which attempts to study stocks, cryptocurrency, etc. statistically, seeking to profit off of the patterns that are found there.

The theoretical value of a stock is the sum of all its future earnings, with earnings in the future discounted appropriately to account for the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_value_of_money time value of money]. Because these earnings are never fully predictable, traders may have different ideas about the true value of a stock, and buy the stock if they believe the currently offered prices are particularly low, or sell it when the prices are high.

Technical analysis, however, does not even attempt to understand the earnings of the stock, instead focusing on the shapes and patterns that result from traders making their moves. While there is a human behavioral component to stock trading, it is not clear that one can extract much information from the shapes of stock charts. To the extent it does work, a substantial part of its success may be simply an artifact of the herd behavior of traders who engage in technical analysis, a zero-sum game.

The comic displays a stock price chart, annotated with labels which purport to be technical analysis. These labels are nonsense: "allegro" and "prologue" (musical terms such as may be used in the introduction of a performed piece), "lumbar support" (the thing in a chair shaped to better support your back), "bathtub" (possibly a reference to the so-called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathtub_curve "bathtub curve"]). One label celebrates that "these two points define a line! Promising signal." (In Euclidian geometry, any two points define a line.)

The mouseover text is a quote from {{w|James Tobin}} (from his 1984 paper [https://economicsociologydotorg.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/tobin-on-the-efficiency-of-the-financial-system.pdf On the efficiency of the financial system]) that raises a question of very talented people building systems to make themselves a lot of money without actually accomplishing anything worth money. This concern is perhaps not in and of itself about technical analysis, but more about the stock market and related trading ecosystems in general, in particular high speed traders. While it is not always easy to understand why certain forms of market activity might be valuable, and hard to put a price tag on concepts like "risk," "liquidity" and "price discovery," sometimes people are just working to trick others into bad deals, or forcing market participants to pay them [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent-seeking unearned money]. This may make the smart people a lot of money, but it does so by harming society, not helping it.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{comic discussion}}

2101: Technical Analysis

2019-01-21T10:16:46Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2101
| date = January 21, 2019
| title = Technical Analysis
| image = technical_analysis.png
| titletext = "I [suspect] that we are throwing more and more of our resources, including the cream of our youth, into financial activities remote from the production of goods and services, into activities that generate high private rewards disproportionate to their social productivity. I suspect that the immense power of the computer is being harnessed to this 'paper economy', not to do the same transactions more economically but to balloon the quantity and variety of financial exchanges." --James Tobin, July 1984
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete| Comic is still undergoing TECHNICAL ANALYSIS (this is just the prologue). Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Technical analysis is field which attempts to study stocks, cryptocurrency, etc. statistically, seeking to profit off of the patterns that are found there.

The theoretical value of a stock is the sum of all its future earnings, with earnings in the future discounted appropriately to account for the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_value_of_money time value of money]. Because these earnings are never fully predictable, traders may have different ideas about the true value of a stock, and buy the stock if they believe the currently offered prices are particularly low, or sell it when the prices are high.

Technical analysis, however, does not even attempt to understand the earnings of the stock, instead focusing on the shapes and patterns that result from traders making their moves. While there is a human behavioral component to stock trading, it is not clear that one can extract much information from the shapes of stock charts. To the extent it does work, a substantial part of its success may be simply an artifact of the herd behavior of traders who engage in technical analysis, a zero-sum game.

The comic displays a stock price chart, annotated with labels which purport to be technical analysis. These labels are nonsense: "allegro" and "prologue" (musical terms such as may be used in the introduction of a performed piece), "lumbar support" (the thing in a chair shaped to better support your back), "bathtub" (possibly a reference to the so-called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathtub_curve "bathtub curve"]). One label celebrates that "these two points define a line! Promising signal." (In Euclidian geometry, any two points define a line.)

The mouseover text is a quote from James Tobin (from his 1984 paper [https://economicsociologydotorg.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/tobin-on-the-efficiency-of-the-financial-system.pdf On the efficiency of the financial system]) that raises a question of very talented people building systems to make themselves a lot of money without actually accomplishing anything worth money. This concern is perhaps not in and of itself about technical analysis, but more about the stock market and related trading ecosystems in general, in particular high speed traders. While it is not always easy to understand why certain forms of market activity might be valuable, and hard to put a price tag on concepts like "risk," "liquidity" and "price discovery," sometimes people are just working to trick others into bad deals, or forcing market participants to pay them [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent-seeking unearned money]. This may make the smart people a lot of money, but it does so by harming society, not helping it.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{comic discussion}}

2063: Carnot Cycle

2018-10-25T06:18:24Z

Condor70: Added an example of the Carnot cycle to make the description less abstract

{{comic
| number = 2063
| date = October 24, 2018
| title = Carnot Cycle
| image = carnot_cycle.png
| titletext = The Carnot cycle is more properly known by its full title, the "Carnot-Tolkien-Wagner Ring Cycle."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Please edit the explanation below and only mention here why it isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic shows a {{w|Pressure–volume diagram}} which is used in this case for a {{w|Carnot cycle}}, a theoretical thermodynamic cycle and covers most thermodynamics classes which looks very much like the figure drawn. The most common example of a (suboptimal) Carnot cycle is the {{w|Heat_pump_and_refrigeration_cycle|vapor compression cycle}} used in {{w|Refrigerator|refrigerators}}. However in this case, [[Randall]] has replaced the labels of the 4 stages of the real Carnot cycle with new ones.

Pressure–volume diagrams were first developed to understand the efficiency of steam engines and plot the change of pressure ''P'' with respect to volume ''V'' for a specific process. The process forms a cycle and the amount of energy involved can be estimated by the area under the curve on the chart. The Carnot cycle describes the ideal efficiency that such an engine can achieve during the conversion of heat into work, or vice versa like in a refrigeration system. The real steps are called:
#'''Isothermal expansion'''
#'''Isentropic expansion'''
#'''Isothermal compression'''
#'''Isentropic compression'''
An isothermal process is a change of a system, in which the temperature remains constant but in this diagrams the volume increases (expansion) or decreases (compression). The term isentropic describes a lossless process where no matter or energy is transferred, here the increased volume only causes a further decrease in pressure; it is also called adiabatic process.

Each step in this comic is explained below:

'''1. Isometric expansion.''' When heated, the gas becomes larger due to increasing volume

The comic text uses a circular argument. Additionally, "isometric" (equal dimensions) could mean that the gas does ''not'' change in volume, in contrast to the change in volume here.

'''2. Isotonic expansion.''' The gas expands further due to dark energy while percent milkfat remains constant.

{{w|Isotonic}} is a descriptor commonly associated with sports drinks (and not thermodynamics), which contain similar concentrations of salt and sugar as in the human body. {{w|Dark energy}} is hypothesized to be a cause for the expansion of the universe, which obviously isn't relevant to thermodynamics. The density of milk[https://hypertextbook.com/facts/2002/AliciaNoelleJones.shtml] depends on milkfat and solids-non-fat, which includes lactose. Fortified milk has increased solids-non-fat but the same percentage of milkfat, resulting in increased calories and an increased density. So the fortification of milk results in increased calories, possibly referred to as dark energy, and a contraction, as less space is needed for 1 kg of milk. However, this explanation does not match the expansion suggested in the comic.

'''3. Isopropyl compression.''' While inflation is held constant, the gas contracts due to tightening interest rates.

{{w|Isopropyl alcohol}} is commonly used for cleaning. Inflation and contraction could refer to changes in gas volume, but the reference to {{w|interest rate}}s puts them in the context of {{w|macroeconomics}}. Raising ("tightening") interest rates tends to reduce {{w|inflation}} and/or "contract" the economy. In economics (and other sciences) to better understand model parameter relations, some parameter may be held constant in theory. This could refer to the {{w|Fisher equation}}. Holding one parameter constant is also done in the Carnot cycle (for a physical parameter): not only in theory but also in practice! (In free market economies the inflation cannot be directly held constant).

'''4. Decline and fall.''' The gas diminishes and goes into the West while remaining Galadriel, completing the cycle.

{{w|Galadriel}} is a character in ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}''. She is one of the leading {{w|Elf (Middle-earth)|elves}}, a race that in the time of the book is said to be dwindling (in number and importance) in {{w|Middle Earth}} and migrating westward to {{w|Valinor}}. Galadriel is one of the last elves to leave, after successfully resisting temptation to take the One Ring and become an all-powerful queen who dominates Middle-earth, instead saying "I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel." The title is a reference to {{w|Edward Gibbon}}'s 18th century masterpiece ''{{w|The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire}}''.

The title text refers to {{w|Richard Wagner}} and {{w|J.R.R Tolkien}}. Wagner's ''{{w|Der Ring des Nibelungen|Ring Cycle}}'' consists of four operas. Tolkien wrote ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}'', which some have [[wikipedia:J. R. R. Tolkien's influences#Wagnerian_influences|suggested]] was inspired by Wagner's Ring. Their works are known as {{w|literary cycle}}s.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A cartesian plot in the first quadrant with axes labeled "P" on the vertical axis and "V" on the horizontal axis, with a rhombus-shaped set of four points with arrows between them.]
:[Caption above the graph:]
:The four stages of the '''Carnot Cycle'''

:[The first line starts at the top-left point and goes right and slightly downwards to the next point. The label is:]
:'''1. Isometric Expansion'''
:When heated, the gas becomes larger due to increasing volume

:[The next line starts at the last point and goes downwards and a little to the right.]
:'''2. Isotonic Expansion'''
:The gas expands further due to dark energy while percent milkfat remains constant

:[The next line starts at this last point and goes to the left and slightly upwards.]
:'''3. Isopropyl Compression'''
:While inflation is held constant, the gas contracts due to tightening interest rates

:[The last line goes upwards and slightly to the left, returning to the first point.]
:'''4. Decline and Fall'''
:The gas diminishes and goes into the west while remaining Galadriel, completing the cycle

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Line graphs]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:LOTR]]

596: Latitude

2018-10-19T09:07:23Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 596
| date = June 12, 2009
| title = Latitude
| image = latitude.png
| titletext = The G1, especially with the new Android upgrade, is way better than I originally thought.
}}

==Explanation==

[[Black Hat]] shows his friend [[Rob]], (aka Robert from the chart), that he has made a mobile phone application to log and find addresses and business names for the locations of his "friends" using data from {{w|Google Latitude}} which was a location-aware feature of Google Maps that allowed a mobile phone user to allow certain people to view their current location.

The reason it is worth doing so for him, is that most of those that use Google Latitude, haven't learned the habit to turn it off when engaging in "discreet" activities. And then Black Hat can access their whereabout which he then uses in his app.

The second panel shows the screen of Black Hat's smartphone with the logs for his two friend in table form showing activity for [[Megan]] and Robert (Rob), the latter log is partially cut off. (Regarding the use of these names see the [[#Trivia|trivia section]]).

Robert's log is fairly innocuous: home at 12:30 PM, school at 2:00 PM, and riding a {{w|Rapid transit|subway}} (or possibly in a {{w|Subway (restaurant)|Subway restaurant}}) at 3:30 PM. This log shows that Robert did nothing interesting for Black Hat. There are also several holes in the table compared to the other column. This could either indicate that he stayed this long time those three places, but it could also indicate that Robert has already learned to switch off Latitude when he is not actively using it. This would fit with Black Hat's comment about a narrow window in which people haven't learned this. His friend Robert (the Rob version of Cueball shown here, see the [[#Trivia|trivia section]]), may already have thought of this himself, or maybe Black Hat has mentioned it to him before getting the idea for the app thus warning him about the problem (without meaning to).

The reason Black Hat states that there only is a ''narrow window of time that people forget to turn Google Latitude off'', is because people like him will make other people, who forgets this, miserable. And then everyone will soon learn to turn the feature off making Black Hat's app useless.

Megan's log appears to prove Black Hat's point: She was home at 11:00 AM, at a {{w|sex toy}} store at 12:30 PM, home again at 1:30 PM, at another sex toy store at 2:00 PM, home again at 2:30 PM, then at {{w|Fry's Electronics}} at 3:00 PM, and directly at a {{w|power tool}} store at 3:30 PM, finally home again at 4:00 PM only to be at the hospital burn ward at 4:10 PM. The last entry is the only one where the interval is not half an hour indicating how fast Megan had to get to the hospital after getting home with her new power tools and electronics.

This suggests that Megan first tried the sex toy(s) from the first store, found them insufficiently satisfying, purchased additional sex toys from another store, was still unsatisfied, and then purchased some electronic devices and power tools (either to improve the performance of her sex toys or to apply directly for additional stimulation). The results were apparently more painful than pleasurable, necessitating a quick visit to the hospital burn ward. Overall, Megan has had an at first unsatisfying day and then finally a rather bad day, considering where the burn is most likely to be... She would almost certainly not be pleased to learn that Black Hat has been tracking her whereabouts and sharing this with their mutual friend Rob.

The title text shows that [[Randall]] liked the T-Mobile G1, also known as the {{w|HTC Dream}}, especially with the upgrade to {{w|Android Cupcake}}, more than he previously thought because it allows for more capabilities and the interface is clean and easy-to-use when compared to other "smartphones" of that time period (because the G1 was the first phone to introduce the {{w|Android (operating system)|Android operating system}}) and it allows for special Google networking, allowing for apps like Maps to run better (making it easier to run apps like Latitude). From what able to be gathered in the comic, it is [[Black Hat]] who says this, because he is the one who uses the app and shows it off to [[Randall]]. He would be the most likely one to benefit from this kind of phone running this kind of OS/app.

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat is holding a phone up to Cueball.]
:Black Hat: We're in a narrow window in which people are using Google Latitude, but haven't learned the habit of turning it off when they're doing something discreetly.
:Black Hat: I wrote an app to log friends' locations and work out addresses and business names.

