explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3129: Archaeology Research

2025-08-15T22:57:49Z

KingPenguin:

? [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 14:44, 15 August 2025 (UTC)
: Cueball has misunderstood the purpose of archaeology as being to study things in order to devise improved versions of them. As a result, he has ended up 'inventing' Bronze Age technology. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 15:13, 15 August 2025 (UTC)
:: And in the title text, he imagines the reason everyone dismisses it is because 'Big Knap' is conspiring to stop him destroying their profits. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 15:27, 15 August 2025 (UTC)
: I think the joke is misunderstanding "archaeology research" to mean doing research to extend ancient technology. [[Special:Contributions/2601:18E:C380:4FC0:D4F5:8EE1:51F6:82AF|2601:18E:C380:4FC0:D4F5:8EE1:51F6:82AF]] 15:12, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

It's the kind of research project I can easily imagine my university Classics prof, Trevor Hodge, being on board with. He was very keen on students trying to reproduce ancient tech for themselves, with an eye towards them appreciating the challenges involved and that those people were intelligent and knowledgeable. One of his grad students was an acquaintance of mine, doing a thesis along the lines of "The Two-Bladed Bronze Axe in the Aegean: Tool or Weapon?", and I'd be astonished if the project didn't include constructing one. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 14:47, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

Possibly referencing new copper tools in Minecraft? [[Special:Contributions/104.28.205.246|104.28.205.246]] 15:35, 15 August 2025 (UTC)
:I doubt it. But hey, you play Minecraft too? [[User:RadiantRainwing|RadiantRainwing]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 19:48, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

My understanding of the joke is that archaeology enthusiasts are obsessed with using traditional tools. Consequently, Cueball revealing there are other methods of manufacturing tools, would disrupt the entire archaeology enthusiasts community and the surrounding industry. In retrospect, I am probably wrong. [[User:Aqua-chestnut|Aqua-chestnut]] ([[User talk:Aqua-chestnut|talk]]) 16:07, 15 August 2025 (UTC)
: Alternatively, the joke might be that the event is taking place in the Paleolithic age, and Cueball's discovery of copper would advance it to the Neolithic, consequently disrupting the Paleolithic economy. In retrospect, this is also wrong because copper first appeared in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_historic_inventions#Neolithic_and_Late_Mesolithic 5000 BC according to Wikipedia] [[User:Aqua-chestnut|Aqua-chestnut]] ([[User talk:Aqua-chestnut|talk]]) 16:18, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

My own take on this is that, as a Practical Archaeologist, he's actually gone to live the life of a stone-age toolmaker (a [https://www.butserancientfarm.co.uk/ thing that some people do]) to rediscover the and test theories about the culture of that era. But, obviously some of the ''real'' stone-agers may have been transitioning into early metal-working and the were at the cusp of the bronze-age. His back-to-basics attempt at recreating their lives has ''accidentally'' strayed into independently re-inventing the stage ''after'' the era that he had intended (or been asked) to study, thus instead [[2949: Network Configuration|reinventing human history]]. - Of course, this would also be rather interesting to know about (perhaps help understand the rather fuzzy changeover that happened in our own real history), but missed the point of the original target of study which was more the nature of the mature stone-implement industry than its decline and replacement by waves of 'new-tech' metal-working. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.238.109|82.132.238.109]] 16:37, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

The reference at the end to industry suggests to me that this is commentary on ways that some industries suppress better technology in order to maintain profits. There’s a well documented case of Colgate suppressing technology that would significantly reduce cavities because it would eat into their own premium toothpaste market. Arguably, the same thing is going on right now with the fossil fuel industry (for example, the resistance to widespread adoption of heat pumps for heating in the United States). It’s silly to think that archaeologists might do so to protect industry interests. Why isn’t it silly that we allow corporations to do the same thing? {{unsigned ip|2a04:4e41:5c01:6100::40d3:2100|17:01, 15 August 2025}}

In North America there is a tradition of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Copper_complex copper working] that did not require smelting. [[User:KingPenguin|KingPenguin]] ([[User talk:KingPenguin|talk]]) 22:57, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

Talk:3115: Unsolved Physics Problems

2025-07-16T02:19:49Z

KingPenguin:

I didn't notice that the linked paper on zink whiskers was from NASA at first, but it was immediately apparent that an American wrote it... The style is super American. "Oh, no! People who ''chose'' to read this paper won't get it unless I write really big and '''EMPHASISE''' words." It's a very "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" style of naming margarine, so to say. [[User:Kapten-N|Kapten-N]] ([[User talk:Kapten-N|talk]]) 07:23, 15 July 2025 (UTC)
:The linked pdf is not a scientific paper, but a slide presentation. I think especially for safety-related presentations it is not uncommon to go a bit over the top with "be aware that this seemingly harmless effect can have serious consequences" -- especially if the risk is seemingly low, but the possible damage is really high. --[[Special:Contributions/134.102.219.31|134.102.219.31]] 08:25, 15 July 2025 (UTC)
:@Kapten-N, your Ameriphobia is duly noted. [[Special:Contributions/76.216.164.118|76.216.164.118]] 14:20, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

It seems that there is a typo on the second panel about the Gallium anomaly. According to Wikipedia "The resulting production of 71Ge was calculated in 2005 to be 79% of expected", not 75%. Should this be mentioned? [[User:Rps|Rps]] ([[User talk:Rps|talk]]) 12:12, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

