https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Flugexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-04-09T09:56:05ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:681:_Gravity_Wells&diff=180315Talk:681: Gravity Wells2019-09-22T21:52:35Z<p>Flug: /* How much of the gravity well can be overcome by launching from a high mountain? */</p>
<hr />
<div>Why is Earth's well's depth listed as 5478km but as 6379km in the inset? <br />
Compare with Mars which has 1286 in both places.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/87.174.225.131|87.174.225.131]] 07:21, 12 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Best guess is either a goof, or that the lower number is just for Earth itself, while the greater number is for the Earth/Moon system as a whole. Proportionally speaking, we have the largest moon in the solar system, so maybe it wouldn't nicely fit in the Earth well as easily as Mars's and Jupiter's moons do.--[[User:Druid816|Druid816]] ([[User talk:Druid816|talk]]) 08:28, 12 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: It ''may'' be the height needed to go from one gravity well to another. You don't have to get all the way up to escape speed for that.<br />
<br />
: Randall wasn't kidding about the Sun being "very very far down"; its well is 100 times deeper than Jupiter's!<br />
:[[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 19:47, 12 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: OTOH, from the table above i'm thinking that the 5.4 might be the Venus figure, and it was wrongly placed besides Earth...<br />
:: Secondly, what i found interesting was that the Earth's 6.4 looks so much like its radius! I wonder if it's merely a coincidence, or there's a connection between the two... -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 21:25, 30 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:::The table is great, it must be included in the article; layout and time is just my problem right now. PRO TIP: Do not care about the x-axis.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:18, 30 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
: The fact that the density of the Earth is 5478 kilograms per cubic kilometer makes me pretty sure it is a typo. [[User:Fewmet|Fewmet]] ([[User talk:Fewmet|talk]]) 03:04, 4 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
:: Hehe, you might be right. That's the best explanation. It would be a strange coincidence otherwise. But your units are wrong: a cubic kilometer of water, ice-cream or Natalie Portmans would be already something like a billion kilograms. Or a trillion, if you are American. Oh, you might be American. In this case: happy 4th of July! -[[Special:Contributions/188.114.102.35|188.114.102.35]] 12:39, 4 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
:::Thanks for catching that (and for the July 4 wishes). It should be kilograms per cubic meter. Looking into that, though, leaves me less sure that is the origin of the problem. I thought I had multiple sources for Earth having a density of 5478 kg/m3, but can find only [//atharvatutorials.com/doc/physics_paper.docx one] (and not a very compelling one at that). I have sounder sources for [//www.universetoday.com/26771/density-of-the-earth/ 5513 kg/m3]. [//nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/earthfact.html 5514 kg/m3], [//www.wolframalpha.com 5515 kg/m3], [//www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express/Venus_compared_to_Earth 5520 kg/m3] and [//principles.ou.edu/earth_planet/ 5540 kg/m3]. It may be trivial in that all round to 5500 kg/m3.<br />
::It was corrected on the poster version. Earth's well in the main graphic is marked as 6379km, just like the inset.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.86|108.162.216.86]] 00:19, 21 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::I solved for the wells on Earth, Moon and Mars using the equation Randall gave and masses and equatorial radii from NASA, getting 6371 km, 287 km and 1286 km, respectively. [[User:Fewmet|Fewmet]] ([[User talk:Fewmet|talk]]) 23:07, 5 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
The Oberth Effect mentioned in the title text is [//www.askamathematician.com/2013/01/q-how-does-the-oberth-effect-work-and-where-does-the-extra-energy-come-from-why-is-it-better-for-a-rocket-to-fire-at-the-lowest-point-in-its-orbit/ well-explained here] (assuming you are not intimidated by the algebra in squaring a binomial). The gist of it is that using a bit of fuel in a rocket thrust will increase the rocket’s kinetic energy . The higher the kinetic energy at the time of the thrust, the greater the increase in kinetic energy. It works because the energy of the fuel goes into increasing the kinetic energy of the ship and the kinetic energy of the spent fuel. The faster you go, the greater the portion of the energy the ship gets. <br />
<br />
The “gravity assist” is also known as the slingshot effect. The [//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_assist#Explanation Wikipedia explanation] is good, especially with its diagram. In it a spaceship (or other body) accelerates toward a planet (or moon, star, etc.) in the same direction that body was going. The ship picks up a little of the body’s momentum and so goes faster, although only according to an external reference frame. An observer at rest with respect to that other body would actually see the ship approach and depart with the same speed. <br />
<br />
The title text reference to orbital speed is unclear to me. I suppose it just means that the given gravity wells assume you are at rest on the surface of the planet. Then being in orbit (and necessarily having an orbital speed) would mean you are part way out of the well already. [[User:Fewmet|Fewmet]] ([[User talk:Fewmet|talk]]) 02:57, 4 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
If the first stage of a rocket is still supplying lift for a while after its fuel is used up and the stage is cut adrift, would there be any saving in waiting for the next phase to cut in when forward motion is almost ended rather than continuing the burn immediately from the second stage?<br />
<br />
The higher the vehicle gets the more productive the fuel becomes.Or is it preferable to continue the journey as fast as possible? {{unsigned|Weatherlawyer}}<br />
<br />
My first instinct would be to say burn as continuously as possible. If you wait until your speed is almost zero, you have to use a whole load of energy (fuel) to get back to the speed you were going in the first place. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 17:12, 27 January 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Hence the need to use ultra light containers in the first stage?{{unsigned|Weatherlawyer}}<br />
<br />
Maybe the typo is based on Randall's days at NASA? It might already incorporate gravity assists and the Oberth effect. That number might even be what NASA was using as the minimum potential with known cost-effective techniques. [[User:Flewk|flewk]] ([[User talk:Flewk|talk]]) 21:22, 8 January 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Earth's Geosynchronous Orbital Altitude ==<br />
<br />
In the XKCD strip, the artist states above Earth in the lower right popout that the geosynchronous altitude is well below top of Earth's gravity well. While the rest of his strip is a wonderful representation of the science behind gravity wells, this one bit is not accurate. A geosynchronous altitude for Earth is nearly 36,000 km, not under 6000 km. Kudos for the rest of the strip, though.<br />
: The strip scales the heights of the corresponding wells based on the assumption of constant Earth surface gravity; in other words, it takes the same amount of energy to climb such a well as it does to escape the real gravity well. By contrast, as one ascends from the Earth's surface, gravity decreases, so it requires less energy to climb to an orbital altitude than it does to reach the same height in the hypothetical well. The amount of energy required to put a geostationary satellite in orbit, for example, is equivalent to that used in raising it 5413 km in Earth surface gravity, and thus it is located 5413 km from the bottom of the well. [[User:Arcorann|Arcorann]] ([[User talk:Arcorann|talk]]) 03:42, 8 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== How much of the gravity well can be overcome by launching from a high mountain? ==<br />
<br />
If we constructed a spaceport on a mountaintop that was, say, 14,505 ft (Mt. Whitney, CA), or even 20,310 ft (Denali, Alaska), or slightly less after clearing a flat surface, would it significantly reduce the amount of the gravity well a rocket had to climb, and hence the amount of fuel needed to reach LEO? Would thinner air reduce drag and increase efficiency significantly as well?<br />
This would be tough to build and maintain, but would it be worth delivering spaceships to mountaintops by truck to reduce the need for fuel to escape Earth's Gravity well?<br />
:I am not an expert, but to my knowledge, the effect of latitude on gravity is much stronger than those of a mountain. Especially one as far north as Denali. That is why Nasa uses Florida and Texas, Russia uses {{w|Baikonur_Cosmodrome}} in Southern Kazakhstan , Europe uses {{w|Guiana_Space_Centre}} in south america (French Guiana, so technically Europe...). --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:52, 29 May 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:FWIW in the early stages of planning the Space Shuttle, the Air Force was looking at launching from the top of the Rockies, maybe in Colorado or such. The reason being exactly the savings in propellant and consequent gain in payload. I was made to believe the savings was quite significant.<br />
<br />
:What killed it was the issue of what happens when one malfunctions or crashes on launch. You've got Space Shuttle & parts raining down on the Denver metro area; not good.<br />
<br />
:Source: My dad worked on the project for the Air Force back in the 70s or thereabouts. [[User:Flug|Flug]] ([[User talk:Flug|talk]]) 21:52, 22 September 2019 (UTC)</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:681:_Gravity_Wells&diff=180314Talk:681: Gravity Wells2019-09-22T21:52:21Z<p>Flug: /* How much of the gravity well can be overcome by launching from a high mountain? */</p>
<hr />
<div>Why is Earth's well's depth listed as 5478km but as 6379km in the inset? <br />
Compare with Mars which has 1286 in both places.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/87.174.225.131|87.174.225.131]] 07:21, 12 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Best guess is either a goof, or that the lower number is just for Earth itself, while the greater number is for the Earth/Moon system as a whole. Proportionally speaking, we have the largest moon in the solar system, so maybe it wouldn't nicely fit in the Earth well as easily as Mars's and Jupiter's moons do.--[[User:Druid816|Druid816]] ([[User talk:Druid816|talk]]) 08:28, 12 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: It ''may'' be the height needed to go from one gravity well to another. You don't have to get all the way up to escape speed for that.<br />
<br />
: Randall wasn't kidding about the Sun being "very very far down"; its well is 100 times deeper than Jupiter's!<br />
:[[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 19:47, 12 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: OTOH, from the table above i'm thinking that the 5.4 might be the Venus figure, and it was wrongly placed besides Earth...<br />
:: Secondly, what i found interesting was that the Earth's 6.4 looks so much like its radius! I wonder if it's merely a coincidence, or there's a connection between the two... -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 21:25, 30 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:::The table is great, it must be included in the article; layout and time is just my problem right now. PRO TIP: Do not care about the x-axis.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:18, 30 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
: The fact that the density of the Earth is 5478 kilograms per cubic kilometer makes me pretty sure it is a typo. [[User:Fewmet|Fewmet]] ([[User talk:Fewmet|talk]]) 03:04, 4 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
:: Hehe, you might be right. That's the best explanation. It would be a strange coincidence otherwise. But your units are wrong: a cubic kilometer of water, ice-cream or Natalie Portmans would be already something like a billion kilograms. Or a trillion, if you are American. Oh, you might be American. In this case: happy 4th of July! -[[Special:Contributions/188.114.102.35|188.114.102.35]] 12:39, 4 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
:::Thanks for catching that (and for the July 4 wishes). It should be kilograms per cubic meter. Looking into that, though, leaves me less sure that is the origin of the problem. I thought I had multiple sources for Earth having a density of 5478 kg/m3, but can find only [//atharvatutorials.com/doc/physics_paper.docx one] (and not a very compelling one at that). I have sounder sources for [//www.universetoday.com/26771/density-of-the-earth/ 5513 kg/m3]. [//nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/earthfact.html 5514 kg/m3], [//www.wolframalpha.com 5515 kg/m3], [//www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express/Venus_compared_to_Earth 5520 kg/m3] and [//principles.ou.edu/earth_planet/ 5540 kg/m3]. It may be trivial in that all round to 5500 kg/m3.<br />
::It was corrected on the poster version. Earth's well in the main graphic is marked as 6379km, just like the inset.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.86|108.162.216.86]] 00:19, 21 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::I solved for the wells on Earth, Moon and Mars using the equation Randall gave and masses and equatorial radii from NASA, getting 6371 km, 287 km and 1286 km, respectively. [[User:Fewmet|Fewmet]] ([[User talk:Fewmet|talk]]) 23:07, 5 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
The Oberth Effect mentioned in the title text is [//www.askamathematician.com/2013/01/q-how-does-the-oberth-effect-work-and-where-does-the-extra-energy-come-from-why-is-it-better-for-a-rocket-to-fire-at-the-lowest-point-in-its-orbit/ well-explained here] (assuming you are not intimidated by the algebra in squaring a binomial). The gist of it is that using a bit of fuel in a rocket thrust will increase the rocket’s kinetic energy . The higher the kinetic energy at the time of the thrust, the greater the increase in kinetic energy. It works because the energy of the fuel goes into increasing the kinetic energy of the ship and the kinetic energy of the spent fuel. The faster you go, the greater the portion of the energy the ship gets. <br />
<br />
