explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3227: Creation

2026-04-02T00:12:14Z

Dratini0:

did anyone else wait for the screensaver to hit the corner? [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 20:13, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I can't work out what Modem mode is meant to do... on my machine it just freezes the whole page. [[Special:Contributions/78.213.151.110|78.213.151.110]] 20:22, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:It plays the sound of an old-style phone modem, and scrolls the comic into view slowly. It's supposed to represent the early days when downloading an image would take a long time. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:can confirm on android firefox it seems to render the page unresponsive to input - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 21:18, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Same here on Desktop Firefox - under "Modem mode", the whole page freezes up and the browser prompts me to close it ("this page is slowing down Firefox", or words to that effect). I wonder if it's a Firefox thing - odd if so, because I imagine Randall of all people would test on browsers other than Chrom* - or some weird side-effect of my ad/popup/script/cookie-blockers. A shame because all the other modes seem to work - "Greyscale mode" is far too subtle, and I'm ashamed to admit I missed the change from "math" to "maths"! - but this is a great April Fools' comic. [[Special:Contributions/50.45.232.78|50.45.232.78]] 22:56, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Firefoxer here, and ''without'' any particular add-ons that might interact badly with it... It does (seem to) lock up and it does (sometimes... didn't on at least one occasion) prompt Firefox to ask if I want to stop the page. But if I wait long enough it 'wipes off' the last seen comic image, starts to 'scanline' it back (note: not actually accurate to the real days of modems, as you'd probably be loading up images in interlaced mode) and ''then'' starts to give a modem-shriek.
:I wonder, without delving into the code used, if it's the method used to 'sleep' (could it be using busy-busy NOP-like code, rather than true sleep-interupts?), or just a slightly different asynchronous script-handling method that Firefox uses instead of other test-platforms. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 23:46, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I clicked darker mode and my screen is black and I cant undo it help
:I assume you mean Darkest Mode, since there's no darker mode. The screen turns black but if you look carefully you can still see the grey of the menu and you can click on it. Also, the menu border continues to appear after you select the choice (at least it does on my Mac). P.S. Don't forget to sign your comment with 4 ~ characters. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Modem mode doesn’t work for me what does it do [[Special:Contributions/2A06:5906:1412:4100:352D:1A2:184:5F3|2A06:5906:1412:4100:352D:1A2:184:5F3]] 20:29, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Modem mode makes the comic slowly print from above [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 20:34, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I see the mobile site m.xkcd.com was left out on this change😔 [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.219|104.28.215.219]] 20:37, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I read “Modern mode” instead of Modem mode and I spent a while making wild theories about what it could be referencing. But I’m also quite sleepy. [[Special:Contributions/146.70.116.107|146.70.116.107]] 20:51, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I deminified the code if anyone wants it. There are no hidden options or anything like right-click has, but it would be extremely easy to add modes to it. [[Special:Contributions/2601:441:4B7E:7660:0:0:0:AC72|2601:441:4B7E:7660:0:0:0:AC72]] 20:59, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

"Modem mode" works for me in Chromium, but not Firefox. [[User:Robobun|Robobun]] ([[User talk:Robobun|talk]]) 21:06, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:For me it's just slow on Firefox. It takes about 5 seconds to clear the comic and start scrolling it back in, and the static doesn't start until it's almost all showing. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:11, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

applies across the whole website? i forsee a preservation effort in the near future to capture What This Was Like, when randall inevitably removes the menu and all its modes--there's no chance this is staying, is there? - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 21:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:It applies to older comics, but not other parts of the site. I'm also wondering if this might be just for April Fool's Day. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:27, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:: I know it's april the 1st, but could we keep the modes? Stainglass is fun when the background doesn't turn maroon (and makes the text hard to read). I also checked other pages of xkcd, the modes are on on the other comics.
::Of course it's the April Fools'/Fools' comic. Nice to see it being on time, this year, and I too wonder how long it'll stay. Might it permanently stay on this comic page, perhaps even stay if you jump off of it, but comic 3228 (or the 'default' latest-comic page) will probably be back to normal on Friday. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 22:14, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Luckily, preservation is easy enough. I think you just need to save the main [https://xkcd.com/3227/5710add.js Javascript file] (which contains the CSS, and generates the necessary DOM on the fly) and the [https://xkcd.com/3227/imgs/nyoom_2x.png one image asset]. I think it should be easy enough to turn it into a UserScript if you turn the png into a data URI, or even a web extension if that's more your speed. [[User:Dratini0|Dratini0]] ([[User talk:Dratini0|talk]]) 00:12, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

Finally we have the Boat Mode from the footer! [[User:B_for_brain|B for brain]] ([[User_talk:B_for_brain|talk]]) ([https://www.youtube.com/@bforbrain youtube channel] [https://bforbrain.weebly.com/ wobsite (supposed to be a blag)]) 21:33, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

'''Attention admins''' I think there's an "oops" in this line:
<nowiki>To experience the interactivity, visit the {{xkcd|{comicNum}|original comic}}!</nowiki>
[[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 21:43, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yeah, looks like this is a regression in this corner case. I should have a fix for it soon. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 23:41, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Has the full footer always been there? "xkcd.com is best viewed with Netscape Navigator 4.0 or below on a Pentium 3±1 emulated in Javascript on an Apple IIGS at a screen resolution of 1024x1. Please enable your ad blockers, disable high-heat drying, and remove your device from Airplane Mode and set it to Boat Mode. For security reasons, please leave caps lock on while browsing." --[[User:Chance2travel|Chance2travel]] ([[User talk:Chance2travel|talk]]) 22:30, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yes, always has been. Learn more at the page for [[Footnote]]. [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.219|104.28.215.219]] 23:17, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I think the Dorian Greyscale Mode takes 5 minutes to complete. I see this in the Javascript: <code>body.mode-dorian-greyscale {\n transition: filter 300s ease-out;</code> [[User:Pgn674|Pgn674]] ([[User talk:Pgn674|talk]]) 22:36, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Dorian Greyscale Mode seems like it ought to use only the white keys on a standard piano, and go DEGFCDBA, with adjacent notes differing in a single bit position. [[Special:Contributions/2A02:8084:2862:4F80:65B7:327D:E614:342F|2A02:8084:2862:4F80:65B7:327D:E614:342F]] 22:56, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I'd love to know if the modem mode's audio file decodes to anything if you try to decode it as a v.92 stream or something similar. [[Special:Contributions/2603:6011:4504:D100:3BD0:B617:9D7:1C80|2603:6011:4504:D100:3BD0:B617:9D7:1C80]] 23:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Stained Glass Mode doesn't show title text? Might be a bug [[User:X|X]] ([[User talk:X|talk]]) 23:38, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Not gonna lie, I got nerd-sniped hard here. I thought the noise in the modem mode might be real modem noises, and I tried to demodulate it. With Gnuradio, I got to the point of guessing that it's 4FSK at 2400 baud, with a center frequency of about 1700 Hz and a frequency deviation of about 300 Hz. I couldn't find the corresponding modem standard, so I started deminifying the source code that generates it. The good news is that I was correct. It's 4FSK, 2400 baud, center frequency 1710 Hz, frequency deviation 270 Hz. The bad news? The data is Math.random(). That feels bittersweet. I saw a puzzle where there was none. I want to post the relevant snippet of deminified code. Am I allowed to do that? Is the site itself also under CC-BY-NC, or just the comics? [[User:Dratini0|Dratini0]] ([[User talk:Dratini0|talk]]) 23:58, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3227: Creation