Unremoved background on the middle title: The middle title has unerased lettering with a slightly different style.{{unsigned ip|92.40.191.220|08:41, 15 July 2025 (UTC)}}

You know, Hair Metal is a thing. Just sayin'. [[Special:Contributions/92.184.140.165|92.184.140.165]] 12:39, 15 July 2025 (UTC)
:If metal inexorably produces hair and unwanted behaviour, which I believe it does, could you explain to me why rock doesn't? [[Special:Contributions/2001:1C00:31C:0:90DD:6826:AA7C:C80F|2001:1C00:31C:0:90DD:6826:AA7C:C80F]] 19:57, 15 July 2025 (UTC)
::Because it absolutely ''refuses'' to be in any way vulnerable to scissors! [[Special:Contributions/92.23.2.228|92.23.2.228]] 22:55, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

If you look closely where it says ‘precise’, it looks like Randall traced it! [[User:Broseph|Broseph]] ([[User talk:Broseph|talk]]) 12:44, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

The zinc whiskers are similar to joke in [[3112: Geology Murder]] where the
'dagger-shaped object precipitated within the wound" [[User:KingPenguin|KingPenguin]] ([[User talk:KingPenguin|talk]]) 02:19, 16 July 2025 (UTC)

3045: AlphaMove

2025-02-01T00:41:12Z

KingPenguin: /* Explanation added chess zoo link */

{{comic
| number = 3045
| date = January 31, 2025
| title = AlphaMove
| image = alphamove_2x.png
| imagesize = 500x526px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It struggles a little with complex positions, like when there are an even number of moves and it has to round down, but when run against itself it's capable of finding some novelties. At one point I saw six knights on the board at once; Stockfish rarely exceeds four.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THE SEVENTH KNIGHT, WAITING IN ANTICIPATION. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic shows a new chess engine, presumably created by Randall, which takes a list of all legal moves (in {{w|Algebraic notation (chess)|algebraic notation}}) in alphabetical order and chooses the median. Algebraic notation begins with a symbol for which piece is being moved, which is always the first letter of the piece name except for knights (N) and pawns (nothing). This is then followed by the square that the piece is being moved to. (Rc4 would indicate a move that moved a rook to c4.) Other symbols include (extra info here)

In practice, this algorithm runs into a few issues. As seen in the comic, the algorithm rarely moves bishops and rooks due to their relative lack of moves in the early game. AlphaMove can never {{w|Castling|castle}} due to the notation for it (0-0 or 0-0-0) being the only one to start with a number, and thus always being the first in the list. (It also can't get to a board state where it's the only legal move because the king and rook moving into the empty squares will always create at least 3 more moves.) The algorithm instead favors knight and king moves, and to a lesser extent pawns on the right side of the board.

See also [[3036: Chess_Zoo]].

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

2688: Bubble Universes

2025-01-31T04:31:19Z

KingPenguin: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2688
| date = October 21, 2022
| title = Bubble Universes
| image = bubble_universes_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x188px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The theory finally unifies cosmic inflation and regular inflation.
}}

==Explanation==

A {{w|Eternal_inflation#Overview|bubble universe}} is a concept in the {{w|Inflation (cosmology)|inflation theory of cosmology}} in which our observable universe is just one of many "bubbles" of matter and radiation that formed after the {{w|Big Bang}}.

The comic seems to be recursive, where one Cueball's bubble universe contains another Cueball doing the same thing, blowing bubbles, seeming to contain the whole scene within one of the bubbles in the original scene.

The title text claims this theory "finally unifies cosmic inflation and regular inflation." Cosmic inflation refers to the expansionary phase of the universe shortly after the Big Bang. Meanwhile, ''regular'' inflation refers to blowing bubbles, as this leads to them being inflated.{{Citation needed}} This comic "unified" these theories with the simple proposition that the universe was a bubble and inflated like regular bubbles do. Unification of theories is a popular goal among scientists, since it makes it possible to provide a single explanation for multiple phenomena.

See also [[2972: Helium Synthesis]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball blowing expanding bubbles. In the largest one is a whole new universe with another Cueball blowing similar bubbles. The bubbles are progressively darker: the first ones are regular transparent/white bubbles, and as they grow, they turn gray then dark, to match the black night sky, with stars, galaxies, planets and other astronomical bodies]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Cosmology]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Puns]]
[[Category:Recursion]]

2990: Late Cenozoic

2024-09-26T03:42:07Z

KingPenguin: /* added 2760 link */

{{comic
| number = 2990
| date = September 25, 2024
| title = Late Cenozoic
| image = late_cenozoic_2x.png
| imagesize = 303x396px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Our nucleic acid recovery techinques found a great deal of homo sapiens DNA incorporated into the fossils, particularly the ones containing high levels of resin, leading to the theory that these dinosaurs preyed on the once-dominant primates.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a ONCE-DOMINANT BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Many science museums contain fossils, which are often reconstructed into full skeletons.
In the comic, aliens (in [[Randall]]’s [[2572: Alien Observers|classic alien style]]) in the future have discovered the reconstructed fossils from our museums and misidentified them as coming from actual dinosaurs living now, and have thus concluded that these dinosaurs survived the {{w|Chicxulub crater|asteroid impact}} that in fact {{w|Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event|made them extinct}}. The {{w|Cenozoic}}, which began after that impact around 66 million years ago, is Earth's current {{w|Geologic_time_scale#Divisions_of_geologic_time|geologic era}}, while the {{w|Cretaceous}} was the final {{w|Geologic_time_scale#Divisions_of_geologic_time|geologic period}} of the previous era, the {{w|Mesozoic}}.