:[A timetable is visible. The first column gives the time and splits the day in the half hour intervals starting at 11:00 AM, except for the last entry at 4:10 PM, where the time only jumps 10 minutes. The next two columns represents two persons activities during this time period. In the second column the last letter shown in the comic is partly cut off more or less. This last partly shown letter is written in the transcript, but no guess is made here. See the explanation. Above the table, over the two names, there is a caption:]
:::::<big>Locations</big>
:{| class="wikitable"
|-
|Time ||Megan ||Rober
|-
|11:00 AM || Home ||
|-
|12:30 PM || Eastview Adult Toy Store || Home
|-
|1:30 PM || Home ||
|-
|2:00 PM || Laketown Sex Toy Shop || Schoo
|-
|2:30 PM ||Home ||
|-
|3:00 PM || Fry's Electronics ||
|-
|3:30 PM || Ed's Power Tool Emporium || Subwa
|-
|4:00 PM || Home ||
|-
|4:10 PM || Hospital Burn Ward ||
|}

==Trivia==
*This is one of the handful of times that the [[Megan#Name|name Megan]] has been used in xkcd, the first time being in [[159: Boombox]].
**In this comic, though, without actually showing Megan, so there is actually no indication in this comic how she looks. But that has been shown in several others.
**Despite her not being shown, this comic should be listed as featuring Megan, as her name is used.
*Given that Black Hat has sometimes interacted with the Cueball called [[Rob]], it seems likely that the Cueball in this comic is actually Rob (for Robert)
**It turns out that he has also either forgotten to turn off his Google Latitude, or only has it turned on when he actually uses it.
***He has in either case only used it in inconspicuous places, and would not be alarmed at seeing the table of his own activities.
***Maybe this is why Black Hat shows it to him, so he can share Megan's event log which is much more interesting.
**That Rob has been at a school could mean he was a teacher or for some other reason needed to go there. It is such a short time span in the afternoon that it does not seem like something a school kid would do.
***Some have, using the school as argument, suggested that this Robert is actually [[Little Bobby Tables]].
***But Black Hat has never interacted with the [[Mrs. Roberts|Roberts family]] so this seems unlikely, and he has never been called Robert, but he has been drawn like a kid looking like Cueball.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Rob]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Sex]]

596: Latitude

2018-10-19T08:59:05Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 596
| date = June 12, 2009
| title = Latitude
| image = latitude.png
| titletext = The G1, especially with the new Android upgrade, is way better than I originally thought.
}}

==Explanation==

[[Black Hat]] shows his friend [[Rob]], (aka Robert from the chart), that he has made a mobile phone application to log and find addresses and business names for the locations of his "friends" using data from {{w|Google Latitude}} which was a location-aware feature of Google Maps that allowed a mobile phone user to allow certain people to view their current location.

The reason it is worth doing so for him, is that most of those that use Google Latitude, haven't learned the habit to turn it off when engaging in "discreet" activities. And then Black Hat can access their whereabout which he then uses in his app.

The second panel shows the screen of Black Hat's smartphone with the logs for his two friend in table form showing activity for [[Megan]] and Robert (Rob), the latter log is partially cut off. (Regarding the use of these names see the [[#Trivia|trivia section]]).

Robert's log is fairly innocuous: home at 12:30 PM, school at 2:00 PM, and riding a {{w|Rapid transit|subway}} (or possibly in a {{w|Subway (restaurant)|Subway restaurant}}) at 3:30 PM. This log shows that Robert did nothing interesting for Black Hat. There are also several holes in the table compared to the other column. This could either indicate that he stayed this long time those three places, but it could also indicate that Robert has already learned to switch off Latitude when he is not actively using it. This would fit with Black Hat's comment about a narrow window in which people haven't learned this. His friend Robert (the Rob version of Cueball shown here, see the [[#Trivia|trivia section]]), may already have thought of this himself, or maybe Black Hat has mentioned it to him before getting the idea for the app thus warning him about the problem (without meaning to).

The reason Black Hat states that there only is a ''narrow window of time that people forget to turn Google Latitude off'', is because people like him will make other people, who forgets this, miserable. And then everyone will soon learn to turn the feature off making Black Hat's app useless.

Megan's log appears to prove Black Hat's point: She was home at 11:00 AM, at a {{w|sex toy}} store at 12:30 PM, home again at 1:30 PM, at another sex toy store at 2:00 PM, home again at 2:30 PM, then at {{w|Fry's Electronics}} at 3:00 PM, and directly at a {{w|power tool}} store at 3:30 PM, finally home again at 4:00 PM only to be at the hospital burn ward at 4:10 PM. The last entry is the only one where the interval is not half an hour indicating how fast Megan had to get to the hospital after getting home with her new power tools and electronics.

This suggests that Megan first tried the sex toy(s) from the first store, found them insufficiently satisfying, purchased additional sex toys from another store, was still unsatisfied, and then purchased some electronic devices and power tools (either to improve the performance of her sex toys or to apply directly for additional stimulation). The results were apparently more painful than pleasurable, necessitating a quick visit to the hospital burn ward. Overall, Megan has had an at first unsatisfying day and then finally a rather bad day, considering where the burn is most likely to be... She would almost certainly not be pleased to learn that Black Hat has been tracking her whereabouts and sharing this with their mutual friend Rob.

The title text shows that [[Randall]] liked the T-Mobile G1, also known as the {{w|HTC Dream}}, especially with the upgrade from Android {{w|Android_Cupcake|Cupcake}} to {{w|Android_Cupcake|Donut}}, more than he previously thought because it allows for more capabilities and the interface is clean and easy-to-use when compared to other "smartphones" of that time period (because the G1 was the first phone to introduce {{w|Android (operating system)}}) and it allows for special Google networking, allowing for apps like Maps to run better (making it easier to run apps like Latitude). From what able to be gathered in the comic, it is [[Black Hat]] who says this, because he is the one who uses the app and shows it off to [[Randall]]. He would be the most likely one to benefit from this kind of phone running this kind of OS/app.

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat is holding a phone up to Cueball.]
:Black Hat: We're in a narrow window in which people are using Google Latitude, but haven't learned the habit of turning it off when they're doing something discreetly.
:Black Hat: I wrote an app to log friends' locations and work out addresses and business names.

:[A timetable is visible. The first column gives the time and splits the day in the half hour intervals starting at 11:00 AM, except for the last entry at 4:10 PM, where the time only jumps 10 minutes. The next two columns represents two persons activities during this time period. In the second column the last letter shown in the comic is partly cut off more or less. This last partly shown letter is written in the transcript, but no guess is made here. See the explanation. Above the table, over the two names, there is a caption:]
:::::<big>Locations</big>
:{| class="wikitable"
|-
|Time ||Megan ||Rober
|-
|11:00 AM || Home ||
|-
|12:30 PM || Eastview Adult Toy Store || Home
|-
|1:30 PM || Home ||
|-
|2:00 PM || Laketown Sex Toy Shop || Schoo
|-
|2:30 PM ||Home ||
|-
|3:00 PM || Fry's Electronics ||
|-
|3:30 PM || Ed's Power Tool Emporium || Subwa
|-
|4:00 PM || Home ||
|-
|4:10 PM || Hospital Burn Ward ||
|}

==Trivia==
*This is one of the handful of times that the [[Megan#Name|name Megan]] has been used in xkcd, the first time being in [[159: Boombox]].
**In this comic, though, without actually showing Megan, so there is actually no indication in this comic how she looks. But that has been shown in several others.
**Despite her not being shown, this comic should be listed as featuring Megan, as her name is used.
*Given that Black Hat has sometimes interacted with the Cueball called [[Rob]], it seems likely that the Cueball in this comic is actually Rob (for Robert)
**It turns out that he has also either forgotten to turn off his Google Latitude, or only has it turned on when he actually uses it.
***He has in either case only used it in inconspicuous places, and would not be alarmed at seeing the table of his own activities.
***Maybe this is why Black Hat shows it to him, so he can share Megan's event log which is much more interesting.
**That Rob has been at a school could mean he was a teacher or for some other reason needed to go there. It is such a short time span in the afternoon that it does not seem like something a school kid would do.
***Some have, using the school as argument, suggested that this Robert is actually [[Little Bobby Tables]].
***But Black Hat has never interacted with the [[Mrs. Roberts|Roberts family]] so this seems unlikely, and he has never been called Robert, but he has been drawn like a kid looking like Cueball.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Rob]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Sex]]

247: Factoring the Time

2018-08-01T16:17:31Z

Condor70:

{{comic
| number = 247
| date = April 11, 2007
| title = Factoring the Time
| image = factoring_the_time.png
| titletext = I occasionally do this with mile markers on the highway.
}}
==Explanation==
In this comic, [[Cueball]] is bored, so he is calculating the {{w|Prime factor|prime factors}} of the time shown on the clock. Cueball has been doing this for almost two hours (from 1:00 pm to 2:53 pm). The number 2 is the smallest prime but is not a factor of 253, which is an odd number. The smallest prime factor of 253 is 11, which makes the other factor 23.

His co-worker decides to mess with Cueball, so he switches the clock from 12-hour time (2:53 pm) to 24-hour time (14:53). This makes factorization more difficult, as the time now shown is a four digit number rather than a three digit number. The number 1,453 is actually a prime number, and so has no factors but one and itself. Cueball has less than one minute to determine this, which is nearly impossible to do without practice. In this time, Cueball would have to calculate if 1,453 is dividable by all primes between 2 and the square root of 1,453, which are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31 and 37. However, there are {{w|Divisibility_rule|tricks}} to help you do this more quickly than doing {{w|Long_division|long divisions}}.

In the title text, [[Randall]] claims that he applies the same challenge to {{w|highway location marker}}s. At highway speeds (60+ mph), they would show up at least once per minute. Combined with the need to also concentrate on driving, factorizing numbers in the allowed time becomes much more difficult despite the lower numbers on the markers. Also, paying attention to the road markers instead of the road itself would be quite terrifying, and could cause a car crash at more than 60 mph. Obviously, this would be bad.{{Citation needed}}

An additional challenge would be to change the mile markers to kilometer markers (because as with the clock format, the latter is more common outside of the USA). That would result in the marker being a 1.6 larger number, and thus harder to factor. Of course, factoring is now a secondary problem, as markers would appear 1.6 times as frequently.

==Transcript==
:[One man is sitting at a computer. Cueball sits at a separate desk. There is a clock that reads 2:53.]
:Cueball: 253 is 11x23
:Man at computer: What?
:Cueball: I'm factoring the time.
:Cueball: I have nothing to do, so I'm trying to calculate the prime factors of the time each minute before it changes.
:Cueball: It was easy when I started at 1:00, but with each hour the number gets bigger
:Cueball: I wonder how long I can keep up.
:[Man at desk reaches back and touches the clock.]
:''BEEP''
:[Clock now reads 14:53.]
:Cueball: Hey!
:Man at computer: Think fast.

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

Talk:2027: Lightning Distance

2018-08-01T15:44:19Z

Condor70:

Calculations I used:

t1=s/v1

t2=s/v2

Substract:

t1-t2=dt=s/v1-s/v2=(s*v2-s*v1)/(v1*v2)=s*(v2-v1)/(v1*v2)=s*dv/(v1*v2)

Therefore

s=(dt*v1*v2)/dv

I evaluated (v1*v2)/dv and it came to be 13.6 billion. Can someone verify it's correct? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.51.112|172.68.51.112]] 13:08, 1 August 2018 (UTC)

I used refractive index for visible light of 1.000277 (air at STP as opposed to 0C 1atm) and arrived at around 7.9 billion instead. Refractive index of 1.000337 is then required for the radio waves for the comic to be correct. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.11.221|172.68.11.221]] 13:46, 1 August 2018 (UTC)

:Do you mean 7.9 billion to convert to miles or to kilometers? Because my 13.6 bilion is to kilometers.

::I'm sure the actual comic is referring to miles and 5 billion was picked to match with the "divide by five" rule for miles. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.70.131|172.69.70.131]] 13:59, 1 August 2018 (UTC)

:::I did mean kilometers. If we use miles, 1.000314 fits almost precisely! (5.04 billion) [[Special:Contributions/172.68.11.17|172.68.11.17]] 14:42, 1 August 2018 (UTC)

If you can count several seconds, as is suggested in the comic, the flash is still billions of miles away, the widest possible distance between Earth and Neptun is about 5 billion km. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.40|172.68.110.40]] 14:51, 1 August 2018 (UTC)

Do you really need to know the spectrum of the flash? If we assume that a flash contains UV and X-ray radiation and that the visible light is generated at the same time as the UV or X-ray radiation then you only need to know the refractive index of light/UV/X-ray in air under the same temperature conditions and not the exact spectrum. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]])

Talk:2027: Lightning Distance

2018-08-01T15:44:01Z

Condor70:

Calculations I used:

t1=s/v1

t2=s/v2

Substract:

t1-t2=dt=s/v1-s/v2=(s*v2-s*v1)/(v1*v2)=s*(v2-v1)/(v1*v2)=s*dv/(v1*v2)

Therefore

s=(dt*v1*v2)/dv

I evaluated (v1*v2)/dv and it came to be 13.6 billion. Can someone verify it's correct? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.51.112|172.68.51.112]] 13:08, 1 August 2018 (UTC)

I used refractive index for visible light of 1.000277 (air at STP as opposed to 0C 1atm) and arrived at around 7.9 billion instead. Refractive index of 1.000337 is then required for the radio waves for the comic to be correct. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.11.221|172.68.11.221]] 13:46, 1 August 2018 (UTC)

:Do you mean 7.9 billion to convert to miles or to kilometers? Because my 13.6 bilion is to kilometers.