The “gravity assist” is also known as the slingshot effect. The [//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_assist#Explanation Wikipedia explanation] is good, especially with its diagram. In it a spaceship (or other body) accelerates toward a planet (or moon, star, etc.) in the same direction that body was going. The ship picks up a little of the body’s momentum and so goes faster, although only according to an external reference frame. An observer at rest with respect to that other body would actually see the ship approach and depart with the same speed. <br />
<br />
The title text reference to orbital speed is unclear to me. I suppose it just means that the given gravity wells assume you are at rest on the surface of the planet. Then being in orbit (and necessarily having an orbital speed) would mean you are part way out of the well already. [[User:Fewmet|Fewmet]] ([[User talk:Fewmet|talk]]) 02:57, 4 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
If the first stage of a rocket is still supplying lift for a while after its fuel is used up and the stage is cut adrift, would there be any saving in waiting for the next phase to cut in when forward motion is almost ended rather than continuing the burn immediately from the second stage?<br />
<br />
The higher the vehicle gets the more productive the fuel becomes.Or is it preferable to continue the journey as fast as possible? {{unsigned|Weatherlawyer}}<br />
<br />
My first instinct would be to say burn as continuously as possible. If you wait until your speed is almost zero, you have to use a whole load of energy (fuel) to get back to the speed you were going in the first place. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 17:12, 27 January 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Hence the need to use ultra light containers in the first stage?{{unsigned|Weatherlawyer}}<br />
<br />
Maybe the typo is based on Randall's days at NASA? It might already incorporate gravity assists and the Oberth effect. That number might even be what NASA was using as the minimum potential with known cost-effective techniques. [[User:Flewk|flewk]] ([[User talk:Flewk|talk]]) 21:22, 8 January 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Earth's Geosynchronous Orbital Altitude ==<br />
<br />
In the XKCD strip, the artist states above Earth in the lower right popout that the geosynchronous altitude is well below top of Earth's gravity well. While the rest of his strip is a wonderful representation of the science behind gravity wells, this one bit is not accurate. A geosynchronous altitude for Earth is nearly 36,000 km, not under 6000 km. Kudos for the rest of the strip, though.<br />
: The strip scales the heights of the corresponding wells based on the assumption of constant Earth surface gravity; in other words, it takes the same amount of energy to climb such a well as it does to escape the real gravity well. By contrast, as one ascends from the Earth's surface, gravity decreases, so it requires less energy to climb to an orbital altitude than it does to reach the same height in the hypothetical well. The amount of energy required to put a geostationary satellite in orbit, for example, is equivalent to that used in raising it 5413 km in Earth surface gravity, and thus it is located 5413 km from the bottom of the well. [[User:Arcorann|Arcorann]] ([[User talk:Arcorann|talk]]) 03:42, 8 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== How much of the gravity well can be overcome by launching from a high mountain? ==<br />
<br />
If we constructed a spaceport on a mountaintop that was, say, 14,505 ft (Mt. Whitney, CA), or even 20,310 ft (Denali, Alaska), or slightly less after clearing a flat surface, would it significantly reduce the amount of the gravity well a rocket had to climb, and hence the amount of fuel needed to reach LEO? Would thinner air reduce drag and increase efficiency significantly as well?<br />
This would be tough to build and maintain, but would it be worth delivering spaceships to mountaintops by truck to reduce the need for fuel to escape Earth's Gravity well?<br />
:I am not an expert, but to my knowledge, the effect of latitude on gravity is much stronger than those of a mountain. Especially one as far north as Denali. That is why Nasa uses Florida and Texas, Russia uses {{w|Baikonur_Cosmodrome}} in Southern Kazakhstan , Europe uses {{w|Guiana_Space_Centre}} in south america (French Guiana, so technically Europe...). --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:52, 29 May 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:FWIW in the early stages of planning the Space Shuttle, the Air Force was looking at launching from the top of the Rockies, maybe in Colorado or such. The reason being exactly the savings in propellant and consequent gain in payload. I was made to believe the savings was quite significant.<br />
<br />
:What killed it was the issue of what happens when one malfunctions or crashes on launch. You've got Space Shuttle & parts raining down on the Denver metro area; not good.<br />
<br />
Source: My dad worked on the project for the Air Force back in the 70s or thereabouts. [[User:Flug|Flug]] ([[User talk:Flug|talk]]) 21:52, 22 September 2019 (UTC)</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:681:_Gravity_Wells&diff=180313Talk:681: Gravity Wells2019-09-22T21:51:28Z<p>Flug: /* How much of the gravity well can be overcome by launching from a high mountain? */</p>
<hr />
<div>Why is Earth's well's depth listed as 5478km but as 6379km in the inset? <br />
Compare with Mars which has 1286 in both places.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/87.174.225.131|87.174.225.131]] 07:21, 12 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Best guess is either a goof, or that the lower number is just for Earth itself, while the greater number is for the Earth/Moon system as a whole. Proportionally speaking, we have the largest moon in the solar system, so maybe it wouldn't nicely fit in the Earth well as easily as Mars's and Jupiter's moons do.--[[User:Druid816|Druid816]] ([[User talk:Druid816|talk]]) 08:28, 12 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: It ''may'' be the height needed to go from one gravity well to another. You don't have to get all the way up to escape speed for that.<br />
<br />
: Randall wasn't kidding about the Sun being "very very far down"; its well is 100 times deeper than Jupiter's!<br />
:[[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 19:47, 12 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: OTOH, from the table above i'm thinking that the 5.4 might be the Venus figure, and it was wrongly placed besides Earth...<br />
:: Secondly, what i found interesting was that the Earth's 6.4 looks so much like its radius! I wonder if it's merely a coincidence, or there's a connection between the two... -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 21:25, 30 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:::The table is great, it must be included in the article; layout and time is just my problem right now. PRO TIP: Do not care about the x-axis.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:18, 30 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
: The fact that the density of the Earth is 5478 kilograms per cubic kilometer makes me pretty sure it is a typo. [[User:Fewmet|Fewmet]] ([[User talk:Fewmet|talk]]) 03:04, 4 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
:: Hehe, you might be right. That's the best explanation. It would be a strange coincidence otherwise. But your units are wrong: a cubic kilometer of water, ice-cream or Natalie Portmans would be already something like a billion kilograms. Or a trillion, if you are American. Oh, you might be American. In this case: happy 4th of July! -[[Special:Contributions/188.114.102.35|188.114.102.35]] 12:39, 4 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
:::Thanks for catching that (and for the July 4 wishes). It should be kilograms per cubic meter. Looking into that, though, leaves me less sure that is the origin of the problem. I thought I had multiple sources for Earth having a density of 5478 kg/m3, but can find only [//atharvatutorials.com/doc/physics_paper.docx one] (and not a very compelling one at that). I have sounder sources for [//www.universetoday.com/26771/density-of-the-earth/ 5513 kg/m3]. [//nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/earthfact.html 5514 kg/m3], [//www.wolframalpha.com 5515 kg/m3], [//www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express/Venus_compared_to_Earth 5520 kg/m3] and [//principles.ou.edu/earth_planet/ 5540 kg/m3]. It may be trivial in that all round to 5500 kg/m3.<br />
::It was corrected on the poster version. Earth's well in the main graphic is marked as 6379km, just like the inset.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.86|108.162.216.86]] 00:19, 21 August 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::I solved for the wells on Earth, Moon and Mars using the equation Randall gave and masses and equatorial radii from NASA, getting 6371 km, 287 km and 1286 km, respectively. [[User:Fewmet|Fewmet]] ([[User talk:Fewmet|talk]]) 23:07, 5 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
The Oberth Effect mentioned in the title text is [//www.askamathematician.com/2013/01/q-how-does-the-oberth-effect-work-and-where-does-the-extra-energy-come-from-why-is-it-better-for-a-rocket-to-fire-at-the-lowest-point-in-its-orbit/ well-explained here] (assuming you are not intimidated by the algebra in squaring a binomial). The gist of it is that using a bit of fuel in a rocket thrust will increase the rocket’s kinetic energy . The higher the kinetic energy at the time of the thrust, the greater the increase in kinetic energy. It works because the energy of the fuel goes into increasing the kinetic energy of the ship and the kinetic energy of the spent fuel. The faster you go, the greater the portion of the energy the ship gets. <br />
<br />
The “gravity assist” is also known as the slingshot effect. The [//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_assist#Explanation Wikipedia explanation] is good, especially with its diagram. In it a spaceship (or other body) accelerates toward a planet (or moon, star, etc.) in the same direction that body was going. The ship picks up a little of the body’s momentum and so goes faster, although only according to an external reference frame. An observer at rest with respect to that other body would actually see the ship approach and depart with the same speed. <br />
<br />
The title text reference to orbital speed is unclear to me. I suppose it just means that the given gravity wells assume you are at rest on the surface of the planet. Then being in orbit (and necessarily having an orbital speed) would mean you are part way out of the well already. [[User:Fewmet|Fewmet]] ([[User talk:Fewmet|talk]]) 02:57, 4 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
If the first stage of a rocket is still supplying lift for a while after its fuel is used up and the stage is cut adrift, would there be any saving in waiting for the next phase to cut in when forward motion is almost ended rather than continuing the burn immediately from the second stage?<br />
<br />
The higher the vehicle gets the more productive the fuel becomes.Or is it preferable to continue the journey as fast as possible? {{unsigned|Weatherlawyer}}<br />
<br />
My first instinct would be to say burn as continuously as possible. If you wait until your speed is almost zero, you have to use a whole load of energy (fuel) to get back to the speed you were going in the first place. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 17:12, 27 January 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Hence the need to use ultra light containers in the first stage?{{unsigned|Weatherlawyer}}<br />
<br />
Maybe the typo is based on Randall's days at NASA? It might already incorporate gravity assists and the Oberth effect. That number might even be what NASA was using as the minimum potential with known cost-effective techniques. [[User:Flewk|flewk]] ([[User talk:Flewk|talk]]) 21:22, 8 January 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Earth's Geosynchronous Orbital Altitude ==<br />
<br />
In the XKCD strip, the artist states above Earth in the lower right popout that the geosynchronous altitude is well below top of Earth's gravity well. While the rest of his strip is a wonderful representation of the science behind gravity wells, this one bit is not accurate. A geosynchronous altitude for Earth is nearly 36,000 km, not under 6000 km. Kudos for the rest of the strip, though.<br />
: The strip scales the heights of the corresponding wells based on the assumption of constant Earth surface gravity; in other words, it takes the same amount of energy to climb such a well as it does to escape the real gravity well. By contrast, as one ascends from the Earth's surface, gravity decreases, so it requires less energy to climb to an orbital altitude than it does to reach the same height in the hypothetical well. The amount of energy required to put a geostationary satellite in orbit, for example, is equivalent to that used in raising it 5413 km in Earth surface gravity, and thus it is located 5413 km from the bottom of the well. [[User:Arcorann|Arcorann]] ([[User talk:Arcorann|talk]]) 03:42, 8 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== How much of the gravity well can be overcome by launching from a high mountain? ==<br />
<br />
If we constructed a spaceport on a mountaintop that was, say, 14,505 ft (Mt. Whitney, CA), or even 20,310 ft (Denali, Alaska), or slightly less after clearing a flat surface, would it significantly reduce the amount of the gravity well a rocket had to climb, and hence the amount of fuel needed to reach LEO? Would thinner air reduce drag and increase efficiency significantly as well?<br />
This would be tough to build and maintain, but would it be worth delivering spaceships to mountaintops by truck to reduce the need for fuel to escape Earth's Gravity well?<br />
:I am not an expert, but to my knowledge, the effect of latitude on gravity is much stronger than those of a mountain. Especially one as far north as Denali. That is why Nasa uses Florida and Texas, Russia uses {{w|Baikonur_Cosmodrome}} in Southern Kazakhstan , Europe uses {{w|Guiana_Space_Centre}} in south america (French Guiana, so technically Europe...). --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:52, 29 May 2019 (UTC)<br />
:FWIW in the early stages of planning the Space Shuttle, the Air Force was looking at launching from the top of the Rockies, maybe in Colorado or such. The reason being exactly the savings in propellant and consequent gain in payload. I was made to believe the savings was quite significant.<br />
<br />
What killed it was the issue of what happens when one malfunctions or crashes on launch. You've got Space Shuttle & parts raining down on the Denver metro area; not good.</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2007:_Brookhaven_RHIC&diff=1593442007: Brookhaven RHIC2018-06-26T05:42:18Z<p>Flug: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2007<br />