2026-04-01T23:58:50Z

Dratini0:

did anyone else wait for the screensaver to hit the corner? [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 20:13, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I can't work out what Modem mode is meant to do... on my machine it just freezes the whole page. [[Special:Contributions/78.213.151.110|78.213.151.110]] 20:22, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:It plays the sound of an old-style phone modem, and scrolls the comic into view slowly. It's supposed to represent the early days when downloading an image would take a long time. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:can confirm on android firefox it seems to render the page unresponsive to input - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 21:18, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Same here on Desktop Firefox - under "Modem mode", the whole page freezes up and the browser prompts me to close it ("this page is slowing down Firefox", or words to that effect). I wonder if it's a Firefox thing - odd if so, because I imagine Randall of all people would test on browsers other than Chrom* - or some weird side-effect of my ad/popup/script/cookie-blockers. A shame because all the other modes seem to work - "Greyscale mode" is far too subtle, and I'm ashamed to admit I missed the change from "math" to "maths"! - but this is a great April Fools' comic. [[Special:Contributions/50.45.232.78|50.45.232.78]] 22:56, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Firefoxer here, and ''without'' any particular add-ons that might interact badly with it... It does (seem to) lock up and it does (sometimes... didn't on at least one occasion) prompt Firefox to ask if I want to stop the page. But if I wait long enough it 'wipes off' the last seen comic image, starts to 'scanline' it back (note: not actually accurate to the real days of modems, as you'd probably be loading up images in interlaced mode) and ''then'' starts to give a modem-shriek.
:I wonder, without delving into the code used, if it's the method used to 'sleep' (could it be using busy-busy NOP-like code, rather than true sleep-interupts?), or just a slightly different asynchronous script-handling method that Firefox uses instead of other test-platforms. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 23:46, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I clicked darker mode and my screen is black and I cant undo it help
:I assume you mean Darkest Mode, since there's no darker mode. The screen turns black but if you look carefully you can still see the grey of the menu and you can click on it. Also, the menu border continues to appear after you select the choice (at least it does on my Mac). P.S. Don't forget to sign your comment with 4 ~ characters. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Modem mode doesn’t work for me what does it do [[Special:Contributions/2A06:5906:1412:4100:352D:1A2:184:5F3|2A06:5906:1412:4100:352D:1A2:184:5F3]] 20:29, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Modem mode makes the comic slowly print from above [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 20:34, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I see the mobile site m.xkcd.com was left out on this change😔 [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.219|104.28.215.219]] 20:37, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I read “Modern mode” instead of Modem mode and I spent a while making wild theories about what it could be referencing. But I’m also quite sleepy. [[Special:Contributions/146.70.116.107|146.70.116.107]] 20:51, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I deminified the code if anyone wants it. There are no hidden options or anything like right-click has, but it would be extremely easy to add modes to it. [[Special:Contributions/2601:441:4B7E:7660:0:0:0:AC72|2601:441:4B7E:7660:0:0:0:AC72]] 20:59, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

"Modem mode" works for me in Chromium, but not Firefox. [[User:Robobun|Robobun]] ([[User talk:Robobun|talk]]) 21:06, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:For me it's just slow on Firefox. It takes about 5 seconds to clear the comic and start scrolling it back in, and the static doesn't start until it's almost all showing. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:11, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

applies across the whole website? i forsee a preservation effort in the near future to capture What This Was Like, when randall inevitably removes the menu and all its modes--there's no chance this is staying, is there? - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 21:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:It applies to older comics, but not other parts of the site. I'm also wondering if this might be just for April Fool's Day. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:27, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:: I know it's april the 1st, but could we keep the modes? Stainglass is fun when the background doesn't turn maroon (and makes the text hard to read). I also checked other pages of xkcd, the modes are on on the other comics.
::Of course it's the April Fools'/Fools' comic. Nice to see it being on time, this year, and I too wonder how long it'll stay. Might it permanently stay on this comic page, perhaps even stay if you jump off of it, but comic 3228 (or the 'default' latest-comic page) will probably be back to normal on Friday. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 22:14, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Finally we have the Boat Mode from the footer! [[User:B_for_brain|B for brain]] ([[User_talk:B_for_brain|talk]]) ([https://www.youtube.com/@bforbrain youtube channel] [https://bforbrain.weebly.com/ wobsite (supposed to be a blag)]) 21:33, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

'''Attention admins''' I think there's an "oops" in this line:
<nowiki>To experience the interactivity, visit the {{xkcd|{comicNum}|original comic}}!</nowiki>
[[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 21:43, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yeah, looks like this is a regression in this corner case. I should have a fix for it soon. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 23:41, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Has the full footer always been there? "xkcd.com is best viewed with Netscape Navigator 4.0 or below on a Pentium 3±1 emulated in Javascript on an Apple IIGS at a screen resolution of 1024x1. Please enable your ad blockers, disable high-heat drying, and remove your device from Airplane Mode and set it to Boat Mode. For security reasons, please leave caps lock on while browsing." --[[User:Chance2travel|Chance2travel]] ([[User talk:Chance2travel|talk]]) 22:30, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yes, always has been. Learn more at the page for [[Footnote]]. [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.219|104.28.215.219]] 23:17, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I think the Dorian Greyscale Mode takes 5 minutes to complete. I see this in the Javascript: <code>body.mode-dorian-greyscale {\n transition: filter 300s ease-out;</code> [[User:Pgn674|Pgn674]] ([[User talk:Pgn674|talk]]) 22:36, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Dorian Greyscale Mode seems like it ought to use only the white keys on a standard piano, and go DEGFCDBA, with adjacent notes differing in a single bit position. [[Special:Contributions/2A02:8084:2862:4F80:65B7:327D:E614:342F|2A02:8084:2862:4F80:65B7:327D:E614:342F]] 22:56, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I'd love to know if the modem mode's audio file decodes to anything if you try to decode it as a v.92 stream or something similar. [[Special:Contributions/2603:6011:4504:D100:3BD0:B617:9D7:1C80|2603:6011:4504:D100:3BD0:B617:9D7:1C80]] 23:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Stained Glass Mode doesn't show title text? Might be a bug [[User:X|X]] ([[User talk:X|talk]]) 23:38, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Not gonna lie, I got nerd-sniped hard here. I thought the noise in the modem mode might be real modem noises, and I tried to demodulate it. With Gnuradio, I got to the point of guessing that it's 4FSK at 2400 baud, with a center frequency of about 1700 Hz and a frequency deviation of about 300 Hz. I couldn't find the corresponding modem standard, so I started deminifying the source code that generates it. The good news is that I was correct. It's 4FSK, 2400 baud, center frequency 1710 Hz, frequency deviation 270 Hz. The bad news? The data is Math.random(). That feels bittersweet. I saw a puzzle where there was none. I want to post the relevant snippet of deminified code. Am I allowed to do that? Is the site itself also under CC-BY-NC, or just the comics? [[User:Dratini0|Dratini0]] ([[User talk:Dratini0|talk]]) 23:58, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3198: Double-Pronged Extension Cord

2026-01-26T01:15:11Z

Dratini0: re-sign, forgot to log in

F1rSt!1!!1!1!!1!1!1!11!11!1!!!!1!1![[User:Qwertyuiopfromdefly|Qwertyuiopfromdefly]] ([[User talk:Qwertyuiopfromdefly|talk]]) 02:08, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

curses, im too early on the scene for an explanation of what he's gonna do with the items in the titletext; such are the woes of being one of the people writing the explanations that you have to actually ''understand'' the comics - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 02:15, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

Same [[User:This isn't a good name|This isn't a good name]] ([[User talk:This isn't a good name|talk]]) 02:17, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

This is the third comic to reference the Demon Core experiment, after [[1242]] and [[2593]]. [[User:Soupgirls|Soupgirls]] ([[User talk:Soupgirls|talk]]) 02:21, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

: >"''Demon Core experiment''": [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_core Demon Core]No, I don't understand either --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 03:26, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

If you're otherwise creating fire hazards, a lithium ion battery is a terrible thing to have, and none of the horror stories you've heard involved a sack of them. Flour is a serious explosion hazard. Vinegar and bleach will release chlorine gas when combined. It sounds like an attempt to have the highest ratio of destruction to materials cost with the least effort. [[User:MrMatt|MrMatt]] ([[User talk:MrMatt|talk]]) 03:32, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

The title text just sounds like a bunch of flammable/noxious substances. So really, he has good intentions. [[User:Tanner07|Tanner07]] ([[User talk:Tanner07|talk]]) 03:57, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

---
Would someone mind explaining how the suicide cord can kill grid workers? I don't know if this is easier to understand in the US - we work on a ring main system in the UK, and (once it is plugged in and the prongs thus protected) I'm having problems seeing why it would be a problem even to the end-user (I suppose you could theoretically use it to connect a ring main rated for less current and set the walls on fire?)

