explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2137: Text Entry

2019-04-15T20:15:25Z

DanB: /* Explanation */ Added liklihood that Dvorak would be more efficient.

{{comic
| number = 2137
| date = April 15, 2019
| title = Text Entry
| image = text_entry.png
| titletext = I like to think that somewhere out there, there's someone whose personal quest is lobbying TV providers to add an option to switch their on-screen keyboards to Dvorak.
}}

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

[[Randall]] is remarking on the "weirdest" things about the year 2019, the year that this comic was posted. The weirdest thing is obviously that {{w|Donald Trump}} is president. Although [[Sad comics|several comics]] may have relation to Donald Trump becoming president, this is the [[Sad_comics#Text_Entry|first time ever]], he has been mentioned by his full name (Trump is in [[1939: 2016 Election Map]]) in a standard xkcd comic. So Randall is taking a new approach in his stand against Trump, which began before the election with [[1756: I'm With Her]]. But also back then only his opponent was referenced.

This comic, is also, about the second "weirdest" thing in 2019, and this is what is shown in the panel (where the comics main point, about Trump, is only written in the caption, along with the explanation of the next weirdest thing).

The second place goes to the continued use of "picking letters" to type. This can be seen when doing searches in a TV guide menu or in menus for streaming options like {{w|Netflix}} or {{w|Hulu}}. Some of these menus allow for voice searches or support {{w|bluetooth keyboard}}s, but the traditional method is still to select letters via a cursor. [[Cueball]] is probably looking up "{{w|Our Planet}}" which was a popular Netflix series when this comic was released. Cueball has spelled out "O U R [space] P L" so far.

Randall references the "{{w|Score (game)|high score}}" in an {{w|arcade game}}. When achieving a high score in an arcade game, the user typically is able to enter his name or initials into the machine. These are entered by picking letters one by one (and usually under a time limit, for extra stress and/or fun), as the comic mentions.

The title text mentions the keyboard system {{w|Dvorak Simplified Keyboard|Dvorak}}, a [[:Category:Dvorak|recurrent theme]] on xkcd, which is a keyboard layout patented by {{w|August Dvorak}} and {{w|William Dealey}}. As the Dvorak layout is optimized for more efficient typing with two hands, it is likely that using it would be more efficient than a standard {{w|Qwerty}} when limited to cursor entry methods. A drawback would be that the Dvorak layout is unfamiliar to most people, and it could be confusing for users to use for TV selection menus compared to either the more familiar {{w|Qwerty}} layout or showing letters in alphabetical order.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and Cueball are sitting on a couch, with Megan standing behind them. Cueball is pointing a remote at a television. The word space is written inside a frame.]
:Television: O...U...R...SPACE...P...L...
:Remote: Click Click Click

:[Caption below the panel:]
:The weirdest thing about 2019 is obviously that Donald Trump is president, but I think the second weirdest is that you sometimes ''still'' have to type stuff in by picking letters on a screen one at a time with a cursor like you're entering a high score in a 1980s arcade game.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring politicians]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Dvorak]]

2127: Panama Canal

2019-03-24T14:25:14Z

DanB: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number = 2127
| date = March 22, 2019
| title = Panama Canal
| image = panama_canal.png
| titletext = Once they selected the other proposal, we could have kept shopping ours around, but we would had to modify it include an aqueduct over their canal, which would be totally unreasonable.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Panamax vessel. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Article misses links or explanations for terms that may be unfamiliar to average reader. View of at-grade crossing as normal could be misleading given reference in trivia to another navigable aqueduct. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|Panama Canal}} is, as the name suggests, a canal through the country of Panama. It is important for bridging the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and is an important trade route. The canal is in Panama because this is the narrowest piece of land for crossing between the two oceans.

Cueball says that when the Panama Canal connecting the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean was being planned, he proposed an alternate route that connects the Arctic Ocean to the Great Southern Ocean. At the time, the northern terminus would have been inaccessible, because the Arctic Ocean was almost completely covered by ice. His suggested route runs somewhat to the east of the continental divide and has a total length of slightly over ten thousand miles, in contrast to the real-life canal which is only fifty miles long. The extra length and more-rugged terrain make his proposal much more difficult to build and maintain, unlike the real-life Panama Canal {{Citation needed}}.

Moreover, while the real-life canal significantly shortens the travel distance between major cities on the east and west coasts of the Americas, his alternative offers little benefit over traveling north or south in either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. In fact, with the lack of currents that can aid travel and the slow speed required to traverse canal locks, it would be significantly slower. In addition, ships would have to wait approximately 100 years for global warming to melt the ice in the Arctic Ocean along the northern coast of North America sufficiently for them to enter or exit the northern end of the canal. (However, since construction of this canal might take even longer, the ice might not be a problem by the time it was completed.)

The title text references the now-existing Panama Canal, and the fact that Randall's canal would need to cross it at some point. The title text suggests that crossing two canals would have to be done via aqueduct, instead of the more useful at-grade crossing, most likely at {{w|Gatun Lake}}, which would allow boats to travel between the two canals by simply connecting them. The humor here is that this canal would be one of the most ambitious construction projects in history; an aqueduct being added to the costs is an expense on the same scale of needing an extra screw to hold something in on Apollo 11. The route depicted appears to cross the Mackenzie, Missouri, Rio Grande, and Amazon rivers anyway, so only this additional crossing is apparently "unreasonable."

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing in front of a poster with two maps showing the Americas. He is pointing to the right one with a stick he is holding in his hand. Specifically to the red line going through the Americas from the Arctic sea above Canada near Alaska, down through North America, through the middle of Central America down through the middle of South America to end up in the Antarctic sea below the tip of South America. On the map to the left there is a similar red line indicating the Panama Canal crossing the thinnest part of Central America from the Pacific Oceanto the Atlantic Ocean. Both lines end in small dots on either "side" of the continent. The two maps have labels above them:]
:Atlantic-Pacific option
:Arctic-Antarctic option

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I still don't understand why the Panama Canal planners rejected my proposal.

==Trivia==
*The Panama Canal was the main theme in [[1632: Palindrome]] and there is a scene in [[1608: Hoverboard]] where a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/0d/1608_1026x1073y_Ruins_with_Cueball_singing_of_Spiders_and_Panama.png song that Cueball sings] references the canal. {{w|Panamax}} is referenced in the title text of [[1865: Wifi vs Cellular]].
*If Cueball had proposed an alternative Panama Canal when the original was being built, he would have to have been alive in the early 1900s. Assuming he was at least 18 when the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was signed to authorize the canal (a very generously low estimate), this version of Cueball would been born no later than 1885.
*The second comic in a row with a [[:Category:Maps|map based theme]]. Randall likes maps. <ref>https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?search=map&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go</ref>
*A canal crossing a canal occurs at several places. One of the more famous ones is the {{w|Magdeburg Water Bridge}} in Germany. It also features some locks nearby, so ships can change from the canal to the Elbe river, and vice versa.
*Another canal crossing a canal is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel Falkirk Wheel] in Scotland.

{{comic discussion}}

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

2127: Panama Canal

2019-03-24T14:24:53Z

DanB: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number = 2127
| date = March 22, 2019
| title = Panama Canal
| image = panama_canal.png
| titletext = Once they selected the other proposal, we could have kept shopping ours around, but we would had to modify it include an aqueduct over their canal, which would be totally unreasonable.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Panamax vessel. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Article misses links or explanations for terms that may be unfamiliar to average reader. View of at-grade crossing as normal could be misleading given reference in trivia to another navigable aqueduct. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|Panama Canal}} is, as the name suggests, a canal through the country of Panama. It is important for bridging the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and is an important trade route. The canal is in Panama because this is the narrowest piece of land for crossing between the two oceans.

Cueball says that when the Panama Canal connecting the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean was being planned, he proposed an alternate route that connects the Arctic Ocean to the Great Southern Ocean. At the time, the northern terminus would have been inaccessible, because the Arctic Ocean was almost completely covered by ice. His suggested route runs somewhat to the east of the continental divide and has a total length of slightly over ten thousand miles, in contrast to the real-life canal which is only fifty miles long. The extra length and more-rugged terrain make his proposal much more difficult to build and maintain, unlike the real-life Panama Canal {{Citation needed}}.

Moreover, while the real-life canal significantly shortens the travel distance between major cities on the east and west coasts of the Americas, his alternative offers little benefit over traveling north or south in either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. In fact, with the lack of currents that can aid travel and the slow speed required to traverse canal locks, it would be significantly slower. In addition, ships would have to wait approximately 100 years for global warming to melt the ice in the Arctic Ocean along the northern coast of North America sufficiently for them to enter or exit the northern end of the canal. (However, since construction of this canal might take even longer, the ice might not be a problem by the time it was completed.)

The title text references the now-existing Panama Canal, and the fact that Randall's canal would need to cross it at some point. The title text suggests that crossing two canals would have to be done via aqueduct, instead of the more useful at-grade crossing, most likely at {{w|Gatun Lake}}, which would allow boats to travel between the two canals by simply connecting them. The humor here is that this canal would be one of the most ambitious construction projects in history; an aqueduct being added to the costs is an expense on the same scale of needing an extra screw to hold something in on Apollo 11. The route depicted appears to cross the Mackenzie, Missouri, Rio Grande, and Amazon rivers anyway, so only this additional crossing is apparently "unreasonable."

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing in front of a poster with two maps showing the Americas. He is pointing to the right one with a stick he is holding in his hand. Specifically to the red line going through the Americas from the Arctic sea above Canada near Alaska, down through North America, through the middle of Central America down through the middle of South America to end up in the Antarctic sea below the tip of South America. On the map to the left there is a similar red line indicating the Panama Canal crossing the thinnest part of Central America from the Pacific Oceanto the Atlantic Ocean. Both lines end in small dots on either "side" of the continent. The two maps have labels above them:]
:Atlantic-Pacific option
:Arctic-Antarctic option

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I still don't understand why the Panama Canal planners rejected my proposal.

==Trivia==
*The Panama Canal was the main theme in [[1632: Palindrome]] and there is a scene in [[1608: Hoverboard]] where a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/0d/1608_1026x1073y_Ruins_with_Cueball_singing_of_Spiders_and_Panama.png song that Cueball sings] references the canal. {{w|Panamax}} is referenced in the title text of [[1865: Wifi vs Cellular]].
*If Cueball had proposed an alternative Panama Canal when the original was being built, he would have to have been alive in the early 1900s. Assuming he was at least 18 when the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was signed to authorize the canal (a very generously low estimate), this version of Cueball would been born no later than 1885.
*The second comic in a row with a [[:Category:Maps|map based theme]]. Randall likes maps. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?search=map&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go}}</ref>
*A canal crossing a canal occurs at several places. One of the more famous ones is the {{w|Magdeburg Water Bridge}} in Germany. It also features some locks nearby, so ships can change from the canal to the Elbe river, and vice versa.
*Another canal crossing a canal is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel Falkirk Wheel] in Scotland.

{{comic discussion}}

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

2127: Panama Canal

2019-03-24T14:22:11Z

DanB: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number = 2127
| date = March 22, 2019
| title = Panama Canal
| image = panama_canal.png
| titletext = Once they selected the other proposal, we could have kept shopping ours around, but we would had to modify it include an aqueduct over their canal, which would be totally unreasonable.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Panamax vessel. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Article misses links or explanations for terms that may be unfamiliar to average reader. View of at-grade crossing as normal could be misleading given reference in trivia to another navigable aqueduct. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|Panama Canal}} is, as the name suggests, a canal through the country of Panama. It is important for bridging the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and is an important trade route. The canal is in Panama because this is the narrowest piece of land for crossing between the two oceans.

Cueball says that when the Panama Canal connecting the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean was being planned, he proposed an alternate route that connects the Arctic Ocean to the Great Southern Ocean. At the time, the northern terminus would have been inaccessible, because the Arctic Ocean was almost completely covered by ice. His suggested route runs somewhat to the east of the continental divide and has a total length of slightly over ten thousand miles, in contrast to the real-life canal which is only fifty miles long. The extra length and more-rugged terrain make his proposal much more difficult to build and maintain, unlike the real-life Panama Canal {{Citation needed}}.

Moreover, while the real-life canal significantly shortens the travel distance between major cities on the east and west coasts of the Americas, his alternative offers little benefit over traveling north or south in either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. In fact, with the lack of currents that can aid travel and the slow speed required to traverse canal locks, it would be significantly slower. In addition, ships would have to wait approximately 100 years for global warming to melt the ice in the Arctic Ocean along the northern coast of North America sufficiently for them to enter or exit the northern end of the canal. (However, since construction of this canal might take even longer, the ice might not be a problem by the time it was completed.)

The title text references the now-existing Panama Canal, and the fact that Randall's canal would need to cross it at some point. The title text suggests that crossing two canals would have to be done via aqueduct, instead of the more useful at-grade crossing, most likely at {{w|Gatun Lake}}, which would allow boats to travel between the two canals by simply connecting them. The humor here is that this canal would be one of the most ambitious construction projects in history; an aqueduct being added to the costs is an expense on the same scale of needing an extra screw to hold something in on Apollo 11. The route depicted appears to cross the Mackenzie, Missouri, Rio Grande, and Amazon rivers anyway, so only this additional crossing is apparently "unreasonable."

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing in front of a poster with two maps showing the Americas. He is pointing to the right one with a stick he is holding in his hand. Specifically to the red line going through the Americas from the Arctic sea above Canada near Alaska, down through North America, through the middle of Central America down through the middle of South America to end up in the Antarctic sea below the tip of South America. On the map to the left there is a similar red line indicating the Panama Canal crossing the thinnest part of Central America from the Pacific Oceanto the Atlantic Ocean. Both lines end in small dots on either "side" of the continent. The two maps have labels above them:]
:Atlantic-Pacific option
:Arctic-Antarctic option

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I still don't understand why the Panama Canal planners rejected my proposal.

==Trivia==
*The Panama Canal was the main theme in [[1632: Palindrome]] and there is a scene in [[1608: Hoverboard]] where a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/0d/1608_1026x1073y_Ruins_with_Cueball_singing_of_Spiders_and_Panama.png song that Cueball sings] references the canal. {{w|Panamax}} is referenced in the title text of [[1865: Wifi vs Cellular]].
*If Cueball had proposed an alternative Panama Canal when the original was being built, he would have to have been alive in the early 1900s. Assuming he was at least 18 when the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was signed to authorize the canal (a very generously low estimate), this version of Cueball would been born no later than 1885.
*The second comic in a row with a [[:Category:Maps|map based theme]]. Randall likes maps. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?search=map&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go"}}</ref>
*A canal crossing a canal occurs at several places. One of the more famous ones is the {{w|Magdeburg Water Bridge}} in Germany. It also features some locks nearby, so ships can change from the canal to the Elbe river, and vice versa.
*Another canal crossing a canal is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel Falkirk Wheel] in Scotland.

{{comic discussion}}

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

2127: Panama Canal

2019-03-24T14:21:29Z

DanB: /* Trivia */ Attempting to cite reference for maps.

{{comic
| number = 2127
| date = March 22, 2019
| title = Panama Canal
| image = panama_canal.png
| titletext = Once they selected the other proposal, we could have kept shopping ours around, but we would had to modify it include an aqueduct over their canal, which would be totally unreasonable.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Panamax vessel. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Article misses links or explanations for terms that may be unfamiliar to average reader. View of at-grade crossing as normal could be misleading given reference in trivia to another navigable aqueduct. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|Panama Canal}} is, as the name suggests, a canal through the country of Panama. It is important for bridging the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and is an important trade route. The canal is in Panama because this is the narrowest piece of land for crossing between the two oceans.

Cueball says that when the Panama Canal connecting the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean was being planned, he proposed an alternate route that connects the Arctic Ocean to the Great Southern Ocean. At the time, the northern terminus would have been inaccessible, because the Arctic Ocean was almost completely covered by ice. His suggested route runs somewhat to the east of the continental divide and has a total length of slightly over ten thousand miles, in contrast to the real-life canal which is only fifty miles long. The extra length and more-rugged terrain make his proposal much more difficult to build and maintain, unlike the real-life Panama Canal {{Citation needed}}.

Moreover, while the real-life canal significantly shortens the travel distance between major cities on the east and west coasts of the Americas, his alternative offers little benefit over traveling north or south in either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. In fact, with the lack of currents that can aid travel and the slow speed required to traverse canal locks, it would be significantly slower. In addition, ships would have to wait approximately 100 years for global warming to melt the ice in the Arctic Ocean along the northern coast of North America sufficiently for them to enter or exit the northern end of the canal. (However, since construction of this canal might take even longer, the ice might not be a problem by the time it was completed.)