::I'm sure the actual comic is referring to miles and 5 billion was picked to match with the "divide by five" rule for miles. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.70.131|172.69.70.131]] 13:59, 1 August 2018 (UTC)

:::I did mean kilometers. If we use miles, 1.000314 fits almost precisely! (5.04 billion) [[Special:Contributions/172.68.11.17|172.68.11.17]] 14:42, 1 August 2018 (UTC)

If you can count several seconds, as is suggested in the comic, the flash is still billions of miles away, the widest possible distance between Earth and Neptun is about 5 billion km. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.40|172.68.110.40]] 14:51, 1 August 2018 (UTC)

Doe you really need to know the spectrum of the flash? If we assume that a flash contains UV and X-ray radiation and that the visible light is generated at the same time as the UV or X-ray radiation then you only need to know the refractive index of light/UV/X-ray in air under the same temperature conditions and not the exact spectrum. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]])

2004: Sun and Earth

2018-06-08T13:31:40Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2004
| date = June 8, 2018
| title = Sun and Earth
| image = sun_and_earth.png
| titletext = But we don't need to worry about the boiling masses sandwiching the thin layer in which we live, since we're so fragile and short-lived that it's unlikely to kill us before something else does! Wait, why doesn't that sound reassuring?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a hurried VOLCANO - Lots of things missing: (1) links (2) description of how the Sun is a massive convective system (3) description of how the Earth is a massive convective system (4) probably reword everything}}

This is one of a number of comics which describe everyday events in unusual terms, making them sound really weird. In this case, both the Sun and the Earth are "massive convective systems" blasting "huge plumes of heat", which contrasts sharply with the daily idea of the Sun being a ball in the sky and the Earth the thing under our feet.

In fact, the {{w|Sun}} does produce great amounts of light and heat and blasts it towards us, which is why we can live on Earth. Since Ludwig Boltzmann pointed out the fact in 1875, people have been working on establishing exactly how such far from equilibrium systems as life might depend upon, or be formed by [https://www.quantamagazine.org/first-support-for-a-physics-theory-of-life-20170726/ 1], such massive entropy gradients as between the sun and earth (or rather the sun and empty space).

Main sequence stars like the sun transport energy by {{w|Radiation_zone|radiation}} and by {{w|Convection_zone|convective currents}} of {{w|Plasma (physics)|plasma}}, bringing the heat generated in the core of the sun to its surface. These quickly moving charged particles create a massive magnetic field, which occasionally gets concentrated into a {{w|solar prominence}} which can snap, causing a large amount of charged particles to get shot into space as a {{w|solar flare}}. If the Earth happens to be in the direction of the solar flare, we can notice all sorts of interesting and often damaging effects. Thankfully, there are lots of other directions available for the sun to shoot the solar flare, so they don't come by the Earth that often.

The {{w|Earth#Internal_structure|Earth's interior}} is very hot. {{w|Mantle convection}} causes {{w|plate tectonics}} which is the main cause of {{w|Volcano|volcanic activity}} (next to {{w|Mantle_plume|mantle plumes}}), which essentially also consists of huge blasts of heat.

This could sound like a very bad scenario, however the title text reminds us that the real scenario we live in is far worse, as we are not likely to die from a Sun blast or volcano eruption.

This comic was likely inspired by the recent eruptions of the {{w|Kīlauea}} and {{w|Volcán de Fuego}}. In contrast, solar activity is currently low, because the {{w|Sunspot#Solar_cycle|sunspot solar cycle}} is in the low end of the 11-year cycle.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[At the bottom of the image a curved shape depicting a small part of the Earth's surface and labeled as "Earth" is shown. At the top a similar sized shape but opposite curve is labeled as "Sun". The surface of the Sun is seething while on Earth's surface a few plants, two birds, and Cueball together with Megan are visible.]

:[Two arrows pointing to the Earth and the Sun with a caption:]
:Massive convective systems which occasionally blast huge plumes of heat at us without warning through mechanisms we can't directly observe and don't really understand.

:Cueball: What a nice day

{{comic discussion}}

2004: Sun and Earth

2018-06-08T13:19:57Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2004
| date = June 8, 2018
| title = Sun and Earth
| image = sun_and_earth.png
| titletext = But we don't need to worry about the boiling masses sandwiching the thin layer in which we live, since we're so fragile and short-lived that it's unlikely to kill us before something else does! Wait, why doesn't that sound reassuring?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a hurried VOLCANO - Lots of things missing: (1) links (2) description of how the Sun is a massive convective system (3) description of how the Earth is a massive convective system (4) probably reword everything}}

This is one of a number of comics which describe everyday events in unusual terms, making them sound really weird. In this case, both the Sun and the Earth are "massive convective systems" blasting "huge plumes of heat", which contrasts sharply with the daily idea of the Sun being a ball in the sky and the Earth the thing under our feet.

In fact, the {{w|Sun}} does produce great amounts of light and heat and blasts it towards us, which is why we can live on Earth. Since Ludwig Boltzmann pointed out the fact in 1875, people have been working on establishing exactly how such far from equilibrium systems as life might depend upon, or be formed by [https://www.quantamagazine.org/first-support-for-a-physics-theory-of-life-20170726/ 1], such massive entropy gradients as between the sun and earth (or rather the sun and empty space). Also, the {{w|Earth#Internal_structure|Earth's interior}} is very hot, occasionally causing {{w|volcano}} eruptions, which are also huge blasts of heat.

Main sequence stars like the sun transport energy by {{w|Radiation_zone|radiation}} and by {{w|Convection_zone|convective currents}} of {{w|Plasma (physics)|plasma}}, bringing the heat generated in the core of the sun to its surface. These quickly moving charged particles create a massive magnetic field, which occasionally gets concentrated into a {{w|solar prominence}} which can snap, causing a large amount of charged particles to get shot into space as a {{w|solar flare}}. If the Earth happens to be in the direction of the solar flare, we can notice all sorts of interesting and often damaging effects. Thankfully, there are lots of other directions available for the sun to shoot the solar flare, so they don't come by the Earth that often.

This could sound like a very bad scenario, however the title text reminds us that the real scenario we live in is far worse, as we are not likely to die from a Sun blast or volcano eruption.

This comic was likely inspired by the recent eruptions of the {{w|Kīlauea}} and {{w|Volcán de Fuego}}. In contrast, solar activity is currently low, because the {{w|Sunspot#Solar_cycle|sunspot solar cycle}} is in the low end of the 11-year cycle.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[At the bottom of the image a curved shape depicting a small part of the Earth's surface and labeled as "Earth" is shown. At the top a similar sized shape but opposite curve is labeled as "Sun". The surface of the Sun is seething while on Earth's surface a few plants, two birds, and Cueball together with Megan are visible.]

:[Two arrows pointing to the Earth and the Sun with a caption:]
:Massive convective systems which occasionally blast huge plumes of heat at us without warning through mechanisms we can't directly observe and don't really understand.

:Cueball: What a nice day

{{comic discussion}}

2004: Sun and Earth

2018-06-08T09:58:21Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

1998: GDPR

2018-05-28T06:02:14Z

Condor70: Tracking pixel link

{{comic
| number = 1998
| date = May 25, 2018
| title = GDPR
| image = gdpr.png
| titletext = By clicking anywhere, scrolling, or closing this notification, you agree to be legally bound by the witch Sycorax within a cloven pine.
}}

==Explanation==

This comic was released on the date on which the {{w|General Data Protection Regulation|General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)}} law went into effect. Most people will have already seen a large number of updated privacy policies in the week or two leading up to this law going active. And while [[xkcd]] would likely be outside of the jurisdiction that the law can enforce, it technically does fall within the scope of the law (as certainly EU citizens visit xkcd).

There are several references made to this law, but also several jokes are included about the way people treat privacy policies specifically, and user agreements in general.

The comic is a joke privacy policy, with terms that no one would agree to under normal circumstances. In most cases, website users will use websites without reading the policies, potentially "agreeing" to something unexpected.

"purely out of the goodness of our hearts" is a phrase never expected to be found ever anywhere in any privacy policy. "and has nothing to do with ..." is a blatantly transparent lie - if this were a real privacy policy.

"governs your interactions" starts out as a plausibly valid statement including "the service" and "the website". But then balloons outward to include the entire Internet and Facebook. As this presumably is a privacy policy only for xkcd, this policy should not attempt to claim that it also represents Facebook or the entire Internet. The extension to Facebook may be a reference to reports that [https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/facebook-is-the-internet-for-many-people-in-south-east-asia-20180322-p4z5nu.html "for many people ... Facebook is the Internet."]

"Please don't send us your personal information" is also a phrase never expected to be found ever in a privacy policy. A privacy policy, by default, is a contract users agree to BECAUSE personal information is being stored. This is likely a reference to the previous comic [[1997: Business Update]]

The language that the privacy policy will not "deny or disparage" any preexisting rights mirrors that of the {{w|Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution}}, substituting "this policy" for "the Constitution" and "users" for "people."

The agreement claims that it does not "deny or disparage" any of the user's other rights, but then immediately denies the user the right not to quarter troops in their home, which is a constitutional right described by the {{w|Third Amendment to the United States Constitution}}. Refusing to quarter troops in one's home was previously referenced in [[496: Secretary: Part 3]]. Note that the Third Amendment only applies to Americans. However, similar laws preventing troops being quartered in ones home also exist in European countries.

"If you tell us your name" is presumably something that Randall does in real life and is not part of a privacy policy.

"This website places pixels" is something websites are designed to do and has nothing to do with privacy policies. Websites are more often employing "{{w|Web_beacon|tracking pixels}}" from companies such as Facebook and Twitter, which is an image file that is hosted on an external server that allows cross-platform and cross-session tracking for targeted advertisements. This is a controversial topic, as many people are against this kind of targeted advertising.

"We use cookies to enhance your performance." apparently says that Randall is giving out actual cookies that can be eaten. Privacy policies normally deal with electronic cookies that track user activity and store personal information.

"may use local storage" is threatening to turn the user's device into cloud storage should Randall run out of space on his drive.

The [http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Warning_beacons_of_Gondor Warning beacons of Gondor] were a system to call for aid used by {{w|Gondor}} in ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}''. They were used before the [http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Siege_of_Gondor Battle of the Pelennor Fields] to request the aid of the {{w|Rohan (Middle-earth)|Rohirrim}}. The use of the Beacons has previously been mentioned in [[921: Delivery Notification]].

{{w|3rd Party}} was a three-member dance-pop group that released one album in 1997, "Alive". In software, "third-party extensions" are small programs that plug into a larger program to modify its behavior, and are created neither by the maker of the larger program nor the user.

"requesting permission" can be construed in several frightening ways. 1. We will ask you after you die if you are willing to donate your organs. 2. We were not asking permission before, but now we have to ask. 3. We will ask you, but your answer doesn't actually matter. 4. We've switched from an organ donation program (legal) to an organ harvesting program (wildly illegal). 5. Anyone ''not'' in the EU will have (or, possibly, ''continue'' to have) their organs harvested without permission. Besides these frightening scenarios, there is also the question of how a website (and not a doctor) is going to perform the harvesting.

"supersedes" is an apparently valid statement. Its inclusiveness is quite extreme, but appears to be a technically valid statement. However, many laws and constitutional rights cannot be superseded by an ordinary privacy policy.

"unenforceable" claims to have higher jurisdiction than any court and can somehow maintain legality even if a court disagrees. A typical policy would read that an unenforceable provision would not invalidate the rest of the policy.

"not liable" and "shall not be construed" are blanket statements that are supposed to have limiters. For example, a restaurant could have a policy stating "not liable for burns received from our hot coffee." A statement made to a court could say "The defendant's statement of giving the prostitute money shall not be construed as an admission of committing a crime." This makes little sense when claiming the website “is not liable” for anything, and “shall not be construed” to have any meaning whatsoever.

The Food and Drug Administration has nothing to do with privacy policies. As such, this is an accurate statement. Silly, but accurate.

"cure and treat any disease" is claiming to be a medical panacea. Panacea do not exist. It is also mocking the label on many food and health supplements, which are legally required to say they are “not intended to cure or treat any disease.”

The title text is a reference to Shakespeare's "{{w|The Tempest}}", in which the witch {{w|Sycorax}} imprisoned the sprite Ariel in a cloven pine prior to Ariel's rescue by Prospero. As this clause cannot be escaped by anything short of destroying your computer or throwing it away, it may also reflect on how hard it often proves to be to opt out of privacy policy agreements and other forms to be filled on website, for all that they may appear optional. The fact that it appears as a title-text akin to a footnote, which a careless reader of the Privacy Policy may not notice at first glance, may also continue the joke of small but unexpected clauses hidden amidst a long-winded block of legalese, agreed to by users who haven't read them.

==Transcript==
:[The picture shows a long text:]
:'''Privacy policy'''
:We've updated our privacy policy. This is purely out of the goodness of our hearts, and has nothing to do with any hypothetical unions on any particular continents. Please read every part of this policy carefully, and don't just skip ahead looking for sex scenes.
:This policy governs your interactions with this website, herein referred to as "The Service", "The Website", "The Internet", or "Facebook", and with all other websites and organizations of any kind. The enumeration in this policy, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the users. By using this service, you opt in to quartering troops in your home.

:'''Your personal information'''
:Please don't send us your personal information. We do not want your personal information. We have a hard enough time keeping track of our ''own'' personal information, let alone yours.
:If you tell us your name, or any identifying information, we will forget it immediately. The next time we see you, we'll struggle to remember who you are, and try desperately to get through the conversation so we can go online and hopefully figure it out.

:'''Tracking pixels, cookies, and beacons'''
:This website places pixels on your screen in order to form text and images, some of which may remain in your memory after you close the page. We use cookies to enhance your performance. Our website may use local storage on your device if we run low on space on our end. We may use beacons to call Rohan for aid.

:'''3rd party extension'''
:This service may utilize 3rd party extensions in order to play the song '''''Can U Feel It''''' from their debut album '''''Alive'''''.

:'''Permission'''
:For users who are citizens of the European Union, we will now be requesting permission before initiating organ harvesting.

:'''Scope and limitations'''
:This policy supersedes any application federal, state, and local laws, regulations and ordinances, international treaties, and legal agreements that would otherwise apply. If any provision of this policy is found by a court to be unenforceable, it nevertheless remains in force.
:This organization is not liable and this agreement shall not be construed. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This website is intended to treat, cure and prevent any disease.
:If you know anyone in Europe, please tell them we're cool.

