explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1898: October 2017

2017-10-04T08:12:25Z

Kgy121: /* Transcript */ added break

{{comic
| number = 1898
| date = October 4, 2017
| title = October 2017
| image = october_2017.png
| titletext = And yet I have no trouble believing that the start of the 2016 election was several decades ago.
}}

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

[[Randall]] once again makes us feel old by referencing an old movie that our memory puts as recent.

[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]

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

Megan: Want to feel old?

Cueball: Why do you always start your factoids that way?> Of course I don't want to feel old. I already feel old.

[beat panel]

Cueball: ... Fine, hit me.

Megan: If you broke a mirror back when the Aaron Sorkin Facebook movie came out, your seven yeas of bad luck would be over this week.

Cueball: Dammit.

{{comic discussion}}

1898: October 2017

2017-10-04T08:11:58Z

Kgy121: /* Transcript */ Added breaks

1898: October 2017

2017-10-04T08:11:16Z

Kgy121: Added Transcript

{{comic
| number = 1898
| date = October 4, 2017
| title = October 2017
| image = october_2017.png
| titletext = And yet I have no trouble believing that the start of the 2016 election was several decades ago.
}}

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

[[Randall]] once again makes us feel old by referencing an old movie that our memory puts as recent.

[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]

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

Megan: Want to feel old?
Cueball: Why do you always start your factoids that way?> Of course I don't want to feel old. I already feel old.
[beat panel]
Cueball: ... Fine, hit me.
Megan: If you broke a mirror back when the Aaron Sorkin Facebook movie came out, your seven yeas of bad luck would be over this week.
Cueball: Dammit.

{{comic discussion}}

1802: Phone

2017-02-22T14:34:58Z

Kgy121: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1802
| date = February 22, 2017
| title = Phone
| image = phone.png
| titletext = [*disables social networking accounts*] [*social isolation increases*] Wait, why does this ALSO feel bad?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Feel free to add more info}}
Someone asks [[Cueball]] if he wants to go for a walk he says sure but first he has to get his phone. He describes this as a device that gives him a 24/7 stream of information much of which is out of context. He also mentions that news can be scary which is true and often times news outlets will use a title that exaggerates the topic and creates fear to get more people to look at the article. The random emotional stimuli could be from many things such as his text messages or email and several other things that can cause a shift in emotions. The spare battery could reference a portable charger as most phones use rechargeable batteries that often last longer than the rest of the phone.

[[Randall]] often describes simple object in a very complex or connotative manner such as in [[1616]].(Note: He also occasionally describes very complex things in very simple words as in [[1133]].)

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
Offscreen: Wanna go for a walk?

Cueball: Sure, just need to grab my device that feeds me a 24/7 stream of opinions, context-free scary world news, and random emotional stimuli. Plus a spare battery so the feed won't be interrupted.
{{comic discussion}}

1780: Appliance Repair

2017-01-02T12:46:32Z

Kgy121: /* Transcript */ Added

{{comic
| number = 1780
| date = January 2, 2017
| title = Appliance Repair
| image = appliance_repair.png
| titletext = [holding up a three-phase motor] As you can see here, the problem is that the humidifier I took this from is broken.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

Cueball: After disassembling and inspecting the humidifier, I've determined that the main problem with it is that someone took it apart.

{{comic discussion}}

1778: Interest Timescales

2016-12-28T08:46:58Z

Kgy121: /* Explanation */ Added Volcanic Eruption

{{comic
| number = 1778
| date = December 28, 2016
| title = Interest Timescales
| image = interest_timescales.png
| titletext = Sometimes, parts of a slowly-rising mountain suddenly rises REALLY fast, which is extra interesting.
}}

==Explanation==
Randall's sharing a bit about himself and the things that interest him, in one of his strange but still funny graphs.

The caption says: "Most of my interests fall under "things rising up from the ground, hanging in the air, and then drifting away on the breeze," just on very different timescales." The four examples fit this as follows:

In the case of a fireworks display, the fireworks fire up into the air, explode, then the glowing embers drift away on the breeze in the course of a few seconds.

In the case of a rocket launch, the rocket launches from the ground into space, remains there for a time, then later re-enters the atmosphere and reaches the ground - in the case of a typical parachute-descent system, it literally drifts through the air. A typical timespan for such an event is several days or weeks.

In the case of a tree, it grows from the ground upwards, remains there until autumn comes, then drops its leaves, which drift on the breeze. This process takes months.

Finally, in the case of a mountain, typically mountains rise from the ground due to movement of tectonic plates which result in volcanic activity. The mountains are then very slowly broken down by natural erosion forces, and the stone particles disperse on the wind. These events are much slower than the others, typically taking tens of millions of years to completely erode away a mountain.

The title text refers to the dramatic event in which a mountain suddenly rises much higher due to a massive earthquake or volcanic eruption. Such events are rare and potentially deadly to living things. Calling it "extra interesting" is an understatement.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
From left to right:

Cueball watches a fireworks display: "Ooooh"

Cueball watches a rocket launch: "Wow!"

Cueball climbs a tree: "Zoom!"

Cueball stands atop a mountain: "Wheeeee!"

Fast<----------->Slow

Caption: Most of my interests fall under "things rising up from the ground, hanging in the air, and then drifting away on the breeze," just on very different timescales.

{{comic discussion}}

1778: Interest Timescales

2016-12-28T05:41:37Z

Kgy121: /* Transcript */ Fixing spacing

1778: Interest Timescales

2016-12-28T05:41:03Z

Kgy121: /* Transcript */ aDDED

1683: Digital Data

2016-05-20T04:10:49Z

Kgy121: Spacing

{{comic
| number = 1683
| date = May 20, 2016
| title = Digital Data
| image = digital_data.png
| titletext = Ã¢â¬ÅIf you can read this, congratulationsÃ¢â¬âthe archive youÃ¢â¬â¢re you're using still knows about the mouseover textÃ¢â¬Â!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

[Cueball and a White Hat are walking.]

Cueball: The great thing about digital data is that it never degrades.

Cueball: Hard drives fail, of course, but their bits can be copied forever without loss.

Cueball: Film degrades, paint cracks, but a copy of a century-old data file is identical to the original.

Cueball: If humanity has a permanent record, we are the first generation in it.

White Hat: Amazing.

{{comic discussion}}

1683: Digital Data

2016-05-20T04:10:12Z

Kgy121: Added the dialog, without watermark, browser information, etc.

{{comic
| number = 1683
| date = May 20, 2016
| title = Digital Data
| image = digital_data.png
| titletext = Ã¢â¬ÅIf you can read this, congratulationsÃ¢â¬âthe archive youÃ¢â¬â¢re you're using still knows about the mouseover textÃ¢â¬Â!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
[Cueball and a White Hat are walking.]
Cueball: The great thing about digital data is that it never degrades.
Cueball: Hard drives fail, of course, but their bits can be copied forever without loss.
Cueball: Film degrades, paint cracks, but a copy of a century-old data file is identical to the original.
Cueball: If humanity has a permanent record, we are the first generation in it.
White Hat: Amazing.

{{comic discussion}}