The title text references the now-existing Panama Canal, and the fact that Randall's canal would need to cross it at some point. The title text suggests that crossing two canals would have to be done via aqueduct, instead of the more useful at-grade crossing, most likely at {{w|Gatun Lake}}, which would allow boats to travel between the two canals by simply connecting them. The humor here is that this canal would be one of the most ambitious construction projects in history; an aqueduct being added to the costs is an expense on the same scale of needing an extra screw to hold something in on Apollo 11. The route depicted appears to cross the Mackenzie, Missouri, Rio Grande, and Amazon rivers anyway, so only this additional crossing is apparently "unreasonable."

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing in front of a poster with two maps showing the Americas. He is pointing to the right one with a stick he is holding in his hand. Specifically to the red line going through the Americas from the Arctic sea above Canada near Alaska, down through North America, through the middle of Central America down through the middle of South America to end up in the Antarctic sea below the tip of South America. On the map to the left there is a similar red line indicating the Panama Canal crossing the thinnest part of Central America from the Pacific Oceanto the Atlantic Ocean. Both lines end in small dots on either "side" of the continent. The two maps have labels above them:]
:Atlantic-Pacific option
:Arctic-Antarctic option

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I still don't understand why the Panama Canal planners rejected my proposal.

==Trivia==
*The Panama Canal was the main theme in [[1632: Palindrome]] and there is a scene in [[1608: Hoverboard]] where a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/0d/1608_1026x1073y_Ruins_with_Cueball_singing_of_Spiders_and_Panama.png song that Cueball sings] references the canal. {{w|Panamax}} is referenced in the title text of [[1865: Wifi vs Cellular]].
*If Cueball had proposed an alternative Panama Canal when the original was being built, he would have to have been alive in the early 1900s. Assuming he was at least 18 when the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was signed to authorize the canal (a very generously low estimate), this version of Cueball would been born no later than 1885.
*The second comic in a row with a [[:Category:Maps|map based theme]]. Randall likes maps. <ref>{{cite web |url="{{1|https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?search=map&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go"}}</ref>
*A canal crossing a canal occurs at several places. One of the more famous ones is the {{w|Magdeburg Water Bridge}} in Germany. It also features some locks nearby, so ships can change from the canal to the Elbe river, and vice versa.
*Another canal crossing a canal is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel Falkirk Wheel] in Scotland.

{{comic discussion}}

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

2127: Panama Canal

2019-03-24T14:12:50Z

DanB: /* Trivia */ Temp

{{comic
| number = 2127
| date = March 22, 2019
| title = Panama Canal
| image = panama_canal.png
| titletext = Once they selected the other proposal, we could have kept shopping ours around, but we would had to modify it include an aqueduct over their canal, which would be totally unreasonable.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Panamax vessel. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Article misses links or explanations for terms that may be unfamiliar to average reader. View of at-grade crossing as normal could be misleading given reference in trivia to another navigable aqueduct. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The {{w|Panama Canal}} is, as the name suggests, a canal through the country of Panama. It is important for bridging the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and is an important trade route. The canal is in Panama because this is the narrowest piece of land for crossing between the two oceans.

Cueball says that when the Panama Canal connecting the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean was being planned, he proposed an alternate route that connects the Arctic Ocean to the Great Southern Ocean. At the time, the northern terminus would have been inaccessible, because the Arctic Ocean was almost completely covered by ice. His suggested route runs somewhat to the east of the continental divide and has a total length of slightly over ten thousand miles, in contrast to the real-life canal which is only fifty miles long. The extra length and more-rugged terrain make his proposal much more difficult to build and maintain, unlike the real-life Panama Canal {{Citation needed}}.

Moreover, while the real-life canal significantly shortens the travel distance between major cities on the east and west coasts of the Americas, his alternative offers little benefit over traveling north or south in either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. In fact, with the lack of currents that can aid travel and the slow speed required to traverse canal locks, it would be significantly slower. In addition, ships would have to wait approximately 100 years for global warming to melt the ice in the Arctic Ocean along the northern coast of North America sufficiently for them to enter or exit the northern end of the canal. (However, since construction of this canal might take even longer, the ice might not be a problem by the time it was completed.)

The title text references the now-existing Panama Canal, and the fact that Randall's canal would need to cross it at some point. The title text suggests that crossing two canals would have to be done via aqueduct, instead of the more useful at-grade crossing, most likely at {{w|Gatun Lake}}, which would allow boats to travel between the two canals by simply connecting them. The humor here is that this canal would be one of the most ambitious construction projects in history; an aqueduct being added to the costs is an expense on the same scale of needing an extra screw to hold something in on Apollo 11. The route depicted appears to cross the Mackenzie, Missouri, Rio Grande, and Amazon rivers anyway, so only this additional crossing is apparently "unreasonable."

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing in front of a poster with two maps showing the Americas. He is pointing to the right one with a stick he is holding in his hand. Specifically to the red line going through the Americas from the Arctic sea above Canada near Alaska, down through North America, through the middle of Central America down through the middle of South America to end up in the Antarctic sea below the tip of South America. On the map to the left there is a similar red line indicating the Panama Canal crossing the thinnest part of Central America from the Pacific Oceanto the Atlantic Ocean. Both lines end in small dots on either "side" of the continent. The two maps have labels above them:]
:Atlantic-Pacific option
:Arctic-Antarctic option

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I still don't understand why the Panama Canal planners rejected my proposal.

==Trivia==
*The Panama Canal was the main theme in [[1632: Palindrome]] and there is a scene in [[1608: Hoverboard]] where a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/0d/1608_1026x1073y_Ruins_with_Cueball_singing_of_Spiders_and_Panama.png song that Cueball sings] references the canal. {{w|Panamax}} is referenced in the title text of [[1865: Wifi vs Cellular]].
*If Cueball had proposed an alternative Panama Canal when the original was being built, he would have to have been alive in the early 1900s. Assuming he was at least 18 when the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was signed to authorize the canal (a very generously low estimate), this version of Cueball would been born no later than 1885.
*The second comic in a row with a [[:Category:Maps|map based theme]]. Randall likes maps. https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?search=map&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go
*A canal crossing a canal occurs at several places. One of the more famous ones is the {{w|Magdeburg Water Bridge}} in Germany. It also features some locks nearby, so ships can change from the canal to the Elbe river, and vice versa.
*Another canal crossing a canal is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel Falkirk Wheel] in Scotland.

{{comic discussion}}

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

2123: Meta Collecting

2019-03-15T19:21:06Z

DanB: /* Explanation */ I sure hope someone can format the table better than me.

{{comic
| number = 2123
| date = March 13, 2019
| title = Meta Collecting
| image = meta_collecting.png
| titletext = I'm trying to get the page locked because some jerk keeps adding "Yachts".
}}

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

This is another comic in the "[[:Category:My Hobby|My Hobby]]" series.

Many people's hobbies involve {{w|collecting}} many items of the same category: Post stamps, collectable cards, painted dolls, wine, and so on. Just about anything can be collected, however, some things are collected much more often than others. Wikipedia has a page listing the most popular categories of such {{w|collectable}} items.

In Randall's usual style of going meta with everything, he decided to start a meta-collection—a collection of examples of different things that people can collect. He uses Wikipedia's {{w|list of collectables}} for reference. In the comic, [[Cueball]] is showing to his friend his collection of various items that have nothing in common except that they're all popular collectibles. So while most people try to collect everything in one narrow category of collectibles, Cueball's collection will only be complete if he can get one item from each of the list of collectible items as cataloged by Wikipedia's list, so he has a collection of representative elements from all collections.

List of Items on the Shelf
{| class="wikitable"
!Item Location
!Description
|-
|Top Shelf, Left
|Possibly an Urn or cookie jar.
|-
|Top Shelf, Middle
|??
|-
|Top Shelf, Right
|Model Boat
|-
|Middle Shelf, Left
|
|-
|Middle Shelf, Center
(large round object)
|Vinyl Record
|-
|Bottom Shelf, Left
|Humanoid Figurine or Action Figure
|-
|Bottom, Second to Left
|Martini Glass
|-
|Bottom, Center
|Teapot
|-
|Bottom, Center Right
|Salt and Pepper shaker or Chess Piece
|-
|Bottom, Right
|??
|}

In the title text, Randall complains about a wiki editor who keeps adding {{w|yacht}}s to the list of collectables, probably because it would force him to buy a yacht if he ever wanted to complete his collection of collectables. Yachts are traditionally considered immensely expensive and the vast majority of people own zero yachts, let alone a collection of them. Note that Randall does not specify how he is trying to get the page locked, and the comic itself might be a rather meta way of doing so: xkcd fans have a history of making lots of edits to Wikipedia articles Randall mentions, resulting in them being protected or locked. The article has in fact been edited and reverted about 50 times by these fans over the course of a single day and was put in temporary protected-status on March 14th, 2019. Protection will end on March 17th, 2019 provided that no other vandalism occurs afterwards. The first addition of Yachts to this page was by a user named {{w|Special:Contributions/Xkcd2123|Xkcd2123}}, but it is unlikely that this user is Randall.

==Transcript==

:[The comic depicts Cueball reading from a list to White Hat, standing next to a case filled with collectables including an urn, a model ship, a compact disc, a vinyl record, a doll or figurine, a martini glass, and a teapot.]
:Today we're looking for a lunchbox, a snow globe, a Maytag dryer, a Harley Davidson, and a stamp.

:[Caption below the frame:]
:My hobby: Collecting one item from every category listed on Wikipedia's "List of collectables."

==Trivia==

As of 13 March 2019 at 6:44 PM ET, there ''was'' a debate on the Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:List_of_collectables#May_consider_a_temporary_editing_protection talk] tab about locking this page.
This has now been upheld, and the page was temporarily locked.

A previous comic, [[739: Malamanteau]], also caused a similar situation on Wikipedia, with many xkcd fans attempting to create the fictional page. The page has been turned into a redirect to the Wikipedia page for xkcd.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]

2123: Meta Collecting

2019-03-15T19:10:43Z

DanB: /* Explanation */ Trying to add a description of what may be on the shelves, already in the collection.

{{comic
| number = 2123
| date = March 13, 2019
| title = Meta Collecting
| image = meta_collecting.png
| titletext = I'm trying to get the page locked because some jerk keeps adding "Yachts".
}}

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

This is another comic in the "[[:Category:My Hobby|My Hobby]]" series.

Many people's hobbies involve {{w|collecting}} many items of the same category: Post stamps, collectable cards, painted dolls, wine, and so on. Just about anything can be collected, however, some things are collected much more often than others. Wikipedia has a page listing the most popular categories of such {{w|collectable}} items.

In Randall's usual style of going meta with everything, he decided to start a meta-collection—a collection of examples of different things that people can collect. He uses Wikipedia's {{w|list of collectables}} for reference. In the comic, [[Cueball]] is showing to his friend his collection of various items that have nothing in common except that they're all popular collectibles. So while most people try to collect everything in one narrow category of collectibles, Cueball's collection will only be complete if he can get one item from each of the list of collectible items as cataloged by Wikipedia's list, so he has a collection of representative elements from all collections.

List of Items on the Shelf
{| class="wikitable"
!Item Location
!Possible Description
|-
|Top Shelf, Left
|Urn?
|-
|Top Shelf, Middle
|??
|-
|Top Shelf, Right
|Model Boat
|}

In the title text, Randall complains about a wiki editor who keeps adding {{w|yacht}}s to the list of collectables, probably because it would force him to buy a yacht if he ever wanted to complete his collection of collectables. Yachts are traditionally considered immensely expensive and the vast majority of people own zero yachts, let alone a collection of them. Note that Randall does not specify how he is trying to get the page locked, and the comic itself might be a rather meta way of doing so: xkcd fans have a history of making lots of edits to Wikipedia articles Randall mentions, resulting in them being protected or locked. The article has in fact been edited and reverted about 50 times by these fans over the course of a single day and was put in temporary protected-status on March 14th, 2019. Protection will end on March 17th, 2019 provided that no other vandalism occurs afterwards. The first addition of Yachts to this page was by a user named {{w|Special:Contributions/Xkcd2123|Xkcd2123}}, but it is unlikely that this user is Randall.

==Transcript==

:[The comic depicts Cueball reading from a list to White Hat, standing next to a case filled with collectables including an urn, a model ship, a compact disc, a vinyl record, a doll or figurine, a martini glass, and a teapot.]
:Today we're looking for a lunchbox, a snow globe, a Maytag dryer, a Harley Davidson, and a stamp.

:[Caption below the frame:]
:My hobby: Collecting one item from every category listed on Wikipedia's "List of collectables."

==Trivia==

As of 13 March 2019 at 6:44 PM ET, there ''was'' a debate on the Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:List_of_collectables#May_consider_a_temporary_editing_protection talk] tab about locking this page.
This has now been upheld, and the page was temporarily locked.

A previous comic, [[739: Malamanteau]], also caused a similar situation on Wikipedia, with many xkcd fans attempting to create the fictional page. The page has been turned into a redirect to the Wikipedia page for xkcd.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]

Talk:2099: Missal of Silos

2019-01-16T21:32:37Z

DanB:

We need a citation to prove that residents of Cheyenne, Wyoming would rather not be targeted with nuclear weapons?
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.59|172.68.58.59]] 19:06, 16 January 2019 (UTC)
:As no residents have already requested otherwise, let's go ahead and nuke them now. [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 19:49, 16 January 2019 (UTC)

:Seriously, though, a sufficiently patriotic American living in Cheyenne, WY may potentially prefer that the relatively unimportant city of his or her residence be nuked instead of the more militarily important{{Citation needed}} Cheyenne Mountain Complex. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.220|162.158.78.220]] 20:37, 16 January 2019 (UTC)
::Is the citation needed for the military importance or for the crazy patriotic guy? [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 20:40, 16 January 2019 (UTC)

:I did not laugh at the comic today. However, I startled people around me laughing at the placement of this [citation needed] in the description. Kudo's to whomever placed it. [[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 21:32, 16 January 2019 (UTC)

2060: Hygrometer

2018-10-18T19:50:59Z

DanB: /* Explanation */ fixed lack of relativity when discussing viscosity

{{comic
| number = 2060
| date = October 17, 2018
| title = Hygrometer
| image = hygrometer.png
| titletext = I'm working on assembling a combination declinometer, sclerometer, viscometer, aleurometer, stalagmometer, and hypsometer. I'm making good progress according to my ometerometer, a device which shows the rate at which I'm acquiring measurement devices.
}}

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

Here, [[Megan]] is talking to [[Cueball]] about hygrometers. But before she can even finish explaining what it does, Cueball has looked up, found, and purchased the product. A {{w|hygrometer}} is an instrument for measuring the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, or the amount of water in solids such as soil or wood.

It seems Randall (as Cueball) loves being able to measure things and therefore finds instruments or measurement tools that end in ''-ometer'' very interesting, and wishes to own all of them. Many {{w|Measuring instrument|measuring instruments}} use the suffix ''-meter'' which is derived from the Greek noun ''μέτρον'' for "measure". The character "o" always belongs to the first term, but it also belongs to old Greek words like ''thermo''-meter, ''micro''-meter, or even ''hygro''-meter. Other measurement devices such as speedometer use an English word with an "o" appended to mimic the Greek derived terms, purportedly for easier marketing. Because themes in science often based on Greek terminology that ending at the first part appears often. Nonetheless Cueball believes that this "o" belongs to the general term for measuring devices.

In the title text the author [[Randall]] states he is working on assembling a collection of measuring instruments. The list consists of:

* A {{w|Declinometer|declinometer}} is an instrument to measure {{w|magnetic declination}}.

*A {{w|sclerometer}} is an instrument to measure {{w|scratch hardness}} of a solid by scratching it under some standard conditions and measuring the scratch. Instruments used to measure the elastic properties of concrete surfaces, like the {{w|Schmidt hammer}}, [https://www.pce-instruments.com/english/measuring-instruments/test-meters/concrete-test-hammer-sclerometer-kat_162426_1.htm are also often known as sclerometers].

*A {{w|viscometer}} is an instrument to test the viscosity (ease of pouring) of a liquid. For example, honey has higher viscosity than water.

*An [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aleurometer aleurometer] is an instrument to evaluate the quality of flour for baking by measuring how much a wet mass of wheat can expand when heated, while keeping its adhesivity.[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleurometer]

*A {{w|Stalagmometric method|stalagmometer}} is an instrument to measure {{w|surface tension}} of fluids by producing a drop and weighing it - the bigger the drop is, the larger surface tension the fluid has.