{{comic discussion}}

1986: River Border

2018-04-30T09:03:43Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1986
| date = April 27, 2018
| title = River Border
| image = river_border.png
| titletext = I'm not a lawyer, but I believe zones like this are technically considered the high seas, so if you cut a pizza into a spiral there you could be charged with pieracy under marinaritime law.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Ponytail]] explains to [[Megan]] that the Missouri-Nebraska state border is based on the {{w|Missouri River}} they are watching. And because the path of rivers mostly only change slowly these borders are typically adopted to that changes. But then she explains that the river once had changed abruptly by a {{w|meander cutoff}} and the border didn't move with it. That means that they are on a part of the Missouri side of the river that in fact belongs to Nebraska.

It then occurred to Megan that she could break the law in this area because she is under the mistaken impression that she is in Nebraska but the police can't reach her over the river and Missourian cops actually don't have jurisdiction. In fact, there are no bridges linking it to Nebraska so police would have to go through Missouri in order to get to that part of Nebraska.

The final panel shows Megan saying she's going to cut a pizza into a spiral, which is by no means illegal, and she runs off to commit more crimes, likely similar acts to cutting a pizza in an uncommon way.

In the title text, [[Randall]] claims the disputed region is probably considered like the {{w|International waters|high seas}}, suggesting the pizza case would then fall under {{w|Admiralty law|maritime law}}. "Pieracy" is a portmanteau of ''pie'' (another name for a pizza) and "piracy"; and pizzas are frequently made with marinara sauce, so "Maritime" law is rendered "Marinaritime".

The region mentioned in the comic can be seen here at [https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5270132,-95.6954944,10627m/ Google maps] and is known as {{w|McKissick Island}}. In 1904, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed in Missouri v. Nebraska that a sudden change of a river's course does not change any border. See: [https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/196/23/case.html Missouri v. Nebraska, 196 U.S. 23 (1904)].

===Riverine Boundaries in Common Law and Surveying===
This strip is alluding to the concepts of 'accretion' and 'avulsion' in boundary law.

Accretion is the gradual change of the location of a river or stream by erosion or addition of sediment through natural river processes. According to common law in the United States and elsewhere, if a river or stream location changes gradually, then the boundary line moves with the stream. In cases of pure accretion, it is possible for a parcel of land to be entirely eroded away on one side of a river, and have material be added to the opposite side of the river. In such cases, one property owner could lose all their land.

Avulsion is a sudden change in the location of a river or stream, often due to flooding. In times of flood, a river can cut a new channel through surrounding land, which can create islands and oxbow lakes. According to common law, an avulsive change will not change the boundary of the land, as it is likely that the property is unchanged except for the new channel.

In the real world, however, river systems undergo both accretion and avulsion multiple times over a period of time. This makes the determination of property lines along riverine boundaries one of the most complicated aspects of boundary surveying. An examination of a river boundary will require in-depth research of the local history of the river, including reviewing deeds, government survey plats, private survey maps, aerial photos taken over time, local landowners recollections, and local lore. In situations where there is disagreement over whether an avulsive or accretive change happened, landowners may have to go to court for a suit to quiet title.

Further in-depth reading may be found in the US Bureau of Land Management's 2009 Manual of Surveying Instructions, Chapter 8, specifically page 197-205. (See: [https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/Manual_Of_Surveying_Instructions_2009.pdf PDF (37.7 MByte)].)

=== Real-world examples ===
Often, borders defined by a river actually change. There are three methods to define a border:
*The border follows one of the river banks, often in reference to a low-water mark. The exact location of the border is defined in a clear way - but one of the territories will lose terrain through {{w|erosion}}. When the river bends, erosion occurs at the outer bank, and much less at the inner bank.
*The border follows the middle of the river.
*The most usual definition of a riverine border uses the {{w|talweg}}. The talweg (German for "valley path") always follows the line of the deepest points in the water body. Especially at river bends, the talweg is rarely in the middle of the river. Incidentally, the talweg also signifies the navigable zone of a river. In terms of {{w|natural border}}s, one counterpart of a talweg is the {{w|drainage divide}}, but these divides are hard to recognize on a map and never used to define a real border.

The Mexican-US-Border that follows the Rio Grande is one of the most prominent examples of an international border that needs meticulous regulation. Thus, the {{w|International Boundary and Water Commission}} was created. This commission was involved when the two nations rectified the course of the river, ceding equal amounts of land to each other. The Canada-US-Border is overseen by a similar commission. There is also a strange section on the border to Canada, which Randall mentions in this comic: [[1902: State Borders]].

One of the causes of the {{w|Iran-Iraq War}} was the dispute on shipping rights on the {{w|Shatt-el Arab river}}, and because the border was defined as the low water mark at the ''eastern'' side of that river, Iranian shipping was severely restricted. So the Shah of Persia announced to ignore the 1937 treaty on shipping rights, saying that most riverine borders all around the world are defined by the talweg.

Between Switzerland and Italy, the border is, at most locations, defined by the actual {{w|drainage divide}}. Because the {{w|Theodul Glacier}} between {{w|Zermatt}} (Switzerland) and {{w|Breuil-Cervinia}} (Italy) is slowly melting, the drainage divide moves southwards, thus slowly enlarging the Swiss territory.

Most other national borders in Europe are defined today as ''fiat borders'' instead of following natural landmarks like rivers. If a river changes course now, the depicted situation would occur; however, most larger rivers have been rectified more than a century ago and thus don't change course often.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and Megan are standing on a grassy river bank, with the nearby part of the river shown above their heads. They are looking towards te river and Ponytail is gesturing at the river with her hand.]
:Ponytail: This is a cool spot.
:Ponytail: The Missouri-Nebraska state line follows this river. If the river's path changes gradually, the border moves with it.

:[A map is shown beneath the text spoken by Ponytail (off-panel). The map includes a bendy river shown in gray which is snaking its way from the left part of the panel down to the bottom. A dotted line indicates the old path of the river. It follows the gray river most of the way, but towards the bottom this line moves away from the current river extending to north-east, including a large chunk of land that the river used to encompass previously. Two arrows point to the gray section of the river with the dotted line, and another arrow points to the section of the dotted line not following the gray section. Both are labeled. On each side of the dotted arc, where it is farthest from the gray part of the river the state names are labeled, so the text follows the direction of the river (almost noth to south here).]
:Ponytail (narrating): But when it '''''abruptly''''' changes course, the border stays behind.
:Ponytail (narrating): This is a spot where that happened. We're on the Missouri side, but we're in Nebraska.
:River
:Old riverbed
:Nebraska
:Missouri

:[In a frame-less panel (with no background) Ponytail has turned to look at Megan who is holding a hand to her chin.]
:Megan: Wow.
:Megan: So...
:Megan: We can commit all the crimes we want here and the cops can't do a thing!

:[Megan runs away from Ponytail while she is holding her arm up in the air with a finger extended up.]
:Ponytail: What? No. Why would you even think that?
:Megan: I'm going to cut a pizza into a '''''spiral!'''''
:Ponytail: That's not even illegal!
:Megan: '''''Crimes!'''''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Maps]]
[[Category:Geography]]

1590: The Source

2018-03-19T13:06:21Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1590
| date = October 14, 2015
| title = The Source
| image = the_source.png
| titletext = Why did we even have that thing?
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is about experiencing a high pitched hum in an empty room. An "empty-room hum" is a high pitched buzzing noise, often caused by {{w|tinnitus}}, which is a medical condition causing high-pitched noise when there is no other noise around. Tinnitus is normally a hearing condition, not a disease. It may result from the brain [http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_high_pitched_humming_sound_often_heard_in_an_otherwise_empty_and_silent_room increasing its sensitivity to noises.]

Sometimes not everyone can hear "empty-room hum"; however, those who can hear it usually find it immensely annoying. If you do hear the noise, you would like to locate '''The Source''' – hence the title of the comic. Hopefully when you find the source, you can do something about it. Or if you don't find it, you can at least be at ease knowing that others experience the empty-room hum, it having been referenced in two xkcd comics now and [http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_high_pitched_humming_sound_often_heard_in_an_otherwise_empty_and_silent_room elsewhere] on the internet.

This comic alludes to the perspective of an outside observer who doesn't hear the hum but is watching someone who can hear it: because the sound isn't written out in text, the comic reader at first is confused by Cueball's inexplicable searching.

In the first two frames of the comic we see [[Cueball]] trying to locate the direction of the sound, by standing in the middle of the room, turning his head from one to the other side. Finally he walks down a flight of stairs (probably to the basement) and here he locates the source: A machine whose only function is to generate a high pitched hum. The title text asks why on Earth they had such a machine in the first place, which is somewhat difficult to explain and likely the crux of the title text's joke.

Luckily it was thus easy for Cueball to get rid of this sound at the source. But in real life most electronics generate hums and cannot reasonably be turned off without losing functionality. For instance fluorescent lights, phone chargers and computer modems are common culprits, refrigerators and washing machines less commonly. It could also come from outside the house, in which case it will be much harder either to locate the source or to do anything about it. Power lines and transformers are common outside sources.

There do, however, exist devices that are meant to create a high pitched hum, that people might wish to install in their house. These will be humming in the {{w|ultrasound|ultrasonic}} regions, although cheap versions can often be heard by young people. They are typically used for {{w|Electronic_pest_control#Ultrasonic|electronic pest control}}, while slightly lower frequencies which can typically be heard only by young people are sometimes used to {{w|The Mosquito|repel children}}. It is possible that someone tried to get rid of Cueball.

There do exist {{w|white noise}} generators (which make equal volume noise on every frequency) and {{w|pink noise}} generators (which make noise that sounds equally loud to the human ear at every frequency) which are used to test recording studios to see if they have good sound quality. It seems unlikely that the device is one of these, as it seems to be designed to generate a high-pitched hum: pink/white noises are categorically and perceptually different from a hum.

The sound wave spectrum in [[273: Electromagnetic Spectrum]] also contains a line for "that high-pitched noise in empty rooms".

The empty white room also could be a reference to a scene from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix_Reloaded The Matrix Reloaded] in which Neo searches for "The Source," though this is likely just a coincidence.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing in an empty room looking in the direction of the next frame.]

:[Cueball turns his head and looks the other way.]

:[Three smaller panels with the same total height as the first two frames follows. In the first frame Cueball walks on a grey surface.]

:[In the next Cueball is standing between two doors, looking over his shoulder towards the one to the left, but choosing the one to the right behind which a stair is. He is waking towards this door with his hand out towards the knob.]

:[In the last of these smaller panels Cueball has just walked down to the bottom of the stairs.]

:[Cueball walks towards a machine that is standing near a wall connected to a socket in the wall. On the machine it says:]
:High pitched hum generator

:[Cueball kneels behind the machine and unplugs it from the socket in the wall.]
:High pitched hum generator

:[Cueball walks away from the machine, the plug now lying on the floor between the wall and the machine.]
:High pitched hum generator

==Trivia==

'Empty room hum' is also referred to in [[273:_Electromagnetic_Spectrum#The comic in detail|other waves]] in [[273: Electromagnetic Spectrum]]) and the title text in comic [[597: Addiction]].

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

273: Electromagnetic Spectrum

2018-03-19T13:03:55Z

Condor70: /* The comic in detail */

{{comic
| number = 273
| date = June 6, 2007
| title = Electromagnetic Spectrum
| image = electromagnetic spectrum.png
| titletext = Sometimes I try to picture what everything would look like if the whole spectrum were compressed into the visible spectrum. Also sometimes I try to picture your sister naked.
}}

==Explanation==
This panel is a play on the {{w|Electromagnetic spectrum}}, showing a large piece of the spectrum and examples of phenomena that absorb or emit light along the spectra. Such spectra are commonly used in physics or astronomy education contexts when discussing the nature of light. This comic extends it to absurd lengths by including examples that may be variously hyper-specific, humorous, or non-EM phenomena.

The first two scales at the bottom show the wavelength λ (in meters) and the frequency f (in Hertz) of the wave. The values are related as λ=c/f, where c is the speed of light. The last line showing Q(Gal²/Coloumb) is nonsense; Gal ({{w|Gallon}}) is a unit of liquid volume measurement, and Coloumb is a likely typo for {{w|Coulomb}}, the SI unit of electric charge. Photons do not have volume in the traditional sense of the word, and are electrically neutral (thus carrying no charge).

In 1887, the {{w|Michelson–Morley experiment}} proved for the first time that the {{w|aether theory}} was wrong. The year (1897) cited underneath the comic title may be an incorrectly-dated reference to this experiment. Nevertheless, after that time, many physicists like {{w|Hendrik Lorentz}} or {{w|Joseph Larmor}} were still working on some aether theories. {{w|Albert Einstein}}'s theory of {{w|Special Relativity}} in 1905 helped explain the theoretical basis for the lack of aether and was a definitive step in discarding previous work.

===The comic in detail===
The wavelength starts at high values on the left and decreases in a {{w|logarithmic scale}} to the right. As a result of the inverse relationship between frequency and wavelength, the frequency scale starts at low values and increases logarithmically. The nonsense ''Q'' parameter does not change monotonically with either frequency or wavelength.

Both scales are labeled with powers of ten and with {{w|metric prefix}}es. For frequencies above 100 {{w|tera-}}Hertz, it just says "other entertaining Greek prefixes like {{w|peta-}} and {{w|exa-}} and zappa-." The last prefix should be {{w|zetta-}} (denoting a factor of 1021), but is intentionally mislabeled, referencing musician {{w|Frank Zappa}}.

'''Other waves'''

Three drawings of other types of waves than the electromagnetic type:
*Slinky waves by a coil. These can be either longitudinal or transverse waves, depending on the manner in which the Slinky is driven. Notably, Randall has drawn the Slinky as tangled up; if you've ever played with a Slinky, you know how frustrating it is to untangle it.
*The human audio spectrum (from 20 Hz to 20 kHz). The "high-pitched noise in empty rooms" refers to {{w|tinnitus}} (also see [[1590: The Source]]).
*"{{w|Wave (audience)|The Wave}}" in a stadium, a transverse wave phenomenon that travels through people.

'''Power and Telephone'''
*"{{w|CIA}} (Secret)" is a joke about all the wiretapping on phones and such.