| date = June 15, 2018<br />
| title = Brookhaven RHIC<br />
| image = brookhaven_rhic.png<br />
| titletext = "Buddy, you trying to pull something? I can't buy this gold--all the electrons are missing. I could face serious charges!"<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a HEAVILY CHARGED BOT ION. Someone could probably calculate the revenue of this proposed project... And I think we need to mention a few other comics involving absurd research proposals. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
The {{w|Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider}} is a particle accelerator designed to collide gold ions together at incredibly high speeds. This is normally done to study particle physics - the high-energy collisions allow us to learn more about how subatomic particles behave.<br />
<br />
[[Randall]] proposes that, instead of using the beam of gold ions for particle collisions, it should be diverted and sold at cash-for-gold stores to make money. In effect, the particle accelerator would be reconfigured to become an extremely complicated and expensive method to transport gold ions from the foil to the cash-for-gold stores.<br />
<br />
Randall proposed modifying part of the circular particle accelerator to add a diverter, so he can direct the gold ion beam to the three stores. It is unclear, however, how he would manage to transport the gold to the stores, as once it leaves the circular particle accelerator, parts of the beam are not in an enclosed space, and would likely collide with something. It would also cause problems once it reached the stores, as the gold ions travel at relativistic speeds.<br />
<br />
Part of the joke is that because they are traveling at relativistic speeds, the mass of the particles being sold will be much more than the mass of the ions being supplied to the collider's input. However, it would be very difficult to sell a beam of charged particles{{Citation needed}}, and the amount of gold involved is below microscopic scales. That, and the fact that he is trying to misuse the particle accelerator for his own profit, is the reason why Brookhaven rejected Randall's proposal. Also, the energy used by the particle accelerator would cost more than the revenue from selling the gold.<br />
<br />
Randall has done many comics describing impractical research proposals in the past.<br />
<br />
The title text imagines the owner of the stores complaining about the sale, not because of impracticality, but because Randall tries to sell gold ions with the entire positively-charged nucleus of the gold atom with all 79 electrons stripped from it instead of normal, electrically neutral gold atoms. This is also a pun on the word "charges", which could refer to {{w|electric charge}} or to {{w|criminal charge|criminal charges}}.<br />
<br />
This is an actual map of the area around {{w|Brookhaven National Laboratory}}, with east at the top. The cash for gold stores depicted in the comic are, from left to right:<br />
<br />
* New York Gold Center, 451 Glen Dr Ste D, Shirley NY 11967-1100<br />
* Cash for Gold, 969 Montauk Hwy, Shirley NY 11967-2111<br />
* Gold Traders Inc, 450 William Floyd Pkwy, Shirley, NY 11967-3480<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[A single panel contains a simplified overhead map view of the Brookhaven Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and some of the surrounding area. The map is rotated 90°; north is to the left. The collider is located on the left hand side of the image as a yellow beam (representing the Gold ions) outlined in black. Parts of the collider are are labeled and there are light gray arrows indicating the direction of travel for the ions. At the bottom of the main accelerator ring there is a diverter that splits the ion beam and directs it towards a set of three Cash for Gold stores, passing through a more diverters along the way. Each Cash for Gold store is represented with a yellow burst and is marked with a Google maps style "store" locator pin. The following labels are written on the map.]<br />
<br />
:Brookhaven Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider<br />
:Gold Ion Source<br />
:Accelerator Ring<br />
:Diverter<br />
:Gold Ion Beam<br />
<br />
:[There are arrows coming from this label pointing at each store]<br />
:Cash for Gold Stores<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Sadly, Brookhaven rejected my proposed experiment<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Physics]]<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2005:_Attention_Span&diff=1593432005: Attention Span2018-06-26T05:37:00Z<p>Flug: web surfing + link</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2005<br />
| date = June 11, 2018<br />
| title = Attention Span<br />
| image = attention_span.png<br />
| titletext = I didn't even realize they MADE a novelization of "Surf Ninjas." How did you-- Oh my god, it's signed by the author?!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
People often groan about their shrinking attention span, attributing it to an increased illiteracy. This allows for fond nostalgia about the times when they were supposedly more intelligent and focused. <br />
<br />
Cueball does the same here, but Megan retorts that he spent six hours reading over a pointless (if disturbingly plausible) theory about a banal show based off a series of bedtime stories made to entertain small children. ''{{w|Thomas & Friends|Thomas The Tank Engine}}'' is a British children's series based off a series of books written by Wilbert Awdry. It follows the adventures of anthropomorphized train locomotives and other vehicles. <br />
<br />
Cueball qualifies his statement: he has no attention span for anything good anymore. Megan, in reply, examines Cueball’s bookshelf, finding a book that cements Cueball’s status as a nerd who reads high fantasy. Cueball protests that the book is a classic, but Megan dismisses the fact.<br />
<br />
<br />
To be fair to Cueball, many great fantasies have covers such as those in the comic (e.g. ''{{w|A Song of Ice and Fire}}'', ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}'', Randall's personal favorite ''{{w|Discworld}}''). To be fair to Megan, this book is apparently not one of them, being thicker than it is wide (like ''The Complete {{w|Miss Marple}}'' by {{w|Agatha Christie}}), a telltale sign of needless bombast and turgid prose.<br />
<br />
If there was any doubt about Cueball’s dubious literary tastes before, Megan dispels them in the title text, refering to a novelization of the excoriated movie ''{{w|Surf Ninjas}}'', a movie that is, unfortunately, exactly what it sounds like. Signed novelizations of a movie named “Surf Ninjas” are not typical fodder for great minds.<br />
<br />
The dragon book is possibly ''{{w|A Game of Thrones}}'' or ''{{w|A Dance With Dragons}}'' from the ''{{w|A Song of Ice and Fire}}'' saga, ''{{w|His Majesty's Dragon}}'' from the ''{{w|Temeraire (series)|Temeraire}}'' series, or ''{{w|Dragonsbane}}'' from the Winterlands series. <br />
<br />
The comic contains a hyperlink to an article with the same unfortunate content Cueball has apparently finished reading prior to this comic: [https://www.newyorker.com/culture/rabbit-holes/the-repressive-authoritarian-soul-of-thomas-the-tank-engine-and-friends The Repressive, Authoritarian Soul of “Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends”]. This article, the articles linked from it, further linked articles from those, links found by googling the topic, and other related [https://www.techopedia.com/definition/5199/surfing-world-wide-web web surfing] on the topic could easily add up to six hours or more of reading.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and Megan are standing together.]<br />
:Cueball: I haven't read any books in forever. I have no attention span anymore.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on the faces of Cueball and Megan.]<br />
:Megan: Didn't you literally '''''just''''' spend six hours obsessively reading about the theory that ''Thomas the Tank Engine'' is authoritarian propaganda depicting a post-apocalyptic fascist dystopia?<br />
<br />
:[Cueball still standing there. Megan begins pacing away.]<br />
:Cueball: OK<br />
:Cueball: I mean I have no attention span for anything '''''good''''' anymore.<br />
:Megan: Let's check out your bookshelf, shall we?<br />
<br />
:[Cueball alone.]<br />
:Cueball: What are you-<br />
:Off-panel: I see a dragon holding a sword in its teeth on the cover of a book that's thicker than it is wide.<br />
:Cueball: And? That's a '''''classic!'''''<br />
:Off-panel: Just saying, I don't think this is a new development.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2005:_Attention_Span&diff=1590512005: Attention Span2018-06-20T21:03:32Z<p>Flug: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2005<br />
| date = June 11, 2018<br />
| title = Attention Span<br />
| image = attention_span.png<br />
| titletext = I didn't even realize they MADE a novelization of "Surf Ninjas." How did you-- Oh my god, it's signed by the author?!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
People often groan about their shrinking attention span, attributing it to an increased illiteracy. This allows for fond nostalgia about the times when they were supposedly more intelligent and focused. <br />
<br />
Cueball does the same here, but Megan retorts that he spent six hours reading over a pointless (if disturbingly plausible) theory about a banal show based off a series of bedtime stories made to entertain small children. ''{{w|Thomas & Friends|Thomas The Tank Engine}}'' is a British children's series based off a series of books written by Wilbert Awdry. It follows the adventures of anthropomorphized train locomotives and other vehicles. <br />
<br />
Cueball qualifies his statement: he has no attention span for anything good anymore. Megan, in reply, examines Cueball’s bookshelf, finding a book that cements Cueball’s status as a nerd who reads high fantasy. Cueball protests that the book is a classic, but Megan dismisses the fact.<br />
<br />
<br />
To be fair to Cueball, many great fantasies have covers such as those in the comic (e.g. ''{{w|A Song of Ice and Fire}}'', ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}'', Randall's personal favorite ''{{w|Discworld}}''). To be fair to Megan, this book is apparently not one of them, being thicker than it is wide (like ''The Complete {{w|Miss Marple}}'' by {{w|Agatha Christie}}), a telltale sign of needless bombast and turgid prose.<br />
<br />
If there was any doubt about Cueball’s dubious literary tastes before, Megan dispels them in the title text, refering to a novelization of the excoriated movie ''{{w|Surf Ninjas}}'', a movie that is, unfortunately, exactly what it sounds like. Signed novelizations of a movie named “Surf Ninjas” are not typical fodder for great minds.<br />
<br />
The dragon book is possibly ''{{w|A Game of Thrones}}'' or ''{{w|A Dance With Dragons}}'' from the ''{{w|A Song of Ice and Fire}}'' saga, ''{{w|His Majesty's Dragon}}'' from the ''{{w|Temeraire (series)|Temeraire}}'' series, or ''{{w|Dragonsbane}}'' from the Winterlands series. <br />
<br />
The comic contains a hyperlink to an article with the same unfortunate content Cueball has apparently finished reading prior to this comic: [https://www.newyorker.com/culture/rabbit-holes/the-repressive-authoritarian-soul-of-thomas-the-tank-engine-and-friends The Repressive, Authoritarian Soul of “Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends”]. This article, the articles linked from it, further linked articles from those, and links found by googling the topic could easily add up to six hours or more of reading.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and Megan are standing together.]<br />
:Cueball: I haven't read any books in forever. I have no attention span anymore.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on the faces of Cueball and Megan.]<br />
:Megan: Didn't you literally '''''just''''' spend six hours obsessively reading about the theory that ''Thomas the Tank Engine'' is authoritarian propaganda depicting a post-apocalyptic fascist dystopia?<br />
<br />
:[Cueball still standing there. Megan begins pacing away.]<br />
:Cueball: OK<br />
:Cueball: I mean I have no attention span for anything '''''good''''' anymore.<br />
:Megan: Let's check out your bookshelf, shall we?<br />
<br />
:[Cueball alone.]<br />
:Cueball: What are you-<br />
:Off-panel: I see a dragon holding a sword in its teeth on the cover of a book that's thicker than it is wide.<br />
:Cueball: And? That's a '''''classic!'''''<br />
:Off-panel: Just saying, I don't think this is a new development.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2005:_Attention_Span&diff=1590502005: Attention Span2018-06-20T21:02:34Z<p>Flug: /* Explanation */ The mystery of how a person could possibly spend six hours reading on a topic extensively discussed on the internet, solved.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2005<br />
| date = June 11, 2018<br />
| title = Attention Span<br />
| image = attention_span.png<br />
| titletext = I didn't even realize they MADE a novelization of "Surf Ninjas." How did you-- Oh my god, it's signed by the author?!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
People often groan about their shrinking attention span, attributing it to an increased illiteracy. This allows for fond nostalgia about the times when they were supposedly more intelligent and focused. <br />
<br />
Cueball does the same here, but Megan retorts that he spent six hours reading over a pointless (if disturbingly plausible) theory about a banal show based off a series of bedtime stories made to entertain small children. ''{{w|Thomas & Friends|Thomas The Tank Engine}}'' is a British children's series based off a series of books written by Wilbert Awdry. It follows the adventures of anthropomorphized train locomotives and other vehicles. <br />
<br />
Cueball qualifies his statement: he has no attention span for anything good anymore. Megan, in reply, examines Cueball’s bookshelf, finding a book that cements Cueball’s status as a nerd who reads high fantasy. Cueball protests that the book is a classic, but Megan dismisses the fact.<br />
<br />
<br />
To be fair to Cueball, many great fantasies have covers such as those in the comic (e.g. ''{{w|A Song of Ice and Fire}}'', ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}'', Randall's personal favorite ''{{w|Discworld}}''). To be fair to Megan, this book is apparently not one of them, being thicker than it is wide (like ''The Complete {{w|Miss Marple}}'' by {{w|Agatha Christie}}), a telltale sign of needless bombast and turgid prose.<br />
<br />