*The word {{w|hypsometer}} can mean [https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/hypsometer two unrelated instruments] to measure height. One measures heights of a building or a tree by triangulation. The other measures altitude by measuring air pressure through its effect on the boiling temperature of water. It should not be confused with the {{w|altimeter}} which measures altitude by mechanically measuring air pressure (and which also does not follow the -ometer rule and might therefore be of less interest to Cueball? Is that the reason why Cueball appears in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypsometer#/media/File:HypsometerGeometry.png a diagram] at the Wikipedia page for hypsometer but not for altimeter?).

*An ometerometer, being a concatenation of ''-ometer'' with itself, would be a device for measuring measuring devices.

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball are walking and talking. Cueball is holding his phone with one hand, looking at it.]
:Megan: ...A hygrometer is a device for measuring—
:Cueball: ''I want one!'' Ooh, found one for $7.99 with free shipping! I'm buying it.
:Megan: —Humidity.
:Cueball: Oh, cool!

:[Caption below the frame:]
:For some reason, I feel a powerful compulsion to own any device whose name ends in "-ometer."

{{comic discussion}}

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

Talk:2012: Thorough Analysis

2018-06-28T14:14:56Z

DanB:

I started the explanation. Things that need investigation: Is this an actual scientific paper somewhere? Can anyone find the original source? If not, perhaps still based on real events? [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 18:06, 27 June 2018 (UTC)
:The earthquake was a real event: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/events/1811-1812newmadrid/summary.php & https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-great-midwest-earthquake-of-1811-46342/ (this one mentions the church bells) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.130|162.158.63.130]] 18:15, 27 June 2018 (UTC)david0mp
::A quick search of Google scholar doesn't turn up anything close to this paper. Tried various combinations of New Madrid Earthquake, Bell, Church, etc. [[User:Cgrimes85|Cgrimes85]] ([[User talk:Cgrimes85|talk]]) 19:47, 27 June 2018 (UTC)

Maybe its ‘cause I’m dumb, but I originally interpreted the caption as meaning that these papers investigated minor details *about* the thoroughness of the 9/11 commission’s report. As in, the 9/11 commission mentioned this bell tower somewhere, and this report is debunking it. The explanation on here should probably make clear what the intended meaning is. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.47.162|172.68.47.162]] 19:08, 27 June 2018 (UTC)

It looks like this paper covers the earthquake and church bells (https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2000JB900110), but the church bell mentioned is in Georgia and not South Carolina. Close enough I guess? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.10|172.68.54.10]] 19:34, 27 June 2018 (UTC)

Wikipedia quotes the John Reynolds account suggesting a church bell was heard to ring in Cahokia, Illinois.
Interestingly New Madrid is in the Kentucky Bend exclave - which I assume would have been simplified when the border was straightened to fix survey errors. Unsigned

My favorite genre of [website] are exhaustive [1000]-page [wikis] that [explain] some minor [webcomic] with the obsessive thoroughness of the 9/11 commission report.
Is Randall trolling you guys? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.88|198.41.238.88]] 12:40, 28 June 2018 (UTC)
:I don't know, but it's a good one. [[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 14:12, 28 June 2018 (UTC)

Talk:2012: Thorough Analysis

2018-06-28T14:12:41Z

DanB:

I started the explanation. Things that need investigation: Is this an actual scientific paper somewhere? Can anyone find the original source? If not, perhaps still based on real events? [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 18:06, 27 June 2018 (UTC)
:The earthquake was a real event: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/events/1811-1812newmadrid/summary.php & https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-great-midwest-earthquake-of-1811-46342/ (this one mentions the church bells) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.130|162.158.63.130]] 18:15, 27 June 2018 (UTC)david0mp
::A quick search of Google scholar doesn't turn up anything close to this paper. Tried various combinations of New Madrid Earthquake, Bell, Church, etc. [[User:Cgrimes85|Cgrimes85]] ([[User talk:Cgrimes85|talk]]) 19:47, 27 June 2018 (UTC)

Maybe its ‘cause I’m dumb, but I originally interpreted the caption as meaning that these papers investigated minor details *about* the thoroughness of the 9/11 commission’s report. As in, the 9/11 commission mentioned this bell tower somewhere, and this report is debunking it. The explanation on here should probably make clear what the intended meaning is. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.47.162|172.68.47.162]] 19:08, 27 June 2018 (UTC)

It looks like this paper covers the earthquake and church bells (https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2000JB900110), but the church bell mentioned is in Georgia and not South Carolina. Close enough I guess? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.10|172.68.54.10]] 19:34, 27 June 2018 (UTC)

Wikipedia quotes the John Reynolds account suggesting a church bell was heard to ring in Cahokia, Illinois.
Interestingly New Madrid is in the Kentucky Bend exclave - which I assume would have been simplified when the border was straightened to fix survey errors. Unsigned

My favorite genre of [website] are exhaustive [1000]-page [wikis] that [explain] some minor [webcomic] with the obsessive thoroughness of the 9/11 commission report.
:Is Randall trolling you guys? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.88|198.41.238.88]] 12:40, 28 June 2018 (UTC)
::I don't know, but it's a good one. [[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 14:12, 28 June 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1998: GDPR

2018-05-26T17:40:32Z

DanB:

This comic is a joke privacy policy, playing off a few things.
Everyone right now is updating their privacy policy to meet the new requirements from the European Union coming into effect today, 2018-05-25, the GDPR. Link to wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation].
It also is pointing out that no one ever reads them "by using this website you opt in to quartering troops in your home", something you probably did not agree to.
--[[User:Fwacer|Fwacer]] ([[User talk:Fwacer|talk]]) 19:35, 25 May 2018 (UTC)

:Your wording "joke privacy policy" is really good and you should add it to the existing explanation. [[User:Lassombra|Lassombra]] ([[User talk:Lassombra|talk]]) 19:41, 25 May 2018 (UTC)
:: Thanks, I have added that. First edit! --[[User:Fwacer|Fwacer]] ([[User talk:Fwacer|talk]]) 20:25, 25 May 2018 (UTC)

Fortunately, this doesn't appear to supersede the Shadow Proclamation. Also, I wouldn't mind quartering troops in my home if they were sexy... [[Special:Contributions/172.68.90.82|172.68.90.82]] 20:56, 25 May 2018 (UTC) SiliconWolf

I wonder if this is the privacy policy of Beret Guy's company since he mentioned in the last comic that people keep sending them personal info even though they had asked them to stop.--[[Special:Contributions/172.69.42.112|172.69.42.112]] 21:07, 25 May 2018 (UTC)

What's the deal with the "Created by a Bot" coming up with relevant jokes as to what the explanation was created by? I didn't search exhaustively, but couldn't find any hints in other discussion pages. Is there a link to a discussion on this? Who did this? Dgbrt? I'm very curious. 00:30, 26 May 2018 (UTC) {{unsigned|DanB}}
:I've written the program creating the new pages when a new comic is out. It's run by the profile [[User:DgbrtBOT|DgbrtBOT]]. This ensures that all comic pages look similar, the navigation works, and more. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 01:12, 26 May 2018 (UTC)
::I see that now. But didn't it used to just say "Created by a bot" and not "Created by ''something relevant''"? Or has it always done that and I missed it? Is it a reference to a comic, or just something fun? Thanks for all your work on this site, by the way. [[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 17:40, 26 May 2018 (UTC)

It also means if you are not a citizen of the European Union, your organs can be harvested without permission, doesn't it? {{unsigned ip|162.158.62.39}}
:That depends on whether you have instructed that your whole body be supercool-vitrified and stored around Titan for until the exoplanet colony ships depart. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.106|172.68.34.106]] 05:54, 26 May 2018 (UTC)

This comic failed to allow me to turn off everything Trump has ever tried to pay for; therefore, Randall owes me €300,000. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.106|172.68.34.106]] 05:54, 26 May 2018 (UTC)

Point of technicality:
:''"purely out of the goodness of our hearts" is a phrase never expected to be found ever anywhere in any privacy policy''
Aren't I allowed to block ads from funding sources which include organizations whose privacy policies don't provide goods or services purely out of the goodness of their hearts? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.106|172.68.34.106]] 06:17, 26 May 2018 (UTC)

;...similar laws preventing troops being quartert in ones home also exist in European countries
I don't know every European constitution but I probably would know this. The ''Third Amendment to the United States Constitution'' seems to be very unique to me. Laws about troops should exist in every country but this is about a ''constitution''. If nobody disagrees this has to be removed or enhanced. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 14:58, 26 May 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1998: GDPR

2018-05-26T00:30:25Z

DanB: Question on "Created by a BOT" issue.

Talk:1979: History

2018-04-11T13:36:09Z

DanB:

Heh. I accidentally misread the line, so I thought it said: "I honestly have enough trouble with just the ''president''". [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 11:48, 11 April 2018 (UTC)
:Same here. Then I thought "What the heck?" and read the last line again. Lol. [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 13:20, 11 April 2018 (UTC)

I only make comments, and let others figure out how to edit it into the above. I once read someplace that there is a reasonable limit to accurate historical research at about 3 centuries- events more than 300 years in the past become more mythological than factual, and events more than 500 years in the past are so remote that we can't even begin to understand the culture in which they occurred. While there are famous exceptions to this rule, they occur entirely in the realms of either archaeology or theology and religion, not in the science of history.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 13:32, 11 April 2018 (UTC)

The link to the actual page of the paper is fantastic - especially the ads along the right side - "Anti-Morbific, the Great Liver and Kidney Remedy" and "Trash's Magnetic Ointment". So, a question - there's no by-line. Is there any way to figure out who wrote this? I assume maybe multiple people, like and editorial board? [[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 13:36, 11 April 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1873: Email Reply

2017-08-07T15:07:08Z

DanB:

This is me! :) Though I tend to alternate between overly apologetic replies to just deleting anything older than two years. [[User:RoyT|RoyT]] ([[User talk:RoyT|talk]]) 14:47, 7 August 2017 (UTC)

Probably doesn't belong in the comic explanation, but this from the "Reply All" podcast needs to be here: https://emaildebtforgiveness.me/[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 15:07, 7 August 2017 (UTC)

1866: Russell's Teapot

2017-07-25T03:37:51Z

DanB: /* Potential List of Labeled Items */

{{comic
| number = 1866
| date = July 21, 2017
| title = Russell's Teapot
| image = russells_teapot.png
| titletext = Unfortunately, NASA regulations state that Bertrand Russell-related payloads can only be launched within launch vehicles which do not launch themselves.
}}
==Explanation==
{{w|Russell's teapot|Russell's Teapot}} is a philosophical argument that reflects on the difficulty of trying to prove a negative. It involves a hypothetical teapot orbiting a heavenly body, whose existence hasn't been proven, and states that it cannot be disproven (Somebody put it there secretly?). While an instrument could be theoretically engineered to pick out a teapot-sized object of any luminosity, the teapot would be very easy to confuse for other pieces of space debris, and the space to search is extremely large; the task is thus akin to the proverbial search for a needle in a haystack.

{{w|Bertrand Russell}} devised this analogy "to illustrate that the philosophic burden of proof lies upon a person making unfalsifiable claims, rather than shifting the burden of disproof to others." As such, it is very often used in atheistic arguments.

<blockquote>"He wrote that if he were to assert, without offering proof, that a teapot orbits the Sun somewhere in space between the Earth and Mars, he could not expect anyone to believe him solely because his assertion could not be proven wrong." (Wikipedia)</blockquote>

[[Cueball]] is trying to settle the teapot argument by actually launching a teapot into space via a {{w|crowdfunding}} campaign.

"{{w|CubeSat}}-based design" refers to a type of miniaturized satellites that is made up of 10-centimeter cube units (here seemingly consisting of 3 units) and enables cost-effective means for getting a payload into orbit.

The title-text refers to {{w|Russell's paradox}}, also formulated by Bertrand Russell. Russell's paradox was a flaw found in {{w|naïve set theory}} where one could consider "the set of all sets that do not contain themselves" (a "set" is a mathematical term for a "group of things"). The paradox arises with whether this set, in turn, contains itself: if it does, then it cannot; if it doesn't, then it must. Similarly, like in the {{w|barber paradox}}, the vehicle which launches only vehicles which do not launch themselves is impossible: if the vehicle takes off, it must launch itself as well as the teapot, and thus can never be launched (without violating alleged NASA regulations, at least).

The barber paradox can be stated as follows: "Consider a town in which a man, the barber, shaves precisely those men who do not shave themselves. Does the barber shave himself?" Either answer, yes or no, leads to a contradiction. Sometimes the paradox is incorrectly stated, replacing "precisely those" with "only". Under that scenario, there is no paradox; the barber is merely unkempt.

A launch vehicle that does not launch itself is a contradiction in terms in a way that a barber who does not shave himself or a set that does not contain itself is not. NASA's regulation is not so much a paradox in itself as a ban on launching Bertrand Russell-related payloads.

==Potential List of Labeled Items==
From the top right, clockwise.
{| class="wikitable" | Starting at Top Right
! scope="col" | Item #
! scope="col" | Possible Label
! scope="col" | Possible Description
|-
| 1 || Teapot || Classic teapot, the point of the satellite.
|-
| 2 || Base || Holds Teapot in Place
|-
| 3 || ||
|-
| 4 || Fuel ||
|-
| 5 || ||
|-
| 6 || ||
|-
| 7 || ||
|-
| 8 || ||
|-
| 9 || ||
|-
| 10 || ||
|-
| 11 || ||
|-
| 12 || ||
|-
| 13 || ||
|}

==Transcript==

:[Cueball is standing in front of a blueprint labeled "CubeSat-Based Design", containing a satellite with a teapot in the top.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I'm crowdfunding a project to launch a teapot into orbit around the sun to settle the Russell thing once and for all.

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

1866: Russell's Teapot

2017-07-25T03:37:08Z

DanB: /* Potential List of Labeled Items */ Work on new Table

{{comic
| number = 1866
| date = July 21, 2017
| title = Russell's Teapot
| image = russells_teapot.png
| titletext = Unfortunately, NASA regulations state that Bertrand Russell-related payloads can only be launched within launch vehicles which do not launch themselves.
}}
==Explanation==
{{w|Russell's teapot|Russell's Teapot}} is a philosophical argument that reflects on the difficulty of trying to prove a negative. It involves a hypothetical teapot orbiting a heavenly body, whose existence hasn't been proven, and states that it cannot be disproven (Somebody put it there secretly?). While an instrument could be theoretically engineered to pick out a teapot-sized object of any luminosity, the teapot would be very easy to confuse for other pieces of space debris, and the space to search is extremely large; the task is thus akin to the proverbial search for a needle in a haystack.

{{w|Bertrand Russell}} devised this analogy "to illustrate that the philosophic burden of proof lies upon a person making unfalsifiable claims, rather than shifting the burden of disproof to others." As such, it is very often used in atheistic arguments.

<blockquote>"He wrote that if he were to assert, without offering proof, that a teapot orbits the Sun somewhere in space between the Earth and Mars, he could not expect anyone to believe him solely because his assertion could not be proven wrong." (Wikipedia)</blockquote>

[[Cueball]] is trying to settle the teapot argument by actually launching a teapot into space via a {{w|crowdfunding}} campaign.

"{{w|CubeSat}}-based design" refers to a type of miniaturized satellites that is made up of 10-centimeter cube units (here seemingly consisting of 3 units) and enables cost-effective means for getting a payload into orbit.

The title-text refers to {{w|Russell's paradox}}, also formulated by Bertrand Russell. Russell's paradox was a flaw found in {{w|naïve set theory}} where one could consider "the set of all sets that do not contain themselves" (a "set" is a mathematical term for a "group of things"). The paradox arises with whether this set, in turn, contains itself: if it does, then it cannot; if it doesn't, then it must. Similarly, like in the {{w|barber paradox}}, the vehicle which launches only vehicles which do not launch themselves is impossible: if the vehicle takes off, it must launch itself as well as the teapot, and thus can never be launched (without violating alleged NASA regulations, at least).

The barber paradox can be stated as follows: "Consider a town in which a man, the barber, shaves precisely those men who do not shave themselves. Does the barber shave himself?" Either answer, yes or no, leads to a contradiction. Sometimes the paradox is incorrectly stated, replacing "precisely those" with "only". Under that scenario, there is no paradox; the barber is merely unkempt.

A launch vehicle that does not launch itself is a contradiction in terms in a way that a barber who does not shave himself or a set that does not contain itself is not. NASA's regulation is not so much a paradox in itself as a ban on launching Bertrand Russell-related payloads.