The title text says that a high amount of resin and human DNA has led to them theorizing that dinosaurs ate humans. Much more likely, the resin and human DNA have mixed as a result of the molding and casting process used to recreate missing or damaged bones—usually so complete skeletons can be displayed.

Possibly the museum in [[2760: Paleontology Museum]]

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

:[Three squid-like aliens in a classroom; one alien stands in front of a board covered with minute text and a drawing of a T-Rex skeleton. Two aliens sit on chairs watching the teacher alien. The teacher alien on the left sits on a table and points at the board with one tentacle. The image is encapsulated in a box, and there is a caption beneath it.]
:Left alien: Species such as triceratops and tyrannosaurus became more rare after the Cretaceous, but they survived to flourish in the late Cenozoic, 66 million years later.
:Left alien: Many complete skeletons have been discovered from this era.

:[Caption beneath the panel:]
:It's going to be really funny when our museums get buried in sediment.

==Trivia==
The title text has a typo: "techinques" should be "techniques".

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Geology]]

2987: Tectonic Surfing

2024-09-18T23:45:53Z

KingPenguin: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2987
| date = September 18, 2024
| title = Tectonic Surfing
| image = tectonic_surfing_2x.png
| imagesize = 447x210px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The worst is when you wipe out in the barrel and you're trapped for several million years until erosion frees you.
}}

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

In this comic, [[Beret Guy]] is doing tectonic surfing. This seems to be surfing on tectonic plates, which move very slowly. {{cn}} He seems to be moving at about 7-11 cm/year which would put him on one of the moderately fast plates. <ref>https://www.pnsn.org/outreach/about-earthquakes/plate-tectonics</ref>

While doing this he says "Radical", "Gnarly", and "Hang loose" which are commonly used among surfers.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball walks up to Beret Guy. Beret Guy is standing with one leg in front of another and his arms spread wide.]
:Cueball: What are you doing?
:Beret Guy: Tectonic surfing!

:[Cueball is standing behind Beret Guy, who is in the same pose.]
:Beret Guy: Radical!
:Beret Guy: Gnarly!
:Beret Guy: Hang loose!

:[Beret Guy is alone, still in the same position in the center of the panel.]

:[Caption:]
:20 years later:
:[Beret guy is in the same position, but at the right edge of the panel.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]

Talk:2959: Beam of Light

2024-07-17T04:55:11Z

KingPenguin: just a random thought

hi {{unsigned ip|172.68.174.143|04:37, 16 July 2024}}
:Hello, could you please sign your post? [[User:OmniDoom|OmniDoom]] ([[User talk:OmniDoom|talk]]) 04:47, 16 July 2024 (UTC)
::@[[User:OmniDoom|OmniDoom]]: I have signed the post for them. —megan [[user talk:megan|talk]]/[[special:contribs/megan|contribs]] 04:58, 16 July 2024 (UTC)
:::megan detected 🤩🤩🤩 [[Special:Contributions/172.69.43.185|172.69.43.185]] 07:14, 16 July 2024 (UTC)
::::It's just a thematic name. If you keep overreacting to it, we can do [[322: Pix Plz|this]]. —megan [[user talk:megan|talk]]/[[special:contribs/megan|contribs]] 07:49, 16 July 2024 (UTC)
:::::aw hell yeah, melt the school computers i use to edit this wiki [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.110|141.101.98.110]] 08:10, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

I totally thought it said Epstein at first, and I was trying to make sense of a seemingly dark, oblique, and dated joke.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.210.141|172.70.210.141]] 05:00, 16 July 2024 (UTC)
:randall would never [[Special:Contributions/172.69.43.185|172.69.43.185]] 07:14, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

I thought the "didn't have any particular" was a pun, because at the time light was not recognized as a particle but a wave. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.109.167|141.101.109.167]] 08:34, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

thats me whenever im on a sled downhill [[User:An user who has no account yet|An user who has no account yet]] ([[User talk:An user who has no account yet|talk]]) 10:55, 16 July 2024 (UTC)
:calvin? is that you? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.150.196|172.71.150.196]] 20:07, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

If Einstein is traveling at the speed of light then he is not experiencing time so he would not be able to have any insights. [[User:KingPenguin|KingPenguin]] ([[User talk:KingPenguin|talk]]) 04:55, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

2936: Exponential Growth

2024-05-23T00:24:41Z

KingPenguin: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2936
| date = May 22, 2024
| title = Exponential Growth
| image = exponential_growth_2x.png
| imagesize = 545x264px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Karpov's construction of a series of increasingly large rice cookers led to a protracted deadlock, but exponential growth won in the end.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a 2^64TH ITERATION OF A BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Exponential growth}} is the principle that if you keep multiplying a number by a value larger than 1, you will pretty quickly get very large numbers. Even if you start with 1 and simply double it each time, you'll have a 10-digit number after about 30 iterations.

This principle is often illustrated using the story "Game of Rice". A king of India wished to reward a man for creating a new game of Chess, and told him that he'd grant any wish. The man simply asked for a {{w|Wheat and chessboard problem|grain of rice to be placed on a chess board and for it to double with each square on the board each day.}} The king granted his strange request and ordered one wheat grain to be placed on the board. The second day two more pieces were placed on the square next to that and the day after four pieces on the next. However, by day 20 there was over 500,000 grains on the board. The king had to dig into his own stock pile to pay his dues. On day 24 the king owed 8 million grains. By day 32 the king owed over 2 billion pieces of grain, at this point he had to give up and offered the man another prize.