If there was any doubt about Cueball’s dubious literary tastes before, Megan dispels them in the title text, refering to a novelization of the excoriated movie ''{{w|Surf Ninjas}}'', a movie that is, unfortunately, exactly what it sounds like. Signed novelizations of a movie named “Surf Ninjas” are not typical fodder for great minds.<br />
<br />
The dragon book is possibly ''{{w|A Game of Thrones}}'' or ''{{w|A Dance With Dragons}}'' from the ''{{w|A Song of Ice and Fire}}'' saga, ''{{w|His Majesty's Dragon}}'' from the ''{{w|Temeraire (series)|Temeraire}}'' series, or ''{{w|Dragonsbane}}'' from the Winterlands series. <br />
<br />
The comic contains a hyperlink to an article with the same unfortunate content Cueball has apparently finished reading prior to this comic: [https://www.newyorker.com/culture/rabbit-holes/the-repressive-authoritarian-soul-of-thomas-the-tank-engine-and-friends The Repressive, Authoritarian Soul of “Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends”]. This article plus the articles links from it, further links from those, and further links found by googling the topic could easily add up to six hours or more of reading.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and Megan are standing together.]<br />
:Cueball: I haven't read any books in forever. I have no attention span anymore.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on the faces of Cueball and Megan.]<br />
:Megan: Didn't you literally '''''just''''' spend six hours obsessively reading about the theory that ''Thomas the Tank Engine'' is authoritarian propaganda depicting a post-apocalyptic fascist dystopia?<br />
<br />
:[Cueball still standing there. Megan begins pacing away.]<br />
:Cueball: OK<br />
:Cueball: I mean I have no attention span for anything '''''good''''' anymore.<br />
:Megan: Let's check out your bookshelf, shall we?<br />
<br />
:[Cueball alone.]<br />
:Cueball: What are you-<br />
:Off-panel: I see a dragon holding a sword in its teeth on the cover of a book that's thicker than it is wide.<br />
:Cueball: And? That's a '''''classic!'''''<br />
:Off-panel: Just saying, I don't think this is a new development.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1997:_Business_Update&diff=1575011997: Business Update2018-05-23T19:00:26Z<p>Flug: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1997<br />
| date = May 23, 2018<br />
| title = Business Update<br />
| image = business_update.png<br />
| titletext = Our customers keep sending us their personal information, even though we've repeatedly asked them to stop. The EU told me I'm the heir to some ancient European throne that makes me exempt from the GDPR, but we should probably still try to fix that.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a MAGIC CEO - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic shows a meeting at Beret Guy's business (as seen in [[:Category:Beret Guy's Business|these other comics]]. As usual, those in the business demonstrate a misuse of business terminology and take strange happenings within the business in stride.<br />
<br />
Though maintaining a semblance of business-savviness through the use of many corporate buzzwords, it becomes clear that what is normally metaphorical in a usually boardroom meeting is actually quite likely what is actually in development. The Quarterly Reports are probably physically attractive, though the business dealings they are reporting may be disastrous. There is likely a bunch of dollar bills in one of the office rooms. Stocks (pillory?) are being manufactured. At least one of their customers (a child?) is experiencing physical growth. Assets liquidated in a thermostat glitch may have been ice or some other material that melted; the kitchen sink producing original content may have been back flooding from the sewer or a leaky faucet. The largest source of revenue is likely not producing much if any revenue at all; it can still be the biggest if there are no others.<br />
<br />
Transmuting lead into gold was a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Alchemy goal of alchemists] for many centuries. It is actually [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation now possible to accomplish transmutation of lead into gold, and gold into lead, via nuclear transmutation], though the expense far exceeds the value of the gold produced. Via modern nuclear methods, it is actually [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Modern_physics far easier to turn gold into lead than the reverse.] However, this does necessarily not contradict the statement in the dialog ("Our biggest expense is to transmute it back") as it is unlikely that the business is actually transmuting any elements whether by alchemical or modern methods. It is quite possible to generate expense, and even revenue, without actually producing a product--especially if the revenue and expense is small or zero.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the May 25 deadline to implement the European Union's {{w|GDPR|General Data Protection Regulation}}, this comic focuses on a business meeting about what the company is doing to prepare for it.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Beret Guy, Ponytail, Hairy, Hairbun and Megan sit around a table, left to right. Beret Guy and Megan are sitting on chairs at the ends. All others are behind the table with no visible chairs. All characters face Beret Guy]<br />
:Beret Guy: Quarterly reports are looking good. <br />
:Beret Guy: Our office is full of cash, we're producing stocks faster than ever before, and our customers are experiencing rapid growth.<br />
:Beret Guy: Any Updates?<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Ponytail, facing left]<br />
:Ponytail: Bad news: many of our assets were liquidated this morning due to a thermostat glitch.<br />
:Ponytail: Good news: the sink in the kitchen has stopped producing original content.<br />
<br />
:[Same as panel one, but characters are facing Megan]<br />
:Beret Guy: How are our finances?<br />
:Megan: Our biggest source of revenue is our ongoing project to transmute lead into gold.<br />
:Megan: Our biggest expense is our project to transmute it back.<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Beret Guy, facing right, offset to the left of the panel. Two characters speak from off-panel right]<br />
:Beret Guy: Lastly, any luck getting the girl from ''The Ring'' to stop showing up in our video conferences?<br />
:From Right 1: No, but honestly, she's made some good contributions.<br />
:From Right 2: Yeah, I think we should hire her.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1997:_Business_Update&diff=1575001997: Business Update2018-05-23T19:00:08Z<p>Flug: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1997<br />
| date = May 23, 2018<br />
| title = Business Update<br />
| image = business_update.png<br />
| titletext = Our customers keep sending us their personal information, even though we've repeatedly asked them to stop. The EU told me I'm the heir to some ancient European throne that makes me exempt from the GDPR, but we should probably still try to fix that.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a MAGIC CEO - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic shows a meeting at Beret Guy's business (as seen in [[:Category:Beret Guy's Business|these other comics]]. As usual, those in the business demonstrate a misuse of business terminology and take strange happenings within the business in stride.<br />
<br />
Though maintaining a semblance of business-savviness through the use of many corporate buzzwords, it becomes clear that what is normally metaphorical in a usually boardroom meeting is actually quite likely what is actually in development. The Quarterly Reports are probably physically attractive, though the business dealings they are reporting may be disastrous. There is likely a bunch of dollar bills in one of the office rooms. Stocks (pillory?) are being manufactured. At least one of their customers (a child?) is experiencing physical growth. Assets liquidated in a thermostat glitch may have been ice or some other material that melted; the kitchen sink producing original content may have been back flooding from the sewer or a leaky faucet. The largest source of revenue is likely not producing much if any revenue at all; it can still be the biggest if there are no others.<br />
<br />
Transmuting lead into gold was a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Alchemy goal of alchemists] for many centuries. It is actually [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation now possible to accomplish transmutation of lead into gold, and gold into lead, via nuclear transmutation], though the expense far exceeds the value of the gold produced. Via modern nuclear methods, it is actually [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Modern_physics far easier to turn gold into lead than the reverse.] However, this does necessarily not contradict the statement in the dialog ("Our biggest expense is to transmute it back") as it is unlikely that the business is actually transmuting any elements whether by alchemical or modern methods. It is quite possible to generate expenses, and even revenue, without actually producing a product--especially if the revenue and expense is small or zero.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the May 25 deadline to implement the European Union's {{w|GDPR|General Data Protection Regulation}}, this comic focuses on a business meeting about what the company is doing to prepare for it.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Beret Guy, Ponytail, Hairy, Hairbun and Megan sit around a table, left to right. Beret Guy and Megan are sitting on chairs at the ends. All others are behind the table with no visible chairs. All characters face Beret Guy]<br />
:Beret Guy: Quarterly reports are looking good. <br />
:Beret Guy: Our office is full of cash, we're producing stocks faster than ever before, and our customers are experiencing rapid growth.<br />
:Beret Guy: Any Updates?<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Ponytail, facing left]<br />
:Ponytail: Bad news: many of our assets were liquidated this morning due to a thermostat glitch.<br />
:Ponytail: Good news: the sink in the kitchen has stopped producing original content.<br />
<br />
:[Same as panel one, but characters are facing Megan]<br />
:Beret Guy: How are our finances?<br />
:Megan: Our biggest source of revenue is our ongoing project to transmute lead into gold.<br />
:Megan: Our biggest expense is our project to transmute it back.<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Beret Guy, facing right, offset to the left of the panel. Two characters speak from off-panel right]<br />
:Beret Guy: Lastly, any luck getting the girl from ''The Ring'' to stop showing up in our video conferences?<br />
:From Right 1: No, but honestly, she's made some good contributions.<br />
:From Right 2: Yeah, I think we should hire her.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1997:_Business_Update&diff=1574991997: Business Update2018-05-23T18:59:44Z<p>Flug: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1997<br />
| date = May 23, 2018<br />
| title = Business Update<br />
| image = business_update.png<br />
| titletext = Our customers keep sending us their personal information, even though we've repeatedly asked them to stop. The EU told me I'm the heir to some ancient European throne that makes me exempt from the GDPR, but we should probably still try to fix that.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a MAGIC CEO - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic shows a meeting at Beret Guy's business (as seen in [[:Category:Beret Guy's Business|these other comics]]. As usual, those in the business demonstrate a misuse of business terminology and take strange happenings within the business in stride.<br />
<br />
Though maintaining a semblance of business-savviness through the use of many corporate buzzwords, it becomes clear that what is normally metaphorical in a usually boardroom meeting is actually quite likely what is actually in development. The Quarterly Reports are probably physically attractive, though the business dealings they are reporting may be disastrous. There is likely a bunch of dollar bills in one of the office rooms. Stocks (pillory?) are being manufactured. At least one of their customers (a child?) is experiencing physical growth. Assets liquidated in a thermostat glitch may have been ice or some other material that melted; the kitchen sink producing original content may have been back flooding from the sewer or a leaky faucet. The largest source of revenue is likely not producing much if any revenue at all; it can still be the biggest if there are no others.<br />
<br />
Transmuting lead into gold was a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Alchemy goal of alchemists] for many centuries. It is actually [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation now possible to accomplish transmutation of lead into gold, and gold into lead, via nuclear transmutation], though the expense far exceeds the value of the gold produced. Via modern nuclear methods, it is actually [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Modern_physics far easier to turn gold into lead than the reverse.] However, this does necessarily not contradict the statement in the dialog ("Our biggest expense is to transmute it back") as it is unlikely that the business is actually transmuting any elements whether by alchemical or modern methods. It's quite possible to generate expenses, and even revenue, without actually producing a product--especially if the revenue and expense is small or zero.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the May 25 deadline to implement the European Union's {{w|GDPR|General Data Protection Regulation}}, this comic focuses on a business meeting about what the company is doing to prepare for it.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Beret Guy, Ponytail, Hairy, Hairbun and Megan sit around a table, left to right. Beret Guy and Megan are sitting on chairs at the ends. All others are behind the table with no visible chairs. All characters face Beret Guy]<br />
:Beret Guy: Quarterly reports are looking good. <br />
:Beret Guy: Our office is full of cash, we're producing stocks faster than ever before, and our customers are experiencing rapid growth.<br />
:Beret Guy: Any Updates?<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Ponytail, facing left]<br />
:Ponytail: Bad news: many of our assets were liquidated this morning due to a thermostat glitch.<br />
:Ponytail: Good news: the sink in the kitchen has stopped producing original content.<br />
<br />
:[Same as panel one, but characters are facing Megan]<br />
:Beret Guy: How are our finances?<br />
:Megan: Our biggest source of revenue is our ongoing project to transmute lead into gold.<br />
:Megan: Our biggest expense is our project to transmute it back.<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Beret Guy, facing right, offset to the left of the panel. Two characters speak from off-panel right]<br />