:The problem is if you don't plug one end in --[[User:Darth Vader|Darth Vader]] ([[User talk:Darth Vader|talk]]) 10:52, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

EDIT: Gemini reminded me that these are generally used to connect a generator, to power up internal wiring that is depowered - if the grid worker has done this deliberately to work upstream and you power things back up things get ugly.

[[Special:Contributions/92.237.46.83|92.237.46.83]] 08:48, 24 January 2026 (UTC) Jon

Electrician here, Suicide cords are used to 'backfeed' a circuit. Homeowners make them when they are too cheap to add a generator outlet. When plugged in, one side has exposed live parts which can shock or kill you. The other danger is backfeeding the grid itself when plugging in a generator (hence lineworker danger) for the exact reason that line interactive inverters for solar arrays need to shut down when the grid is off. Line workers are expecting dead lines when they come down and backfeeding them may make them live on the ground or while the worker is holding them. The proper way to power a house is to have a generator outlet installed and an interlocked panel that disconnects the mains power from your panel (isolating the power lines) and connects the generator power to specific circuits you want.

I added a "Trivia" note that two days before this comic was posted, Randall had put up a YouTube video version of the ''What If?'' item about what would happen if someone's DNA all disappeared. It was compared to the effects of receiving a massive dose of ionizing radiation. The connection between this comic and Slotin's accident seemed relevant to me, at least enough for a "Trivia" item, but another editor disagreed and removed it. Opinions? [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 15:03, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

I've noticed that recently, these explanations start off very short and without the same humor that most explainxkcd explanations have, and almost appear to be written by AI, before being replaced by a longer explanation that seems more in the vein of this website. Could someone explain what's happening here, and if AI is being used? [[User:CreatorOfWorlds|CreatorOfWorlds]] ([[User talk:CreatorOfWorlds|talk]]) 15:32, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
:"Any sufficiently advanced AI is indistinguishable from a lazy unimaginative human" -- Clarke's AI bot's Third Law [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]])
:I'd guess that the initial explanations are often written by people who want very much to be the first to write something, and prioritize that speed over quality. I've felt that urge a couple of times, but fought it down. :-) [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 19:22, 24 January 2026 (UTC)
::Sorry, more or less guilty as charged. My excuse is that it was an awkward time in my timezone. I will try to do better, but realistically, I don't foresee myself being at the peak of my creativity at that time. [[User:Dratini0|Dratini0]] ([[User talk:Dratini0|talk]]) 01:15, 26 January 2026 (UTC)
:Another common request vector is for people who have [https://x.com/kobunheat/status/1336134415336964096 strung a line of Christmas lights backwards] and don't want to rehang them. [[Special:Contributions/210.185.98.84|210.185.98.84]] 21:17, 24 January 2026 (UTC)

Regarding "50 lithium batteries": the comic doesn't specify 50, but a pun has slyly been inserted here: {{w|Voltaic pile}} (there are other, somewhat relevant, types of piles as well!) So a "pile" may weigh in less than 50. But there are myriad dangers with lithium-ion batteries. They have many failure modes. So it may not be helpful to focus in on just one of them. I mean, clearly some kind of mischief is going to be wrought, but we really don't know what shape it will take without a list of accessories that are directly related to the "pile of batteries". [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 14:32, 25 January 2026 (UTC)

The correct way to use multiple power sources in case of emergency would be through an appropriate design such as the use of a multi-input UPS with an acid-lead battery for a buffer. This approach could possibly entail the use of "double-pronged" cords in an ill-designed home-made setup. {{unsigned ip|2001:861:3f07:a020:c61f:2d42:ade8:f326|23:24, 25 January 2026}}
:Dear IPv6, welcome to explainXkcd, and please sign your posts with four tildes. Anyway, I am not sure how your comment is relevant to this comic. There is absolutely no "emergency" portrayed here. It seems Cueball isn't in a big rush to get that equipment he wants. Nor is he really preparing to react to an emergency situation. Rather, he seems intent on doing an experiment that will create one, instead. As for batteries and a "multi-input UPS" I suppose that is a fine idea for power outages. Certainly, a "double-pronged AC cord" could be used to "backfeed" the electricity into a home's circuits. But again, I do not see the relevance of your proposed setup to this comic. The title text describes a pile of lithium-ion batteries because it's clearly aimed at creating a disaster by causing them to explode or catch fire in some way. Nobody's getting ready to survive an extended power outage. [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 23:41, 25 January 2026 (UTC)i
::dear Eelizstuffandother, I understand your snide and I do apologize for not signing my post. "suicide cords" are the way to feed 'leccy down an electrical circuitry. If fed through a properly-configured UPS, the problem disappears. Such setups usually make use of lead-acid batteries to buffer the load, as the tech is well-proven, reliable, and less prone to unexpected emergencies. For the record my private personal networw relies on 2 lead-acid UPS and while my oven and other appliances have sufferered from power interruptions several times in the past year, my private network never fell. XOXXO [[Special:Contributions/2001:861:3F07:A020:C61F:2D42:ADE8:F326|2001:861:3F07:A020:C61F:2D42:ADE8:F326]] 00:11, 26 January 2026 (UTC)

3198: Double-Pronged Extension Cord

2026-01-24T02:34:30Z

Dratini0: Initial explanation.

{{comic
| number = 3198
| date = January 23, 2026
| title = Double-Pronged Extension Cord
| image = double_pronged_extension_cord_2x.png
| imagesize = 698x267px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Oh, and can I borrow 50 sacks of loose flour, a pile of lithium-ion batteries, a bucket of bleach, and a bucket of vinega--' 'NO!!!!!!'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by THE EXTENSION CORD FROM COMIC #509. I can't explain the anchoring it to the wall part yet, and I didn't do the title text. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
As ponytail correctly points out, extension cords with prongs on both ends are lethally dangerous. They are also known as [https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/generators/why-suicide-extension-cords-are-so-dangerous-a1189731437/ suicide cords] for this reason.

Ponytail seems to relax when she persuades Cueball to use a regular extension cord instead, but then he elaborates that he is performing an experiment similar to Louis Slotin's infamous "Tickling the dragon's tail" experiment, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slotin#Criticality_accident which proved fatal]. Understandably, this horrifies Ponytail even more.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[Cueball is approaching Ponytail from off, who is sitting at a desk, with a laptop.]
:Cueball: Do you have an extension cord with prongs at both ends? Can I borrow it?
:Ponytail: '''''No'''''!!!

:[Close up of Ponytail raising her arms in an exasperated fashion]
:Ponytail: No one should '''''ever''''' buy or make those!
:Ponytail: They start fires, destroy equipment, and risk electrocuting you or grid workers!
:Cueball: OK, OK, I get it.

:[The view zooms back out, showing Ponytail handing Cueball an extension cord.]
:Cueball: Can I just borrow a regular cord, then?
:Ponytail: Sure. Here.
:Cueball: The prongs aren't important. I just thought they'd help anchor it to the wall.
:Ponytail: Wait, what are you-

:[Cueball is walking away from Ponytail, who sits at her desk with her hands to her head]
:Cueball: I need it to help hold up the top half of the reflector for this plutonium core that I'm-
:Ponytail: '''''AAAAAAAA!!!!'''''

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]

935: Missed Connections

2025-04-19T13:05:06Z

Dratini0: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 935
| date = August 8, 2011
| title = Missed Connections
| image = missed_connections.png
| titletext = The Street View van isn't going to find out anything Google won't already know from reading my email.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Missed Connections}} is a page on {{w|Craigslist}} in which people who saw each other briefly and want to reconnect attempt to find each other again. In the case of missed connections, one person describes themselves "Me" and describes the other person "You" in order that the second person would recognize themself and try to reconnect.