==Potential List of Labeled Items==
{| class="wikitable" | Starting at Top Right
! scope="col" | Item #
! scope="col" | Possible Label
! scope="col" | Possible Description
|-
| 1 || Teapot || Classic teapot, the point of the satellite.
|-
| 2 || Base || Holds Teapot in Place
|-
| 3 || ||
|-
| 4 || Fuel ||
|-
| 5 || ||
|-
| 6 || ||
|-
| 7 || ||
|-
| 8 || ||
|-
| 9 || ||
|-
| 10 || ||
|-
| 11 || ||
|-
| 12 || ||
|-
| 13 || ||
|}

==Transcript==

:[Cueball is standing in front of a blueprint labeled "CubeSat-Based Design", containing a satellite with a teapot in the top.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I'm crowdfunding a project to launch a teapot into orbit around the sun to settle the Russell thing once and for all.

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

1866: Russell's Teapot

2017-07-25T03:35:39Z

DanB: /* Potential List of Labeled Items */

{{comic
| number = 1866
| date = July 21, 2017
| title = Russell's Teapot
| image = russells_teapot.png
| titletext = Unfortunately, NASA regulations state that Bertrand Russell-related payloads can only be launched within launch vehicles which do not launch themselves.
}}
==Explanation==
{{w|Russell's teapot|Russell's Teapot}} is a philosophical argument that reflects on the difficulty of trying to prove a negative. It involves a hypothetical teapot orbiting a heavenly body, whose existence hasn't been proven, and states that it cannot be disproven (Somebody put it there secretly?). While an instrument could be theoretically engineered to pick out a teapot-sized object of any luminosity, the teapot would be very easy to confuse for other pieces of space debris, and the space to search is extremely large; the task is thus akin to the proverbial search for a needle in a haystack.

{{w|Bertrand Russell}} devised this analogy "to illustrate that the philosophic burden of proof lies upon a person making unfalsifiable claims, rather than shifting the burden of disproof to others." As such, it is very often used in atheistic arguments.

<blockquote>"He wrote that if he were to assert, without offering proof, that a teapot orbits the Sun somewhere in space between the Earth and Mars, he could not expect anyone to believe him solely because his assertion could not be proven wrong." (Wikipedia)</blockquote>

[[Cueball]] is trying to settle the teapot argument by actually launching a teapot into space via a {{w|crowdfunding}} campaign.

"{{w|CubeSat}}-based design" refers to a type of miniaturized satellites that is made up of 10-centimeter cube units (here seemingly consisting of 3 units) and enables cost-effective means for getting a payload into orbit.

The title-text refers to {{w|Russell's paradox}}, also formulated by Bertrand Russell. Russell's paradox was a flaw found in {{w|naïve set theory}} where one could consider "the set of all sets that do not contain themselves" (a "set" is a mathematical term for a "group of things"). The paradox arises with whether this set, in turn, contains itself: if it does, then it cannot; if it doesn't, then it must. Similarly, like in the {{w|barber paradox}}, the vehicle which launches only vehicles which do not launch themselves is impossible: if the vehicle takes off, it must launch itself as well as the teapot, and thus can never be launched (without violating alleged NASA regulations, at least).

The barber paradox can be stated as follows: "Consider a town in which a man, the barber, shaves precisely those men who do not shave themselves. Does the barber shave himself?" Either answer, yes or no, leads to a contradiction. Sometimes the paradox is incorrectly stated, replacing "precisely those" with "only". Under that scenario, there is no paradox; the barber is merely unkempt.

A launch vehicle that does not launch itself is a contradiction in terms in a way that a barber who does not shave himself or a set that does not contain itself is not. NASA's regulation is not so much a paradox in itself as a ban on launching Bertrand Russell-related payloads.

==Potential List of Labeled Items==
Trying to give a sense of what some items labeled are.
{| class="wikitable" | Starting at Top Right
! scope="col" | Item #
! scope="col" | Possible Label
! scope="col" | Possible Description
|-
| 1 || Teapot || Classic teapot, the point of the satellite.
|-
| 2 || || I dunno
|-
| 3 || || I also dunno
|-
| 4 || ||
|-
| 5 || ||
|-
| 6 || ||
|-
| 7 || ||
|-
| 8 || ||
|-
| 9 || ||
|-
| 10 || ||
|-
| 11 || ||
|-
| 12 || ||
|-
| 13 || ||
|}

==Transcript==

:[Cueball is standing in front of a blueprint labeled "CubeSat-Based Design", containing a satellite with a teapot in the top.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I'm crowdfunding a project to launch a teapot into orbit around the sun to settle the Russell thing once and for all.

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

1866: Russell's Teapot

2017-07-25T03:34:12Z

DanB: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1866
| date = July 21, 2017
| title = Russell's Teapot
| image = russells_teapot.png
| titletext = Unfortunately, NASA regulations state that Bertrand Russell-related payloads can only be launched within launch vehicles which do not launch themselves.
}}
==Explanation==
{{w|Russell's teapot|Russell's Teapot}} is a philosophical argument that reflects on the difficulty of trying to prove a negative. It involves a hypothetical teapot orbiting a heavenly body, whose existence hasn't been proven, and states that it cannot be disproven (Somebody put it there secretly?). While an instrument could be theoretically engineered to pick out a teapot-sized object of any luminosity, the teapot would be very easy to confuse for other pieces of space debris, and the space to search is extremely large; the task is thus akin to the proverbial search for a needle in a haystack.

{{w|Bertrand Russell}} devised this analogy "to illustrate that the philosophic burden of proof lies upon a person making unfalsifiable claims, rather than shifting the burden of disproof to others." As such, it is very often used in atheistic arguments.

<blockquote>"He wrote that if he were to assert, without offering proof, that a teapot orbits the Sun somewhere in space between the Earth and Mars, he could not expect anyone to believe him solely because his assertion could not be proven wrong." (Wikipedia)</blockquote>

[[Cueball]] is trying to settle the teapot argument by actually launching a teapot into space via a {{w|crowdfunding}} campaign.

"{{w|CubeSat}}-based design" refers to a type of miniaturized satellites that is made up of 10-centimeter cube units (here seemingly consisting of 3 units) and enables cost-effective means for getting a payload into orbit.

The title-text refers to {{w|Russell's paradox}}, also formulated by Bertrand Russell. Russell's paradox was a flaw found in {{w|naïve set theory}} where one could consider "the set of all sets that do not contain themselves" (a "set" is a mathematical term for a "group of things"). The paradox arises with whether this set, in turn, contains itself: if it does, then it cannot; if it doesn't, then it must. Similarly, like in the {{w|barber paradox}}, the vehicle which launches only vehicles which do not launch themselves is impossible: if the vehicle takes off, it must launch itself as well as the teapot, and thus can never be launched (without violating alleged NASA regulations, at least).

The barber paradox can be stated as follows: "Consider a town in which a man, the barber, shaves precisely those men who do not shave themselves. Does the barber shave himself?" Either answer, yes or no, leads to a contradiction. Sometimes the paradox is incorrectly stated, replacing "precisely those" with "only". Under that scenario, there is no paradox; the barber is merely unkempt.

A launch vehicle that does not launch itself is a contradiction in terms in a way that a barber who does not shave himself or a set that does not contain itself is not. NASA's regulation is not so much a paradox in itself as a ban on launching Bertrand Russell-related payloads.

==Potential List of Labeled Items==
Trying to give a sense of what some items labeled are.
{| class="wikitable" | Starting at Top Right
! scope="col" | Item #
! scope="col" | Possible Label
! scope="col" | Possible Description
|-
| 1 || Teapot || Classic teapot, the point of the satellite.
|-
| 2 || || I dunno
|-
| 3 || || I also dunno
|}

==Transcript==

:[Cueball is standing in front of a blueprint labeled "CubeSat-Based Design", containing a satellite with a teapot in the top.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I'm crowdfunding a project to launch a teapot into orbit around the sun to settle the Russell thing once and for all.

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

Talk:1866: Russell's Teapot

2017-07-25T03:24:19Z

DanB: Start table of times on picture

In this case, nesting the teapot in a catapult/cannon which is launched by another catapult/cannon might perhaps be sufficient to get past NASA regulations. (Catapults/cannons only launching the payload and not themselves...) --[[User:Nialpxe|Nialpxe]], 2017. [[User_talk:Nialpxe|(Arguments welcome)]]
:Though there's still the matter of an equal and opposite force pushing the satellite away from its gravitational bonds of the catapult. Even if the 2nd catapult is no longer associated with the Earth or Earth's gravity, the catapult will continue to be a launcher. That's just changing what it is launching *from*. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.125|172.68.58.125]] 18:31, 24 July 2017 (UTC)ColinHeico
:But make sure it is a mobile cannon, otherwise it would not qualify as a launch '''vehicle'''. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.19|162.158.89.19]] 11:32, 21 July 2017 (UTC)
::I immediately thought "railgun". And the payload can still be a rocket; once it's not touching the ground it's accelerating, not launching. (Also Russell failed to account for female barbers. Honestly, people!) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.4|108.162.241.4]] 09:42, 22 July 2017 (UTC)
::: One such company did exist, Quicklaunch had the idea of launching via a space gun. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quicklaunch {{unsigned ip|172.68.141.142}}

::: He didn't need to account for female barbers (or anybody who isn't a man) because the barber in the paradox shaves precisely those men who don't shave themselves. He ''only'' shaves men, and all men in the town are ''only'' shaved by him or themselves. Everyone else is a completely different story, so they can be shaved by whoever they want (except the barber, who only shaves men). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.88|108.162.241.88]] 00:14, 23 July 2017 (UTC)

:::Only if you assume that females who are barbers don't shave their legs, armpits, or their various lady parts. This only further confuses the paradox. {{unsigned|Mjm87}}
::::For much of Bertrand Russell's life, they didn't. http://mentalfloss.com/article/22511/when-did-women-start-shaving-their-pits [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.4|108.162.241.4]] 09:42, 22 July 2017 (UTC)

:You wouldn't even need a cannon/catapult. If you put the satellite on a small rocket, and put that on a much larger rocket, you can have the big one launch itself, the smaller one, and the satellite. The regulation only says the satellite must be in a non-self-launching launch vehicle. It doesn't say it can't *also* be in a self-launching launch vehicle. -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.113|108.162.246.113]] 20:06, 24 July 2017 (UTC)

When I first saw this comic I immediately thought of the Utah Teapot, it's a model used in computer graphics because it's simple and has both convex and concave surfaces. Both teapots, I would assume, (I've only just heard of Russel's Teapot so I could be wrong) are well known to different parts of the nerd community? {{unsigned ip|162.158.255.22}}

Hopefully it will support HTCPCP-TEA. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.34|108.162.241.34]] 17:48, 21 July 2017 (UTC)

i think people just really like teapot examples {{unsigned ip|108.162.246.23}}

:The major problem here is that CubeSats are currently only launched into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and are expected to re-enter the atmosphere within days to weeks. Russell's teapot is (allegedly) in orbit between Earth and Mars and Cueball's device is not likely to have enough delta-v to leave Earth orbit. [[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 18:18, 21 July 2017 (UTC)
"A teapot orbits the Sun somewhere in space between the Earth and Mars" This implies that the teapot is physically located between Mars and Earth at all times. Which if true would be a highly irregular orbit requiring constant velocity changes, which is an impossible feat to achieve with current teapot technology. {{unsigned|Mjm87}}
:Nonsense. It would be a ''highly regular orbit'' and many asteroids are already there, despite the most of them are between Mars and Jupiter (Asteroid-Belt):--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:22, 21 July 2017 (UTC)
:Since we're nitpicking. Having velocity changes does not preclude being in orbit: objects in orbit are always accelerating. Having a constant velocity change does preclude being in orbit, but it also precludes remaining between Earth and Mars, since it would result in eventually leaving the solar system.--[[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.112|172.68.54.112]] 19:45, 24 July 2017 (UTC)

I can see both of your points. As mjm87 says, "between the Earth and Mars", taken literally, would mean "on a line between the two planets", which would be a very unusual orbit. And, I agree, it would be impossible without constant velocity changes, so wouldn't be an "orbit" in the usual sense.
On the other hand, I took Russell's words the way Dgbrt seems to have, as meaning "between the orbits of Earth and Mars", as this is the way most astronomers would interpret it. A don't know that there are "many" asteroids that remain between Earth and Mars, but there are quite a few crossing the space, and at least a few with average distances in that range. - N Kalanaga {{unsigned ip|162.158.74.159}}
:There is also quantifier scope ambiguity there. I believe that there is a large constellation of teapot statites, and at any given moment at least one of them is directly between Earth and Mars. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.58|172.68.54.58]] 06:29, 22 July 2017 (UTC)
Since Russell was going for absurdity, I favour the more absurd interpretation namely Mjm87's. [[User:Capncanuck|Capncanuck]] ([[User talk:Capncanuck|talk]]) 08:21, 22 July 2017 (UTC)
:Taking "on a line between the two planets" literally would simply reduce to "inside the orbit of Mars". The Earth moves faster than Mars and right now the Sun is exactly between them on that line. NASA, ESA, and ISRO can not communicate with their orbiters and rovers until the beginning of August (see {{w|Solar conjunction}}). So the meaning "between the orbits of Earth and Mars" is still much more plausible.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 16:11, 22 July 2017 (UTC)

Don't worry we have been working on it. Launching the project in a few months.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSmdiMSFBSb/?taken-by=hate_plow
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSwW4MIlE0b/?taken-by=hate_plow
[[User:Zackdougherty|Zackdougherty]] ([[User talk:Zackdougherty|talk]]) 03:10, 22 July 2017 (UTC)

:Actually, it couldn't be on a direct line between Earth and Mars because then it would be tremendously easier to find (or disprove)! If the teapot can be anywhere between the orbits, then that is a vastly larger space to look for a teapot and therefore more difficult to disprove. Similarly, it is unlikely there are a whole constellation because then it would be more likely to find at least one. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.94|172.68.34.94]] 03:19, 25 July 2017 (UTC)

Could some people (smarter than myself) make an attempt at labeling the items on the cube sat that Randall left at squiggles? Maybe starting from the top, clockwise? I'll start a table, but I'm sure someone will need to fix it. [[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 03:24, 25 July 2017 (UTC)

1789: Phone Numbers

2017-01-23T18:39:16Z

DanB: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1789
| date = January 23, 2017
| title = Phone Numbers
| image = phone_numbers.png
| titletext = Texting should work. Unless the message is too long, in which case it gets converted to voicemails, and I think I'm locked out of my voicemail.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Needs more detail and other views}}

[[Cueball]] has several phone numbers stored under a contact entry on his phone for [[White Hat]]. Often, people who have known each other for a long time may have old information recorded for each other, which may no longer be accurate. However, in this case, only one of the phone numbers is (possibly) outdated.

White Hat's answer reveals a complicated history of communication practices. This cobbled-together personal technology is a common theme for [[Randall]].

==Transcript==
[White Hat looking at a smartphone held out by Cueball]

Cueball: I have five phone numbers for you. Which one should I use?

White Hat: That first one is my cell-- you should use the Google Voice one, since it will forward to my laptop if I'm on WiFi. #5 is my work number, which just forwards to #1. #3 should always work but can't do texts.

White Hat: You can delete #4, I think.

[Caption under the panel:]

Another reason I never call people.

{{comic discussion}}

1789: Phone Numbers

2017-01-23T18:38:04Z

DanB: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1789
| date = January 23, 2017
| title = Phone Numbers
| image = phone_numbers.png
| titletext = Texting should work. Unless the message is too long, in which case it gets converted to voicemails, and I think I'm locked out of my voicemail.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Needs more detail and other views}}

Cueball has several phone numbers stored under a contact entry on his phone for White Hat. Often, people who have known each other for a long time may have old information recorded for each other, which may no longer be accurate. However, in this case, only one of the phone numbers is (possibly) outdated.

White Hat's answer reveals a complicated history of communication practices. This cobbled-together personal technology is a common theme for Randall.

==Transcript==
[White Hat looking at a smartphone held out by Cueball]

Cueball: I have five phone numbers for you. Which one should I use?

White Hat: That first one is my cell-- you should use the Google Voice one, since it will forward to my laptop if I'm on WiFi. #5 is my work number, which just forwards to #1. #3 should always work but can't do texts.

White Hat: You can delete #4, I think.

[Caption under the panel:]

Another reason I never call people.

{{comic discussion}}

1789: Phone Numbers

2017-01-23T18:37:39Z

DanB: /* Explanation */ First attempt.