:Beret Guy: Lastly, any luck getting the girl from ''The Ring'' to stop showing up in our video conferences?<br />
:From Right 1: No, but honestly, she's made some good contributions.<br />
:From Right 2: Yeah, I think we should hire her.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1997:_Business_Update&diff=1574981997: Business Update2018-05-23T18:58:58Z<p>Flug: /* Explanation */ back flooding</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1997<br />
| date = May 23, 2018<br />
| title = Business Update<br />
| image = business_update.png<br />
| titletext = Our customers keep sending us their personal information, even though we've repeatedly asked them to stop. The EU told me I'm the heir to some ancient European throne that makes me exempt from the GDPR, but we should probably still try to fix that.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a MAGIC CEO - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic shows a meeting at Beret Guy's business (as seen in [[:Category:Beret Guy's Business|these other comics]]. As usual, those in the business demonstrate a misuse of business terminology and take strange happenings within the business in stride.<br />
<br />
Though maintaining a semblance of business-savviness through the use of many corporate buzzwords, it becomes clear that what is normally metaphorical in a usually boardroom meeting is actually quite likely what is actually in development. The Quarterly Reports are probably physically attractive, though the business dealings they are reporting may be disastrous. There is likely a bunch of dollar bills in one of the office rooms. Stocks (pillory?) are being manufactured. At least one of their customers (a child?) is experiencing physical growth. Assets liquidated in a thermostat glitch may have been ice or some other material that melted; the kitchen sink producing original content may have been back flooding from the sewer or a leaky faucet. The largest source of revenue is likely not producing much if any revenue at all; it can still be the biggest if there are no others.<br />
<br />
Transmuting lead into gold was a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Alchemy goal of alchemists] for many centuries. It is actually [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation now possible to accomplish transmutation of lead into gold, and gold into lead, via nuclear transmutation], though the expense far exceeds the value of the gold produced. Via modern nuclear methods, it is actually [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Modern_physics far easier to turn gold into lead than the reverse.] However, this does necessarily not contradict the statement in the dialog ("Our biggest expense is to transmute it back") as it is unlikely that the business is actually transmuting any elements whether by alchemical or modern methods. It's quite possible to generate expenses, and even revenue, without actually producing a product.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the May 25 deadline to implement the European Union's {{w|GDPR|General Data Protection Regulation}}, this comic focuses on a business meeting about what the company is doing to prepare for it.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Beret Guy, Ponytail, Hairy, Hairbun and Megan sit around a table, left to right. Beret Guy and Megan are sitting on chairs at the ends. All others are behind the table with no visible chairs. All characters face Beret Guy]<br />
:Beret Guy: Quarterly reports are looking good. <br />
:Beret Guy: Our office is full of cash, we're producing stocks faster than ever before, and our customers are experiencing rapid growth.<br />
:Beret Guy: Any Updates?<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Ponytail, facing left]<br />
:Ponytail: Bad news: many of our assets were liquidated this morning due to a thermostat glitch.<br />
:Ponytail: Good news: the sink in the kitchen has stopped producing original content.<br />
<br />
:[Same as panel one, but characters are facing Megan]<br />
:Beret Guy: How are our finances?<br />
:Megan: Our biggest source of revenue is our ongoing project to transmute lead into gold.<br />
:Megan: Our biggest expense is our project to transmute it back.<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Beret Guy, facing right, offset to the left of the panel. Two characters speak from off-panel right]<br />
:Beret Guy: Lastly, any luck getting the girl from ''The Ring'' to stop showing up in our video conferences?<br />
:From Right 1: No, but honestly, she's made some good contributions.<br />
:From Right 2: Yeah, I think we should hire her.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1997:_Business_Update&diff=1574971997: Business Update2018-05-23T18:57:51Z<p>Flug: /* Explanation */ Alchemy etc.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1997<br />
| date = May 23, 2018<br />
| title = Business Update<br />
| image = business_update.png<br />
| titletext = Our customers keep sending us their personal information, even though we've repeatedly asked them to stop. The EU told me I'm the heir to some ancient European throne that makes me exempt from the GDPR, but we should probably still try to fix that.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a MAGIC CEO - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic shows a meeting at Beret Guy's business (as seen in [[:Category:Beret Guy's Business|these other comics]]. As usual, those in the business demonstrate a misuse of business terminology and take strange happenings within the business in stride.<br />
<br />
Though maintaining a semblance of business-savviness through the use of many corporate buzzwords, it becomes clear that what is normally metaphorical in a usually boardroom meeting is actually quite likely what is actually in development. The Quarterly Reports are probably physically attractive, though the business dealings they are reporting may be disastrous. There is likely a bunch of dollar bills in one of the office rooms. Stocks (pillory?) are being manufactured. At least one of their customers (a child?) is experiencing physical growth. Assets liquidated in a thermostat glitch may have been ice or some other material that melted; the kitchen sink producing original content may have been back flooding. The largest source of revenue is likely not producing much if any revenue at all; it can still be the biggest if there are no others.<br />
<br />
Transmuting lead into gold was a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Alchemy goal of alchemists] for many centuries. It is actually [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation now possible to accomplish transmutation of lead into gold, and gold into lead, via nuclear transmutation], though the expense far exceeds the value of the gold produced. Via modern nuclear methods, it is actually [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Modern_physics far easier to turn gold into lead than the reverse.] However, this does necessarily not contradict the statement in the dialog ("Our biggest expense is to transmute it back") as it is unlikely that the business is actually transmuting any elements whether by alchemical or modern methods. It's quite possible to generate expenses, and even revenue, without actually producing a product.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the May 25 deadline to implement the European Union's {{w|GDPR|General Data Protection Regulation}}, this comic focuses on a business meeting about what the company is doing to prepare for it.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Beret Guy, Ponytail, Hairy, Hairbun and Megan sit around a table, left to right. Beret Guy and Megan are sitting on chairs at the ends. All others are behind the table with no visible chairs. All characters face Beret Guy]<br />
:Beret Guy: Quarterly reports are looking good. <br />
:Beret Guy: Our office is full of cash, we're producing stocks faster than ever before, and our customers are experiencing rapid growth.<br />
:Beret Guy: Any Updates?<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Ponytail, facing left]<br />
:Ponytail: Bad news: many of our assets were liquidated this morning due to a thermostat glitch.<br />
:Ponytail: Good news: the sink in the kitchen has stopped producing original content.<br />
<br />
:[Same as panel one, but characters are facing Megan]<br />
:Beret Guy: How are our finances?<br />
:Megan: Our biggest source of revenue is our ongoing project to transmute lead into gold.<br />
:Megan: Our biggest expense is our project to transmute it back.<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Beret Guy, facing right, offset to the left of the panel. Two characters speak from off-panel right]<br />
:Beret Guy: Lastly, any luck getting the girl from ''The Ring'' to stop showing up in our video conferences?<br />
:From Right 1: No, but honestly, she's made some good contributions.<br />
:From Right 2: Yeah, I think we should hire her.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1997:_Business_Update&diff=1574911997: Business Update2018-05-23T18:44:59Z<p>Flug: /* Explanation */ Possible explanation of items reported at the meeting.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1997<br />
| date = May 23, 2018<br />
| title = Business Update<br />
| image = business_update.png<br />
| titletext = Our customers keep sending us their personal information, even though we've repeatedly asked them to stop. The EU told me I'm the heir to some ancient European throne that makes me exempt from the GDPR, but we should probably still try to fix that.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a MAGIC CEO - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic shows a meeting at Beret Guy's business (as seen in [[:Category:Beret Guy's Business|these other comics]]. As usual, those in the business demonstrate a misuse of business terminology and take strange happenings within the business in stride.<br />
<br />
Though maintaining a semblance of business-saviness through the use of many corporate buzzwords, it becomes clear that what is normally metaphorical in a usually boardroom meeting is actually quite likely what is actually in development. The Quarterly Reports are probably physically attractive, though the business dealings they are reporting may be disastrous. There is likely a bunch of dollar bills in one of the office rooms. Stocks (pillary?) are being manufactured. At least one of their customers (a child?) is experiencing physical growth. Assets liquidated in a thermostat glitch may have been ice or some other material that melted; the kitchen sink producing original content may have been back flooding. The largest source of revenue is likely not producing much if any revenue at all; it can still be the biggest if there are no others.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to the May 25 deadline to implement the European Union's {{w|GDPR|General Data Protection Regulation}}, this comic focuses on a business meeting about what the company is doing to prepare for it.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Beret Guy, Ponytail, Hairy, Hairbun and Megan sit around a table, left to right. Beret Guy and Megan are sitting on chairs at the ends. All others are behind the table with no visible chairs. All characters face Beret Guy]<br />
:Beret Guy: Quarterly reports are looking good. <br />
:Beret Guy: Our office is full of cash, we're producing stocks faster than ever before, and our customers are experiencing rapid growth.<br />
:Beret Guy: Any Updates?<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Ponytail, facing left]<br />
:Ponytail: Bad news: many of our assets were liquidated this morning due to a thermostat glitch.<br />
:Ponytail: Good news: the sink in the kitchen has stopped producing original content.<br />
<br />
:[Same as panel one, but characters are facing Megan]<br />
:Beret Guy: How are our finances?<br />
:Megan: Our biggest source of revenue is our ongoing project to transmute lead into gold.<br />
:Megan: Our biggest expense is our project to transmute it back.<br />
<br />
:[Closeup on Beret Guy, facing right, offset to the left of the panel. Two characters speak from off-panel right]<br />
:Beret Guy: Lastly, any luck getting the girl from ''The Ring'' to stop showing up in our video conferences?<br />
:From Right 1: No, but honestly, she's made some good contributions.<br />
:From Right 2: Yeah, I think we should hire her.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]<br />
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1826:_Birdwatching&diff=1392421826: Birdwatching2017-04-25T17:48:36Z<p>Flug: /* Explanation */ insect collectors edit</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1826<br />
| date = April 19, 2017<br />
| title = Birdwatching<br />
| image = birdwatching_small.png<br />
| titletext = No, tell the park rangers to calm down, it's fine--I put a screen on the front. I just want to get the birds a little closer.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Needs more information on birdwatching specifically about using binoculars vs. a superzoom (or just large zoom) camera, and if it is correct how the explanation say it is more difficult with the camera or if it is just an inexperienced Cueball that is the reason for the trouble.}}<br />
In this comic [[Cueball]] and his [[1350:_Lorenz#Knit_Cap_Girl|friend with a knit cap]] are out birdwatching (hence the title). {{w|Birdwatching}} is an activity to observe birds. Usually this is done at a distance, as birds are flying in the air, and are far away. It is thus helpful to use {{w|binoculars}}. <br />
<br />
Cueball's friend uses binoculars and manages to spot a {{w|hawk}} a mile up. Cueball, however, has brought his camera, probably his superzoom camera from [[1719: Superzoom]]. (He uses that again already two comics later in [[1828: ISS Solar Transit]]). But it is very difficult to find anything in such a camera if you zoom in first. And maybe Cueball is with his trained friend, out birdwatching for the first time. Cueball is frustrated and comments on the difficulty and is amazed his friend can spot birds over such distances.<br />
<br />
Frustrated with his camera Cueball comes up with a solution, which is to use a {{w|vacuum cleaner}}, specifically a {{w|shop vac}}, to pull the birds in closer so he won't need the superzoom camera to see them (this he has just left on the ground next to the shop vac). This is physically impossible with such a small device. Even if the shop vac created a perfect vacuum, it can only pull out air at the speed of sound, which amounts to approximately 1 cubic meter per second considering the apparent size of the hose. This is not enough to create a significant amount of wind or affect the atmosphere. (Of course he may have borrowed it from his other friend [[Beret Guy]] who has many [[:Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy|strange powers]] that also extends to improving vacuum cleaners, which Cueball knows about as seen in [[1486: Vacuum]]).<br />