'''Radio and TV'''
*"Shouting car dealership commercials" is a reference to the massive and often extreme advertising for car retailers.
*{{w|Ham radio}} is a private amateur radio used for communication.
*"Kosher radio" is playing with the ambiguousness of the word HAM. {{w|Kosher}} is a Jewish law for food, and it states, amongst others, that Jews are never allowed to eat meat from the unclean pigs - so no ham!
*Some frequencies of famous FM broadcast stations. "99.3 The Fox" is a modern rock station in {{w|Vancouver, British Columbia}}. "101.5 The Badger" is a classic rock station in {{w|Madison, Wisconsin}} (home of the University of Wisconsin, whose mascot is a badger). "106.3 The Frightened Squirrel" is not a real station, but makes a play off of the animal names commonly used as nicknames for either radio stations, programs, or hosts.
*The rays controlling {{w|Steve Ballmer}} are nonsense, but may reference real {{w|Balmer series}}, a set of transitions in the hydrogen atom that produce photons in the optical and ultraviolet light range.
*AM {{w|Amplitude modulation}}, VHF {{w|Very high frequency}}, and UHF {{w|Ultra high frequency}} are frequency ranges approved for commercial broadcasting companies.
*Cell phone cancer rays is playing with the belief of many people that cell phones may cause cancer.
*Aliens belong to a range slightly higher than the frequencies used by human communications. So they can't hear us.

'''Microwaves'''
*{{w|SETI}} is the "Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence" project trying to find messages from aliens. Most genuine astronomical research in this area concentrates in the microwave and radio regimes. Since aliens work at different frequencies on this diagram, that might explain why there has of yet been no positive results from SETI.
*{{w|WIFI}} is the standard for wireless computer communications.
*FHF is probably "Fucking high frequency;" it is not an abbreviation for any broadcasting frequency ranges and lies above the (real) V(ery)HF and U(ltra)HF.
*{{w|Gravity wave}}s are a phenomenon in fluid dynamics, and distinct from {{w|Gravitational wave}}s. Neither is related to electromagnetic emission.
*Brain waves could be a reference to {{w|Neural oscillation}}.
*{{w|Sulawesi}} is an island in the Indian Ocean that belongs to Indonesia.

'''Toasters'''
*This is a pun on the microwave oven, which emits light at its namesake frequencies to cook food. It also takes a stab at people who claim that microwaved food is dangerous, by pointing out that toasters also heat food using electromagnetic radiation, of frequencies just higher than microwaves. (The actual spectrum of a toaster goes all the way into visible frequencies.)

'''IR (infrared)'''
*{{w|Infrared}} belongs to heat. The reference to {{w|Superman}} covers his heat vision power, which has been used many times within the canon. American comedian {{w|Jack Black}} starred in a proposed scifi/comedy television show in 1999 titled "{{w|Heat Vision and Jack}}", which covered the adventures of an astronaut and his talking motorcycle.

'''Visible light'''
*At the bottom, it is split into "visible light" and "visible dark." While dark is the opposite of light in many grammatical contexts, in the physical sense it only reflects the absence of visible photons.
*The human visible spectrum is shown by all colors, including {{w|octarine}}, the colour of magic on the fictional {{w|Discworld}} (in the books by {{w|Terry Pratchett}}).
*On top, there are two {{w|absorption spectrum|absorption spectra}}, hydrogen and helium. These are the two most common elements in the Sun, and their presence in the Sun's outer envelope and Earth's atmosphere does block some small frequencies from the Sun. Next come two cases of {{w|Absorption (chemistry)|absorption}} in the chemical/technical meaning:
**{{w|Depends}} is a brand of underwear for adults experiencing urinary or fecal incontinence. The color is consequently yellow.
**{{w|Tampax}} is a brand of tampon. The color is red.

'''UV (ultraviolet)'''
*{{w|Ultraviolet}} light cannot be seen by humans. No entries here.

'''Miller Light'''
*{{w|Miller Lite}} is a lager beer. "Light beer" typically has a lower alcohol content and calorie count, although it is also usually a light color for beer.

'''Empty section'''
*"Main Death Star Laser" is a reference to {{w|Star Wars}}.

'''Censored under {{w|Patriot Act}}'''
*No entry because it's censored; this is a humorous exaggeration of how much authority the government can supposedly exercise under said bill.

'''X-rays'''
*Potatoes absorb and reflect radiation waves the same way humans do, because their chemistry and water content is very similar to the human body. Look here: [http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2012/12/24/boeing-wifi-potatoes/1789109/ Boeing uses potatoes to improve Wi-Fi signals].
*Mail-order x-ray glasses refers to {{w|X-Ray Specs (novelty)|a novelty item}} based on an optical effect, not actual x-rays. {{w|Google Glass}} did not exist at the time when this comic was created.

'''Gamma/Cosmic rays'''
*Blogorays are emitted by the {{w|Blogosphere}}; apparently only [[Randall]] can detect them.
*Sinister Google Projects: The first result at a search on {{w|Google}} is this: [http://ca.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/top-10-sinister-google-activities.html Top 10: Sinister Google Activities].

And finally, the '''Title Text''': Randall likes to speculate what the world would look like if humans could see radio waves, gamma waves, etc. Such a thought experiment would be pretty abstract due to the total lack of a frame of reference (since everything outside the visible light spectrum is by definition invisible and thus beyond human comprehension), but for many people, that's also what makes it enticing. Randall immediately turns this profound train of thought around with a crude joke that he wants to know what the viewer's sister would look like in the nude.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Missing much of the details}}
:[Everything is one big panel.]

:The Electromagnetic Spectrum

:These waves travel through the electromagnetic field. They were formerly carried by the aether, which was decommissioned in 1897 due to budget cuts.

:Other waves:
:*Slinky waves [Cueball and Megan hold the ends of a tangled slinky.]
:*Sound waves [There is a snippet of a frequency band. Between 20 Hz and 20 KHz is labeled "Audible Sound." Towards the top is a line labeled "That high-pitched noise in empty rooms."]
:*The wave [A row of people does a wave.]

:[Three parallel scales are across the bottom. The first is lambda (m), ranging from 100Mm to 100fm; second is f (Hz), which starts at 1 Hz and reaches 100 THz about 2/3 of the way along, after which the labels read "other entertaining greek prefixes like peta- exa- and zappa-;" last is Q (Gal^2/Coloumb), whose labels are 17, 117, pi, 17, 42, phi, e^pi-pi, -2, 540^50, and 11^2. Above the scales and lined up accurately with the first two are the following:]

:*Power & Telephone (100Mm to 1km)
:*Radio & TV (1km to somewhere between 1m and 10cm); above that are many boxes showing subranges (AM, VHF, UHF, 24/7 NPR pledge drives, a very thin band for the space rays controlling Steve Ballmer, 99.3 "The Fox," 101.5 "The Badger," 106.3 "The Frightened Squirrel," cell phone cancer rays, CIA, ham radio, kosher radio, shouting car dealership commercials.)
:*Microwaves (a bit more than 10cm to a bit more than 1mm); it also has subranges (aliens, just below SETI, wifi, FHF, brain waves, sulawesi, gravity)
:*Toasters (about 1mm to about 100 micrometers)
:*IR (about 100 micrometers to somewhere between 1 micrometer and 1 nm); above that is a bell graph labeled "Superman"s heat vision," with a motorcycle driving up the left side labeled "Jack Black's Heat Vision."
:*Visible light (and, under it, visible dark); above that is a bell graph labeled "sunlight." There's a breakout chart above it showing the visible spectrum from 700nm (red) to 450nm (violet). There's an arrow pointing to where octarine would be, somewhere off to the side. Above that are bars showing the absorption spectra for hydrogen, helium, Depends(R) (yellow only), and Tampax(R) (red only).
:*UV (about 100nm to about 10nm)
:*Miller Light (a thin bar around 10nm)
:*An unlabeled section with a thin line above it showing the frequency of the main death star laser
:*A blocked-off portion labeled "Censored Under Patriot Act."
:*X-rays (from about 1nm to about 10pm); a line above shows the frequency of mail-order x-ray glasses. Somewhere vaguely above the 10pm mark is a potato.
:*Gamma/cosmic rays (10pm and smaller); above that is a bar marked Sinister Google Projects that also trails off into higher frequencies, and blogorays, which are slightly lower.

==Trivia==
'Empty room hum" was later referred to in [[1590: The Source]].

Cell phones as a cause of cancer was later referred to in [[925: Cell Phones]].

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Your sister]]

1276: Angular Size

2018-03-12T15:03:02Z

Condor70: Remark about the soccer field dimensions

{{comic
| number = 1276
| date = October 11, 2013
| title = Angular Size
| image = angular size.png
| titletext = If the celestial sphere were mapped to the Earth's surface, astronomy would get a LOT easier; you'd just need a magnifying glass.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a comparison of the {{w|angular diameter|angular diameters}} (or apparent diameter) of various celestial objects at the surface of the earth relative to a vertex at the center of the Earth as diagrammed in the opening panel. The objects' scales are compared to actual objects on earth. Each size given is for the object at its closest approach to earth.

London's {{w|M25 motorway}} is around 60 km (35 miles) across, a {{w|soccer field}} is about 100 meters long (109 yd.), a {{w|Table tennis table|ping pong table}} is 274 centimeters (9 ft.) long, a {{w|laptop}} is about 35 centimeters across (13.75 in.), the {{w|tilde}} symbol on a keyboard is about 5 millimeters (197 mils) long, and a cell of ''{{w|Escherichia coli|E. coli}}'' is about 2 microns long (78.75 millionths of an inch).

A simple {{w|Intercept theorem|formula}} can be used to find the size on earth of a celestial object when the size of or distance to the object is known. This is done by taking the radius of the earth, multiplying by the diameter of the object, and dividing by the distance to the object from the center of the earth.

The space objects referenced in the panels are:

*The {{w|Sun}} and the {{w|Moon}}, and also the open cluster {{w|Messier 25}}, have approximately the same size (around 0.5 degrees of arc) when seen from the Earth.

*{{w|Mercury (planet)|Mercury}}, {{w|Venus}}, {{w|Mars}}, {{w|Jupiter}}, {{w|Saturn}}, {{w|Uranus}}, and {{w|Neptune}} are the other planets of the {{w|Solar System}}.

*{{w|Io (moon)|Io}}, {{w|Europa (moon)|Europa}}, {{w|Ganymede (moon)|Ganymede}}, and {{w|Callisto (moon)|Callisto}} are the main moons of Jupiter; {{w|Titan (moon)|Titan}} is the largest moon of Saturn; and {{w|Triton (moon)|Triton}} is the largest moon of Neptune. {{w|Ceres (dwarf planet)|Ceres}} and {{w|Pluto}} are {{w|dwarf planet}}s.

*{{w|Phobos (moon)|Phobos}} and {{w|Deimos (moon)|Deimos}} are the moons of Mars. {{w|Eris (dwarf planet)|Eris}} is another dwarf planet. {{w|R Doradus}} and {{w|Betelgeuse}} are giant stars, respectively around 180 and 640 light-years away. R Doradus is the star with the largest apparent diameter (other than the sun, of course).

*{{w|4942 Munroe}} is an asteroid [http://blog.xkcd.com/2013/09/30/asteroid-4942-munroe/ named] after xkcd author [[Randall]] Munroe. {{w|Proxima Centauri}}, {{W|Alpha Centauri|Alpha Centauri AB}}, {{w|Barnard's star}} and {{w|Sirius}} are nearby stars (all within 10 light-years from the Sun).

*{{w|HD 189733 b}}, {{w|Gliese 581 g}}, {{w|Gliese 667 Cc}}, {{w|82 G. Eridani#Planetary_system|HD 20794 c}}, {{w|Tau Ceti#Planets|Tau Ceti c}}, and {{w|KOI-1686.01}} are {{w|extrasolar planet}}s; the parenthetical names are references to the comic [[1253: Exoplanet Names]]. However, some of the planets' parenthetical names do not match the table in the previous comic. For example, HD 20794 c is called "Legoland" rather than "Moonchild" in [[1253: Exoplanet Names]]. The {{w|black hole}} at the center of our Galaxy is {{w|Sagittarius A*}}, a massive object containing a mass more than 4 million times of our Sun.

*{{w|Voyager 1}} and {{w|Voyager 2|2}} are space probes launched in 1977, and currently around 125 and 100 {{w|astronomical unit}}s away, respectively.

The title text states that astronomy would be much easier if the celestial sphere were mapped to the earth - like a giant {{w|globe}}. Due to the distance of the stars you would just need magnifying glass to see the areas representing distant stars instead of an expensive powerful telescope to see huge distances.