{{w|Garry Kasparov}} is a world renowned Russian chess master. He had the highest FIDE chess rating in the world-one of 2851 points-until {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} surpassed that in 2013 by 31 points. The Kasparov gambit is an opening move in chess.

In 1984-85 Garry Kasparov played {{w|Anatoly Karpov}} in a 5-month-long 48-game championship tournament which was abandoned. In the 1986 rematch Garry Kasparov retained his world championship title.

In the 1984-85 match Kasparov was losing 4-0 with 6 points being required to win. Kasparov proceeded to draw 35 times before the match was abandoned.

Instead of this being a (possibly apocryphal) story, [[Black Hat]] used it literally during a game of chess to annoy his opponent into quitting.

* First row:
** a1: 1
** a2: 2
** a3: 4
** a4: 8
** a5: 16
** a6: 32
** a7: 64
** a8: 128
* Second row
** b1: 256
** b2: 512
** b3: 1,024
** b4: 2,048
** b5: 4,096
** b6: 8,192
** b7: 16,384
** b8: 32,768
:
* First of each row
:
** c1: 65,536
** d1: 16,777,216
** e1: 4,294,967,300
** f1: 1,099,511,630,000
** g1: 281,474,977,000,000
:
* ...
:
* Eighth row
** h1: 72,057,594,040,000,000
** h2: 144,115,188,100,000,000
** h3: 288,230,376,200,000,000
** h4: 576,460,752,300,000,000
** h5: 1,152,921,505,000,000,000
** h6: 2,305,843,009,000,000,000
** h7: 4,611,686,018,000,000,000
** h8: 9,223,372,037,000,000,000

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Black Hat is talking to Cueball standing next to him.]
:Black Hat: Exponential growth is very powerful.

:Black Hat: A chessboard has 64 squares.
:Black Hat: Say you put one grain of rice on the first square, then two grains on the second, then four, then eight, doubling each time.

:[Black Hat has emptied a bag of rice on a chessboard. There are several bags next to him and a pile of rice already on the table. A frustrated Hairy is walking away, fists clenched.]
:[Caption Above Panel:]
:If you keep this up, your opponent will resign in frustration.
:It's called Kasparov's Grain Gambit. Nearly impossible to counter.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Chess]]

2936: Exponential Growth

2024-05-23T00:04:24Z

KingPenguin: /* Explanation added reference to Kasparov-Karpon marathon match*/

{{comic
| number = 2936
| date = May 22, 2024
| title = Exponential Growth
| image = exponential_growth_2x.png
| imagesize = 545x264px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Karpov's construction of a series of increasingly large rice cookers led to a protracted deadlock, but exponential growth won in the end.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a 2^64TH ITERATION OF A BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Exponential growth}} is the principle that if you keep multiplying a number by a value larger than 1, you will pretty quickly get very large numbers. Even if you start with 1 and simply double it each time, you'll have a 10-digit number after about 30 iterations.

This principle is often illustrated using the story "Game of Rice". A king of India wished to reward a man for creating a new game of Chess, and told him that he'd grant any wish. The man simply asked for a {{w|Wheat and chessboard problem|grain of rice to be placed on a chess board and for it to double with each square on the board each day.}} The king granted his strange request and ordered one wheat grain to be placed on the board. The second day two more pieces were placed on the square next to that and the day after four pieces on the next. However, by day 20 there was over 500,000 grains on the board. The king had to dig into his own stock pile to pay his dues. On day 24 the king owed 8 million grains. By day 32 the king owed over 2 billion pieces of grain, at this point he had to give up and offered the man another prize.

{{w|Garry Kasparov}} is a world renowned Russian chess master. He had the highest FIDE chess rating in the world-one of 2851 points-until {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} surpassed that in 2013 by 31 points. The Kasparov gambit is an opening move in chess.

In 1984-85 Garry Kasparov played {{w|Anatoly Karpov}} in a 5-month-long 48-game championship tournament which was abandoned. In the 1986 rematch Garry Kasparov retained his world championship title.

Instead of this being a (possibly apocryphal) story, [[Black Hat]] used it literally during a game of chess to annoy his opponent into quitting.

* First row:
** a1: 1
** a2: 2
** a3: 4
** a4: 8
** a5: 16
** a6: 32
** a7: 64
** a8: 128
* Second row
** b1: 256
** b2: 512
** b3: 1,024
** b4: 2,048
** b5: 4,096
** b6: 8,192
** b7: 16,384
** b8: 32,768
:
* ...
:
* Eighth row
** h1: 72,057,594,040,000,000
** h2: 144,115,188,100,000,000
** h3: 288,230,376,200,000,000
** h4: 576,460,752,300,000,000
** h5: 1,152,921,505,000,000,000
** h6: 2,305,843,009,000,000,000
** h7: 4,611,686,018,000,000,000
** h8: 9,223,372,037,000,000,000

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Black Hat is talking to Cueball standing next to him.]
:Black Hat: Exponential growth is very powerful.

:Black Hat: A chessboard has 64 squares.
:Black Hat: Say you put one grain of rice on the first square, then two grains on the second, then four, then eight, doubling each time.