{{comic
| number = 1789
| date = January 23, 2017
| title = Phone Numbers
| image = phone_numbers.png
| titletext = Texting should work. Unless the message is too long, in which case it gets converted to voicemails, and I think I'm locked out of my voicemail.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}

Cueball has several phone numbers stored under a contact entry on his phone for White Hat. Often, people who have known each other for a long time may have old information recorded for each other, which may no longer be accurate. However, in this case, only one of the phone numbers is (possibly) outdated.

White Hat's answer reveals a complicated history of communication practices. This cobbled-together personal technology is a common theme for Randall.

==Transcript==
[White Hat looking at a smartphone held out by Cueball]

Cueball: I have five phone numbers for you. Which one should I use?

White Hat: That first one is my cell-- you should use the Google Voice one, since it will forward to my laptop if I'm on WiFi. #5 is my work number, which just forwards to #1. #3 should always work but can't do texts.

White Hat: You can delete #4, I think.

[Caption under the panel:]

Another reason I never call people.

{{comic discussion}}

1760: TV Problems

2016-11-16T19:53:01Z

DanB: /* Explanation */ Stupid silly over-generalization.

{{comic
| number = 1760
| date = November 16, 2016
| title = TV Problems
| image = tv_problems.png
| titletext = Certified skydiving instructors know way more about safely falling from planes than I do, and are way more likely to die that way.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Some links to previous comics where things go unexpectedly wrong could probably be added.}}
In this comic, [[Cueball]] has broken his computer's software so much that he is unable to "turn on the news" as requested by [[White Hat]]. Since his computer is not working at all, he is using the next best thing to download a fix: his smartphone, via a {{w|CD}}. He later states that even that first step of mending won't be enough to display the news, as his computer's state is so bad that being able to send information to the TV screen is just the first step of debugging. In the last panel, he tells White Hat that his computer science degree just helps him understand ''how'' he ended up with such a terrible situation, but did not give him enough foresight to prevent the most unexpected issues. The title text clarifies this statement with a similar problem- when things start to go horribly wrong while falling from a plane, certified skydiving instructors will be able to better understand why and how bad the situation is, but won't be able to do anything if their usual tools have failed them. Besides, while they are less likely to make a fatal mistake on a given flight and fall, they are more likely to make one in their life, because of the far greater number of attempts.

This may also be a joke on how many millennials believe that they need to use their phone as a remote control for a TV and are not aware that the remote control that came with their TV is simpler and easier to use.{{Citation needed|reason=Wrong|date=November 2016}} In this instance Cueball has his single tasking phone busy while he downloads to it and cannot interrupt what he's doing just to use the phone as a remote for the TV, although it appears more that the TV is one of the things he is trying to fix.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is sitting by his TV, holding his phone, when White Hat walks in.]
:White Hat: Hey, turn on the news.
:Cueball (Sitting on the floor in front of a computer holding a cell phone): Can't. Downloading a CD onto my phone.

:White Hat (off panel): Why?
:Cueball: So I can use it to fix my computer's operating system enough that I can teach it to talk to my TV screen.

:White Hat: But then you'll be able to watch the news?
:Cueball: (off panel): No.

:White Hat: Don't you have a computer science degree?
:Cueball: That just means I ''understand'' how everything went so wrong.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Computers]]

Talk:1590: The Source

2015-10-16T17:44:34Z

DanB:

As soon as I finished this comic, I started to hear it. Please, make it stop. It's not on the basement, nor the attic. It's getting louder. Driving me crazy. Please. Maybe this gun would help me to shut the noise down. Now, where should I aim it? {{unsigned ip|108.162.212.38}}
:Very dark humour there from anonymous... I guess it will be to late to help him now. But if he misses he will have even more ringing noises in his ears than after reading this comic. ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:13, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
:Just shoot wherever. If you're lucky, you'll be partly deaf and not hear the hum anymore. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.146|141.101.104.146]] 13:49, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
::No, hearing damage (for instance as a result of loud noise) is what very often ''causes'' tinnitus. [[User:Jkrstrt|Jkrstrt]] ([[User talk:Jkrstrt|talk]]) 14:44, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
::Thus, it would most likely be a fairly reliabel way to ensure that hear ONLY a high-pitched hum, and nothing else... -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 14:04, 15 October 2015 (UTC)
The background noise created by appliances like refrigerators and washing machines is typically generated by their electric motors/pumps which operate at 60 Hz; a frequency I would not consider "high pitched". The only devices I can think of off the top of my head that generate what I would consider high-pitched noise are TVs (both CRT and flat-screen). [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 13:13, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
:: It's 50Hz over here in Germany {{unsigned ip|162.158.92.48}}
:: most new transformers are of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switched-mode_power_supply switching] variety and can be as high as 1MHz. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.19|108.162.242.19]] 19:09, 15 October 2015 (UTC)

I can think of only one potentially high pitched hum generator that would look something like that, and I didn't know Cueball lived with a lesbian who uses a symbian. Let alone such a person leaving their rather high wattage sex toy plugged in. [[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 13:55, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

I suspect the title text may be a reference to “why do we even ‘'have’’ that lever?” from The Emperor’s New Groove: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw2B9knw58U [[User:ZevEisenberg|ZevEisenberg]] ([[User talk:ZevEisenberg|talk]]) 14:00, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

I agree, and made my account to make that observation. (Panther) {{unsigned|Panther}}

:I suspect the title text to be the most common wording for this kind of question, so it could not be a reference to whatever in any way. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.23|141.101.66.23]] 14:33, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

Here is a hum generator for you, from a noise generator website:
http://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/60HzHumNoiseGenerator.php
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.115|108.162.216.115]] 15:15, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

: That was my first thought too. My second was "I guess they're going to find out." See [https://www.chesterton.org/taking-a-fence-down/ Chesterton's fence]. [[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 14:58, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

"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 ultrasonic regions, although cheap versions can often be heard by young people. They are typically used for electronic pest control. Maybe someone tried to get rid of Cueball." - while I don't think the comic is intended to reference this, the above selection somehow almost entirely surrounds the concept of an {{w|The_Mosquito|ultrasonic youth-control device}} without actually involving it. (Probably because the editor(s) involved don't actually know about it. Maybe now they do.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.185|141.101.75.185]] 15:11, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

I thought there might be more to it than just referencing high pitched noises inside a household (yes, I can hear it now as well, thanks a lot), so when I read the title of the comic, I thought it might have something to do with a source code of a program... Sometimes the program does something irritating that it should not - so in the first two frames Cueball is trying to locate the problem and then he walks throught the program to finally locate a piece of code that should not be there. And in the image title he says "Why did we even have that thing?" - as in you sometimes come across a piece of code that is useless and you don't even know what it is doing there. But who the hell knows.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.219|141.101.96.219]] 15:13, 14 October 2015 (UTC) 9of8

:As a programmer, you have a tendency to see all problem solving tasks in analogy with either programming or debugging. So do I, and so does Randall. But that doesn't mean that analogy is the point of anything Randall writes about solving any problem; it's just always there in the background, slightly influencing the way he describes things, in ways that people with similar backgrounds will pick up whether it's intended or not. In this case, I don't think it was intended, or adds anything to the joke. A doctor writing the same comic might have the main character act slightly differently in diagnosing the problem, and use slightly different words, but the point would be the same as it is here. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 17:53, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
::"The thing that generates a high pitched hum is broken, can you fix it?" - "What does it do?" - "We don't know, it's always been there and the guy who installed it quit 10 years ago.." - "If you don't know what it does, how do you know it's broken?" - "It stopped generating a high pitched hum and we're worried about that.."...ask anyone involved in some kind of engineering and they probably have an example that is analog to that description so it's not that far fetched. This can be in programming, networking, robotics at NASA... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.50|141.101.80.50]] 08:42, 16 October 2015 (UTC)

I had once thought about why do I sometimes hear high pitched noise. We have all kinds of tiny random noises all around us. Hums, pulses, bugs, elecs,etc. Human ear canal is a few centimeters long. And it has resonant frequency around 2000~3000Hz and its odd multiples. So, my conclusion was, of all the tiny noises the 2000(or 3000)Hz and its third(6000 or 9000Hz) and fifth harmonic(10000 or 15000Hz) frequencies,or even higher harmonics would get amplified by resonance. Pls correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks. [[User:Parsec|Parsec]] ([[User talk:Parsec|talk]]) 15:30, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
:That's all true, but your cochlea, auditory processing brain modules, etc. are all trained from birth to respond to the input they get from that resonant canal, so that amplification is already taken into account (i.e., those frequencies have higher activation thresholds and more opponent dampening, which counters the physical resonance). If your ear were radically reshaped in adulthood to have different resonant frequencies, it would take time for your brain to adjust, and it would do so imperfectly, but since this normally doesn't happen for most people, we don't notice any such effects.

:This does raise the question of whether one cause for tinnitus might be your brain overcompensating for loss of high-frequency inputs due to aging and/or damage. As far as I know, that hypothesis has been raised multiple times, but not yet conclusively tested, but you may want to search for yourself. ---[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.52|162.158.255.52]] 17:53, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

Phillip Glass: Changing Opinions
"Gradually....we became aware...of a hum in the room....
an electrically hum....in the room.It went mmmmmmm mmmmmm mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC01ZVEXCBY

Gradually
We became aware
Of a hum in the room
An electrical hum in the room
It went mmmmmm

We followed it from
Corner to corner
We pressed out ears
Against the walls
We crossed diagonals
And put our hands on the floor
It went mmmmmm

Sometimes it was
A murmur
Sometimes it was
A pulse
Sometimes it seemed
To disappear
But then with a quarter-turn
Of the head
It would roll around the sofa
A nimbus humming cloud
Mmmmmm

Maybe it's the hum
Of a calm refrigerator
Cooling on the big night
Mmmmmm
Cooling on the big night
Maybe it's the hum
Of our parents' voices
Long ago in a soft light
Mmmmmm
Long ago in a dimmed light
Mmmmmm

Maybe it's the hum
Of changing opinion
Or a foreign language
In prayer
Mmmmmm
Or a foreign language
In prayer
Maybe it's the mantra
Of the walls and wiring
Deep breathing
In soft air
Mmmmmm
Deep breathing
In soft air
Mmmmmm {{unsigned|Singmaster}}

For what it's worth, my first interpretation of the comic was that he was in some kind of ultra-quiet room (thus the bare walls and multiple doors) and Cueball was just hearing the inherent high-pitched buzz, created by your own body somehow (I've heard different explanations from different sound teachers), that one still hears in those rooms. But that was just my take. It made me chuckle. [[User:Xopherok|Xopherok]] ([[User talk:Xopherok|talk]]) 22:51, 14 October 2015 (UTC) [[User:xopherok|xopherok]]

Many types of power supplies for powering DC devices (like laptops, TVs etc.) from mains power generate high pitched hums. These hums are supposed to have a frequency above the audible range (making them inaudible to humans), but it's very common for a slightly faulty unit to actually create a constant audible very high pitched hum.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.92|162.158.93.92]] 00:36, 15 October 2015 (UTC)

Hmm.. I feel like we still have not found the deeper layers of that comic. IMO it is not about trying to figure out what room or device the comic has similar effects in real life, but rather see them as imaginary. I personnally thought of a short story by Kafka, The Burrow, which features a self-aware animal which has build the perfect holt, but starts to hear a high-pitched hum. It is driven insane by it since it appears to be in permanent danger, but it is unable to locate the source. (Not saying Randall thought of that story.)

Maybe the comic ironically portrays the thoughts of person looking through their house for a undetectable hum which may even be imaginable. That person wishes for the sound coming from such a noise generator which can be easily switched off. Afterwards, the person would wonder why they even have such a generator. Obviously, this remains a wish (which is ridiculous if we see it depicted that clearly) of a increasingly insane person. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.191|141.101.75.191]]

That is a nuclear device that keeps all the ghosts trapped. Don't disconnect it!![[Special:Contributions/162.158.115.22|162.158.115.22]] 10:02, 15 October 2015 (UTC)

When I read this comic, I interpreted the humming noise to be "That high-pitched noise in empty rooms," which is referenced in [[273: Electromagnetic Spectrum]]. [[User:Rsranger65|Rsranger65]] ([[User talk:Rsranger65|talk]]) 22:09, 15 October 2015 (UTC)

Most humming devices are humming because of the designer of the device has forgot to isolate it or the components well enough to be quiet. Problem is, that if you would be able to turn ALL ambient sounds off (AC, Computers, Lights), you would still be hearing the humming sound of yourself. The ear / brain hear the silence, and tries to enhance/interpret/amplify, so it creates sounds/humming/noise that is not there at all. Try to listen to "nothing" in a quiet room, combined with trying to look, when having your eyes closed. After a little while, you will hear strange sounds and see strange patterns. Try not to get mad after learning this. It can take time to get used to knowing about these sounds and patterns. Just think about how cool it is instead of scary, and your mind will be OK with it. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.94|141.101.80.94]] 12:18, 16 October 2015 (UTC)

For me, I first thought of retro computer games, like Duke Nukem, these games had lots of weird stuff that did nothing but generate noise like this. [[User:Jack|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jack|talk]]) 13:23, 16 October 2015 (UTC)

I keep checking mine, but I guess it runs on batteries since I still hear it. -[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 17:44, 16 October 2015 (UTC)

1591: Bell's Theorem

2015-10-16T17:40:28Z

DanB: /* Explanation */ added wiki link

{{comic
| number = 1591
| date = October 16, 2015
| title = Bell's Theorem
| image = bells_theorem.png
| titletext = The no-communication theorem states that no communication about the no-communication theorem can clear up the misunderstanding quickly enough to allow faster-than-light signaling.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|No explaination of the Title Text, and links should e in explanation, not transcript.}}

{{w|Bell's Theorem|Bell's Theorem}} states "No physical theory of (finitely many) local hidden variables can ever reproduce all of the predictions of quantum mechanics." It says that a theoretical treatment that divides the universe up into separate ("local") systems like this will always discard something about those systems' intercorrelations.

'Global hidden variables' are another story: if there is classical information shared across systems (perhaps by superliminal communication) even up to superdeterminism where the universe is just reading off a script, any correlations can be explained away. But this is unsatisfying.

The prefered resolution of the paradox is to not insist (as early physicists did) that the universe's state is a collection of bits (classical information), but treat it as a collection of qubits (quantum information).

Ponytail begins reading Bell's theorem to Cueball, who is standing 5 meters away. Cueball responds with a misunderstanding of Bell's Theorem in 1 nanosecond. The speed of light in a vacuum is 299,792,458 meters per second. In one nanosecond, the light from Ponytail would only have traveled 0.299 meters, thus Cueball misunderstands Bell's Theorem faster than the light from Ponytail reading the Theorem can reach him, which implies that faster-than-light communication occurred to set up the misunderstanding.

===More===
In quantum mechanics (QM), 'measurement' is the process of allowing a small system to interact with its environment in a controlled way. The interaction allows information about the system's state to escape to the environment, producing an 'observation'. If the measurement apparatus is governed by classical mechanics (impossible in reality, but a very common simplification for the purposes of calculation), then the observation can be thought of as classical information, a bit (yes/no answer) in the simplest case. While the system may have been in any one of infinitely many states before the measurement (each a superposition of classical states), the fact that the measurement must leave it consistent with the classical result means that it can end up in only finitely many states afterwards. This is the 'wave-function collapse' of early QM, popularized by Schrodinger's cat, but unrelated to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which lay audiences often confuse it with.

Modern quantum mechanics acknowledges that the environment is not classical, and that wave-function collapse happens by a (comparatively) gradual process called 'decoherence', where information leaving the system is made up for by information coming from the environment that drives the system closer and closer to one of the finitely many state predicted by the simplified model above. (I.e., if a "Schrodinger's cat" is in a half-and-half superposition of the states "dead" and "alive", when its liveness is measured, the ratios of "dead" and "alive" will shift rapidly towards (though not quite reach) 0 and 100% or 100 and 0%. For all but the shortest time scales, the cat's post-measurement state might as well be classical.)

Entanglement is a situation where the future outcomes of two or more measurements that would be independent in a classical world are nonetheless correlated. For example, two widely separated electrons could be in a state where, considered individually, each is in a superimposed spin-up/spin-down state, but if one is measured as spin-up, the others will necessarily be measured as spin-down. This is untroubling if the two electrons are modeled as a single system, but strange-seeming if we think of them as separate: how did the measurement of the first electron allow information from the environment around it affect the far-away second electron? It seems like the electron's are communicating, potentially at superliminal speeds, which would violate either relativity or causality. (In actuality, there's a fairly simple proof[citation needed] that correlations from entanglement can't be used to communicate, and causality and relativity are safe. But that doesn't make the seemingly faster-than-light effects much less of a surprise.)