Approximate values for the mappings to the Earth sphere (based on mean Earth radius at 6,371.0 km or 3,958.8 mi.):
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Panel
! Object
! Distance
! Diameter
! Size at Earth sphere
|-
| rowspan="4"| Panel 1
|| Sun
|| 149,600,000 km (9.296×10^7 mi.)
|| 1,392,684 km (865,373.7 mi.)
|| 59.3 km (36.8 mi.)
|-
|| Moon Semi-major axis
|| 384,399 km (238,854 mi.)
|| 3,476.28 km (2,160.06 mi.)
|| 57.6 km (35.8 mi.)
|-
|| Moon Perigee
|| 363,295 km (225,741 mi.)
|| 3,476.28 km (2160.06 mi.)
|| 60.9 km (37.8 mi.)
|-
|| Messier 25
|| 2,100 light-years 19.867 × 10^15 km (12.158×10^15 mi.)
|| 19 light-years 179.753 × 10^12 km (111.693×10^12 mi.)
|| 57.6 km (35.8 mi.)
|-
| rowspan="7"| Panel 2
|| Mercury closest approach
|| 92 million km (57 million mi.)
|| 4,879.4 km (3,031.9 mi.)
|| 0.34 km (370yd.)
|-
|| Venus closest approach
|| 41 million km (25 million mi.)
|| 12,103.6 km (7,520.83 mi.)
|| 1.9 km (1.2 mi.)
|-
|| Mars closest approach
|| 56 million km (35 million mi.)
|| 6,792.4 km (4,220.6 mi.)
|| 0.77 km (840yd.)
|-
|| Jupiter
|| 778,547,200 km (4.8377×10^8 mi.)
|| 139,822 km (86,881.4 mi.)
|| 1.14 km (1,250yd.)
|-
|| Saturn
|| 1,433,449,370 km (1.5676×10^12 mi.)
|| 120,536 km (74,897.6 mi.)
|| 0.54 km (590yd.)
|-
|| Uranus
|| 2,876,679,082 km (1.7875×10^9 mi.)
|| 51,118 km (31,763 mi.)
|| 0.11 km (120yd.)
|-
|| Neptune
|| 4,503,443,661 km (2.7983×10^9 mi.)
|| 49,528 km (30,775 mi.)
|| 0.07 km (230 ft.)
|-
| rowspan="8"| Panel 3
|| Io
|| 778,547,200 km (483.77×10^6 mi.)
|| 3,643 km (2,264 mi.)
|| 29.8 m (74.8 ft.)
|-
|| Europa
|| 778,547,200 km (483.77×10^6 mi.)
|| 3,122 km (1,940 mi.)
|| 25.5 m (83.7 ft.)
|-
|| Ganymede
|| 778,547,200 km (483.77×10^6 mi.)
|| 5,262 km (3,270 mi.)
|| 43.1 m (141 ft.)
|-
|| Callisto
|| 778,547,200 km (483.77×10^6 mi.)
|| 4,821 km (2,996 mi.)
|| 39.5 m (130 ft.)
|-
|| Titan
|| 1,433,449,370 km (890.7×10^6 mi.)
|| 5,150 km (3,200 mi.)
|| 22.9 m (75.1 ft.)
|-
|| Triton
|| 4,503,443,661 km (2.7983×10^9 mi.)
|| 2,705.2 km (1,680.9 mi.)
|| 3.8 m (12 ft.)
|-
|| Ceres Perihelion
|| 380,995,855 km (236.74×10^6 mi.)
|| 974.6 km (605.6 mi.)
|| 16.3 m (53.5 ft.)
|-
|| Pluto Perihelion
|| 4,437,000,000 km (2.757×10^9 mi.)
|| 2,306 km (1,433 mi.)
|| 3.3 m (11 ft.)
|-
| rowspan="6"| Panel 4
|| Phobos
|| 56 million km (35 million mi.)
|| 26.8 × 22.4 × 18.4 km (16.7 × 13.9 × 11.4 mi.)
|| 3.05 m (10.0 ft.)
|-
|| Deimos
|| 56 million km (35 million mi.)
|| 15 × 12.2 × 10.4 km (9.3 × 7.58 × 6.46 mi.)
|| 1.71 m (5 ft.7in.)
|-
|| Eris Perihelion
|| 5.723 × 10^9 km (3.556×10^9 mi.)
|| 2,326 km (1,445 mi.)
|| 2.59 m (8 ft.6in.)
|-
|| Eris Aphelion
|| 14.602 × 10^9 km (9.0733×10^9 mi.)
|| 2,326 km (1,445 mi.)
|| 1.01 m (3 ft.3.8in.)
|-
|| Betelguse
|| 643 ± 146 light-years max. 7.464 × 10^15 km (4.638×10^15 mi.)
|| 950–1,200 solar radii max. 1.671 × 10^9 km (1.038×10^9 mi.)
|| 1.43 m (4 ft.8.3in.)
|-
|| R Doradus
|| 178 ± 10 light-years max. 1.778 × 10^15 km (1.105×10^15 mi.)
|| 370 ± 50 solar radii max. 0.515 × 10^9 km (320×10^6 mi.)
|| 1.85 m (6 ft.0.8in.)
|-
| rowspan="6"| Panel 5
|| 4942 Munroe
|| 2.2 AU (1.2 AU closest to earth, 179.4 × 10^6 km or 111.5×10^6 mi.)
|| 9–10 km (5.6-6.2 mi.)
|| 35.5 cm (14.0in.)
|-
|| Proxima Centauri
|| 4.243 light-years 40.142 × 10^12 km (24.943×10^12 mi.)
|| 0.141 solar radii 0.196 × 10^6 km (122×10^3 mi.)
|| 3.11 cm (1.22in.)
|-
|| Barnard's Star
|| 5.980 light-years 56.574 × 10^12 km (32.668×10^12)
|| 0.196 solar radii 0.272 × 10^6 km (169×10^3)
|| 3.06 cm (1.20in.)
|-
|| Alpha Centauri B
|| 4.366 light-years 41.305 × 10^12 km (25.666×10^12 mi.)
|| 0.865 solar radii 1.204 × 10^6 km (748×10^3 mi.)
|| 18.6 cm (7.32in.)
|-
|| Sirius
|| 8.6 light-years 81.362 × 10^12 km (50.556×10^12 mi.)
|| 1.711 solar radii 2.382 × 10^6 km (1.480×10^6 mi.)
|| 18.7 cm (7.36in.)
|-
|| Alpha Centauri A
|| 4.366 light-years 41.305 × 10^12 km (25.666×10^12 mi.)
|| 1.227 solar radii 1.708 × 10^6 km (1.061×10^6 mi.)
|| 26.3 cm (10.4in.)
|-
| rowspan="9"| Panel 6
|| HD 189733 b
|| 63 light-years 596.024 × 10^12 km (370.352×10^12 mi.)
|| 1.138 Jupiter radii 159,117 km (98,870.7 mi.)
|| 1.7 mm (67 mils)
|-
|| Gliese 581 g
|| 20.3 light-years 192.052 × 10^12 km (119.336×10^12 mi.)
|| 1.3 to 2.0 Earth radii max. 25,484 km (15,835 mi.)
|| 0.85 mm (33 mils)
|-
|| Gliese 581 (Parent star)
|| 20.3 light-years 192.052 × 10^12 km (119.336×10^12 mi.)
|| 0.29 solar radii 201,695 km (125,411 mi.)
|| 1.34 cm (528 mils)
|-
|| Black Hole at the center of our Galaxy
|| 25,900 light-years 245.032 × 10^15 km (152,260×10^15 mi.)
|| Mass 4.31 × 10^6: 12.684 × 10^6 km (7.8815×10^6 mi.)
|| 0.33 mm (13 mils)
|-
|| Gliese 667 Cc
|| 22.7 light-years 214.757 × 10^12 km (133.444×10^12 mi.)
|| 2.0 Earth radii 25,484 km (15,835 mi.)
|| 0.76 mm (30 mils)
|-
|| Gliese 667 (Parent star)
|| 22.7 light-years 214.757 × 10^12 km (133.444×10^12 mi.)
|| 0.42 solar radii 584,927 km (363,457 mi.)
|| 1.74 cm (685 mils)
|-
|| HD 20794 c (Parent star)
|| 20 light-years 189.214 × 10^12 km (117.572×10^12)
|| 0.92 solar radii 1,281,269 km (796,143.6 mi.)
|| 4.31 cm (1.70in.)
|-
|| Tau Ceti C (Parent star)
|| 11.905 light-years 112.629 × 10^12 km (69.9844×10^12 mi.)
|| 0.793 solar radii 1,104,398 km (686,241.1 mi.)
|| 6.25 cm (2.46in.)
|-
|| Koi-1686.01 (Parent star)
|| 1033.8 light-years 9.780 × 10^15 km (6.077×10^15 mi.)
|| 0.52 solar radii 724,195 km (449,994 mi.)
|| 0.47 mm (19 mils)
|-
| Panel 7
|| Voyager probes
|| (Voyager 1 at 126.10 AU) 18.86×10^9 km (11.72×10^9 mi.)
|| 20 meters (66 ft.) (with antennas)
|| 6.76 µm (266 millionths of an in.)
|}

==Remarks==
A {{w|Football_pitch#Pitch_boundary|professional soccer field}} is 105 x 68 meter, but the depicted soccer field is about 93 x 61 meter (based on the size of the center circle which has a diameter of 20 yd). However, according to the angular diameter of the referenced celestial objects, Randall did his calculations using the 105 x 68 meter dimensions.

==Transcript==
:The size of the part of Earth's surface directly under various space objects
:[Several images are shown, of space objects of differing size and at different distances from Earth, illustrating the differing sizes of their "shadows" as mapped onto Earth's surface viewed from the center of the Earth.]

:[The first image merely sets the stage: Earth is a full circle, with two figures — Cueball and Megan — standing on it; a small space object casts a "shadow" on Megan, while a slightly larger object, though proportionally farther away, casts just about the same size shadow next to Cueball.]

:[The second image is a map showing London, with the Thames running through it, and a ring highway running around it labeled "London's M25 Orbital Freeway". A grey circle is overlaid, just about the diameter of the M25; it is labeled "The Sun and The Moon (about the same size)".]

:[The third image has a small grey rectangle in one corner labeled "Soccer field" for comparison. The image is dominated by four large, grey circles, considerably larger than the soccer field, labeled "Saturn", "Mars", "Jupiter", and "Venus", with Mars slightly larger than Saturn, Jupiter approximately twice the diameter of Saturn, and Venus approximately three times the diameter of Saturn. Smaller circles are labeled "Mercury", "Uranus", and "Neptune", with Mercury still somewhat larger than the soccer field, Uranus about its size, and Neptune slightly smaller.]

:[The fourth image has the soccer field blown up to take up much of the view; its center circle, goal areas, and corner kick areas are visible. Labeled grey circles of various circles are again overlain: Callisto and Ganymede are about as large as one half of the field; Io, Titan, and Europa are somewhat smaller than half the field; and Ceres, Triton, and Pluto are much smaller (all three together would probably fit into the soccer field's center circle).]

:[In the fifth image, there is a different grey rectangle, this one labeled "Ping Pong table", with a few balls and paddles visible. An irregular ovoid labeled "Phobos" is about the size of the table, as is a circle labeled "R. Doradus". An irregular circular shape labeled "Deimos" is about the size of half the table; a circle labeled "Betelgeuse" is a little smaller, and a circle labeled "Eris" is a little smaller, though still comfortably filling most of half of the table.]

:[In the sixth image, a light grey image of laptop computer keyboard and screen is shown, viewed from directly above. An irregular shape labeled "4942 Munroe" is slightly larger than the laptop, while circles labeled "Alpha Centauri A", "Sirius", and "Alpha Centauri B" form a descending series somewhat smaller than it. Circles labeled "Proxima Centauri" and "Barnard's Star" are considerably smaller than the laptop: Proxima Centauri would fit on the trackpad, while Barnard's Star covers perhaps four keys on the keyboard.]

:[In the seventh image we see a greatly zoomed-in shape which is identified as the "Tilde on laptop keyboard". A circle labeled "HD 189733 b (permadeath)" is almost as large as the tilde is wide; a circle labeled "Tau Ceti C (giant dog planet)" is somewhat smaller. Circles labeled "Gleise 581 g (jelly-filled planet)", "Gleise 667 C c (PILF)", and "HD 20794 c (moonchild)" are all 1/2 to 1/3 as wide as the tilde is wide. A smaller circle labeled "Event horizon of the black hole at the center of our galaxy" fits comfortably within the tilde's stroke width. A very small dot off in one corner (much smaller than the tilde or anything else in the image) is labeled "KOI-1686.01 (emergency backup earth)".]

:[Finally, in the eighth image, the size comparison is to the grey outlines of four bacilliform bacteria labeled "E. coli". The outlines of two interstellar probes are shown, with circular main housings and protruding instruments and antennae. They are labeled "Voyager 1" and "Voyager 2".]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Exoplanets]]
[[Category:Soccer]]
[[Category:Space probes]]

1948: Campaign Fundraising Emails

2018-01-30T11:37:28Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1948
| date = January 29, 2018
| title = Campaign Fundraising Emails
| image = campaign_fundraising_emails.png
| titletext = The establishment doesn't take us seriously. You know who else they didn't take seriously? Hitler. I'll be like him, but a GOOD guy instead of...
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Consolidate all explanation into table. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
{{incomplete|Add address, website, or phone number to use to donate to one of these campaigns, in case anyone actually wants to do so (it could happen).}}

Many politicians and organizations in the United States have taken to using aggressive fundraising campaigns by email to seek campaign contributions.

This comic shows a caricature of many people's email inboxes right now. Signing a petition or expressing interest in a cause can lead to being added to a myriad of mailing lists for similar groups, all looking for support. It seems Randall has a history of donating to questionable candidates with poorly thought out campaigns, and that's gotten him onto some interesting email lists. The emails get more and more absurd as the list goes on. For example, the last one combines a request for campaign contributions with the infamous Nigerian Prince phishing scheme.