The first entry appears to be a goofy joke, although there have been many {{w|Wienermobile #Notable incidents|Wienermobile incidents}} in the past.

The second entry refers to a person (you) looking down into a wishing well (presumably to throw in a coin to get a wish), but someone (me) is sitting down in the well with a harpoon looking up spotting the silhouette at the top of the well. This seems like a very weird thing to do, and the vaguely human shadow may be lucky to be alive, since the only reason the "you" should know about the "me" is if the me fired the harpoon (and missed). A person sitting in a well telling people stuff (as if it was the well speaking) was the pun in [[568: Well 2]]. Oddly enough, this entry could possibly be a reference to [http://fairlyoddparents.wikia.com/wiki/Wishing_Well this] episode of {{w|The Fairly OddParents}}.

The third entry is a reference to networking. UDP stands for {{w|User Datagram Protocol}}. UDP packets don't use handshaking to verify they have contacted the correct host, so they can get lost or confused. The Cisco router location is a block of IP addresses that was unallocated at the time when this comic was published but has been allocated to Latin America and Caribbean since then. {{w|Cisco}} is a company that makes networking equipment. This is a play on a missed connection for someone who was lost and asked for directions. It can also be a pun on how UDP doesn't have the concept of a connection, in contrast to TCP.

The fourth entry is a reference to [http://m.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/08/fox-blasts-obamas-hip-hop-bbq-for-failing-to-create-jobs/243183/ two] [http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/hannity/transcript/should-controversial-rapper-common-have-been-invited-white-house events] in 2011 in which President {{w|Barack Obama}} invited rappers--among other people--to the White House. After each event, right-wing commentators blasted the event as a party unbecoming of the dignity of the White House. {{w|Nancy Pelosi}} is the Democratic Leader of the {{w|US House of Representatives}}. The acronym (D-CA) is a common notation for politicians which notates party (D for Democrat) and state (CA for California). Pelosi would have also been invited to these events, and the missed connections listing is a reference to what the commentators imagined the event would have been like. A "{{w|juggalo}}" is a term referring to a fan of the rap group {{w|Insane Clown Posse}} (which includes rapper {{w|Violent J}}), which is notorious for having a wild, misogynistic, and violent fanbase.

The fifth entry is a straightforward joke. One of the two people getting married was so distracted by their phone they have no clue where their spouse is now, or even who they are. Alternatively, it could be that the second party deserted the wedding because they were frustrated by their partner being distracted by their cell phone during the wedding, and the first partner is now hoping to convince them to return.

The sixth entry is a reference to how the {{w|Google Street View}} car was not only recording photos of the street in 360 degrees, it was also collecting data from unencrypted Wi-Fi networks. The comic takes this to the next level, that the Google Street View van also scans what we have in our pockets and does a retinal scan. In this case, the social security number referenced is [http://www.ssa.gov/history/ssn/misused.html the most used SSN of all time.] The retinal scan takes this even further, indicating that Google's cameras are collecting fine enough images to identify people by {{w|Retinal scan}}.

The entry gets a bit absurd when you realize with all this data, it should be trivial for the Google employee to ID and meet this young man, and would not need the Missed Connections page.

The last entry suggests that {{w|Babe Ruth}}, the American baseball slugger of 1914-1935, is actually a {{w|Time Lord}}. Time Lord is a reference to the popular sci-fi series {{w|Doctor Who}} in which The Doctor, who is a Time Lord, uses a {{w|TARDIS}}, which is a time travel machine. Possibly because he was a baseball player "ahead of his time". Alternatively, it may be a reference to the "Who's On First" radio sketch from the same time period. In this case, Babe Ruth would be the Doctor, or 'Doctor Who'.

The title text is another reference to the privacy concerns surrounding Google Street View van, to which Google responded by claiming that the street view camera wouldn't capture anything that someone walking by wouldn't be able to see. [[Randall]] is not worried about the street view van since he expects that Google will already know anything that such a van could discover from reading his e-mails. This last statement is of course much more serious than having a photo taken by a passing van, thus making it clear what people should fuss about, and it is not the van.

==Transcript==
:[The page is set up like the missed connections area of Craigslist, with a list of messages from an individual to a person they weren't able to communicate with at the time. All readable text is in blue. There is a large heading at the top:]
:<font color="blue">'''Personals > Missed Connections'''</font>

:[Below the heading there is a gray section in a black frame with two lines. The first line has a search box and a drop down menu with text and two black arrows to the right of it. The second line has three check boxes and two other boxes, all empty. all boxes has white background. Text is written many places around these boxes (and on the drop down menu), it is written in black, but none of it is readable.]

:[Below this gray section follows seven missed connections, the last being cut before the description of "Me" is finished, and the line visible is cut of, so the lower third of the letters are hidden below the comics frame.]
<font color="blue">
:You: Clinging to hood of your stolen Wienermobile, trying to reach into engine to unstick throttle
:Me: Screaming, diving out of the way

:You: Vaguely human silhouette
:Me: At bottom of wishing well with harpoon gun

:You: Confused UDP packet
:Me: Cisco router in 45.170/16 block

:You: Baddest fuckin' Juggalo at Violent J's party
:Me: Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca)

:You: Getting married to me
:Me: Also getting married, but distracted by my phone

:You: Cute boy on corner of 4th & Main, 5'11, 169lbs, social security number 078-05-1120, pockets contained $2.09 in change, keys, and a condom. Retinal scan attached
:Me: Driving street view van

:You: George Herman "Babe" Ruth
:Me: Fellow Time Lord. Saw your Tardis on third moon of
</font>

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Social networking]]
[[Category:Doctor Who]]
[[Category:Harpoons]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Google]]
[[Category:Furries]]

2995: University Commas

2024-10-07T22:48:44Z

Dratini0: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2995
| date = October 7, 2024
| title = University Commas
| image = university_commas_2x.png
| imagesize = 580x273px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The distinctive 'UCLA comma' and 'Michigan comma' are a long string of commas at the start and end of the sentence respectively.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT COMMA - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
,,,,,,,The, {{w|Oxford comma}}, is, a, comma, between, the, second,-to,-last, item, in, a, list, and, the, word, ''and'',.,,,,,, For instance, you can write "red, white, and blue" (with the Oxford comma) or "red, white and blue" (without it). Some style guides such as ''{{w|The Oxford Style Manual}}'' recommend using it while others recommend against it. This comic imagines other commas associated with universities.

The MIT comma might be a reference to trailing commas sometimes used in programming[https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11597901/why-are-trailing-commas-allowed-in-a-list], which would be associated with a highly technical university.

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

Please, buy, apples, mac, and, cheese, milk, and, bread,.

Yale Comma
Columbia Comma
Cornell Comma
Princeton Comma
Harvard Comma
Stanford Comma
Cambridge Comma
Oxford Comma
MIT Comma

'''Caption''':
The Oxford one is the most famous, but many major universities have their own comma.
{{comic discussion}}

2973: Ferris Wheels

2024-08-17T14:22:50Z

Dratini0: /* Explanation */ Redid maths

{{comic
| number = 2973
| date = August 16, 2024
| title = Ferris Wheels
| image = ferris_wheels_2x.png
| imagesize = 624x280px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = They left the belt drive in place but switched which wheel was powered, so people could choose between a regular ride, a long ride, and a REALLY long ride.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BELT POWERED BY A DIFFERENT WIKI PAGE IN ORDER TO KEEP THIS ONE GOING - The ratio is listed as 12.5:1, but the calculations in the explanation use 20:1? Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic depicts an attempted connection of three {{w|Ferris wheel}}s using a {{w|Belt (mechanical)|mechanical belt drive}}, a system typically used to transfer motion between rotating shafts. By connecting the wheels at different circumferences, the relative motion is geared up or down. If the belt passes around the circumference of one wheel and is connected around the hub of another, the latter will rotate significantly faster. In this case, the second wheel's circumference is in turn connected to a third wheel's hub, resulting in even greater rotational velocity. However, this setup is mechanically unsound and possibly dangerous, as Ferris wheels are not intended to be connected in this way.{{cn}} As shown, the first wheel on the left is running at a normal speed, while the other two are rotating increasingly fast, leading to a potentially hazardous situation where passengers are flung around at various (possibly {{w|G-force#Human tolerance|quite hazardous}}) extents.