One can try to address these concerns by considering 'local hidden variables', classical properties of a local system (like a single electron) that could have been observed but were not. For example, perhaps a classical part of the electrons' state lets them "agree" on a future classical state at the moment the are entangled, and then they just reveal that state in the future. But this becomes unwieldy: there are infinitely many possible future observations the electrons would have to agree on, and it seems difficult to do this without infinitely many local hidden variables.

===Title Text===
The title text, with 4 negatives, tries to be as confusing as possible. The real No-Communication Theorem states that although determination of the state of one half of an entangled pair immediately determines that of the other half, however far away it may be, there's no way for the observer of the other half to see if he's the first to find out the state or whether it'd already been determined by the first observer. Thus, no information travels from one observer to the other. Randall's version is recursive. It hypothesises a method of communication whereby somebody misunderstanding the no-communication theorem (which also happens faster than the speed of light) could function as the reception of a faster-than-light signal. However, it goes on to point out that turning the signal off requires clearing up the confusion which takes much, much longer, thus neatly restoring the normality of slower than light communication.

==Transcript==
[First frame captioned: {{w|time|t}} = 0 {{w|nanosecond}}s] 
[[Ponytail]], holding a piece of paper and facing to the right: This is called {{w|Bell's Theorem}}. It was first–

[A double-headed arrow links the characters in the two frames. The arrow is labelled "5 meters".]

[Second frame captioned: t = 1 nanosecond] 
[[Cueball]], facing to the left towards Ponytail: Wow, faster-than-light communication is possible!

Caption: Bell's Second Theorem: Misunderstandings of Bell's Theorem happen so fast that they violate locality.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Science]]

1591: Bell's Theorem

2015-10-16T17:37:37Z

DanB: /* Explanation */ Reorganized for clarity of Bell's Theorem being first

{{comic
| number = 1591
| date = October 16, 2015
| title = Bell's Theorem
| image = bells_theorem.png
| titletext = The no-communication theorem states that no communication about the no-communication theorem can clear up the misunderstanding quickly enough to allow faster-than-light signaling.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|No explaination of the Title Text, and links should e in explanation, not transcript.}}

Bell's Theorem states "No physical theory of (finitely many) local hidden variables can ever reproduce all of the predictions of quantum mechanics." It says that a theoretical treatment that divides the universe up into separate ("local") systems like this will always discard something about those systems' intercorrelations.

'Global hidden variables' are another story: if there is classical information shared across systems (perhaps by superliminal communication) even up to superdeterminism where the universe is just reading off a script, any correlations can be explained away. But this is unsatisfying.

The prefered resolution of the paradox is to not insist (as early physicists did) that the universe's state is a collection of bits (classical information), but treat it as a collection of qubits (quantum information).

Ponytail begins reading Bell's theorem to Cueball, who is standing 5 meters away. Cueball responds with a misunderstanding of Bell's Theorem in 1 nanosecond. The speed of light in a vacuum is 299,792,458 meters per second. In one nanosecond, the light from Ponytail would only have traveled 0.299 meters, thus Cueball misunderstands Bell's Theorem faster than the light from Ponytail reading the Theorem can reach him, which implies that faster-than-light communication occurred to set up the misunderstanding.

===More===
In quantum mechanics (QM), 'measurement' is the process of allowing a small system to interact with its environment in a controlled way. The interaction allows information about the system's state to escape to the environment, producing an 'observation'. If the measurement apparatus is governed by classical mechanics (impossible in reality, but a very common simplification for the purposes of calculation), then the observation can be thought of as classical information, a bit (yes/no answer) in the simplest case. While the system may have been in any one of infinitely many states before the measurement (each a superposition of classical states), the fact that the measurement must leave it consistent with the classical result means that it can end up in only finitely many states afterwards. This is the 'wave-function collapse' of early QM, popularized by Schrodinger's cat, but unrelated to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which lay audiences often confuse it with.

Modern quantum mechanics acknowledges that the environment is not classical, and that wave-function collapse happens by a (comparatively) gradual process called 'decoherence', where information leaving the system is made up for by information coming from the environment that drives the system closer and closer to one of the finitely many state predicted by the simplified model above. (I.e., if a "Schrodinger's cat" is in a half-and-half superposition of the states "dead" and "alive", when its liveness is measured, the ratios of "dead" and "alive" will shift rapidly towards (though not quite reach) 0 and 100% or 100 and 0%. For all but the shortest time scales, the cat's post-measurement state might as well be classical.)

Entanglement is a situation where the future outcomes of two or more measurements that would be independent in a classical world are nonetheless correlated. For example, two widely separated electrons could be in a state where, considered individually, each is in a superimposed spin-up/spin-down state, but if one is measured as spin-up, the others will necessarily be measured as spin-down. This is untroubling if the two electrons are modeled as a single system, but strange-seeming if we think of them as separate: how did the measurement of the first electron allow information from the environment around it affect the far-away second electron? It seems like the electron's are communicating, potentially at superliminal speeds, which would violate either relativity or causality. (In actuality, there's a fairly simple proof[citation needed] that correlations from entanglement can't be used to communicate, and causality and relativity are safe. But that doesn't make the seemingly faster-than-light effects much less of a surprise.)

One can try to address these concerns by considering 'local hidden variables', classical properties of a local system (like a single electron) that could have been observed but were not. For example, perhaps a classical part of the electrons' state lets them "agree" on a future classical state at the moment the are entangled, and then they just reveal that state in the future. But this becomes unwieldy: there are infinitely many possible future observations the electrons would have to agree on, and it seems difficult to do this without infinitely many local hidden variables.

===Title Text===
The title text, with 4 negatives, tries to be as confusing as possible. The real No-Communication Theorem states that although determination of the state of one half of an entangled pair immediately determines that of the other half, however far away it may be, there's no way for the observer of the other half to see if he's the first to find out the state or whether it'd already been determined by the first observer. Thus, no information travels from one observer to the other. Randall's version is recursive. It hypothesises a method of communication whereby somebody misunderstanding the no-communication theorem (which also happens faster than the speed of light) could function as the reception of a faster-than-light signal. However, it goes on to point out that turning the signal off requires clearing up the confusion which takes much, much longer, thus neatly restoring the normality of slower than light communication.

==Transcript==
[First frame captioned: {{w|time|t}} = 0 {{w|nanosecond}}s] 
[[Ponytail]], holding a piece of paper and facing to the right: This is called {{w|Bell's Theorem}}. It was first–

[A double-headed arrow links the characters in the two frames. The arrow is labelled "5 meters".]

[Second frame captioned: t = 1 nanosecond] 
[[Cueball]], facing to the left towards Ponytail: Wow, faster-than-light communication is possible!

Caption: Bell's Second Theorem: Misunderstandings of Bell's Theorem happen so fast that they violate locality.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Science]]

Talk:1591: Bell's Theorem

2015-10-16T17:32:26Z

DanB: Complaining

I'm sure some people here have this memorised, but light travels just under 30 centimetres in a nanosecond. For our Metric-ally challenged friends, that's about one foot – so 5 metres takes around 16.67 nanoseconds. I leave the comic explanation to smarter people than me. [[User:Paddles|Paddles]] ([[User talk:Paddles|talk]]) 13:02, 16 October 2015 (UTC)

The comic only shows that the two characters are 5m apart at chest level. What if there was a miniature wormhole or distortion in time in a separate area, making this seemingly "FTL" communication scientifically possible? {{User:17jiangz1/signature|14:19, 16 October 2015}}

For an explanation of Bell's theorem in the words of the man himself, and targeted at an educated lay audience, this is essential reading:
https://cds.cern.ch/record/142461/files/198009299.pdf [[Special:Contributions/162.158.35.36|162.158.35.36]] 16:22, 16 October 2015 (UTC) : Tim B posting as Anon

Wow, the explanation needs some explaining. Can the first part about quantum mechanics be simplified, moved, or have something clearer put in front of it? I don't feel up to the task, but the section is not very helpful. -[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 17:32, 16 October 2015 (UTC)

1458: Small Moon

2014-12-10T06:51:59Z

DanB: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1458
| date = December 10, 2014
| title = Small Moon
| image = small_moon.png
| titletext = GENERAL JAN DODONNA: An analysis of the plans provided by Princess Leia has reinvigorated the arguments of the 'artificial moonlet' and 'rogue planet-station' camps. I fear this question is fracturing the Rebellion.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a fantastic illustration of why Randall should not be given the keys to the Millennium Falcon.
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
:Luke: He's heading for that small moon.
:Ben: That's no moon - it's a space station.
:Luke: It's too big to be a space station.
:Ben: But it's too '''''small''''' to be a moon.
:[Three hours pass]
:Luke: Fine! What if we agree it's not a moon, but we make a new category called "Dwarf Moon"?
:Ben: And what's the cutoff, asshole?! Is this '''''ship''''' a dwarf moon now?
:Luke: Screw you.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]

1355: Airplane Message

2014-04-14T14:19:45Z

DanB: /* Explanation */ fixed prehistoric

{{comic
| number = 1355
| date = April 14, 2014
| title = Airplane Message
| image = airplane_message.png
| titletext = PHARAOH IRY-HOR, FROM THE 3200s BC, IS THE FIRST HUMAN WHOSE NAME WE KNOW.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Very brief at the moment.}}

The {{w|chemotherapy}} drug {{w|doxorubicin}}, trade name Adriamycin, is based on a strain of the bacterium ''{{w|Streptomyces peucetius}}'' isolated from a soil sample taken at {{w|Castel del Monte, Apulia|Castel del Monte}} in {{w|Andria}}, Italy.

This is one of several comics dealing with cancer and its treatment. [[Randall]]'s fiancée (now his wife) [http://blog.xkcd.com/2011/06/30/family-illness/ was diagnosed] with Stage III breast cancer in October of 2010, and it has been a [[:Category:Cancer|recurring topic]] ever since.

{{w|Iry-Hor}} was an ancient, {{w|Dynasty 0|predynastic}} pharaoh of ancient Egypt. His existence only became widely accepted in 2012{{Citation needed}}. Until or unless an earlier pharaoh is identified, he will remain the oldest known named human.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
There is a plane with a banner behind it. The banner reads "adriamycin, one of our most potent chemotherapy drugs, comes from the dirt of a Italian castle."

The caption is "my hobby: breaking into airplane hangers and replacing the ads on their giant banners with cool facts."
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Cancer]]

Talk:1314: Photos

2014-01-08T18:25:05Z

DanB:

This seems to be a reference to this video or one of many of the same ilk.
http://www.artthesystem.com/2013/12/after-i-saw-this-i-put-down-my-phone.html?m=1

Which is doing the rounds on social media sites at the moment {{unsigned|‎Gernant}}

Heard on a french radio show (Les grosses têtes) : A study made on student split in two group in an exposition : one group would photograph what they like, another one would photograph a certain set of pictures.
The study found that the ones who could photograph pictures they like, wasn't able to remember the pictures they liked.
The ones who wasn't able to photograph picture they liked, remembered it better.
I don't have link, sry, but white hat is proven right in this case. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.189|173.245.53.189]] 09:21, 8 January 2014 (UTC) Juluan

:I think BOTH have point here. Trying to document your life IS distracting, especially if you overdo it (and make a lot of selfies), on the other hand it IS possible to enjoy your life and still take pictures. Except if something happens only once and quick: in that case, if you try to take picture, you won't be able to enjoy it ... and you might fail to take the picture in correct moment anyway. I recommend video in such case :-). -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:04, 8 January 2014 (UTC)
::I thought of that study, too... The first valid link I found was http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/is-facebook-making-us-forget-study-shows-that-taking-pictures-ruin-memories-8994917.html (of course being hampered by various variations of each of "memory" and "photograph" not being ''very'' rare in combination ( GoogleFu Golf, anyone? ;) ), but once I got there I found it was widely covered in the online media). But I'm not sure whether this inspired Randall in this case, because of (or even ''despite'') the off-kilter reinterpretation. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.223|141.101.99.223]] 18:07, 8 January 2014 (UTC)
:PS: The title text seems like obvious irony to me. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:06, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

I remember taking a few photographs of food that is WAY too fabulous in presentation. [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 16:28, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

I would prefer to know Black-Hat's opinion on the subject. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 18:25, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1307: Buzzfeed Christmas

2013-12-23T14:44:43Z

DanB:

Randall seems somewhat obsessed with buzzfeed titles lately. I suggest whoever takes this explanation upon themselves to refer to [[1283:_Headlines]], as the two comics circle pretty much the same subject. I've got a feeling he made at least one more comic on this matter, but Headlines is the only one that popped to my head. Maybe you could refer Headlines to this comic because they share the same concept? [[User:Dulcis|Dulcis]] ([[User talk:Dulcis|talk]]) 06:43, 23 December 2013 (UTC)

I have added the link from [[1283:_Headlines]] to this comic. I also think there is at least one other comic that thouches on this, but it has slipped my mind at the moment. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:36, 23 December 2013 (UTC)

5 Gold iPhones!!! --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 14:44, 23 December 2013 (UTC)

1296: Git Commit

2013-11-27T13:34:59Z

DanB: derp

{{comic
| number = 1296
| date = November 27, 2013
| title = Git Commit
| image = git_commit.png
| titletext = Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final
}}

==Explanation==

This comic refers to the {{w|Git (software)|Git}} source code revision control software, in which multiple users can upload source code for a shared project (sort of like {{w|Google Docs}} for coding). A {{w|wikt:commit#Noun|''commit''}} is a saved version in a Git repository; commits come with "commit messages," which are supposed to describe what the commit does (similar to the edit summaries used on {{w|MediaWiki}} sites such as ''explain xkcd'' and on [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1296:_Git_Commit&action=history this explanation]. [[Randall]], however, finds himself losing interest in the commit messages the more code he writes, and winds up just using placeholder text or jokes to himself. Presumably, this is because his separate commits are part of a large effort that can't be effectively summarized, and where there's no particular urgent need to differentiate the commits. Seeing as in this context 12 hours of coding can be considered "dragging on," it's safe to assume that the kinds of commits Randall is talking about are not for some major in-production project, nor for something that a lot of other people are working on. In both of those cases, one would be much more likely to use descriptive commit messages, since you want to flag things that are important, either from a technical standpoint (e.g. "fix the thing that's making the site not work") or for the benefit of others who want to know which commits they should be paying attention to.

The phrase "Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" mimics the phrasing used by Git. Here, we see that Randall has also given his files nonsensical names: "branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' " would be a specific group of commits, and "sdkjfls-final" would be the batch of code that is to be considered the final revision. To "merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" is to include the branch in the final batch of code, which is generally done to state that it is ready for production.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|target=1296: Git Commit}}

{{comic discussion}}

1296: Git Commit

2013-11-27T13:32:24Z

DanB: '); DROP TABLE students;

{{comic
| number = 1296
| date = November 27, 2013
| title = Git Commit
| image = git_commit.png
| titletext = Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final
}}

==Explanation==

This comic refers to the {{w|Git (software)|Git}} source code revision control software, in which multiple users can upload source code for a shared project (sort of like {{w|Google Docs}} for coding). A {{w|wikt:commit#Noun|''commit''}} is a saved version in a Git repository; commits come with "commit messages," which are supposed to describe what the commit does (similar to the edit summaries used on {{w|MediaWiki}} sites such as ''explain xkcd'') and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1296:_Git_Commit&action=history this explanation]. [[Randall]], however, finds himself losing interest in the commit messages the more code he writes, and winds up just using placeholder text or jokes to himself. Presumably, this is because his separate commits are part of a large effort that can't be effectively summarized, and where there's no particular urgent need to differentiate the commits. Seeing as in this context 12 hours of coding can be considered "dragging on," it's safe to assume that the kinds of commits Randall is talking about are not for some major in-production project, nor for something that a lot of other people are working on. In both of those cases, one would be much more likely to use descriptive commit messages, since you want to flag things that are important, either from a technical standpoint (e.g. "fix the thing that's making the site not work") or for the benefit of others who want to know which commits they should be paying attention to.