:[Black Hat has emptied a bag of rice on a chessboard. There are several bags next to him and a pile of rice already on the table. A frustrated Hairy is walking away, fists clenched.]
:[Caption Above Panel:]
:If you keep this up, your opponent will resign in frustration.
:It's called Kasparov's Grain Gambit. Nearly impossible to counter.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Chess]]

2725: Sunspot Cycle

2024-05-17T01:01:41Z

KingPenguin: /* Explanation added link to 2930 */

{{comic
| number = 2725
| date = January 16, 2023
| title = Sunspot Cycle
| image = sunspot_cycle_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x503px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Who can forget the early 2010s memes? 'You know you're a 90s kid if you remember the feeling of warm sunlight on your face.' 'Only 90s kids remember the dawn.'
}}

==Explanation==

The {{w|solar cycle}} is a roughly 11-year cycle of changes in the Sun's activity (sunspots, solar radiation, ejecta, and solar flares), from a period of {{w|Solar minimum|minimal activity}} to {{w|Solar maximum|maximum solar activity}}. Researchers use specially modified telescopes to study the sun. Sunspots are areas on the sun which are slightly less hot than the surrounding material, so they appear as dark patches when viewed through these telescopes, but they do not meaningfully impact the amount of light that reaches the Earth.

This comic imagines an alternate reality where sunspots are literally black patches on the surface of the sun, void of all luminance, so the amount of light that the Earth receives swings drastically over an 11-year cycle. As the text above the chart suggests, the inhabitants of Earth in this reality are so accustomed to the extreme decade-long cycle of darkness and light that they don't even consider ''why'' it's pitch black for 10 years straight, and so Randall helpfully created this chart to explain.

Below is a graph showing the number of sunspots as a function of time from around 1965 to 2025. During the periods of heightened solar activity, the area of the graph is shown in black, while lighter periods are shown as white. For clarity the troughs are labeled with the sun being bright or dark. It is always when there are few spots that the sun is either completely free from spots and thus bright, or completely covered and thus dark. The maxima are always during the height of the transition between the two extremes, with a wide swathe of the time around the minima being mostly light or mostly dark, alternating at around a decade of each predominating.

All this would obviously be catastrophic if it happened in our version of the universe, as during a dark phase insufficient light would be coming from the Sun, and the Earth could freeze if all the energy from the Sun was reduced. If the spots only affect light in the visible spectrum, then Earth would not freeze but plants would have trouble with photosynthesis and other natural processes would be interrupted. In our universe sunspots cool the area of the Sun where they appear, relative to the rest of the surface (50-75% of the nearly 6000K 'norm'), but they are far from being actually dark; [https://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/poetry/workbook/sunspot.html NASA says] that each sunspot on its own would glow orange, brighter than the full Moon. So even in a completely sunspot-covered Sun, the Sun would still be brighter than (with a typically bright Sun illuminating it) the Moon, and far brighter than the dark-time Moon would become (possibly causing issues for nocturnal life, as well). It would be possible to see it (and see by it) even if the heat delivered were very low and even noon would seem to be {{wiktionary|crepuscular}} by our normal expectations. These problems are obviously not a serious threat in the reality of the comic, as the Sun is truly dark and yet people and natural systems have long survived these dark periods and adapted accordingly.

The title text indicates the effect on internet memes that the special solar cycle has had. During the 2010s in our universe there were many '90s kid' memes. Those were also popular in this universe, but they reflect that the Earth had at that time been dark since the 2000s, and thus only those born in the 90s and before would remember dawn or the feeling of the warm sun on their faces.

Sunspot cycles were discussed in [[2930: Google Solar Cycle]].

==Transcript==
:[This comics shows two graphs, one also with several images of the Sun in different times in the solar cycle. The top graph is much larger than the bottom graph, and above them is a explanation of what the graphs shows:]
:Ever wonder why the sun disappears for about 10 years every other decade? This terrifying period of worldwide darkness is a natural consequence of the 11-year sunspot cycle:

:[A graph is shown with a label above the arrow on the Y-axis and a label written above the left part of the X-axis with an arrow pointing from it to the right (there is no arrow on the X-axis line). The graph shows a sine curve with a dashed line. It starts close to the bottom and then increases, then decreases before it finally slightly increases again. Above the dashed line are eight circles representing the sun with various levels of sunspots, with an arrow between each circle pointing to the next to the right. All circles are just above the dashed curve and the small arrows between them also follow the curvature of the line, so this string makes the same shape as the curve. along the eight representation of the sun there are five labels. The eight Suns are described below with labels given when relevant.]
:Y-Axis: Sunspot number
:Y-Axis: Time

:[The first Sun's circle is completely white.]

:[The second Sun's circle has a few sunspots. A label is written to the left of it:]
:Dark sunspots appear

:[The third Sun's circle has several sunspots. A label is written to the left of it:]
:Sunspot number rises

:[The fourth Sun's circle is half covered in sunspots.]

:[The fifth Sun's circle is mostly black with a few lines of white dots. Between the fourth and fifth circle is a label:]
:Number falls as sunspots merge.

:[The sixth Sun's circle is almost completely black with just a few small white spots. A label is written above it:]
:Sunspots envelop sun, Earth enters years of darkness.

:[The seventh Sun's circle is mostly black with a few light areas.]

:[The eighth Sun's circle is still mostly black but with some larger white areas. A label is written above and left of it:]
:Bright sunspots appear, cycle reverses.