<br />
Cueball's shop vac bird collector is similar in concept to [http://biostor.org/reference/76824/page/3 vacuum-based insect collectors] [http://media.nola.com/environment/photo/xuanchen1jpg-fca88349bf05fe83.jpg used by] [http://www.rinconvitova.com/d-vac.htm entomologists]. Cueball evidently thinks that a similar concept will work to easily collect birds.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to {{w|park ranger}}s, who would naturally be distressed by birds being forced to coalesce via an extremely powerful vacuum. If such a vacuum were created and used for this purpose, it probably would pose a threat to said birds. Cueball says he has solved this problem by placing a perforated screen in front. In doing so, he can safely attract the birds without trapping them inside the vacuum. He implies that this should remove the danger to the birds, which is not the case. While the birds can no longer enter the vacuum itself, having a large number of birds pulled into a (presumably small) screen would probably fare poorly for the birds, so Cueball's solution is rather poor.<br />
<br />
When out birdwatching it is a great idea to have a silhouette chart to be able to recognize the birds by the shadow they make against the sky. Two comics before this one [[Randall]] made a comic with just such a chart, [[1824: Identification Chart]], although that was for combinations of birds and planes...<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and his friend with a knit cap are standing together looking up in the sky. Cueball holds a camera with a large lens down in front of him, and his friend holds binoculars down in front of him.]<br />
:Cueball: Birdwatching is hard. <br />
:Cueball: They're all way too small and far away.<br />
<br />
:[In a frame-less panel they both raise their tool eyepieces to their eyes.]<br />
:Cueball: That hawk is over a mile up! How did you even spot it?<br />
<br />
:[Both lower their eyepiece again. The friend still looks up while Cueball looks down on his camera which he holds up in front of him. A black squiggly line above his head indicates that he is fuming over his camera's abilities.]<br />
<br />
:[Cueball now has a vacuum cleaner with a big body and a large hose which he is pointing towards the sky, as air is visibly sucked in to the hose and the vacuum cleaner is making a very loud noise which extends beyond the frame of the panel.Cueball is holding one hand on the vacuum cleaner which has a label with its brand on it. Cueball's camera lies on the ground in front of the vacuum cleaner. The friend looks back at Cueball.]<br />
:Vacuum cleaner: <big>'''''Whrrrrr'''''</big><br />
:Label: Shop Vac<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*This comic was originally published with a very large picture, much larger than the standard screen. <br />
**The original image was named [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/birdwatching_huge.png birdwatching_huge.png] <br />
**The image at that location has also been downsized to normal dimensions. <br />
**It was later updated to use an image without the "_huge" in its name, at the usual size. <br />
*The unexpected size was at first interpreted as being part of the joke, see the [[#Discussion|discussion page]].<br />
**The idea was that the reader was only seeing an inconvenient subset of the magnified image on the screen, just like Cueball was experiencing an inconvenient subset of the magnified sky through the zoom of his camera lens.<br />
**It seems, however, that it wasn't meant to be like this, as both the size and name of the image were later corrected.<br />
*Alternatively the size gave people trouble with reading the page, and made Randall change his mind and reset it to normal size. <br />
**It seems weird he would make a "_huge" version by mistake?<br />
*The premise is similar to the {{w|Superman_(1940s_cartoons)|Fleischer Superman}} cartoon {{w|The Magnetic Telescope}}, where a mad scientist does essentially the same thing with comets.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Characters with Hats]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1826:_Birdwatching&diff=1392411826: Birdwatching2017-04-25T17:45:57Z<p>Flug: added info about vacuum-based insect collectors</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1826<br />
| date = April 19, 2017<br />
| title = Birdwatching<br />
| image = birdwatching_small.png<br />
| titletext = No, tell the park rangers to calm down, it's fine--I put a screen on the front. I just want to get the birds a little closer.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Needs more information on birdwatching specifically about using binoculars vs. a superzoom (or just large zoom) camera, and if it is correct how the explanation say it is more difficult with the camera or if it is just an inexperienced Cueball that is the reason for the trouble.}}<br />
In this comic [[Cueball]] and his [[1350:_Lorenz#Knit_Cap_Girl|friend with a knit cap]] are out birdwatching (hence the title). {{w|Birdwatching}} is an activity to observe birds. Usually this is done at a distance, as birds are flying in the air, and are far away. It is thus helpful to use {{w|binoculars}}. <br />
<br />
Cueball's friend uses binoculars and manages to spot a {{w|hawk}} a mile up. Cueball, however, has brought his camera, probably his superzoom camera from [[1719: Superzoom]]. (He uses that again already two comics later in [[1828: ISS Solar Transit]]). But it is very difficult to find anything in such a camera if you zoom in first. And maybe Cueball is with his trained friend, out birdwatching for the first time. Cueball is frustrated and comments on the difficulty and is amazed his friend can spot birds over such distances.<br />
<br />
Frustrated with his camera Cueball comes up with a solution, which is to use a {{w|vacuum cleaner}}, specifically a {{w|shop vac}}, to pull the birds in closer so he won't need the superzoom camera to see them (this he has just left on the ground next to the shop vac). This is physically impossible with such a small device. Even if the shop vac created a perfect vacuum, it can only pull out air at the speed of sound, which amounts to approximately 1 cubic meter per second considering the apparent size of the hose. This is not enough to create a significant amount of wind or affect the atmosphere. (Of course he may have borrowed it from his other friend [[Beret Guy]] who has many [[:Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy|strange powers]] that also extends to improving vacuum cleaners, which Cueball knows about as seen in [[1486: Vacuum]]).<br />
<br />
Cueball's shop vac bird collector is similar in concept to vacuum-based insect collectors [http://biostor.org/reference/76824/page/3 used by entomologists] [http://media.nola.com/environment/photo/xuanchen1jpg-fca88349bf05fe83.jpg for] [http://www.rinconvitova.com/d-vac.htm insect collecting]. Cueball evidently thinks that a similar concept will work to easily collect birds.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to {{w|park ranger}}s, who would naturally be distressed by birds being forced to coalesce via an extremely powerful vacuum. If such a vacuum were created and used for this purpose, it probably would pose a threat to said birds. Cueball says he has solved this problem by placing a perforated screen in front. In doing so, he can safely attract the birds without trapping them inside the vacuum. He implies that this should remove the danger to the birds, which is not the case. While the birds can no longer enter the vacuum itself, having a large number of birds pulled into a (presumably small) screen would probably fare poorly for the birds, so Cueball's solution is rather poor.<br />
<br />
When out birdwatching it is a great idea to have a silhouette chart to be able to recognize the birds by the shadow they make against the sky. Two comics before this one [[Randall]] made a comic with just such a chart, [[1824: Identification Chart]], although that was for combinations of birds and planes...<br />
<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and his friend with a knit cap are standing together looking up in the sky. Cueball holds a camera with a large lens down in front of him, and his friend holds binoculars down in front of him.]<br />
:Cueball: Birdwatching is hard. <br />
:Cueball: They're all way too small and far away.<br />
<br />
:[In a frame-less panel they both raise their tool eyepieces to their eyes.]<br />
:Cueball: That hawk is over a mile up! How did you even spot it?<br />
<br />
:[Both lower their eyepiece again. The friend still looks up while Cueball looks down on his camera which he holds up in front of him. A black squiggly line above his head indicates that he is fuming over his camera's abilities.]<br />
<br />
:[Cueball now has a vacuum cleaner with a big body and a large hose which he is pointing towards the sky, as air is visibly sucked in to the hose and the vacuum cleaner is making a very loud noise which extends beyond the frame of the panel.Cueball is holding one hand on the vacuum cleaner which has a label with its brand on it. Cueball's camera lies on the ground in front of the vacuum cleaner. The friend looks back at Cueball.]<br />
:Vacuum cleaner: <big>'''''Whrrrrr'''''</big><br />
:Label: Shop Vac<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*This comic was originally published with a very large picture, much larger than the standard screen. <br />
**The original image was named [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/birdwatching_huge.png birdwatching_huge.png] <br />
**The image at that location has also been downsized to normal dimensions. <br />
**It was later updated to use an image without the "_huge" in its name, at the usual size. <br />
*The unexpected size was at first interpreted as being part of the joke, see the [[#Discussion|discussion page]].<br />
**The idea was that the reader was only seeing an inconvenient subset of the magnified image on the screen, just like Cueball was experiencing an inconvenient subset of the magnified sky through the zoom of his camera lens.<br />
**It seems, however, that it wasn't meant to be like this, as both the size and name of the image were later corrected.<br />
*Alternatively the size gave people trouble with reading the page, and made Randall change his mind and reset it to normal size. <br />
**It seems weird he would make a "_huge" version by mistake?<br />
*The premise is similar to the {{w|Superman_(1940s_cartoons)|Fleischer Superman}} cartoon {{w|The Magnetic Telescope}}, where a mad scientist does essentially the same thing with comets.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Characters with Hats]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1826:_Birdwatching&diff=139240Talk:1826: Birdwatching2017-04-25T17:39:17Z<p>Flug: hl</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~--><br />
<br />
;Size error at release<br />
This is a big one.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.41|108.162.246.41]] 04:07, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:I wonder if the size is a technical error, or if I am missing some subtle joke. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.184|108.162.245.184]] 04:37, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
::I guess it's the latter. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.71|162.158.166.71]] 04:39, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think the vacuum is a further joke about scale and distance playing on the absurdity of trying to vacuum from a range of one mile. I must say I don't really understand this comic very well.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.70|108.162.245.70]] 04:47, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Pretty sure the size is an error, I've seen this happen briefly before. It's 1200 dpi, suitable for archival, printing, or just what comes off the scanner [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.107|108.162.246.107]] 09:04, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:The size is intentional. it kinda freaked m out wen i saw it, though. i thought there was a problem with my phone! [[User:Will X|Will X]] ([[User talk:Will X|talk]]) 11:24, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
::I think the size is biting Randall in the rear. I'm getting all sorts of 503 gateway timeouts that appear to be from his Varnish web accelerator. The East coast is waking up and pounding his server... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.106|162.158.78.106]] 11:32, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It looks like they fixed the size. Maybe it wasn't intentional?<br />
:I'm not sure, but maybe the size of the comic changes depending on the time? I mean, it does see like the size is smaller as of right now.(By the way, I'm not the guy on top that didn't sign his/her post.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.138.40|162.158.138.40]] 13:55, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
::It seems the error was fixed and it must be concluded that this was indeed an error. Or at least gave so much trouble that Randall regretted it... I have collected all comments on the size up here with a heading, to make it easier to read this and the rest of the comments. See the [[1826:_Birdwatching#Trivia|trivia section]]. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<br />
I thought the vacuum was trying to drain the atmosphere to make it so that the birds can't fly as high.[[User:1I1III1|1I1III1]] ([[User talk:1I1III1|talk]]) 05:42, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
: That was my thought, too. (/edit: Honestly, to think of sucking the birds in I found being too absurd, while sucking the atmosphere seemed absolutely plausible - at least for an XKCD...) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:18, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: If only he had a vacuum the size of the one in Space Balls. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.162|173.245.50.162]] 15:59, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Are these the same birds from 1824? [[User:Codrus|Codrus]] ([[User talk:Codrus|talk]]) 06:16, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Probably not but these two comics are definitely related. Have mentioned it in the explanation. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hey folks, am I the only one thinking that Cueball also holds the binoculars the wrong way around? Usually the small end is nearest to the eyes... That would for sure make birdwatching even MORE difficult. Regarding size, I think it is intentional.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.76|162.158.150.76]] 09:16, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