The phrase "Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" mimics the phrasing used by Git. Here, we see that Randall has also given his files nonsensical names: "branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' " would be a specific group of commits, and "sdkjfls-final" would be the batch of code that is to be considered the final revision. To "merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" is to include the branch in the final batch of code, which is generally done to state that it is ready for production.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|target=1296: Git Commit}}

{{comic discussion}}

1296: Git Commit

2013-11-27T13:31:37Z

DanB: SAAAAAYYIINNG

{{comic
| number = 1296
| date = November 27, 2013
| title = Git Commit
| image = git_commit.png
| titletext = Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final
}}

==Explanation==

This comic refers to the {{w|Git (software)|Git}} source code revision control software, in which multiple users can upload source code for a shared project (sort of like {{w|Google Docs}} for coding). A {{w|wikt:commit#Noun|''commit''}} is a saved version in a Git repository; commits come with "commit messages," which are supposed to describe what the commit does (similar to the edit summaries used on {{w|MediaWiki}} sites such as ''explain xkcd'') and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1296:_Git_Commit&action=history "this explanation"]. [[Randall]], however, finds himself losing interest in the commit messages the more code he writes, and winds up just using placeholder text or jokes to himself. Presumably, this is because his separate commits are part of a large effort that can't be effectively summarized, and where there's no particular urgent need to differentiate the commits. Seeing as in this context 12 hours of coding can be considered "dragging on," it's safe to assume that the kinds of commits Randall is talking about are not for some major in-production project, nor for something that a lot of other people are working on. In both of those cases, one would be much more likely to use descriptive commit messages, since you want to flag things that are important, either from a technical standpoint (e.g. "fix the thing that's making the site not work") or for the benefit of others who want to know which commits they should be paying attention to.

The phrase "Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" mimics the phrasing used by Git. Here, we see that Randall has also given his files nonsensical names: "branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' " would be a specific group of commits, and "sdkjfls-final" would be the batch of code that is to be considered the final revision. To "merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" is to include the branch in the final batch of code, which is generally done to state that it is ready for production.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|target=1296: Git Commit}}

{{comic discussion}}

1296: Git Commit

2013-11-27T13:25:30Z

DanB: What am I even saying?

{{comic
| number = 1296
| date = November 27, 2013
| title = Git Commit
| image = git_commit.png
| titletext = Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final
}}

==Explanation==

This comic refers to the {{w|Git (software)|Git}} source code revision control software, in which multiple users can upload source code for a shared project (sort of like {{w|Google Docs}} for coding). A {{w|wikt:commit#Noun|''commit''}} is a saved version in a Git repository; commits come with "commit messages," which are supposed to describe what the commit does (similar to the edit summaries used on {{w|MediaWiki}} sites such as ''explain xkcd''). [[Randall]], however, finds himself losing interest in the commit messages the more code he writes, and winds up just using placeholder text or jokes to himself. Presumably, this is because his separate commits are part of a large effort that can't be effectively summarized, and where there's no particular urgent need to differentiate the commits. Seeing as in this context 12 hours of coding can be considered "dragging on," it's safe to assume that the kinds of commits Randall is talking about are not for some major in-production project, nor for something that a lot of other people are working on. In both of those cases, one would be much more likely to use descriptive commit messages, since you want to flag things that are important, either from a technical standpoint (e.g. "fix the thing that's making the site not work") or for the benefit of others who want to know which commits they should be paying attention to.

The phrase "Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" mimics the phrasing used by Git. Here, we see that Randall has also given his files nonsensical names: "branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' " would be a specific group of commits, and "sdkjfls-final" would be the batch of code that is to be considered the final revision. To "merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" is to include the branch in the final batch of code, which is generally done to state that it is ready for production.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|target=1296: Git Commit}}

{{comic discussion}}

1296: Git Commit

2013-11-27T13:24:36Z

DanB: ADKFJSLKDFJSDKLFJ

{{comic
| number = 1296
| date = November 27, 2013
| title = Git Commit
| image = git_commit.png
| titletext = Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final
}}

==Explanation==

This comic refers to the {{w|Git (software)|Git}} source code revision control software, in which multiple users can upload source code for a shared project (sort of like {{w|Google Docs}} for coding). A {{w|wikt:commit#Noun|''commit''}} is a saved version in a Git repository; commits come with "commit messages," which are supposed to describe what the commit does (similar to the edit summaries used on {{w|MediaWiki}} sites such as ''explain xkcd''). [[Randall]], however, finds himself losing interest in the commit messages the more code he writes, and winds up just using placeholder text or jokes to himself. Presumably, this is because his separate commits are part of a large effort that can't be effectively summarized, and where there's no particular urgent need to differentiate the commits.

Note the time between commits is decreasing. Seeing as in this context 12 hours of coding can be considered "dragging on," it's safe to assume that the kinds of commits Randall is talking about are not for some major in-production project, nor for something that a lot of other people are working on. In both of those cases, one would be much more likely to use descriptive commit messages, since you want to flag things that are important, either from a technical standpoint (e.g. "fix the thing that's making the site not work") or for the benefit of others who want to know which commits they should be paying attention to.

The phrase "Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" mimics the phrasing used by Git. Here, we see that Randall has also given his files nonsensical names: "branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' " would be a specific group of commits, and "sdkjfls-final" would be the batch of code that is to be considered the final revision. To "merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" is to include the branch in the final batch of code, which is generally done to state that it is ready for production.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|target=1296: Git Commit}}

{{comic discussion}}

1296: Git Commit

2013-11-27T13:22:21Z

DanB: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

{{comic
| number = 1296
| date = November 27, 2013
| title = Git Commit
| image = git_commit.png
| titletext = Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final
}}

==Explanation==

This comic refers to the {{w|Git (software)|Git}} source code revision control software, in which multiple users can upload source code for a shared project (sort of like {{w|Google Docs}} for coding). A {{w|wikt:commit#Noun|''commit''}} is a saved version in a Git repository; commits come with "commit messages," which are supposed to describe what the commit does (similar to the edit summaries used on {{w|MediaWiki}} sites such as ''explain xkcd''). [[Randall]], however, finds himself losing interest in the commit messages the more code he writes, and winds up just using placeholder text or jokes to himself. Presumably, this is because his separate commits are part of a large effort that can't be effectively summarized, and where there's no particular urgent need to differentiate the commits. Note the time between commits is decreasing. Seeing as in this context 12 hours of coding can be considered "dragging on," it's safe to assume that the kinds of commits Randall is talking about are not for some major in-production project, nor for something that a lot of other people are working on. In both of those cases, one would be much more likely to use descriptive commit messages, since you want to flag things that are important, either from a technical standpoint (e.g. "fix the thing that's making the site not work") or for the benefit of others who want to know which commits they should be paying attention to.

The phrase "Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" mimics the phrasing used by Git. Here, we see that Randall has also given his files nonsensical names: "branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' " would be a specific group of commits, and "sdkjfls-final" would be the batch of code that is to be considered the final revision. To "merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" is to include the branch in the final batch of code, which is generally done to state that it is ready for production.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|target=1296: Git Commit}}

{{comic discussion}}

1296: Git Commit

2013-11-27T13:21:55Z

DanB: here more words

{{comic
| number = 1296
| date = November 27, 2013
| title = Git Commit
| image = git_commit.png
| titletext = Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final
}}

==Explanation==

This comic refers to the {{w|Git (software)|Git}} source code revision control software, in which multiple users can upload source code for a shared project (sort of like {{w|Google Docs}} for coding). A {{w|wikt:commit#Noun|''commit''}} is a saved version in a Git repository; commits come with "commit messages," which are supposed to describe what the commit does (similar to the edit summaries used on {{w|MediaWiki}} sites such as ''explain xkcd''). [[Randall]], however, finds himself losing interest in the commit messages the more code he writes, and winds up just using placeholder text or jokes to himself. Presumably, this is because his separate commits are part of a large effort that can't be effectively summarized, and where there's no particular urgent need to differentiate the commits. Note the time between commits is decreasing. Seeing as in this context 12 hours of coding can be considered "dragging on," it's safe to assume that the kinds of commits Randall is talking about are not for some major in-production project, nor for something that a lot of other people are working on. In both of those cases, one would be much more likely to use descriptive commit messages, since you want to flag things that are important, either from a technical standpoint (e.g. "fix the thing that's making the site not work") or for the benefit of others who want to know which commits they should be paying attention to.

The phrase "Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" mimics the phrasing used by Git. Here, we see that Randall has also given his files nonsensical names: "branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' " would be a specific group of commits, and "sdkjfls-final" would be the batch of code that is to be considered the final revision. To "merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" is to include the branch in the final batch of code, generally done to state that it is ready for production.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|target=1296: Git Commit}}

{{comic discussion}}

1296: Git Commit

2013-11-27T13:20:45Z

DanB: more words

{{comic
| number = 1296
| date = November 27, 2013
| title = Git Commit
| image = git_commit.png
| titletext = Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final
}}

==Explanation==

This comic refers to the {{w|Git (software)|Git}} source code revision control software, in which multiple users can upload source code for a shared project (sort of like {{w|Google Docs}} for coding). A {{w|wikt:commit#Noun|''commit''}} is a saved version in a Git repository; commits come with "commit messages," which are supposed to describe what the commit does (similar to the edit summaries used on {{w|MediaWiki}} sites such as ''explain xkcd''). [[Randall]], however, finds himself losing interest in the commit messages the more code he writes, and winds up just using placeholder text or jokes to himself. Presumably, this is because his separate commits are part of a large effort that can't be effectively summarized, and where there's no particular urgent need to differentiate the commits. Note the time between commits is decreasing. Seeing as in this context 12 hours of coding can be considered "dragging on," it's safe to assume that the kinds of commits Randall is talking about are not for some major in-production project, nor for something that a lot of other people are working on. In both of those cases, one would be much more likely to use descriptive commit messages, since you want to flag things that are important, either from a technical standpoint (e.g. "fix the thing that's making the site not work") or for the benefit of others who want to know which commits they should be paying attention to.

The phrase "Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" mimics the phrasing used by Git. Here, we see that Randall has also given his files nonsensical names: "branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' " would be a specific group of commits, and "sdkjfls-final" would be the batch of code that is to be considered the final revision. To "merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" is to include the branch in the final batch of code, i.e. to state that it is ready for production.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|target=1296: Git Commit}}

{{comic discussion}}

1296: Git Commit

2013-11-27T13:17:55Z

DanB: More explanation

{{comic
| number = 1296
| date = November 27, 2013
| title = Git Commit
| image = git_commit.png
| titletext = Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final
}}

==Explanation==

This comic refers to the {{w|Git (software)|Git}} source code revision control software, in which multiple users can upload source code for a shared project (sort of like {{w|Google Docs}} for coding). A {{w|wikt:commit#Noun|''commit''}} is a saved version in a Git repository; commits come with "commit messages," which are supposed to describe what the commit does (similar to the edit summaries used on {{w|MediaWiki}} sites such as ''explain xkcd''). [[Randall]], however, finds himself losing interest in the commit messages the more code he writes, and winds up just using placeholder text or jokes to himself. Presumably, this is because his separate commits are part of a large effort that can't be effectively summarized, and where there's no particular urgent need to differentiate the commits. Seeing as in this context 12 hours of coding can be considered "dragging on," it's safe to assume that the kinds of commits Randall is talking about are not for some major in-production project, nor for something that a lot of other people are working on. In both of those cases, one would be much more likely to use descriptive commit messages, since you want to flag things that are important, either from a technical standpoint (e.g. "fix the thing that's making the site not work") or for the benefit of others who want to know which commits they should be paying attention to.

The phrase "Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" mimics the phrasing used by Git. Here, we see that Randall has also given his files nonsensical names: "branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' " would be a specific group of commits, and "sdkjfls-final" would be the batch of code that is to be considered the final revision. To "merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" is to include the branch in the final batch of code, i.e. to state that it is ready for production.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|target=1296: Git Commit}}

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1296: Git Commit

2013-11-27T13:16:03Z

DanB: haaaaaaands

Note that in most (all?) graphical history viewers for Git time flows from bottom up, i.e. newest commits are on top, not on bottom as in this comics --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 07:21, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

I can relate. While I start with reasonable commit messages every day, working on one feature often results in
:(good description of feature)
:bugfixes for (description of feature)
:another bugfix
:damn
:should work now
:grrr
:typo
:I hate (some used library)
when I either need commit to deploy or I'm so sure it will work I don't test it deeply enough. If I would be using git, these could be merged, but I'm not. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:51, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

What does the line graphic in the left-most column represent? [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 13:03, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

Nice explanation folks. Makes the comic understandable/humorous to a non-coder. (unless you count VBScript) --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 13:16, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1262: Unquote

2013-09-09T13:09:31Z

DanB:

My prediction: forever. Not sure we would recognize their star wars, though ... "{{w|Han shot first}}" pale in comparison to what will next generations do with it when they will be doing holographic version. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 08:50, 9 September 2013 (UTC)

The idea of this makes me sad. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 13:09, 9 September 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1245: 10-Day Forecast

2013-08-01T13:59:07Z

DanB:

Can't believe multi mention of apocalypse but no mention of my first guess (due to -), that place below.
[[User:Monteletourneau|Monteletourneau]] ([[User talk:Monteletourneau|talk]]) 07:00, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

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

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

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

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

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

: I assume he's just standing on a hill.[[Special:Contributions/153.31.113.20|153.31.113.20]] 18:53, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

What's a zip code? [[Special:Contributions/80.2.179.200|80.2.179.200]] 14:15, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
: Seriously? See {{w|ZIP code}}. [[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 15:09, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:: Not so off-the-wall. The zip code is an American-only thing. Might be worth a mention for non-American readers. [[User:Vyzen|Vyzen]] ([[User talk:Vyzen|talk]]) 16:21, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:::Strongly disagree with that statement. I live in Israel and we have and use zip codes. [[Special:Contributions/95.35.56.169|95.35.56.169]] 17:42, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
::::Well, here in the UK we use {{w|Postcodes_in_the_United_Kingdom|Postcodes}} that are alphanumeric in nature but pretty much have the same purpose behind them. Although thanks to US imports on TV/films I think most people know that the US call theirs ZIP Codes, even if not that it's a simple number (like I believe most of European postcodes are). However, it doesn't harm to give the link referencing it (as has been done) for anyone who really doesn't know or just appreciates a push towards a bit of [[214|Wikicreep]]. (Which I've just self-inflicted on myself by reading down the Postcode article... Forsooth! Hoist by my own {{w|petard}}!) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.215.19|178.98.215.19]] 19:19, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
:::::Uhhh, your Postcodes are a horror for programmers, just because the length vary. The first official implementation for this was during {{w|WWII}} in Germany, the UK did implement this in the range of 1959-1974, and the US did start this system in 1963. But there are still many countries not using this system (like Ireland), which is just a double horror for programmers.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:18, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
::::::Start with "m/(\w+) (\w+)/" and then subdivide into branches according to $1's further matching? At each stage checked for more specific validity (and even existence!). If not that, "m/[A..Z]{1,2}\d{1,2}[A..Z]? \d[A..Z]{2}/i" should work if you want just a single test (with ()s around elements for the geographic validation checking part). Ok, so it's not "\d{howevermany}", then check it exists on the database, but it'd do for starters, and personally I relish such programming challenges... ;) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.215.19|178.98.215.19]] 11:36, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

:Something like "YKK". [[Special:Contributions/121.72.110.10|121.72.110.10]] 23:30, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

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

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

Does anyone agree that Randall is playing with the fact that 10day forecast are very inaccurate. We can trust 3, max 4 days of accuracy. After that, is pretty meaningless since the divergence of the models is a likely scenario. No?[[User:Claudionico|cinico]] ([[User talk:Claudionico|talk]])
: Agree [[Special:Contributions/153.31.113.20|153.31.113.20]] 18:53, 31 July 2013 (UTC)
: I often say that the "five day forecast" is fiction after two days. --[[User:Mr. I|Mr. I]] ([[User talk:Mr. I|talk]]) 19:17, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

The forecast shows much more than expected from a normal "weather forecast". I like that. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/178.26.118.249|178.26.118.249]] 19:34, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

What happens to time, when the world ends? It is a 10-day-forecast. That coincides with 10 image frames. We have the days of the week at the bottom of the frames, which are an independent scale, because there is more than one frame for Tuesday. Interpretation/Assumption: 10 days (the forecast) is subjective for the people being in each location (here: ZIP code). Days of week and generally dates are a global reference time. So in these hells time locally stretches for eternity and this day will never end. But from an outside view time goes on normally.
Megan says they are all like that. That does not sound like it would be a special occasion to be there, when the world ends, or having found a ZIP number, where the world ends some days from now. Possible solution: Like a function with several poles the world could end at every location with negative ZIP about every week. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/178.26.118.249|178.26.118.249]] 19:49, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

:The fact that the "negative ZIP" universe ends while the normal one keeps going, points again to my theory (above) that this is a reference to Donnie Darko, Frank the rabbit (not the antichrist), and where negative ZIPs are for [http://www.donniedarko.org.uk/explanation/ Tangent Universes]. However I'm not a Donnie Darko expert (I think I started to understand it now reading that website, and the one time I watched it was in theaters...) and I'm not able to provide a theory for the bees/locusts... --[[User:Danroa|Danroa]] ([[User talk:Danroa|talk]]) 12:47, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

What about negative people, or negative areas where everyone is negative. Doom and Gloom, end of the world type of deal. Seems like a lot of negative people are always talking about the end of the world, and that negative zip code and what's occurring sounds exactly like how the end of the world is pictured. She says all negative zip codes are like that.{{unsigned|Glitch}}

Do certain zip codes not have Amazon Prime? [[User:Bugefun|Bugefun]] ([[User talk:Bugefun|talk]]) 01:45, 1 August 2013 (UTC)
: From the [http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=201118050 website]: Nearly all addresses in the continental U.S. are eligible. Explicitly excluded are Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, P.O. Boxes, APO/FPO addresses. [[User:Odysseus654|Odysseus654]] ([[User talk:Odysseus654|talk]]) 03:19, 1 August 2013 (UTC)
:Amazon needs to add "Negative ZIP codes excluded" on that page. --13:59, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1238: Enlightenment

2013-07-15T16:07:54Z

DanB:

Did anyone else notice the (most likely intentional) typos in that sentence they told her to type? "... and THEIR DEFINATELY good" (they're definitely) {{unsigned ip|‎115.30.33.36}}

Didn't you notice "you're" and "idea's" as well. I would assume it is highly improbable that these were not intentional. [[Special:Contributions/74.125.16.2|74.125.16.2]] 04:51, 15 July 2013 (UTC)GusGold

Of course those were intentional. That was the joke. The exercise for INTERNET enlightenment and getting rid of insecurities is to make typos and grammatical errors freely. You may also notice them saying on the last panel "wasnt" and "its", instead of "wasn't" and "it's".
Megan just wasn't able to do this task of making intentional mistakes, which would result in people online thinking she's dumb (insecurities), so she broke the laptop and left. [[Special:Contributions/95.35.58.179|95.35.58.179]] 05:20, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

There's a huge difference between accepting others' misspellings and repeating them yourself...not commenting on someone typing "definately" is completely different than being told to spell it that way yourself. [[User:Wotpsycho|Wotpsycho]] ([[User talk:Wotpsycho|talk]])

I read you're explanation's and their definately helpful! --[[Special:Contributions/129.187.90.96|129.187.90.96]] 09:07, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Having your ideas "approved" by someone who can't even spell might feel much worse than having them simply shot down.