The typical Ferris wheel has a diameter of about 200 feet and usually takes around 10 minutes per full rotation. The apparent ratio between the connected wheels in the comic is approximately 12.5:1, meaning the motion is significantly sped up as it’s transferred. The second Ferris wheel, driven by the first, could spin at around 1.3 rpm, with passengers moving at 9 mph (14 km/h), which is faster than usual but not inherently dangerous. However, when this motion is further transferred to the third Ferris wheel, it could spin at 16 rpm, with passengers traveling at over 110 mph (180 km/h), subjecting them to 8 Gs of force—conditions that would be hazardous.

The caption says that the person responsible was fired for this ill-advised modification, highlighting the impracticality and dangers of the idea. A cruise line fired a person due to an unsound engineering solution earlier in [[2935: Ocean Loop]].

The title text imagines the consequences of leaving the belt drive system in place but switching which wheel is powered. If the most extreme wheel (the third one on the right) is powered, the gearing would be reversed, making for a possibly pleasant and normal ride on the right-hand wheel, but rendering the experiences of the riders on the other two wheels far too slow and seemingly interminable. One revolution of the center wheel might take three hours and twenty minutes, while the left wheel would take multiple days per revolution.  This exaggerates the impracticality and unintended effects of using a belt drive system on Ferris wheels, humorously illustrating how such an idea would lead to absurdly varied ride experiences.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Three Ferris wheels are shown side by side, with some people stood on the ground for scale.]
:[Each of the first two wheels have a belt connecting their circumference to the axel of the respective one to the right.]
:["Agitrons" indicate that the middle wheel is turning notably faster than the left wheel, with the gondolas seen to be rocking significantly at all points round the wheel.]
:[The spokes of the right wheel are completely replaced by "motion lines", indicating that the the right wheel is turning the fastest of all. All its gondolas are hanging outwards against centripetal force, interspersed with their own motion lines.]

:[Caption below the picture:]
:The county fair fired me for adding a belt drive to the Ferris wheels.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Engineering]]

2937: Room Code

2024-05-26T08:17:04Z

Dratini0: /* Explanation */ add another date format that's not quite valid ISO8601

{{comic
| number = 2937
| date = May 24, 2024
| title = Room Code
| image = room_code_2x.png
| imagesize = 650x290px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Sorry to make you memorize this random string of digits. If it helps, it can also double as a mnemonic for remembering your young relatives' birthdays, if they happened to have been born on February 5th, 2018.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SIX-DIGIT HOTEL ROOM CODE - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

Cueball and Megan are on vacation or otherwise traveling, and receive a code for their hotel room. Megan gives a seemingly nonsensical and unhelpful {{w|mnemonic}} by which Cueball can remember it... which, inexplicably, actually ''helps'' Cueball to remember the code. Cueball becomes VERY angry on realizing this.

The first three {{w|prime numbers}} are actually 2, 3, and 5. So this technique easily identifies the first two digits "02". "05" is slightly wrong because it's not the second prime number, it's the third. And "18" is more wrong because it's not actually a prime number, it's 2 × 3 × 3.

So the mnemonic itself doesn't really provide the method for remembering the code. Instead, figuring out how to apply the bogus mnemonic will reinforce your memory of the code.

The title text points out that the code is also similar to a date in MMDDYY format, so if you happen to have a relative who was born on February 5, 2018, the memorized code will help you remember this date if using said date format. It is also a valid date in the DDMMYY format but in that case it would be 2nd May, 2018, or in YYMMDD format, in which case it refers to 18th of May, 2002.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is standing next to Cueball, who is holding a phone or a note in his hand. Each one has a suitcase on the out-facing side of them.]
:Cueball: Okay, I need to remember that the room code is 020518.

:[Closeup on Megan who has her palm raised.]
:Megan: Easy -- just memorize it as "the first three prime numbers, if you realized you couldn't remember what came after 2 and started to panic and get them increasingly wrong."

:[Beat panel of Megan and Cueball standing with no border.]

:[Megan and Cueball still standing.]
:Megan: ...Are you mad because that actually works?
:Cueball: '''''Why is memory like this?'''''

{{comic discussion}}

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

2487: Danger Mnemonic

2021-07-12T01:39:40Z

Dratini0: /* Explanation */ I think means this is a 24Ω snake

{{comic
| number = 2487
| date = July 9, 2021
| title = Danger Mnemonic
| image = danger_mnemonic.png
| titletext = It's definitely not the time to try drinking beer before liquor.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a DRUNKEN SAILOR'S POISON IVY SNAKE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is a mash-up of three different common sayings: "red touches yellow, dead fellow. Red touches black, happy Jack," "leaves of three, leave them be; berries white, poisonous sight" and "red sky at morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailor's delight."

The combination of the three sayings make it sound somewhat like an ominous prophecy, citing odd, specific conditions under which some unknown disaster will occur- in which case, you probably should get out of there.

The adult refers to three different sayings that remind people how to recognize dangerous things or situations. If all are true at once, then things must be especially bad. The sayings are:

*'''Red touches yellow, kills a fellow.''' This is a saying for how to recognize a venomous {{w|coral snake}}, which has red, black, and yellow stripes, with the red and yellow stripes adjacent. A nonvenomous {{w|king snake}} also has red, black, and yellow stripes, but the black stripes separate the red and yellow ones. Note that this identification is only accurate in eastern North America, coral snakes in other parts of the world sometimes have black stripes touching red stripes. The safest course of action is to avoid any snake with the warning colors of red, yellow/white, and black stripes. Another corruption of same warning features in [[1604: Snakes]].
*'''Leaves of three, leave them be''' is used to identify {{w|poison ivy}} (on the east coast) and {{w|poison oak}} (on the west coast) from its many lookalikes, such as the Virginia creeper in [[443: Know Your Vines]].
*'''Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.''' The {{w|Red sky at morning|mnemonic}} predicts bad/good weather conditions based on a particularly red sunrise/sunset. It is predictive at {{w|middle latitudes}} where the prevailing winds go from west to east. Regions of higher air pressure will cause a particularly red sky at sunrise/sunset, so a red sky in the evening indicates a high pressure system is coming in from the west with its calmer weather, while a red sky in the morning indicates a low pressure front coming in (usually with rain/rougher weather). In some countries (such as the United Kingdom), the saying mentions shepherds rather than sailors.

The title text refers to the myth of '''Beer before liquor, never been sicker; liquor before beer, you're in the clear''', or one of various other colloquial folk variations that clearly already inspired [[2422: Vaccine Ordering]]. Unlike the first three mnemonics which are genuinely useful for avoiding danger, this one is closer to a myth, unless the order affects how much you drink. <ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/07/health/the-claim-mixing-types-of-alcohol-makes-you-sick.html</ref> Perhaps the title text is a warning against getting drunk around deadly snakes, and poison ivy, in bad weather.

Also see [[2038: Hazard Symbol]] for another combination of danger warnings.

==Transcript==

:[Blondie talking to two children: a younger looking Hairy and Science Girl]

: Blondie: Now, remember:
: Blondie: If red touches yellow amid leaves of three under a red sky at morning,
: Blondie: you should probably just get out of there.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]

1413: Suddenly Popular

2021-06-20T23:49:00Z

Dratini0: Add to Category:Timelines

{{comic
| number = 1413
| date = August 27, 2014
| title = Suddenly Popular
| image = suddenly_popular.png
| titletext = Are Your Teens Practicing Amplexus? Learn These Six Telltale Signs!
}}

==Explanation==
Many phrases that used to be of mainly academic interest become popular when an important event or global trend is described with such phrases in the media. [[Randall]] presents a timeline of past examples, and predicts phrases that may be popularised in the near future. The past events are a mix of buzz words and words that became popularized as a result of technology trends, natural disasters, or terrorism. The future events seem to be all related to natural disasters or other kinds of serious issues, except ''{{w|Amplexus}}'' — which is the joke of the title text — showing that no matter how many disasters there are, people are generally more concerned about their teenagers' sex lives.