: Hey, that's a reflex camera, isn't it? Some camera geek can comment on birdwatching situation camera? That zoom seems much too small for the job, but I've got no real clue...--[[User:Blaisorblade|Blaisorblade]] ([[User talk:Blaisorblade|talk]]) 09:34, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
::The one from [[Superzoom]]! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: It looks more like a bridge camera. Reflex camera lenses are usually larger near the front glass element and narrower near the sensor. This one looks like it's designed to collapse back into the camera. I agree it could be a superzoom, or the one from [[Superzoom]]. Those give lots of magnification for cheap at the expense of image quality, so their popular among first time birdwatcher.<br />
<br />
I would take issue with the use of the word "confused" in the transcript. perhaps "blankly" would be more descriptive. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.18|141.101.107.18]] 12:56, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Transcript is for as little explanation as possible. Have removed the word. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Why is Megan wearing a knit cap? Does Randall's wife have cancer again? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.89|162.158.79.89]] 16:10, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:I don't think that's Megan. The transcript names that character as "Beanie-Man." [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.238|162.158.78.238]]<br />
::The transcript is made by us users, and in most other comics with knit caps that is the name used and so this has been corrected in the explanation and transcript. There are no longer any official [[Transcript on xkcd]]. Here is where it [https://xkcd.com/1826/info.0.json should have been for this comic]. It looks like a guy to me, but there has been several characters with a knit cap, see the link in the explanation to the largest knit cap comic, where there is a collection of other knit cap comics. It is definitely not Megan. And I sure hope that there is not more cancer for Randall and his wife. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
My first thought is than a successful birdwatcher requires patience, which is something that Cueball does not appear to have. You also want to avoid to making noise, so Cueball talking will probably make the bird stay at a distance, and the ShopVac would be even more discouragement for the hawk. There are other issues. I would guess that the camera is a 200 to 300 millimeter lens. If you wanted to get a good picture of a bird with that type of camera, you would have to get closer to the nest and wait very patiently for the bird to get closer. (Patiently for several hours or even days. That doesn't seem like Cueball.) Many methods are available, but they are a lot of work. You also don't try to find the bird using the camera. You try to find the bird without using telescopes or binoculars and then only use the viewing aids once you find the general location of the bird. Megan is presumably satisfied with the fact that the bird probably only fills a portion of the viewport, while Cueball is expecting a picture of the bird where you can count the feathers. So Cueball has unreasonable expectations, is unwilling to wait, and is doing just about everything wrong. He then complains about his lack of success. Cueball's next attempt might be to use a camera mounted on a drone. A lot of people have tried though, although the last image captured is often a close up view of the beak filling the entire screen. [[User:BradleyRoss|BradleyRoss]] ([[User talk:BradleyRoss|talk]]) 18:49, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Seriously? I though drones are so noisy birds avoid them ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:31, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Am I the only one who is reminded of DR and Quinch at summer camp - "What kind of bird is that? (Boom) it's a dead bird uncle Waldo."<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
Okay, I think I have an interpretation that is not accounted for by anything currently in the article or the comments. A vacuum with a screen is what is used to catch little bugs that may be too small for you to spot in the grass. I think it's a weird play on perspective, like in [[1522: Astronomy]], such that cueball thinks that using the vacuum will help him catch and observe the hawks too. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.190|162.158.78.190]] 22:31, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:People vacuum lawns? [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 00:33, 20 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: Oh, no. I should have been clearer earlier. People who study and observe insects do this to catch them. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.161|162.158.79.161]] 23:30, 22 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: I often vacuumed the lawn so to speak. To get rid of all the leaves. Of course I did use a device specifically made for that purpose and not a vacuum cleaner ;) We call them "Laubsauger" in Germany. Best (literal) translation would be "Leaves vacuum" or something like that. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 10:51, 24 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Yes, I think you are definitely onto something here. The shopvac is an improvised version of the vacuum bugcatcher, and the joke is that instead of catching small insects very close at hand, Cueball thinks this is going to be an 'easy way' to collect birds from a mile up. <br />
<br />
:Here are a few photos of the vacuum style insect collector in action. Most are based more on the leafblower model than a shop vac, but the general idea is clearly the same:<br />
<br />
:* [http://biostor.org/reference/76824/page/3 An Inexpensive Vacuum Collector For Insect Sampling]<br />
:* [https://ucanr.edu/repositoryfiles/ca1401p9-67123.pdf Vacuum cleaner principle applied in Sampling Insect Populations ]<br />
:* [http://www.rinconvitova.com/d-vac.htm D-Vac Vacuum Insect Sampling Equipment]<br />
:* [http://www.rinconvitova.com/history.htm An Improved Backpack Motor Fan for Suction Sampling of Insect Populations]<br />
:* [http://media.nola.com/environment/photo/xuanchen1jpg-fca88349bf05fe83.jpg LSU doctoral entomology student Xuan Chen, right, and former student Max Adams use a vacuum collector to capture insects in a Louisiana marsh.]<br />
<br />
: [[User:Flug|Flug]] ([[User talk:Flug|talk]]) 17:35, 25 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
At first when I was looking at this, I thought he was holding a pair of binoculars like Megan (or whatever new character this is supposed to be), and that he was just looking at them through the wrong end. Then I saw all of this "superzoom" stuff and then I saw that he was holding a camera instead. Whoops. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|'''JayRules''XKCD''' ]]<sup>[[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|what's up?]]</sup> 19:31, 23 April 2017 (UTC)</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1826:_Birdwatching&diff=139239Talk:1826: Birdwatching2017-04-25T17:37:49Z<p>Flug: formatting</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~--><br />
<br />
;Size error at release<br />
This is a big one.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.41|108.162.246.41]] 04:07, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:I wonder if the size is a technical error, or if I am missing some subtle joke. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.184|108.162.245.184]] 04:37, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
::I guess it's the latter. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.71|162.158.166.71]] 04:39, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think the vacuum is a further joke about scale and distance playing on the absurdity of trying to vacuum from a range of one mile. I must say I don't really understand this comic very well.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.70|108.162.245.70]] 04:47, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Pretty sure the size is an error, I've seen this happen briefly before. It's 1200 dpi, suitable for archival, printing, or just what comes off the scanner [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.107|108.162.246.107]] 09:04, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:The size is intentional. it kinda freaked m out wen i saw it, though. i thought there was a problem with my phone! [[User:Will X|Will X]] ([[User talk:Will X|talk]]) 11:24, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
::I think the size is biting Randall in the rear. I'm getting all sorts of 503 gateway timeouts that appear to be from his Varnish web accelerator. The East coast is waking up and pounding his server... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.106|162.158.78.106]] 11:32, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It looks like they fixed the size. Maybe it wasn't intentional?<br />
:I'm not sure, but maybe the size of the comic changes depending on the time? I mean, it does see like the size is smaller as of right now.(By the way, I'm not the guy on top that didn't sign his/her post.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.138.40|162.158.138.40]] 13:55, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
::It seems the error was fixed and it must be concluded that this was indeed an error. Or at least gave so much trouble that Randall regretted it... I have collected all comments on the size up here with a heading, to make it easier to read this and the rest of the comments. See the [[1826:_Birdwatching#Trivia|trivia section]]. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<br />
I thought the vacuum was trying to drain the atmosphere to make it so that the birds can't fly as high.[[User:1I1III1|1I1III1]] ([[User talk:1I1III1|talk]]) 05:42, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
: That was my thought, too. (/edit: Honestly, to think of sucking the birds in I found being too absurd, while sucking the atmosphere seemed absolutely plausible - at least for an XKCD...) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:18, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: If only he had a vacuum the size of the one in Space Balls. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.162|173.245.50.162]] 15:59, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Are these the same birds from 1824? [[User:Codrus|Codrus]] ([[User talk:Codrus|talk]]) 06:16, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Probably not but these two comics are definitely related. Have mentioned it in the explanation. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hey folks, am I the only one thinking that Cueball also holds the binoculars the wrong way around? Usually the small end is nearest to the eyes... That would for sure make birdwatching even MORE difficult. Regarding size, I think it is intentional.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.76|162.158.150.76]] 09:16, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
: Hey, that's a reflex camera, isn't it? Some camera geek can comment on birdwatching situation camera? That zoom seems much too small for the job, but I've got no real clue...--[[User:Blaisorblade|Blaisorblade]] ([[User talk:Blaisorblade|talk]]) 09:34, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
::The one from [[Superzoom]]! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: It looks more like a bridge camera. Reflex camera lenses are usually larger near the front glass element and narrower near the sensor. This one looks like it's designed to collapse back into the camera. I agree it could be a superzoom, or the one from [[Superzoom]]. Those give lots of magnification for cheap at the expense of image quality, so their popular among first time birdwatcher.<br />
<br />
I would take issue with the use of the word "confused" in the transcript. perhaps "blankly" would be more descriptive. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.18|141.101.107.18]] 12:56, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Transcript is for as little explanation as possible. Have removed the word. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Why is Megan wearing a knit cap? Does Randall's wife have cancer again? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.89|162.158.79.89]] 16:10, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:I don't think that's Megan. The transcript names that character as "Beanie-Man." [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.238|162.158.78.238]]<br />
::The transcript is made by us users, and in most other comics with knit caps that is the name used and so this has been corrected in the explanation and transcript. There are no longer any official [[Transcript on xkcd]]. Here is where it [https://xkcd.com/1826/info.0.json should have been for this comic]. It looks like a guy to me, but there has been several characters with a knit cap, see the link in the explanation to the largest knit cap comic, where there is a collection of other knit cap comics. It is definitely not Megan. And I sure hope that there is not more cancer for Randall and his wife. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
My first thought is than a successful birdwatcher requires patience, which is something that Cueball does not appear to have. You also want to avoid to making noise, so Cueball talking will probably make the bird stay at a distance, and the ShopVac would be even more discouragement for the hawk. There are other issues. I would guess that the camera is a 200 to 300 millimeter lens. If you wanted to get a good picture of a bird with that type of camera, you would have to get closer to the nest and wait very patiently for the bird to get closer. (Patiently for several hours or even days. That doesn't seem like Cueball.) Many methods are available, but they are a lot of work. You also don't try to find the bird using the camera. You try to find the bird without using telescopes or binoculars and then only use the viewing aids once you find the general location of the bird. Megan is presumably satisfied with the fact that the bird probably only fills a portion of the viewport, while Cueball is expecting a picture of the bird where you can count the feathers. So Cueball has unreasonable expectations, is unwilling to wait, and is doing just about everything wrong. He then complains about his lack of success. Cueball's next attempt might be to use a camera mounted on a drone. A lot of people have tried though, although the last image captured is often a close up view of the beak filling the entire screen. [[User:BradleyRoss|BradleyRoss]] ([[User talk:BradleyRoss|talk]]) 18:49, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Seriously? I though drones are so noisy birds avoid them ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:31, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Am I the only one who is reminded of DR and Quinch at summer camp - "What kind of bird is that? (Boom) it's a dead bird uncle Waldo."<br />