{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
! E-mail Body !! Explanation
|-
|'''Donate now.''' It's crunch time, and we're low on cash. If you chip in just $5 by midnight, we...
|This is the classic formula, and may be a real example. It is always "crunch time" during a campaign (at least between filing for candidacy and election day), and campaigns are always "low" on cash relative to the unlimited funding they would prefer. The ends of financial reporting periods, often at midnight, are conflated with "deadlines" of significant consequence. Further, the donation requested is less about the actual money - even if $5 each from several thousand voters can add up - but to get a donor to have their money placed on a candidate, making it more likely that donor will vote for the candidate (via encouraging [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_cost#Loss_aversion_and_the_sunk_cost_fallacy the "sunk cost" fallacy]).
|-
|'''Donate $35.57 now!''' Our data team has determined that we should ask you for $35.57 to optimize the...
|While fundraisers will try and work out how to gain money as possible, they would never explain this to their supporters. Such a precise amount would come about as a result of running the numbers through a computer simulation, and the obvious lack of humanity behind the calculated dollar amount would probably be offputting to a lot of would-be supporters. This may also be an exaggeration of Senator Sanders' presidential campaign, which sent e-mails asking for $27 because it was the average amount of their contributions up to that point.
|-
|'''Help.''' Our campaign made some mistakes and we need a lot of money ASAP. Any kind, but cash is...
|This email is honest about the campaign's incompetence, but is not likely to get much sympathy except from those already sympathetic to the candidate. Any campaign reduced to this level has probably already lost, though.
|-
|'''Washington is broken.''' When I win, I'll look those other senators in the eye and tell them: "Jobs." Then I...
|This may be another real example. This appeal to emotion promises specific action that is unlikely to accomplish much, and is honestly probably unlikely to happen even if the candidate wins, while suggesting the candidate vaguely cares about issues of importance to most voters, as measured by the polls.
|-
|'''Hopeless.''' It's bad. Really bad. If you don't chip in now, the darkness spreading across the land will...
|
|-
|As the first woman to fly a fighter jet through our state's formerly all-male university, I learned...
|Normally one would be the first ''from'' a university to do something.
|-
|'''We're broke.''' No paid staff. No ads. And the cafe has told us to stop using their wifi to send fundraising...
|
|-
|When Amy decided to run for Congress, I was like "Huh?" but I checked Wikipedia, and apparently it's a branch of...
|The reader would expect that the writer expressed surprise because they weren't expecting Amy to run for Congress, but the actual reason is because they didn't know what Congress was.
|-
|'''Are you familiar''' with the dutch painter Hieronymous Bosch? His work illustrates my opponent's plan for...
|The works of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieronymus_Bosch Hieronymus Bosch], which are famous for depictions of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell Hell] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbo Limbo] as brutal places of highly imaginative torments.
|-
|Being a single mom running a small business while going to law school while being deployed to Iraq taught me...
|These are tasks which are unlikely to be able to accomplished simultaneously, and seem to be in line with typical campaign promises.
|-
|'''I will lead the fight''' against the big banks, special interests, the Earth's climate, and our children. I...
|Against our children may be a reference to a popular [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushism Bushism]
|-
|'''Wow.''' Have you seen this video of the squirrel obstacle course? Incredible! Anyway, I'm running because I...
|A typical form of {{w|clickbait}}.
|-
|'''Outrageous.''' Granted, this was a few years ago, but did you hear what President Ford said about...
|When a politician makes an offensive comment, it's common for the politician's opponents to send out fundraising emails pointing out the politician's offensiveness as a reason to give money to an opponent. Here, the sender's reaction and e-mail fundraising effort appears to be unusually delayed, as it refers to an alleged comment by {{w|Gerald Ford}}, whose term as President of the United States ended in 1977 and who died in 2006.
|-
|'''Whoops.''' Due to a typo, we spent months running attack ads against Tom Hanks. Now, we need to make up for...
|The email apologises for running months of attack ads against American actor {{w|Tom Hanks}}. Hanks is generally a popular and uncontroversial figure,{{Citation needed}} making him an unusual target for attack ads.
|-
|'''They say we can't win-''' that we're "underdogs" with "no money" who "lost the election last week." But they don't...
|May refer to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Moore#U.S._Senate_special_election_campaign Roy Moore's attempts to overturn his loss in the December 2017 election for one of Alabama's US Senate seats], which came about a month before this comic and made national headlines. After the initial election count had him losing, he demanded a recount. That initial count said he had lost by a large enough margin that Alabama law required him to pay up front for a recount, and his campaign did not have enough funds available.
|-
|'''Our campaign's only chance''' is to seduce Jennifer ActBlue, heir to the ActBlue fortune. For that, we need a fancy...
|This e-mail alludes to [https://secure.actblue.com/ ActBlue], a political action committee that collects donations online for Democratic candidates. In reality, there is no Actblue family nor any "Jennifer Actblue" who is the heir to its fortune; the name ActBlue comes from the words "act" and "blue", referring to the {{w|Red states and blue states|color currently associated with the Democratic Party}}.
|-
|'''Doom.''' Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed, like rain on...
|This is an excerpt from {{w|J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien's}} poem ''[http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Lament_for_the_Rohirrim Lament of the Rohirrim,]'' appearing in ''{{w|The Two Towers}}'': 
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? 
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing? 
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing? 
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing? 
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow; 
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. 
Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning, 
Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning?
|-
|'''Warmest greetings.''' I am the crown prince of Nigeria. I am running for Congress because I believe that...
|The opening line is designed to sound like spam for an {{W | Advance-fee scam}}. These scams typically involve impersonating someone rich, often a Nigerian prince, who claims to be in trouble and promises to share a large sum of money if the victim helps him by sending a small fee in advance electronically. However, the second sentence of this email switches to sounding like a political fundraising email instead of an outright scam. This is either to establish a degrading comparison between flagrant scams and fundraising emails, or just to create a bait-and-switch joke.
|-
|The establishment doesn't take us seriously. You know who else they didn't take seriously? Hitler. I'll be like him, but a GOOD guy instead of...
|A candidate who compares himself to {{w|Hitler}}, even when promising to be GOOD instead, will probably not get many votes. The title text does however conform to {{w|Godwin's law}}.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
'''Donate now.''' It's crunch time, and we're low on cash. If you chip in just $5 by midnight, we... 
'''Donate $35.57 now!''' Our data team has determined that we should ask you for $35.57 to optimize the... 
'''Help.''' Our campaign made some mistakes and we need a lot of money ASAP. Any kind, but cash is... 
'''Washington is broken.''' When I win, I'll look those other senators in the eye and tell them: "Jobs." Then I... 
'''Hopeless.''' It's bad. Really bad. If you don't chip in now, the darkness spreading across the land will... 
As the first woman to fly a fighter jet through our state's formerly all-male university, I learned... 
'''We're broke.''' No paid staff. No ads. And the cafe has told us to stop using their wifi to send fundraising... 
When Amy decided to run for Congress, I was like "Huh?" but I checked Wikipedia, and apparently it's a branch of... 
'''Are you familiar''' with the dutch painter Hieronymous Bosch? His work illustrates my opponent's plan for... 
Being a single mom running a small business while going to law school while being deployed to Iraq taught me... 
'''I will lead the fight''' against the big banks, special interests, the Earth's climate, and our children. I... 
'''Wow.''' Have you seen this video of the squirrel obstacle course? Incredible! Anyway, I'm running because I... 
'''Outrageous.''' Granted, this was a few years ago, but did you hear what President Ford said about... 
'''Whoops.''' Due to a typo, we spent months running attack ads against Tom Hanks. Now, we need to make up for... 
'''They say we can't win-''' that we're "underdogs" with "no money" who "lost the election last week." But they don't... 
'''Our campaign's only chance''' is to seduce Jennifer ActBlue, heir to the ActBlue fortune. For that, we need a fancy... 
'''Doom.''' Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed, like rain on... 
'''Warmest greetings.''' I am the crown prince of Nigeria. I am running for Congress because I believe that...

{{comic discussion}}

1948: Campaign Fundraising Emails

2018-01-30T11:35:07Z

Condor70: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1948
| date = January 29, 2018
| title = Campaign Fundraising Emails
| image = campaign_fundraising_emails.png
| titletext = The establishment doesn't take us seriously. You know who else they didn't take seriously? Hitler. I'll be like him, but a GOOD guy instead of...
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Consolidate all explanation into table. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
{{incomplete|Add address, website, or phone number to use to donate to one of these campaigns, in case anyone actually wants to do so (it could happen).}}

Many politicians and organizations in the United States have taken to using aggressive fundraising campaigns by email to seek campaign contributions.

This comic shows a caricature of many people's email inboxes right now. Signing a petition or expressing interest in a cause can lead to being added to a myriad of mailing lists for similar groups, all looking for support. It seems Randall has a history of donating to questionable candidates with poorly thought out campaigns, and that's gotten him onto some interesting email lists. The emails get more and more absurd as the list goes on. For example, the last one combines a request for campaign contributions with the infamous Nigerian Prince phishing scheme.

{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
! E-mail Body !! Explanation
|-
|'''Donate now.''' It's crunch time, and we're low on cash. If you chip in just $5 by midnight, we...
|This is the classic formula, and may be a real example. It is always "crunch time" during a campaign (at least between filing for candidacy and election day), and campaigns are always "low" on cash relative to the unlimited funding they would prefer. The ends of financial reporting periods, often at midnight, are conflated with "deadlines" of significant consequence. Further, the donation requested is less about the actual money - even if $5 each from several thousand voters can add up - but to get a donor to have their money placed on a candidate, making it more likely that donor will vote for the candidate (via encouraging [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_cost#Loss_aversion_and_the_sunk_cost_fallacy the "sunk cost" fallacy]).
|-
|'''Donate $35.57 now!''' Our data team has determined that we should ask you for $35.57 to optimize the...
|While fundraisers will try and work out how to gain money as possible, they would never explain this to their supporters. Such a precise amount would come about as a result of running the numbers through a computer simulation, and the obvious lack of humanity behind the calculated dollar amount would probably be offputting to a lot of would-be supporters. This may also be an exaggeration of Senator Sanders' presidential campaign, which sent e-mails asking for $27 because it was the average amount of their contributions up to that point.
|-
|'''Help.''' Our campaign made some mistakes and we need a lot of money ASAP. Any kind, but cash is...
|This email is honest about the campaign's incompetence, but is not likely to get much sympathy except from those already sympathetic to the candidate. Any campaign reduced to this level has probably already lost, though.
|-
|'''Washington is broken.''' When I win, I'll look those other senators in the eye and tell them: "Jobs." Then I...
|This may be another real example. This appeal to emotion promises specific action that is unlikely to accomplish much, and is honestly probably unlikely to happen even if the candidate wins, while suggesting the candidate vaguely cares about issues of importance to most voters, as measured by the polls.
|-
|'''Hopeless.''' It's bad. Really bad. If you don't chip in now, the darkness spreading across the land will...
|
|-
|As the first woman to fly a fighter jet through our state's formerly all-male university, I learned...
|Normally one would be the first ''from'' a university to do something.
|-
|'''We're broke.''' No paid staff. No ads. And the cafe has told us to stop using their wifi to send fundraising...
|
|-
|When Amy decided to run for Congress, I was like "Huh?" but I checked Wikipedia, and apparently it's a branch of...
|The reader would expect that the writer expressed surprise because they weren't expecting Amy to run for Congress, but the actual reason is because they didn't know what Congress was.
|-
|'''Are you familiar''' with the dutch painter Hieronymous Bosch? His work illustrates my opponent's plan for...
|The works of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieronymus_Bosch Hieronymus Bosch], which are famous for depictions of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell Hell] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbo Limbo] as brutal places of highly imaginative torments.
|-
|Being a single mom running a small business while going to law school while being deployed to Iraq taught me...
|These are tasks which are unlikely to be able to accomplished simultaneously, and seem to be in line with typical campaign promises.
|-
|'''I will lead the fight''' against the big banks, special interests, the Earth's climate, and our children. I...
|Against our children may be a reference to a popular [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushism Bushism]
|-
|'''Wow.''' Have you seen this video of the squirrel obstacle course? Incredible! Anyway, I'm running because I...
|
|-
|'''Outrageous.''' Granted, this was a few years ago, but did you hear what President Ford said about...
|When a politician makes an offensive comment, it's common for the politician's opponents to send out fundraising emails pointing out the politician's offensiveness as a reason to give money to an opponent. Here, the sender's reaction and e-mail fundraising effort appears to be unusually delayed, as it refers to an alleged comment by {{w|Gerald Ford}}, whose term as President of the United States ended in 1977 and who died in 2006.
|-
|'''Whoops.''' Due to a typo, we spent months running attack ads against Tom Hanks. Now, we need to make up for...
|The email apologises for running months of attack ads against American actor {{w|Tom Hanks}}. Hanks is generally a popular and uncontroversial figure,{{Citation needed}} making him an unusual target for attack ads.
|-
|'''They say we can't win-''' that we're "underdogs" with "no money" who "lost the election last week." But they don't...
|May refer to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Moore#U.S._Senate_special_election_campaign Roy Moore's attempts to overturn his loss in the December 2017 election for one of Alabama's US Senate seats], which came about a month before this comic and made national headlines. After the initial election count had him losing, he demanded a recount. That initial count said he had lost by a large enough margin that Alabama law required him to pay up front for a recount, and his campaign did not have enough funds available.
|-
|'''Our campaign's only chance''' is to seduce Jennifer ActBlue, heir to the ActBlue fortune. For that, we need a fancy...
|This e-mail alludes to [https://secure.actblue.com/ ActBlue], a political action committee that collects donations online for Democratic candidates. In reality, there is no Actblue family nor any "Jennifer Actblue" who is the heir to its fortune; the name ActBlue comes from the words "act" and "blue", referring to the {{w|Red states and blue states|color currently associated with the Democratic Party}}.
|-
|'''Doom.''' Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed, like rain on...
|This is an excerpt from {{w|J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien's}} poem ''[http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Lament_for_the_Rohirrim Lament of the Rohirrim,]'' appearing in ''{{w|The Two Towers}}'': 
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? 
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing? 
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing? 
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing? 
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow; 
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. 
Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning, 
Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning?
|-
|'''Warmest greetings.''' I am the crown prince of Nigeria. I am running for Congress because I believe that...
|The opening line is designed to sound like spam for an {{W | Advance-fee scam}}. These scams typically involve impersonating someone rich, often a Nigerian prince, who claims to be in trouble and promises to share a large sum of money if the victim helps him by sending a small fee in advance electronically. However, the second sentence of this email switches to sounding like a political fundraising email instead of an outright scam. This is either to establish a degrading comparison between flagrant scams and fundraising emails, or just to create a bait-and-switch joke.
|-
|The establishment doesn't take us seriously. You know who else they didn't take seriously? Hitler. I'll be like him, but a GOOD guy instead of...
|A candidate who compares himself to {{w|Hitler}}, even when promising to be GOOD instead, will probably not get many votes. The title text does however conform to {{w|Godwin's law}}.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
'''Donate now.''' It's crunch time, and we're low on cash. If you chip in just $5 by midnight, we... 
'''Donate $35.57 now!''' Our data team has determined that we should ask you for $35.57 to optimize the... 
'''Help.''' Our campaign made some mistakes and we need a lot of money ASAP. Any kind, but cash is... 
'''Washington is broken.''' When I win, I'll look those other senators in the eye and tell them: "Jobs." Then I... 
'''Hopeless.''' It's bad. Really bad. If you don't chip in now, the darkness spreading across the land will... 
As the first woman to fly a fighter jet through our state's formerly all-male university, I learned... 
'''We're broke.''' No paid staff. No ads. And the cafe has told us to stop using their wifi to send fundraising... 
When Amy decided to run for Congress, I was like "Huh?" but I checked Wikipedia, and apparently it's a branch of... 
'''Are you familiar''' with the dutch painter Hieronymous Bosch? His work illustrates my opponent's plan for... 
Being a single mom running a small business while going to law school while being deployed to Iraq taught me... 
'''I will lead the fight''' against the big banks, special interests, the Earth's climate, and our children. I... 
'''Wow.''' Have you seen this video of the squirrel obstacle course? Incredible! Anyway, I'm running because I... 
'''Outrageous.''' Granted, this was a few years ago, but did you hear what President Ford said about... 
'''Whoops.''' Due to a typo, we spent months running attack ads against Tom Hanks. Now, we need to make up for... 
'''They say we can't win-''' that we're "underdogs" with "no money" who "lost the election last week." But they don't... 
'''Our campaign's only chance''' is to seduce Jennifer ActBlue, heir to the ActBlue fortune. For that, we need a fancy... 
'''Doom.''' Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed, like rain on... 
'''Warmest greetings.''' I am the crown prince of Nigeria. I am running for Congress because I believe that...