The title text is also an example of a {{w|clickbait}} headline. Many organizations will post a link on social media to their content with a sensationalized headline in order to draw readers in. In this case, the headline is geared towards parents who are worried about their children being sexually active in this new ''Amplexus'' way. Such headlines are the internet's analog to television news' {{w|Promo (media)|promos}} ("A new trend among teens is sweeping the nation, but is it dangerous? Details at 11:00.").

{{w|Global catastrophic risks|Global catastrophic risk}} is a theme throughout this comic. Randall predicts a large asteroid impact/near miss and a volcanic eruption, followed by an {{w|impact winter}} or {{w|volcanic winter}}. An insect borne, global pandemic without a cure also strikes, and then the {{w|technological singularity}} occurs.

This comic has similar features to [[887: Future Timeline]].

===List of the phrases===
Below the phrases are listed with the closest year from the time-line noted behind the phrase. Note that this year does not necessarily match with the in-real-life relevant year. This may be found in the explanation of the phrase below. [https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=world+wide+web%2Cdna+evidence%2Cmilitia+movement%2Csupermax%2Cbutterfly+ballot%2Cal-qaeda%2Cwi-fi%2Ctsunami%2Cviral%2Cradicalize%2Cmetadata&case_insensitive=on&year_start=1900&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=0&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Cworld%20wide%20web%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3BWorld%20Wide%20Web%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bworld%20wide%20web%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BWORLD%20WIDE%20WEB%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cdna%20evidence%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3BDNA%20evidence%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BDNA%20Evidence%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cmilitia%20movement%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bmilitia%20movement%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BMilitia%20Movement%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BMilitia%20movement%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Csupermax%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bsupermax%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSupermax%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSUPERMAX%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSuperMax%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cbutterfly%20ballot%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bbutterfly%20ballot%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BButterfly%20Ballot%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BButterfly%20ballot%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cal%20-%20qaeda%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bal%20-%20Qaeda%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BAl%20-%20Qaeda%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cwi%20-%20fi%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3BWi%20-%20Fi%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bwi%20-%20fi%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Ctsunami%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Btsunami%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BTsunami%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BTSUNAMI%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cviral%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bviral%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BViral%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BVIRAL%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cradicalize%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bradicalize%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BRadicalize%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cmetadata%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bmetadata%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BMetadata%3B%2Cc0 Google Books Ngram Viewer] can show the relative frequency of those words in function of the year.

;{{w|World Wide Web}} – 1994
:Though first proposed in 1989, and the first test being completed in 1990, it took until around 1994 for the {{w|World Wide Web|world wide web}} to start becoming well known.

;{{w|DNA profiling|DNA Evidence}} – 1995
:Prominent coverage of the {{w|O. J. Simpson murder trial}} in 1994 brought widespread discussion of {{w|DNA profiling|DNA Evidence}}, making it famous and showing its limitations.

;{{w|Militia Movement}} – 1996
:After the standoffs at {{w|Ruby Ridge}}, Idaho in 1992 and the {{w|Branch Davidians}} compound in Waco, Texas between U.S. Government Agencies and militias in 1993, people started becoming more aware of their presence, culminating with the 1995 {{w|Oklahoma City Bombing}} on the second anniversary of the fire at the Branch Davidians compound.

;{{w|Supermax prison|Supermax}} – 1997
:Super-Maximum security prisons. Possibly referring to the 1997 film {{w|Con Air}}, starring Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, and John Malkovich, in which prisoners being transferred to a new Supermax prison seize control of their transport plane. Also possibly referring to {{w|Timothy McVeigh}} and {{w|Terry Nichols}}, perpetrators of the aforementioned Oklahoma City bombing, who were incarcerated at {{w|ADX Florence}}, the former from the time of his arrest to 1999, and the latter from the time of his conviction to the present day.

[[File:Butterfly Voters View.jpg|thumb|A butterfly ballot]]
;{{w|butterfly ballot|Butterfly Ballot}} – 2000
:In the {{w|United States presidential election in Florida, 2000|United States presidential election in 2000, Florida}} had a major recount dispute that took center stage in the election. Thus, the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election was not known for more than a month after balloting, because of the extended process of counting and then recounting of Florida presidential ballots. The {{w|butterfly ballot}} was the type of ballot design {{w|United States presidential election in Florida, 2000#Palm Beach County's butterfly ballots|used in Palm Beach County, Florida}}, and was a central issue in the election controversy. Evidence suggests that many voters who intended to vote for Gore or Bush actually marked their ballots for Pat Buchanan or spoiled their ballots, because of a confusing layout of the ballot.

;{{w|Al-Qaeda}} – 2002
:The {{w|September 11th terrorist attacks}} brought the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation into the spotlight almost overnight.

;{{w|Wi-Fi}} – 2003
:Wi-Fi, though developed in the 1990s, first became popular in the early 2000s.

;{{w|Tsunami}} – 2006
:There were a number of tsunamis around this time period, in particular the {{w|Boxing Day Tsunami}} which caused 230,000 deaths, and the {{w|2006 Pangandaran earthquake and tsunami}}. These were some of the first tsunamis to be widely captured on camera, bringing these previously obscure seismic events into the public eye.

;{{w|Viral}} – 2009
:In this context, the word viral is used to describe anything which spreads rapidly and widely on the internet. In particular an online video clip is said to have 'Gone Viral' or become a {{w|Viral video}} if it racks up a high number of views over a short time. This phenomenon has become especially prevalent due to users sharing content on {{w|Social media}}.

;{{w|Radicalization|Radicalize}} – 2011
:Due to the ongoing {{w|Syrian Civil War}}, and the relative ease with which one can travel from Europe to Syria by way of Turkey, there is growing concern about the risk of young Muslims in Europe (and, to a lesser extent, the United States) becoming {{w|radicalization|radicalized}} by indoctrination from fundamentalists either in their communities or on the Internet.

;{{w|Metadata}} – 2013
:Following the highly publicised 2013 leaks by {{w|Edward Snowden}} of information regarding the {{w|NSA}}'s indiscriminate surveillance of global communication metadata, awareness of the privacy value of such data became widespread, where once it was mostly familiar to IT professionals.

''From this point on, phrases were in the future at the time of publication.''

;{{w|Lahar}} – 2016
:A lahar is a mudslide caused by the eruption of a volcano that was covered with snow or ice. Randall is speculating on a future natural disaster being caused by such an incident. {{w|Bárðarbunga}} volcano covered with the {{w|Vatnajökull}} glacier on Iceland increased activity just a few days before publishing of this comic, but its eventual {{w|2014–2015 eruption of Bárðarbunga|eruption}} caused little harm.

;{{w|Insect-borne disease|Insect-Borne}} – 2019
:Some {{w|Category:Insect-borne diseases|diseases are insect-borne}}, meaning specific species of insects are the main vector in spreading to humans. {{w|Malaria}} is an example of an {{w|insect-borne disease}}. Randall predicts some severe (possibly deadly) insect-borne disease will emerge around this time. As of 2016, the Zika virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, has reached epidemic status in South America, and has spread to southern North America, Africa and Australia. 2019 marks the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, so Randall's prediction of a major disease could be accurate, however COVID-19 is not an insect-borne disease.

;{{w|Earth-crosser|Earth-Crossing}} – 2021
:Earth-crossers are asteroids that cross the orbit of Earth. Most of them remain harmless because their orbit doesn't actually intersect the earth's orbit in 3 dimensions, or for the foreseeable future, they will cross when Earth is not there. For this phrase to become popular, an Earth-crosser might have to reach the heretofore-unreached "threatening" level, rating a 5 or more on the {{w|Torino Scale}}, due to a significant chance of a large impact. As of 2014, there are no threats of that level known in the early 2020s. If the next two phrases are connected to this one, Randall is predicting a significant asteroid impact.