:[Below is a second graph with a label written near the top of the Y-axis which is otherwise not labeled. The X-axis also has no label, but six years are written beneath at equal intervals. The graph shows a similar sine curve as the one above, but with almost five cycles shown. Also, each cycle is not close to being a perfect sine curve, but has the property with a peak followed by a trough. The five troughs are labeled. The area beneath the curve alternates from being black and white when there is a trough, with the peak in between having several vertical lines, indicating transfer from black to white and vise versa. There are not same distance between peaks and there are also features on the graphs, for instance the two peaks in the middle has a drop, so they look like volcanoes. And the last full peak has a clear outlier year with many sunspots.]
:Label: History:
:X-axis labels: 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
:Through 1970-1980: Sun is bright
:Through 1980-1990: Sun is dark
:Through 1990-2000: Sun is bright
:Through 2000-2010: Sun is dark
:Through 2010-2020: Sun is bright

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Timelines]]
[[Category:Line graphs]]
[[Category:Internet]] 
[[Category:Kids]]

2930: Google Solar Cycle

2024-05-17T00:58:41Z

KingPenguin: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2930
| date = May 8, 2024
| title = Google Solar Cycle
| image = google_solar_cycle_2x.png
| imagesize = 357x293px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = From Google Trends, it looks like the lag between people Googling cocktail recipes and 'hangover cure' is 14 hours.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Solar flare}}s appear on the Sun's surface in different numbers at different times. A {{w|solar cycle}} is the amount of time that elapses between times of maximum (or minimum) solar flare activity. This period is approximately 11 years.

Solar flares can generate interest, and 'news' stories at times of high activity, because they can sometimes cause {{w|aurorae}}, as well as power outages and other similar issues. Hence people will be more aware of them, and search for "solar flares" on Google to learn more about them. This trend somewhat matches the solar cycle since people will be more interested/concerned about solar flares during the times they are abundant and search for them more often. Randall notes that Google has existed for long enough to see [https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=Solar%20Flares&hl=en the trend in searches for "solar flare" over a full solar cycle.]

The title text comments that people usually Google "hangover cure" 14 hours after they search for cocktail recipes. This suggests that people decide they want cocktails, look for ways to make cocktails, make (and presumably drink) the cocktails, wake up with a hangover and look for ways to get rid of the hangover. Google trends [https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=now%207-d&geo=US&q=Cocktail%20recipe,Hangover%20cure&hl=en does indeed] suggest that there is roughly a 14-hour difference in peaks between these searches. However this does not mean (as the title text implies) that the people searching for cocktail recipes are the same people that are searching for hangover cures later. It may represent the (not unreasonable) assumption that people who are exploring the idea of cocktails (for themselves or others) generally start to do so from the early evening onward, whilst those who find themselves freshly under the weather (not ''just'' from cocktail consumption) are likely to be finally provoked to look up a solution from around mid-morning.

One can illustrate the pitfalls of assuming such causation by substituting "chicken nuggets" for "cocktail recipe" which shows a very similar relationship. Chicken nuggets are not known to cause hangovers.{{cn}}

Looked at another way, there is a 10-hour 'lag' from searching for "hangover cure" to searching for "cocktail recipe"; this does not imply that having a hangover is causing people to be interested in drinking cocktails! (Though they may [https://gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.com/2016/02/posh-chicken-nuggets.html lead to chicken nuggets].)

Another very important problem with looking at scales of less than a day is that the Earth has 38 time zones, and people drink cocktails and wake up all the time around the world. Since everyone is searching the same Google, it is impossible to deduce anything on a daily basis by looking at global data. It is possible to see only searches from a particular country, but even then, in the case of the {{w|Time in the United States|US}} there are several hours difference from east to west that may smear out any such direct observations. This also applies to other countries/regions, being potentially at its most extreme {{w|Time in Russia|in Russia}}. This might be moot if the data is preprocessed to 'local' time, although the opposite issue might arise in {{w|Time in China|a case such as Chinese data}} (though any examination of Google Trends for China {{w|Google China#Blockage of Google|may not be fruitful}}).

Sunspot cycle was explained in [[2725: Sunspot Cycle]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[The label of the graph in the top left corner of the image:]
:Google Trends search traffic for "Solar Flare"
:[A graph starting in 2005, peaking in 2013. It rises until 2024 when the graph cuts off. There is an arrow in between the two peaks labeled "11 years".]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I like that Google has existed almost long enough for us to observe the solar cycle using Google Trends.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Timelines]]
[[Category:Line graphs]]
[[Category:Google Search]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]

2933: Elementary Physics Paths

2024-05-15T23:38:38Z

KingPenguin: /* Fixed several misspellings*/

{{comic
| number = 2933
| date = May 15, 2024
| title = Elementary Physics Paths
| image = elementary_physics_paths_2x.png
| imagesize = 464x672px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = ==COSMOLOGY==> 'Uhhh ... how sure are we that everything is made of these?'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a VERY NOT SIMPLE PARTICLE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The absurdity of understanding ''everything'' starting from just understanding basic particles is similar to the fallacy presented in [[1570: Engineer Syllogism]]. Quantum physics, as shown in the comic, makes what on first glance are “simple” particles very complicated.

The concepts of {{w|reductionism}} and then {{w|antireductionism}} (or {{w|holism}}) are demonstrated by following the left causal path using a 'traditional' physical approach. This is shown in every day life from things like a baseball curving through the air, to how a mirror reflects light.