{{comic discussion}}

721: Flatland

2018-01-26T09:59:19Z

Condor70: /* UniXKCD */

{{comic
| number = 721
| date = March 31, 2010
| title = Flatland
| image = flatland.png
| titletext = Also, I apologize for the time I climbed down into your world and everyone freaked out about the lesbian orgy overseen by a priest.
}}

==Explanation==

This comic is a reference to the satirical novel {{w|Flatland|''Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions''}}, in which a society of flat shapes live in a {{w|Two-dimensional space|2D}} world. Half the book is a direct satire of {{w|Victorian era|Victorian}} society, and the other half explores the experience of discovering a new dimension, where a sphere introduces a square (named A. Square) to {{w|Three-dimensional space|3D}}. [[Cueball]] appears to have taken the place of this sphere, and the comic takes place after the square knows the third dimension exists.

Humans will never fully be able to grasp the concept of a four spatial dimensions (at least not in the foreseeable future), but there are ways of squashing or slicing four dimensions to create partial visualizations of 4D space. {{w|Miegakure}} is a 4D game that uses cross-sections of 4D space. Cueball attempted to play it, but after having his mind blown, he gained more sympathy for A. Square, who'd had similar trouble understanding 3D. A. Square accepts his apology.

The joke here is that Cueball was being silly and drew lines on A. Square to make him look like {{w|SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|SpongeBob}}, which did not make the square happy. Cueball apologizes again.

The title text is a third apology for when Cueball crawled down into the second dimension. Being a stick figure, he is comprised of a circle and straight lines. In Flatland, circles are priests (Flatland's highest social level), and all women are lines; thus, to a watcher in Flatland, Cueball would look very much like a priest above many connected women, which may look like a lesbian orgy.

==UniXKCD==
This comic was released on March 31, 2010 and was still up on April 1st, 2010. On {{w|April_Fools%27_Day|April Fools' Day}} [[Randall]] altered the website to mimic a {{w|Unix}} command line interface. This interface is still available on [https://uni.xkcd.com uni.xkcd.com] and the source code is available on [https://github.com/chromakode/xkcdfools GitHub].
The terminal lists a few available commands:
* <code>next</code> shows the next comic. Shows the error "Time travel mode not enabled" on the last comic (see <code>enable time travel</code>).
* <code>prev</code> shows the previous comic.
* <code>first</code> shows the first comic.
* <code>last</code> shows the last comic.
* <code>display [number]</code> shows the comic with the specified number.
* <code>random</code> shows a random comic.
* <code>ls</code> shows the content of the current directory.
* <code>cat [filename]</code> shows the content of the file.
* <code>cd [directory]</code> changes to the specified directory.
But there are several undocumented commands as well:
* <code>a/s/l</code> [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=a%2Fs%2Fl A/S/L] is not a unix command, but an acronym of Age/Sex/Location. The following replies are possible:
: <code>2/AMD64/Server Rack</code> answered as if the server replied.
: <code>328/M/Transylvania</code> answered by {{w|Dracula}}.
: <code>6/M/Battle School</code> answered by {{w|Ender Wiggin}} or another boy from battle school.
: <code>48/M/The White House</code> answered by {{w|Barack Obama}} or another male of the same age in the White House.
: <code>7/F/Rapture</code> ???
: <code>Exactly your age/A gender you're attracted to/Far far away.</code> Requests for a/s/l are often not answered truthfully, but crafted to suit the one asking the question.
: <code>7,831/F/Lothlórien</code> answered by {{w|Galadriel}} or another elf.
: <code>42/M/FBI Field Office</code> answered by an FBI agent (referencing the old [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet trope] that all girls on the internet are FBI agents impersonating them).
* <code>apt-get</code> replies "This APT has Super Cow Powers.". The <code>apt-get</code> command is part of the Debian package manager {{w|Advanced_Packaging_Tool|APT}}. This reply is one of the build in Easter eggs.
* <code>asl</code> same as <code>a/s/l</code>.
* <code>bash</code> replies "You bash your head against the wall. It's not very effective.". {{w|Bash}} is a shell for POSIX-based systems.
* <code>buy stuff</code> same as <code>cd store</code>.
* <code>cat [number]/alt.txt</code> displays the alt-text of the specified comic.
* <code>cat</code> (without a filename) will show "You're a kitty!" referencing [[231: Cat Proximity]].
* <code>cheat</code> promotes the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store].
* <code>clear</code> clears the screen.
* <code>date</code> replies "March 32nd".
* <code>dir</code> same as <code>ls</code>.
* <code>echo</code> replies "Echo ... echo ... echo ...". The {{w|Echo_(command)|echo}} command is used to print text to the terminal.
* <code>ed</code> replies "You are not a diety.". {{w|Ed_(text_editor)|ed}} is a very simple text editor. It is usually not considered very user friendly (see also <code>vi</code> and <code>emacs</code>).
* <code>emacs</code> replies "You should really use vim.". References [[378: Real Programmers]].
* <code>enable time travel</code> replies "TARDIS error: Time Lord missing.". A {{w|Doctor Who}} reference. See also the <code>next</code> command.
* <code>exit</code> will end the terminal session.
* <code>find kitten</code> showed the {{w|robotfindskitten}} game (the link to the Flash version no longer works, but an HTML version is available [http://robotfindskitten.org/play/robotfindskitten/ here]).
* <code>find</code> replies "What do you want to find? Kitten would be nice.".
* <code>finger</code> replies "Mmmmmm...".
* <code>fuck</code> replies "I have a headache.".
* <code>goto [any]</code> shows comic [[292: goto]] and asks if you meant <code>display</code> instead.
* <code>halp</code> same as <code>help</code>.
* <code>hello joshua</code> replies "How about a nice game of Global Thermonuclear War?". A reference to the {{w|WarGames}} movie.
* <code>hello</code> replies "Hello.". There is a second reply "Why hello there!" coded, but it is never used.
* <code>help</code> says "That would be cheating!".
* <code>hi</code> replies "Hi.".
* <code>hint</code> randomly replies "We offer some really nice polos.", "This terminal will remain available at xkcd.com/unixkcd/", "Use the source, Luke!" or "There are cheat codes.".
* <code>i read the source code</code> replies "<3".
* <code>irc [nick]</code> starts an {{w|IRC}} session on the xkcd channel on irc.foonetic.net.
* <code>kill</code> replies "Terminator deployed to 1984.". A reference to the {{w|The_Terminator|Terminator}} movie.
* <code>locate [filename]</code> is normally used to locate a file in a directory. It will give humorous results when searching for <code>ninja</code>, <code>keys</code>, <code>joke</code>, <code>problem</code> and <code>raptor</code>.
* <code>logout</code> same as <code>exit</code>.
* <code>lpr</code> replies "PC LOAD LETTER". {{w|Line_Printer_Daemon_protocol|lpr}} is a command to print documents. {{w|PC_LOAD_LETTER}} is a printer error.
* <code>make love</code> replies "I put on my robe and wizard hat.". A reference to this [http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/bloodninja roleplay chat transscript] (NSFW), also mentioned in [[442: xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel]]. <code>make love</code> is a standard unix joke, because the reply is "make: don't know how to make love.".
* <code>make me a sandwich</code> behaves like [[149: Sandwich]].
* <code>man [command]</code> show unhelpful information about the command (only <code>last</code>, <code>help</code>, <code>next</code>, <code>cat</code> or no command are support).
* <code>moo</code> replies "moo".
* <code>more</code> replies "Oh, yes! More! More!". The {{w|More_(command)|more}} command is used to paginate output.
* <code>nano</code> replies "Seriously? Why don't you just use Notepad.exe? Or MS Paint?". {{w|GNU_nano|Nano}} is another text editor for Unix systems (see <code>vi</code> and <code>emacs</code>).
* <code>ping</code> replies "There is another submarine three miles ahead, bearing 225, forty fathoms down.". The {{w|Ping_(networking_utility)|ping}} command used to measure round trip times to a destination. The name does indeed originate from {{w|sonar}} technology.
* <code>pwd</code> replies "You are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike.". The {{w|pwd}} command prints the current working directory (see <code>look</code>).
* <code>quit</code> same as <code>exit</code>.
* <code>reddit [number]</code> shows the [https://www.reddit.com/ Reddit] voting bar for the specified comic (or xkcd when no number is specified).
* <code>rm [filename]</code> will make it seem like you deleted the file.
* <code>serenity</code> replies "You can't take the sky from me.". This is a line from the Balad of Serenity from the {{w|Firefly_(TV_series)|Firefly}} TV series.
* <code>ssh</code> replies "ssh, this is a library.". {{w|Secure_Shell|ssh}} is the command to start a secure shell, but it also resembles the "{{w|Shh}}" sound.
* <code>su</code> replies "God mode activated. Remember, with great power comes great ... aw, screw it, go have fun.". The {{w|Su_(Unix)|su}} command is used to log in as super user, which gives you full and potentionally dangerous access to the system.
* <code>sudo [command]</code> executes the command with {{w|Superuser|root}} privileges.
* <code>sudo apt-get dist-upgrade</code> Returns "You are already running [OS].".
* <code>sudo apt-get moo</code> replies "Have you mooed today?" (apt-get Easter egg).
* <code>sudo apt-get update</code> Refreshes the package list so the system knows which updates are available.
* <code>sudo apt-get upgrade</code> shows a link to [http://abetterbrowser.org/ A Better Browser] on Internet Explorer and Firefox (< v3). On all other browsers it doesn't complain.
* <code>sudo make me a sandwich</code> behave like [[149: Sandwich]].
* <code>sudo poweroff</code> will shutdown the system.
* <code>sudo reboot</code> will restart the system.
* <code>sudo restart</code> same as <code>sudo reboot</code>.
* <code>sudo shutdown</code> same as <code>sudo poweroff</code>.
* <code>time travel</code> displays [[630: Time Travel]].
* <code>top</code> replies "It's up there --^". The {{w|Top_(software)|top}} command shows a table of processes. Here it is taken literally.
* <code>uname</code> replies "Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator". The Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator is an explosive device created by Marvin the Martian in the {{w|Looney Tunes}} series.
* <code>unixkcd</code> opens a new terminal window.
* <code>use the force luke</code> replies "I believe you mean source.". A reference to the {{w|The_Force_(Star_Wars)|Force}} in the {{w|Star Wars}} franchise.
* <code>use the source luke</code> replies "I'm not luke, you're luke!". An old programmes joke.
* <code>vi</code> reply "You should really use emacs.". References [[378: Real Programmers]].
* <code>vim</code> same as <code>vi</code>.
* <code>wget [url]</code> shows the content of the specified url. The {{w|wget}} command on unix will download the content and not show it.
* <code>who</code> replies "Doctor Who?". Another {{w|Doctor Who}} reference.
* <code>whoami</code> replies "You are Richard Stallman.". The {{w|whoami}} command lists the name of the current user.
* <code>write [nick]</code> same as <code>irc</code>.
* <code>xkcd</code> replies "Yes?".
* <code>xyzzy</code> replies "Nothing happens.". {{w|Xyzzy_(computing)|xyzzy}} is a magic word, originally used in the {{w|Colossal Cave Adventure}}.
* <code>your gay</code> replies "Keep your hands off it!".
There are also some other commands borrowed from a {{w|Zork}} like {{w|Text-based_game|text based adventure game}}.
* <code>look</code> describes your current surroundings.
* <code>go [direction]</code> moves you in the specified direction (<code>down</code> is also supported; however, it replies a different message).
* <code>light lamp</code> lights your lamp.
* <code>sleep [seconds]</code> sleeps for the specified time. Without specifying, the nap is 5 seconds.
You will be killed by a {{w|Grue_(monster)|grue}} if you didn't light your lamp when going south.
Going west repeatedly will list the refrain from the song {{w|Go_West_(song)|Go west}}.

The terminal also responds to the {{w|Konami code}} Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A. Entering this code repeatedly will transform all characters to upper case, add a gray text shadow, add an orange text shadow, shake the screen and add a background image of Richard Stallman from [[345: 1337: Part 5]].

==Trivia==
There is actually a SpongeBob episode featuring a flat creature that resembles a crude drawing of SpongeBob.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball encounters a square on the ground.]
:Cueball: Hey, A. Square. How's Flatland?
:Square: Still flat. What's up?
:Cueball: I just spent an hour playing a demo of this 4D game called Miegakure.

:[A character in Miegakure jumps around the 4D landscape.]
:Trying to jump from block to block in four dimensions hurt my brain.

:Cueball: So I apologize for giving you a hard time when you were slow to understand 3D space. I sympathize now.
:Square: It's okay.

:Cueball: Also, I apologize for drawing arms, legs, and eyes on you to make you look like SpongeBob. That was out of line.
:Square: Yes, it was.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Sex]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]