Does anyone else think Ponytail appears to be levitating? --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 16:07, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1237: QR Code

2013-07-13T12:32:23Z

DanB:

It might be a pun on '''Quick Response''' Code --[[Special:Contributions/109.91.114.82|109.91.114.82]] 10:25, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
: It's not a pun, it's a widely used abbreviation [[User:Hippyjim|Hippyjim]] ([[User talk:Hippyjim|talk]]) 11:25, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
:: I meant that needing to scan it in 12 seconds might be a pun on "Quick Response". --[[Special:Contributions/93.232.203.46|93.232.203.46]] 14:11, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
The only real way would be to screenshot, print, and scan... possible in about 30 seconds. Anyone want to run a time trial?--[[Special:Contributions/69.140.11.243|69.140.11.243]] 11:05, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
: No it's possible. With the right Emacs command and a Delorean [[User:Hippyjim|Hippyjim]] ([[User talk:Hippyjim|talk]]) 11:25, 12 July 2013 (UTC)

:What about simply using other phone or camera to make a photo and display it on its display for the camera of this phone? BTW, why are the phones so stupid they can't display two applications at once? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:30, 12 July 2013 (UTC)

You can take a screenshot of your screen (at least in Android) and then read the image with your qr-reading-program. Then it'll display the decoded QR-code, and you'll type it in the app. [[Special:Contributions/189.125.162.182|189.125.162.182]] 14:00, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
:The title text says that additionally the checksum of the camera is checked. So no trick with screenshots would be possible. However I don't see a problem with second camera which displays the photo (as suggested above). --[[User:Chtz|Chtz]] ([[User talk:Chtz|talk]]) 14:05, 12 July 2013 (UTC)

I think that most phones and computers are kind of shoddily programmed, like the developers never take enough time to think of conveniences or solve problems. For example, I should be able to scan QRCs that are on my own screen. [[Special:Contributions/24.98.10.180|24.98.10.180]] 17:29, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
:That's a great idea! Shouldn't a browser be able to interpret them and just make it clickable, like a link? Seems straightforward. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 12:32, 13 July 2013 (UTC)

== Link at Transcript ==

I think the link should be shown at "Explanation". I can't see it at the original comic, so "Transcript" is the wrong section.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 17:11, 12 July 2013 (UTC)
:OK, understood. I just did not try to read that QR code. But the link is still not correct at "Transcript", you have to do some actions to figure out and so it still belongs to "Explanation".--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:13, 12 July 2013 (UTC)

== Real-life use for something like this ==

Before I saw the title text, I thought the scenario involved scanning one device's display on another device to set up a key exchange between applications on the two devices, sort of like a [http://bu.mp/ Bump]. --[[User:Tepples|Tepples]] ([[User talk:Tepples|talk]]) 00:35, 13 July 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1228: Prometheus

2013-06-21T12:55:40Z

DanB:

Could this be an analogy for file sharing? {{unsigned ip|24.255.167.124}}

As '''an author''' of very expensive business software, I love the idea of giving it away and making money through "value added". I truly believe that most people who "steal" software would never have paid for it anyway. Similarly, when I worked for a clothing manufacturer, other companies were always copying our designs but we made more money than them because we were the place to go for the new stuff. [[User:Hax|Hax]] ([[User talk:Hax|talk]]) 10:19, 21 June 2013 (UTC)

I'd like to say something like "The title-text gives what might be a typical approach to movie dialogue in a typical (Michael) Baysian movie plot," but am not sure I'm correct and/or pithy enough.  [[Special:Contributions/178.98.31.27|178.98.31.27]] 12:48, 21 June 2013 (UTC)
:Do we also need to explain that this line is not in reference to an existing movie?  [[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 12:55, 21 June 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1221: Nomenclature

2013-06-06T14:17:34Z

DanB:

When I saw the obvious Doctor Who reference, I jumped on the Wiki hoping to be the first to post the Who's On First reference. I drastically underestimate xkcd fans. [[Special:Contributions/76.106.251.87|76.106.251.87]] 04:44, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

I thought that the middle guy was Short Round from Temple of Doom, since he shouts "Doctor Jones, Doctor Jones!" but I suppose that doesn't really make sense.--[[Special:Contributions/74.125.18.32|74.125.18.32]] 10:05, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

I came here for an explanation of the ''comic'' and found none. So far there are only explanations of the ''references.'' Who are the three characters in the comic, and what is the situation they’re in? Which kind of confusion arised between them? (Though I got ''all'' the pop-cultural references mentioned I cannot make any sense of the comic so far.) --[[Special:Contributions/77.185.42.247|77.185.42.247]] 10:45, 5 June 2013 (UTC)
:Hypothetical answer: The tall and short baseball players are Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, respectively. Abbott is talking about the baseball team with the oddly-named players from the "Who's on First" routine, except that the Doctor from "Doctor Who" is playing first base. Abbott is attempting to tell Costello about his lineup in the usual "Who's on First" style, and Costello is completely confused by it as usual. However, Megan (someone more familiar with the Doctor Who franchise) interrupts to explain that the first baseman, who Abbott thinks is named "Dr. Who", is actually just "The Doctor" and does not have "Who" as part of his name. --[[Special:Contributions/99.140.166.189|99.140.166.189]] 13:42, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

I see it as an homage to Abbot & Costello's "Who's on first" routine, but with actual characters from literature and the media. The joke is that when the "Who's on first" routine first came out everyone thought the names were just implausible, made-up characters. We were wrong, but I don't know (Third Base). [[User:Galois|Galois]] ([[User talk:Galois|talk]]) 11:05, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

I went a bit verbose on expanding the exposition, only to get edit-sniped right as I was posting. I think the other version is better, but FYI here is what I'd ended up with, in case any of it is still useful...
:{{w|Doctor (Doctor Who)|The Doctor}} from the long-running British television series ''{{w|Doctor Who}}'' has been incorrectly referred to as "Who", "Doctor Who" or "Dr. Who" by fans and commentators (not helped by the series name, itself, and how the character was credited in various earlier episodes' and some spin-off works). When not using a pseudonym or playing along with some form of mistaken identity, however, he overwhelmingly tends to introduce himself as "The Doctor". If not unquestionably accepted (perhaps due to natural {{w|Time Lord}} 'glamour'/confidence or some {{w|TARDIS}} effect) this tends to elicit the response "Doctor who?". His response to this question is often "Just 'The Doctor'."
(...which, I originally pointed out but edited away, often tends to settle things. Really, between the TARDIS translation field/etc, his recent use of psychic paper and of course his own long-practiced assertive air of self-confidence, he has avoided a ''lot'' of 'First Contact'-type problems. Not infallably so, of course, but that's Plot for you.) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.154.137|178.98.154.137]] 13:05, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

Interestingly, it appears that his name is both "Doctor Who" and "The Doctor". All living pre-2005 actors who played the role, as well as Doctor Who Magazine itself, refer to him as Doctor Who. It's only since the reboot of the series in 2005 that people, mostly those referred to as "NuWhos", insist his one and only name is "The Doctor".

How is it that no one has mentioned the Robot Chicken take on this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNIdqvMUhrE

What does "Aunt Beast" in the title text refer to? [[Special:Contributions/72.92.72.222|72.92.72.222]] 16:13, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

:On the issue of "NuWhos" being the pedantic ones, I'm an avowed traditionalist Whovian from way back when (4th Doctor era, technically, although I actually relate more to Five's era), and we were ''always'' being joyfully sniffy about those (including 'official media', and episode credits themselves) that used to name any given incarnation as "Doctor Who". (''Apart'' from Peter Cushing, who ''is'' a doctor named Who... and is also entirely human.)
:We noticed with disgust when new-era Who ''perpetuated'' the error. The end-credits for Nine/Eccleston said "Doctor Who" for his entire season. It became only became "The Doctor" for The Christmas Invasion, the inter-season special that was Ten's first full episode. Probably due to a load of us fans berating TPTB about the error. (My recordings of the '96 TV movie and what I have of the older seasons aren't at hand, though, to double check their credits, and I know it varied. The IMDB listing for McGann's production suggests "The Doctor" ''was'' correct for him, though.)
:And I can't subscribe to the authority of 'mere' actors or even official spin-off literature if the producers ''themselves'' can be shown to be utterly '''wrong'''... ;) [[Special:Contributions/178.107.63.150|178.107.63.150]] 19:21, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

I slightly disagree with the current state of the explanation. First, I think the Doctor is the first baseman, not Mrs. Who (why else is the Doctor even being mentioned by the duo in the comic?). Second, the "on first" or "on second" is little bit ambiguous. If you say "X is on first" that could mean that X is a member of the batting team and has made it to first base, or it could mean that X is a member of the fielding team and is the first baseman. Now, the Abbot and Costello routine removes the ambiguity because it is said at the start of the skit that the team's lineup is being given, which means any references to "on first", "on second", etc. have to be to the defensive positions. But in this explanation I think it would be better to say that the Doctor is the first baseman (or is playing first) and Mrs. Whatsit is the second baseman. 16:54 5 June 2013 (UTC)
:That's actually what's funny about this comic. Costello is confused about the name of the player playing first base. Megan is adding to the confusion because she misinterprets the "Who" in a new, different way than either Abbott or Costello. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 17:42, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

I think we do need more explain on the title text. While we still have this confusion about names there is someone (the captain?) shouting to the field. So this must be a real baseball game. Aunt Beast is the batter and hitting the ball for Mrs Whatsit to reach the second base. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:02, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

The title text refers to "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle. {{unsigned ip|71.199.241.5}}

"Nomenclature" could use a definition, since it ties the joke together. [[Special:Contributions/76.106.251.87|76.106.251.87]] 03:41, 6 June 2013 (UTC)
:So write one. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 14:17, 6 June 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1221: Nomenclature

2013-06-05T17:42:08Z

DanB:

When I saw the obvious Doctor Who reference, I jumped on the Wiki hoping to be the first to post the Who's On First reference. I drastically underestimate xkcd fans. [[Special:Contributions/76.106.251.87|76.106.251.87]] 04:44, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

I thought that the middle guy was Short Round from Temple of Doom, since he shouts "Doctor Jones, Doctor Jones!" but I suppose that doesn't really make sense.--[[Special:Contributions/74.125.18.32|74.125.18.32]] 10:05, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

I came here for an explanation of the ''comic'' and found none. So far there are only explanations of the ''references.'' Who are the three characters in the comic, and what is the situation they’re in? Which kind of confusion arised between them? (Though I got ''all'' the pop-cultural references mentioned I cannot make any sense of the comic so far.) --[[Special:Contributions/77.185.42.247|77.185.42.247]] 10:45, 5 June 2013 (UTC)
:Hypothetical answer: The tall and short baseball players are Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, respectively. Abbott is talking about the baseball team with the oddly-named players from the "Who's on First" routine, except that the Doctor from "Doctor Who" is playing first base. Abbott is attempting to tell Costello about his lineup in the usual "Who's on First" style, and Costello is completely confused by it as usual. However, Megan (someone more familiar with the Doctor Who franchise) interrupts to explain that the first baseman, who Abbott thinks is named "Dr. Who", is actually just "The Doctor" and does not have "Who" as part of his name. --[[Special:Contributions/99.140.166.189|99.140.166.189]] 13:42, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

I see it as an homage to Abbot & Costello's "Who's on first" routine, but with actual characters from literature and the media. The joke is that when the "Who's on first" routine first came out everyone thought the names were just implausible, made-up characters. We were wrong, but I don't know (Third Base). [[User:Galois|Galois]] ([[User talk:Galois|talk]]) 11:05, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

I went a bit verbose on expanding the exposition, only to get edit-sniped right as I was posting. I think the other version is better, but FYI here is what I'd ended up with, in case any of it is still useful...
:{{w|Doctor (Doctor Who)|The Doctor}} from the long-running British television series ''{{w|Doctor Who}}'' has been incorrectly referred to as "Who", "Doctor Who" or "Dr. Who" by fans and commentators (not helped by the series name, itself, and how the character was credited in various earlier episodes' and some spin-off works). When not using a pseudonym or playing along with some form of mistaken identity, however, he overwhelmingly tends to introduce himself as "The Doctor". If not unquestionably accepted (perhaps due to natural {{w|Time Lord}} 'glamour'/confidence or some {{w|TARDIS}} effect) this tends to elicit the response "Doctor who?". His response to this question is often "Just 'The Doctor'."
(...which, I originally pointed out but edited away, often tends to settle things. Really, between the TARDIS translation field/etc, his recent use of psychic paper and of course his own long-practiced assertive air of self-confidence, he has avoided a ''lot'' of 'First Contact'-type problems. Not infallably so, of course, but that's Plot for you.) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.154.137|178.98.154.137]] 13:05, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

Interestingly, it appears that his name is both "Doctor Who" and "The Doctor". All living pre-2005 actors who played the role, as well as Doctor Who Magazine itself, refer to him as Doctor Who. It's only since the reboot of the series in 2005 that people, mostly those referred to as "NuWhos", insist his one and only name is "The Doctor".

How is it that no one has mentioned the Robot Chicken take on this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNIdqvMUhrE

What does "Aunt Beast" in the title text refer to? [[Special:Contributions/72.92.72.222|72.92.72.222]] 16:13, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

I slightly disagree with the current state of the explanation. First, I think the Doctor is the first baseman, not Mrs. Who (why else is the Doctor even being mentioned by the duo in the comic?). Second, the "on first" or "on second" is little bit ambiguous. If you say "X is on first" that could mean that X is a member of the batting team and has made it to first base, or it could mean that X is a member of the fielding team and is the first baseman. Now, the Abbot and Costello routine removes the ambiguity because it is said at the start of the skit that the team's lineup is being given, which means any references to "on first", "on second", etc. have to be to the defensive positions. But in this explanation I think it would be better to say that the Doctor is the first baseman (or is playing first) and Mrs. Whatsit is the second baseman. 16:54 5 June 2013 (UTC)
:That's actually what's funny about this comic. Costello is confused about the name of the player playing first base. Megan is adding to the confusion because she misinterprets the "Who" in a new, different way than either Abbott or Costello. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 17:42, 5 June 2013 (UTC)