Following the right path, which looks at things in terms of quantum effects, just leads to the conclusion that it is an intrinsically irreducible problem. Some problems in {{w|Quantum Field Theory}} are that particles never stop moving, they can sometimes pass through "unpassable" barriers, you can never know the spin and potion of them at the same time, and everything is governed by probability. One famous example of this is {{w|Schrödinger's cat}}. Schrödinger's cat is a mind experiment where a cat is placed in a box along with a {{w|radioactive}} sample. Also inside is a {{w|Geiger counter}} connected to a poison. The radioactive sample has a {{w|Half-life|50/50}} chance of decaying, therefor setting off the Geiger counter, releasing the poison and killing the cat. Schrödinger points out that according to Quantum Field Theory, the cat is neither dead nor alive, its instead in a {{w|superposition}} of being both dead and alive.

It is noted that Schrödinger was arguing against Quantum Field Theory stating it a 'quite ridiculous case'. However because of the complexity of the scenario, many people believed he was added to Quantum Theory instead of denying it.

The title text creates an ASCII depiction of the arrows used in the comic image and alludes to the uncertainty that we even know enough about what everything that exists actually is.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball gestures at a particle, represented as a dot with motion lines around it.]
:Cueball: Everything is made of tiny particles. If I understand those, I'll understand everything!
:[The comic splits into two branches.]
:[Condensed Matter Physics branch]
:[Cueball is fretting over a cloud of particles.]
:Cueball: Oh no.
:Cueball: Simple particles can combine to produce complex behaviors.
:[Quantum Field Theory branch]
:[Cueball is fretting over the same particle as in the first panel.]
:Cueball: Oh no.
:Cueball: '''''These particles aren't simple!'''''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Cosmology]]

2933: Elementary Physics Paths

2024-05-15T23:34:42Z

KingPenguin: /* Fixed spelling of denying */

{{comic
| number = 2933
| date = May 15, 2024
| title = Elementary Physics Paths
| image = elementary_physics_paths_2x.png
| imagesize = 464x672px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = ==COSMOLOGY==> 'Uhhh ... how sure are we that everything is made of these?'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a VERY NOT SIMPLE PARTICLE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The absurdity of understanding ''everything'' starting from just understanding basic particles is similar to the fallacy presented in [[1570: Engineer Syllogism]]. Quantum physics, as shown in the comic, makes what on first glance are “simple” particles very complicated.

The concepts of {{w|reductionism}} and then {{w|antireductionism}} (or {{w|holism}}) are demonstrated by following the left causal path using a 'traditional' physical approach.

Following the right path, which looks at things in terms of quantum effects, just leads to the conclusion that it is an intrinsically irreducable problem. Some problems in {{w|Quantum Field Theory}} are that particles never stop moving, they can somtimes pass through "unpassable" barriers, you can never know the spin and potion of them at the same time, and everything is governed by probability. One famous example of this is {{w|Schrödinger's cat}}. Schrödinger's cat is a mind experiment where a cat is placed in a box along with a {{w|radioactive}} sample. Also inside is a {{w|Geiger counter}} connected to a poison. The radiactive sample has a {{w|Half-life|50/50}} chance of decaying, therfor setting off the Geiger counter, releasing the poison and killing the cat. Schrödinger points out that according to Quantum Field Theory, the cat is neither dead nor alive, its instead in a {{w|superposition}} of being both dead and alive.

It is noted that Schrödinger was argueing against Quantum Field Theory stating it a 'quite ridiculous case'. However because of the complexity of the senario, many people belived he was added to Quantum Theroy instead of denying it.

The title text creates an ASCII depiction of the arrows used in the comic image and alludes to the uncertainty that we even know enough about what everything that exists actually is.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball gestures at a particle, represented as a dot with motion lines around it.]
:Cueball: Everything is made of tiny particles. If I understand those, I'll understand everything!
:[The comic splits into two branches.]
:[Condensed Matter Physics branch]
:[Cueball is fretting over a cloud of particles.]
:Cueball: Oh no.
:Cueball: Simple particles can combine to produce complex behaviors.
:[Quantum Field Theory branch]
:[Cueball is fretting over the same particle as in the first panel.]
:Cueball: Oh no.
:Cueball: '''''These particles aren't simple!'''''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Cosmology]]

1570: Engineer Syllogism

2024-05-15T23:33:35Z

KingPenguin: /* Explanation added reference to #2933 */

{{comic
| number = 1570
| date = August 28, 2015
| title = Engineer Syllogism
| image = engineer_syllogism.png
| titletext = The less common, even worse outcome: "3: [everyone in the financial system] WOW, where did all my money just go?"
}}

==Explanation==
A {{w|syllogism}} is a {{w|logic|logical}} argument where two or more propositions lead to a conclusion through {{w|deductive reasoning}}. For example, one of the best-known syllogisms is:
#All men are mortal
#Socrates is a man
#Therefore, Socrates is mortal

In this comic, [[Cueball]] is an engineer who is attempting to make the following syllogism:
#I am good at understanding "numbers" (i.e., mathematics)
#The stock market is made of numbers
#Therefore, I am good at understanding the stock market

Since most engineers are purportedly good at math, proposition 1 seems to be true. It is also loosely true that the {{w|stock market}} is made of numbers, but only in the sense that every system can be given a post-hoc numeric characterization; the dynamics of the stock market are primarily human-driven. In this comic Cueball thinks that his skill at math will help him beat the stock market. Little does he know that the system can be unpredictable, so he ends up losing money as the financial instrument he's invested in loses value. This is due to the financial markets being largely controlled by humans making emotional decisions and not some calculable reason or logic.