;{{w|Thermohaline circulation|Thermohaline}} – 2022
:Thermohaline circulation is the largest group of interconnected ocean currents, which stabilize global climate by equalizing the temperature and salinity of oceans around the world. If this phrase becomes popular, it implies the thermohaline circulation would have slowed or changed significantly. This might be caused by asteroid impact or by polar ice melting. The latter scenario was apocalyptically dramatized in the movie {{w|The Day After Tomorrow}}.

;{{w|Snow blindness|Snow-Blindness}} – 2024
:Snow blindness is an eye condition caused by excessive UV light reflected from snow and ice. This can lead to corneal damage and blindness (temporary, if treated properly). This phrase becoming popular might suggest a long {{w|impact winter}} (from the asteroid) or severe {{w|ozone depletion}} in cold regions of the world.

;{{w|Amplexus}} – 2025
:A form of non-penetrative reproduction carried out by some animals, for example frogs, involving grasping the partner with front legs. This may be connected to the other posts (some change in human society) or it may simply be a joke at how new sexual language/fads appear and hit mainstream media from time to time (for example a number of acts gained fame from Sex and the City). This also ties in with the title text, which imagines a sensationalist headline suggesting teenagers may be doing this.

;{{w|Aquaplaning|Controlled Hydroplaning}} – 2028
:Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle tire comes in contact with a puddle in such a way that the water builds up between the tire and the road surface. The film of water, having a much lower coefficient of friction than the road surface, causes the tire to lose traction. Typically, in this scenario, the driver isn't planning to hydroplane and loses control of the vehicle. In theory, controlled hydroplaning would be achieved when the driver plans for it ahead of time. This could be necessary if, in this hypothetical future, most of the roads are flooded since the impact winter (after only four years) ends and thus a great thaw causes all roads to become wet all the time.

;{{w|Paradoxical reaction|Paradoxical Reaction}} – 2031
:"paradoxical reaction" is a medical term for when the outcome of a medical treatment, typically the taking of a drug, is the opposite of that expected. For example if taking a pain relieving medication made the pain worse. For this term to suddenly become well known, a large scale or particularly notable case must have taken place (such as the insect-borne disease of 2019). Or, this and the following (and maybe the last as well) phrases may refer to the events from {{w|The Evitable Conflict}} by Isaac Asimov (and its very loose but much more popular film adaptation {{w|I,_Robot_(film)|I, Robot}}) where robots, instructed with the {{w|Three Laws of Robotics}}, take over the world to prevent humans hurting each other. The paradoxical reaction is that these laws were specifically designed to, among other things, prevent robots from taking over the world in the first place.

;{{w|Desertion|Drone Desertion}} – 2033
:Desertion is the abandonment of a post or duty, usually military in nature. With the increasing use of autonomous drones by the military this hints at an event where drones 'decide' to desert, possibly due to unspecified advances in {{w|Artificial Intelligence}} and {{w|Robot Rights}}. Or maybe they just start following the {{w|Three Laws of Robotics}}.

;{{w|Human hair growth|Rapid Hair Growth}} – 2034
:Maybe some humans have developed a very rapid hair growth (presumably on the entire body) through evolution and natural selection caused by the cold years of the impact winter.

;{{w|Oath#Divine oath|I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death}} – 2038
:This is a {{w|Oath#Divine oath|divine oath}}. A possible explanation is that after the impact and the desertion of the drones predicted for 2033, a strong fraction has made their leader divine, and everyone now has to swear allegiance to this new God-Empress using this phrase - which would certainly make it a very "popular" phrase. The phrase [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GodEmperor God-Emperor] was popularized in the science-fiction work ''Dune'' in 1965 and has been repeatedly referenced since, notably in the tabletop game Warhammer 40,000 (and related media).

==Transcript==
:Obscure words and phrases everyone suddenly becomes very familiar with.
:[A time line to the left is marked of by several phrases to the right around the time they became familiar to the public:]
::← World Wide Web
::← DNA Evidence
:1995
::← Militia Movement
::← Supermax
:2000
::← Butterfly Ballot
::← Al-Qaeda
::← Wi-Fi
:2005
::← Tsunami
::← Viral
:2010
::← Radicalize
::← Metadata
:2015
::← Lahar
::← Insect-Borne
:2020
::← Earth-Crossing
::← Thermohaline
::← Snow-Blindness
:2025
::← Amplexus
::← Controlled Hydroplaning
:2030
::← Paradoxical Reaction
::← Drone Desertion
::← Rapid Hair Growth
:2035
::← I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death
:2040

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Timelines]]

2471: Hippo Attacks

2021-06-02T23:17:16Z

Dratini0: /* Explanation */ It's my time to shine. Time to riff on social media journalism.

{{comic
| number = 2471
| date = June 2, 2021
| title = Hippo Attacks
| image = hippo_attacks.png
| titletext = It's cool how, when there's a number lots of people are curious about, but which isn't easy to measure, some random guess will get cited everywhere and become the universally quoted value. Unrelatedly, did you know there are 850 trillion waves in the ocean?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a HIPAA-VIOLATING HIPPO. I think we have managed to capture the broad strokes of the comic, but it could use some copy-editing (especially my words), and I am not confident I am not missing some finer details. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The first part of this comic deals with unreliable sources on the internet. Neither "viral posts" or "random listicles" are usually very reliable sources of information. They rarely cite their sources, and they are often published without much fact-checking, as published volume and impressive-sounding numbers are far more important for ad-revenue than actual facts.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ({{w|HIPAA}}, pronounced ''HIP-uh'') is an American healthcare law enacted in 1996. One of the most commonly cited provisions from HIPAA is the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which regulates the use and disclosure of protected health information.

In this comic, Cueball and Megan are discussing the number of {{w|hippopotamus}} attacks, which are unverified. They propose an alternative explanation as to why this particular number is hard to come by: it would be violating the patients' privacy to create statistics of a very specific and unusual cause of death. The punchline comes with the pun of "hippo violation" to "HIPAA violation".

The title text provides further explanation to the criticism of listicles. They sometimes provide factoids with regards to ill-defined, hard-to-measure numbers, and these factoids might end up in common circulation between such articles. One extreme example such would be the number of waves in the ocean. Some problems with this definition would be:

* In which ocean/oceans?
* What is the smallest ripple that counts as a wave?
* When does one count two interacting waves as separate, and when does one count them as one?

With different answers to these questions, wildly different answers could be reached.

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

:[Cueball sits at his computer desk, facing left. Megan stands behind him.]
:Cueball: I hate unsourced statistics.
:Cueball: ''This'' viral post says hippos kill 2,900 people a year, but ''this'' random listicle says 500.
:Megan: Makes sense.
:Megan: Publishing the real number would be a hippo violation.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Statistics]]
[[Category:Puns]]

2043: Boathouses and Houseboats

2018-09-07T15:47:08Z

Dratini0: Draft explanation

{{comic
| number = 2043
| date = September 7, 2018
| title = Boathouses and Houseboats
| image = boathouses_and_houseboats.png
| titletext = The <x> that is held by <y> is also a <y><x>, so if you go to a food truck, the stuff you buy is truck food. A phone that's in your car is a carphone, and a car equipped with a phone is a phonecar. When you play a mobile racing game, you're in your phonecar using your carphone to drive a different phonecar. I'm still not sure about bananaphones.
}}

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

Randall is engaging in creative linguistics again.
This time he is humorously suggesting to use a consistent naming scheme for things holding other things, the same way we call a boat holding a house a houseboat.
He is extending this to all combinations boats, houses and cars.
This would, however, be somewhat impractical, as these names do not include why one thing is on an other, and are also sometimes ambiguous: a carcar can be a tow truck as much as a car carrier.

Additionally, he is somewhat inconsistent with this himself.
He proposes to call lifeboats "boatboat", which are boats held by other boats, as opposed to boats holding other boats.