<br />
Okay, I think I have an interpretation that is not accounted for by anything currently in the article or the comments. A vacuum with a screen is what is used to catch little bugs that may be too small for you to spot in the grass. I think it's a weird play on perspective, like in [[1522: Astronomy]], such that cueball thinks that using the vacuum will help him catch and observe the hawks too. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.190|162.158.78.190]] 22:31, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:People vacuum lawns? [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 00:33, 20 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: Oh, no. I should have been clearer earlier. People who study and observe insects do this to catch them. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.161|162.158.79.161]] 23:30, 22 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: I often vacuumed the lawn so to speak. To get rid of all the leaves. Of course I did use a device specifically made for that purpose and not a vacuum cleaner ;) We call them "Laubsauger" in Germany. Best (literal) translation would be "Leaves vacuum" or something like that. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 10:51, 24 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Yes, I think you are definitely onto something here. The shopvac is an improvised version of the vacuum bugcatcher, and the joke is that instead of catching small insects very close at hand, Cueball thinks this is going to be an 'easy way' to collect birds from a mile up. <br />
<br />
:Here are a few photos of the vacuum style insect collector in action. Most are based more on the leafblower model than a shop vac, but the general idea is clearly the same:<br />
<br />
:* [http://biostor.org/reference/76824/page/3 An Inexpensive Vacuum Collector For Insect Sampling]<br />
:* [https://ucanr.edu/repositoryfiles/ca1401p9-67123.pdf Vacuum cleaner principle applied in Sampling Insect Populations ]<br />
:* [http://www.rinconvitova.com/d-vac.htm D-Vac Vacuum Insect Sampling Equipment]<br />
:* [http://www.rinconvitova.com/history.htm An Improved Backpack Motor Fan for Suction Sampling of Insect Populations]<br />
:* [http://media.nola.com/environment/photo/xuanchen1jpg-fca88349bf05fe83.jpg LSU doctoral entomology student Xuan Chen, right, and former student Max Adams use a vacuum collector to capture insects in a Louisiana marsh.]<br />
<br />
: [[User:Flug|Flug]] ([[User talk:Flug|talk]]) 17:35, 25 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
At first when I was looking at this, I thought he was holding a pair of binoculars like Megan (or whatever new character this is supposed to be), and that he was just looking at them through the wrong end. Then I saw all of this "superzoom" stuff and then I saw that he was holding a camera instead. Whoops. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|'''JayRules''XKCD''' ]]<sup>[[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|what's up?]]</sup> 19:31, 23 April 2017 (UTC)</div>Flughttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1826:_Birdwatching&diff=139238Talk:1826: Birdwatching2017-04-25T17:35:10Z<p>Flug: vacuum insect collectors</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~--><br />
<br />
;Size error at release<br />
This is a big one.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.41|108.162.246.41]] 04:07, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:I wonder if the size is a technical error, or if I am missing some subtle joke. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.184|108.162.245.184]] 04:37, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
::I guess it's the latter. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.71|162.158.166.71]] 04:39, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think the vacuum is a further joke about scale and distance playing on the absurdity of trying to vacuum from a range of one mile. I must say I don't really understand this comic very well.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.70|108.162.245.70]] 04:47, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Pretty sure the size is an error, I've seen this happen briefly before. It's 1200 dpi, suitable for archival, printing, or just what comes off the scanner [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.107|108.162.246.107]] 09:04, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:The size is intentional. it kinda freaked m out wen i saw it, though. i thought there was a problem with my phone! [[User:Will X|Will X]] ([[User talk:Will X|talk]]) 11:24, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
::I think the size is biting Randall in the rear. I'm getting all sorts of 503 gateway timeouts that appear to be from his Varnish web accelerator. The East coast is waking up and pounding his server... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.106|162.158.78.106]] 11:32, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It looks like they fixed the size. Maybe it wasn't intentional?<br />
:I'm not sure, but maybe the size of the comic changes depending on the time? I mean, it does see like the size is smaller as of right now.(By the way, I'm not the guy on top that didn't sign his/her post.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.138.40|162.158.138.40]] 13:55, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
::It seems the error was fixed and it must be concluded that this was indeed an error. Or at least gave so much trouble that Randall regretted it... I have collected all comments on the size up here with a heading, to make it easier to read this and the rest of the comments. See the [[1826:_Birdwatching#Trivia|trivia section]]. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<br />
I thought the vacuum was trying to drain the atmosphere to make it so that the birds can't fly as high.[[User:1I1III1|1I1III1]] ([[User talk:1I1III1|talk]]) 05:42, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
: That was my thought, too. (/edit: Honestly, to think of sucking the birds in I found being too absurd, while sucking the atmosphere seemed absolutely plausible - at least for an XKCD...) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:18, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: If only he had a vacuum the size of the one in Space Balls. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.162|173.245.50.162]] 15:59, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Are these the same birds from 1824? [[User:Codrus|Codrus]] ([[User talk:Codrus|talk]]) 06:16, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Probably not but these two comics are definitely related. Have mentioned it in the explanation. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hey folks, am I the only one thinking that Cueball also holds the binoculars the wrong way around? Usually the small end is nearest to the eyes... That would for sure make birdwatching even MORE difficult. Regarding size, I think it is intentional.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.76|162.158.150.76]] 09:16, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
: Hey, that's a reflex camera, isn't it? Some camera geek can comment on birdwatching situation camera? That zoom seems much too small for the job, but I've got no real clue...--[[User:Blaisorblade|Blaisorblade]] ([[User talk:Blaisorblade|talk]]) 09:34, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
::The one from [[Superzoom]]! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: It looks more like a bridge camera. Reflex camera lenses are usually larger near the front glass element and narrower near the sensor. This one looks like it's designed to collapse back into the camera. I agree it could be a superzoom, or the one from [[Superzoom]]. Those give lots of magnification for cheap at the expense of image quality, so their popular among first time birdwatcher.<br />
<br />
I would take issue with the use of the word "confused" in the transcript. perhaps "blankly" would be more descriptive. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.18|141.101.107.18]] 12:56, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Transcript is for as little explanation as possible. Have removed the word. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Why is Megan wearing a knit cap? Does Randall's wife have cancer again? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.89|162.158.79.89]] 16:10, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:I don't think that's Megan. The transcript names that character as "Beanie-Man." [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.238|162.158.78.238]]<br />
::The transcript is made by us users, and in most other comics with knit caps that is the name used and so this has been corrected in the explanation and transcript. There are no longer any official [[Transcript on xkcd]]. Here is where it [https://xkcd.com/1826/info.0.json should have been for this comic]. It looks like a guy to me, but there has been several characters with a knit cap, see the link in the explanation to the largest knit cap comic, where there is a collection of other knit cap comics. It is definitely not Megan. And I sure hope that there is not more cancer for Randall and his wife. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:51, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
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My first thought is than a successful birdwatcher requires patience, which is something that Cueball does not appear to have. You also want to avoid to making noise, so Cueball talking will probably make the bird stay at a distance, and the ShopVac would be even more discouragement for the hawk. There are other issues. I would guess that the camera is a 200 to 300 millimeter lens. If you wanted to get a good picture of a bird with that type of camera, you would have to get closer to the nest and wait very patiently for the bird to get closer. (Patiently for several hours or even days. That doesn't seem like Cueball.) Many methods are available, but they are a lot of work. You also don't try to find the bird using the camera. You try to find the bird without using telescopes or binoculars and then only use the viewing aids once you find the general location of the bird. Megan is presumably satisfied with the fact that the bird probably only fills a portion of the viewport, while Cueball is expecting a picture of the bird where you can count the feathers. So Cueball has unreasonable expectations, is unwilling to wait, and is doing just about everything wrong. He then complains about his lack of success. Cueball's next attempt might be to use a camera mounted on a drone. A lot of people have tried though, although the last image captured is often a close up view of the beak filling the entire screen. [[User:BradleyRoss|BradleyRoss]] ([[User talk:BradleyRoss|talk]]) 18:49, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
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:Seriously? I though drones are so noisy birds avoid them ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:31, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
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Am I the only one who is reminded of DR and Quinch at summer camp - "What kind of bird is that? (Boom) it's a dead bird uncle Waldo."<br />
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Okay, I think I have an interpretation that is not accounted for by anything currently in the article or the comments. A vacuum with a screen is what is used to catch little bugs that may be too small for you to spot in the grass. I think it's a weird play on perspective, like in [[1522: Astronomy]], such that cueball thinks that using the vacuum will help him catch and observe the hawks too. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.190|162.158.78.190]] 22:31, 19 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:People vacuum lawns? [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 00:33, 20 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: Oh, no. I should have been clearer earlier. People who study and observe insects do this to catch them. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.161|162.158.79.161]] 23:30, 22 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: I often vacuumed the lawn so to speak. To get rid of all the leaves. Of course I did use a device specifically made for that purpose and not a vacuum cleaner ;) We call them "Laubsauger" in Germany. Best (literal) translation would be "Leaves vacuum" or something like that. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 10:51, 24 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Yes, I think you are definitely onto something here. The shopvac is an improvised version of the vacuum bugcatcher, and the joke is that instead of catching small insects very close at hand, Cueball thinks this is going to be an 'easy way' to collect birds from a mile up. <br />
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:Here are a few photos of the vacuum style insect collector in action. Most are based more on the leafblower model than a shop vac, but the general idea is clearly the same:<br />
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:[http://biostor.org/reference/76824/page/3 An Inexpensive Vacuum Collector For Insect Sampling]<br />
:[https://ucanr.edu/repositoryfiles/ca1401p9-67123.pdf Vacuum <br />
cleaner principle <br />
applied <br />
in <br />
Sampling <br />
Insect <br />
Populations ]<br />
:[http://www.rinconvitova.com/d-vac.htm D-Vac Vacuum Insect Sampling Equipment]<br />
:[http://www.rinconvitova.com/history.htm An Improved Backpack Motor Fan for Suction Sampling of Insect Populations]<br />
:[http://media.nola.com/environment/photo/xuanchen1jpg-fca88349bf05fe83.jpg LSU doctoral entomology student Xuan Chen, right, and former student Max Adams use a vacuum collector to capture insects in a Louisiana marsh.]<br />
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: [[User:Flug|Flug]] ([[User talk:Flug|talk]]) 17:35, 25 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
At first when I was looking at this, I thought he was holding a pair of binoculars like Megan (or whatever new character this is supposed to be), and that he was just looking at them through the wrong end. Then I saw all of this "superzoom" stuff and then I saw that he was holding a camera instead. Whoops. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|'''JayRules''XKCD''' ]]<sup>[[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|what's up?]]</sup> 19:31, 23 April 2017 (UTC)</div>Flug