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

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Language]]

2038: Hazard Symbol

2018-08-27T14:48:11Z

Dratini0: /* Explanation */ Title text

{{comic
| number = 2038
| date = August 27, 2018
| title = Hazard Symbol
| image = hazard_symbol.png
| titletext = The warning diamond on the Materials Safety Data Sheet for this stuff just has the "😰" emoji in all four fields.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LASER EMITTING RADIOACTIVE SLIPPERY BIOHAZARD in about 10 minutes, ignoring writing rules. - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Hazard symbols are often required to indicate certain threats to human health. These symbols are typically black symbols on yellow backgrounds, a contrast typically associated with danger even in nature. However, these symbols also need to be easy to interpret. Therefore, they have simple, recognizable shapes that are internationally uniform and well-understood.

This comic inverts this latter expectation, by combining multiple hazard symbols into one, creating something that is unique, and very hard to understand. In practice, if such an object were to be labelled, the five hazard symbols would be separated, each in their own triangle.

The title text refers to another unsafe subversion of expectations, in this case, with against the [[wikipedia:NFPA 704|NFPA 704]] "fire diamond". These are the colourful diamond-shaped symbols often found on the back of tankers, but they are also necessary inclusions on materials safety datasheets. These symbols give numeric indication of the hazardous nature of the material, in three different respects (flammability, health, and reactivity), in addition to providing space for an extra warning on the bottom, typically in the form of one or more letters. Using an emoji instead of numbers and letters would defeat the purpose of the fire diamond, as it would only give a qualitative indication of the danger ("very dangerous"), and additionally, could be very easily mistaken for a 0 (meaning safe).

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

The comic emphasizes a conglomerate of warning symbols (described below), drawn in black on top of a 'safety-yellow' background.
*The outer symbol is the outer portion of the international sign for bio hazard (not to be confused with the Jolly Rodger for poison).
** The section is much larger than the other symbols as it contains them all.
*At the center of the biohazard's contribution is the international symbol for radiation.
**The symbol and the remaining symbols are approximately the same size.
*Directly above (at 12:00) radiation is a common American symbol for slippery floors.
**It is a line representing the floor, and a person suspended in air and tilted at an angle as though falling backwards.
*At 4:00, is the symbol for high powered lasers
**This is tilted approximately 225 degrees and its tail shorted as a result of the conglomeration.
**This symbol is a trail of a laser, and emission of lines at some imagined point of contact.
*At 8:00 is the inter nation symbol for high voltage
**This is tilted approximately 45degrees, and drawn with significant irregularities.
**This symbol is an inverted Z like, lightning bolt with an arrow tip.

Under that from is a written caption:

"It's important to know the international warning symbol for radioactive high-voltage laser-emitting biohazards that coat the floor and make it slippery."

{{comic discussion}}

2038: Hazard Symbol

2018-08-27T14:29:48Z

Dratini0: /* Explanation */ Proofreading

{{comic
| number = 2038
| date = August 27, 2018
| title = Hazard Symbol
| image = hazard_symbol.png
| titletext = The warning diamond on the Materials Safety Data Sheet for this stuff just has the "😰" emoji in all four fields.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LASER EMITTING RADIOACTIVE SLIPPERY BIOHAZARD in about 10 minutes, ignoring writing rules. - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Hazard symbols are often required to indicate certain threats to human health. These symbols are typically black symbols on yellow backgrounds, a contrast typically associated with danger even in nature. However, these symbols also need to be easy to interpret. Therefore, they have simple, recognizable shapes that are internationally uniform and well-understood.

This comic inverts this latter expectation, by combining multiple hazard symbols into one, creating something that is unique, and very hard to understand. In practice, if such an object were to be labelled, the five hazard symbols would be separated, each in their own triangle.

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

The comic emphasizes a conglomerate of warning symbols (described below), drawn in black on top of a 'safety-yellow' background.
*The outer symbol is the outer portion of the international sign for bio hazard (not to be confused with the Jolly Rodger for poison).
** The section is much larger than the other symbols as it contains them all.
*At the center of the biohazard's contribution is the international symbol for radiation.
**The symbol and the remaining symbols are approximately the same size.
*Directly above (at 12:00) radiation is a common American symbol for slippery floors.
**It is a line representing the floor, and a person suspended in air and tilted at an angle as though falling backwards.
*At 4:00, is the symbol for high powered lasers
**This is tilted approximately 225 degrees and its tail shorted as a result of the conglomeration.
**This symbol is a trail of a laser, and emission of lines at some imagined point of contact.
*At 8:00 is the inter nation symbol for high voltage
**This is tilted approximately 45degrees, and drawn with significant irregularities.
**This symbol is an inverted Z like, lightning bolt with an arrow tip.

Under that from is a written caption:

"It's important to know the international warning symbol for radioactive high-voltage laser-emitting biohazards that coat the floor and make it slippery."

{{comic discussion}}

2038: Hazard Symbol

2018-08-27T14:26:25Z

Dratini0: /* Explanation */ Draft explanation.

{{comic
| number = 2038
| date = August 27, 2018
| title = Hazard Symbol
| image = hazard_symbol.png
| titletext = The warning diamond on the Materials Safety Data Sheet for this stuff just has the "😰" emoji in all four fields.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LASER EMITTING RADIOACTIVE SLIPPERY BIOHAZARD in about 10 minutes, ignoring writing rules. - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Hazard symbols are often required to indicate certain threats to human health. These symbols are typically black symbols on yellow backgrounds, a contrast typically associated with danger even in nature. However, these symbols are also required to be easy to interpret. Therefore, they have simple, uniform shapes that are internationally uniform and understood.

This comic inverts this latter expectation, by combining multiple hazard symbols into one, creating something that is unique, and very hard to understand. In practice, such an object were to be labelled, the five hazard symbols would be separated, each in their own triangle.

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

The comic emphasizes a conglomerate of warning symbols (described below), drawn in black on top of a 'safety-yellow' background.
*The outer symbol is the outer portion of the international sign for bio hazard (not to be confused with the Jolly Rodger for poison).
** The section is much larger than the other symbols as it contains them all.
*At the center of the biohazard's contribution is the international symbol for radiation.
**The symbol and the remaining symbols are approximately the same size.
*Directly above (at 12:00) radiation is a common American symbol for slippery floors.
**It is a line representing the floor, and a person suspended in air and tilted at an angle as though falling backwards.
*At 4:00, is the symbol for high powered lasers
**This is tilted approximately 225 degrees and its tail shorted as a result of the conglomeration.
**This symbol is a trail of a laser, and emission of lines at some imagined point of contact.
*At 8:00 is the inter nation symbol for high voltage
**This is tilted approximately 45degrees, and drawn with significant irregularities.
**This symbol is an inverted Z like, lightning bolt with an arrow tip.

Under that from is a written caption:

"It's important to know the international warning symbol for radioactive high-voltage laser-emitting biohazards that coat the floor and make it slippery."

{{comic discussion}}

859: (

2012-08-23T09:29:31Z

Dratini0: Added my explanation. )

{{comic
| number = 859
| date = February 11, 2011
| title = (
| image = (.png
| titletext = Brains aside, I wonder how many poorly-written xkcd.com-parsing scripts will break on this title (or ;;"''{<<[' this mouseover text."
| imagesize =
}}

== Explanation ==
{{Incomplete|859: (}}
In programming, punctuation is often used to mark sections of code. Paired punctuation marks must always be matched up with a corresponding closing mark, otherwise a so called {{w|Syntax error|syntax error}} occurs. The programming language {{w|Lisp_(programming_language)|Lisp}} (also featured in {{explain|224: Lisp}}) is known for large numbers of nested/paired parentheses.

It can also be interpreted as a metaphor, which compares the reader with a Lisp {{w|Interpreter (Computing)|interpreter}}. The interpreter looks for the parenthesis until the end of the file, where it eventually halts, and prints out the error. The comic claims that if you read an unmatched parenthesis, you will look for it for the rest of the day too.
==Transcript==
(An unmatched left parenthesis creates an unresolved tension that will stay with you all day.

{{Comic discussion}}