Even if the propositions "I am good at understanding numbers" and "The stock market is made of numbers" were true in Cueball's interpretation, Cueball would still be wrong to conclude that "I am good at understanding the stock market": this would be a {{w|fallacy of the undistributed middle}} (with the first premise being more accurately stated as "I'm good at understanding things made of numbers") and a {{w|fallacy of composition}} (with the implicit third premise "if I'm good at understanding the components of a system, then I'm good at understanding the system"). The problem is that proposition 1 seems to say "I am good at understanding all math". However, the "all" is not present, so Cueball may not necessarily understand the math underlying the stock market.

This comic is also related to the 1998 movie {{W|Pi (film)|Pi}} where the main character repeats to himself several times his assumptions that the world is all numbers, and thus he, a great mathematician, should be able to predict the stock market, which is all numbers. He believes that maybe his work on patterns in pi will provide some deeper insight into the patterns in the stock market, a project that drove his mentor crazy and may in fact be making his computer self-aware.

The title text talks of the scenario where it was Cueball who causes everyone involved in the financial system to lose their money. This could refer to a scenario in which Cueball figures out a way to extract large quantities of money from the stock market, causing a sudden, major decline in everybody else's wealth, or that his involvement has caused literally everyone, including his own, stock market assets to lose their value. This is possible since there is no conservation of value for the stock market. The value of a particular stock is determined by a majority that is willing to trade it at a given price.

The release date of this comic makes it highly likely that it refers at least in part to the {{w|2015 Chinese stock market crash}} which largely affected most other world financial markets, particularly during the week of August 24–28, during which this comic was published.

Two, less likely, interpretations of the title text have been suggested:
#It could also be understood as if everyone makes the fallacy of Cueball and this leads to a much worse global situation - i.e. a stock market crash.
#Alternatively, Cueball could cause a global stock market crash if he is an engineer responsible for vital stock-market-related software and/or hardware. An example of a situation where the action of engineers was implicated in just such a crash is the {{w|2010 Flash Crash}}. High-frequency quantitative trading, which relies more on financial technology engineering than sophisticated financial knowledge, was heavily involved in this particular crash.

This scenario has been mentioned before, in the title text of [[592: Drama]].

A similar fallacy is presented in [[2933: Elementary Physics Paths]].

==Transcript==
:[An white frame with text inside an underbrace and an overbrace.]
:An engineer syllogism

:[Cueball is at his desk in front of his computer, with his hands on his knees, thinking.]
:Cueball (thinking): 1: I am good at understanding numbers.

:[Cueball takes one hand to his chin, still thinking.]
:Cueball (thinking): 2: The stock market is made of numbers.

:[Cueball lifts both arms from his legs, still thinking.]
:Cueball (thinking): 3: Therefore I– '''''Wow''''', where did all my money just go?

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Logic]]
[[Category:Stock Market]]
[[Category:Engineering]]

2888: US Survey Foot

2024-04-17T03:35:31Z

KingPenguin: /* Added reference to comic 2920 Surver Marker*/

{{comic
| number = 2888
| date = January 31, 2024
| title = US Survey Foot
| image = us_survey_foot_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x606px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Subway refuses to answer my questions about whether it's an International Footlong or a US Survey Footlong. A milligram of sandwich is at stake!
}}

==Explanation==

This comic pokes fun at the difference in length between the {{w|Foot_(unit)#U.S._survey_foot|US Survey Foot}} and the {{w|Foot_(unit)|International Foot}}. After Carl Edvard Johansson's {{w|Carl_Edvard_Johansson#Johansson_and_the_inch|gauge blocks}} in 1912 led to {{w|International_yard_and_pound|an international agreement}} in 1959, the foot has been defined to be exactly 0.3048 meters, whilst the US survey foot continued to use the {{w|Mendenhall Order|definition of 1893}}, making it a bit longer than the international foot at 1200/3937 meters. However, the difference between the two is proportionately too small to be meaningful for most purposes, as they differ by only 2 parts per million. At foot-length scales, the difference is a fraction of a micron, with longer measures (where the error grows to a notable degree) requiring an already excessive implied precision likely to mismatch its true accuracy. Some engineering or scientific applications ''may'' involve such tolerances, but would be expected to consistently use some more modern standard of measurement, such as {{w|International System of Units|SI (the Metric System)}}, to {{w|Mars Climate Orbiter|avoid such confusion}}.

In the third panel, Cueball says that someone is using the survey foot again. It turns out to be [[Black Hat]], acting in a way that sounds very typical for him. Cueball claims that he is drawing the world 610 nm closer to madness, which is about the difference per foot between the two measures. Cueball, outraged, then says that the {{w|National Institute of Standards and Technology}} (NIST) will capture Black Hat to stop him from using the US survey foot. One joke here is that his coordinates show that he is 8000 miles away, but since he is using the US survey foot, he is 0.016 miles (around 25.75 meters or 84.48 feet) away from the search team, making them unable to find him at that exact spot. They are probably at the same lake in the last two frames, with maybe only some bushes separating them; a good strike team would likely keep looking in the area, but perhaps being strictly NIST-trained to adhere to particularly exacting standards has ironically made them vulnerable to the same inaccuracies that they are supposed to be preventing.

Part of the joke is the imaginative idea that NIST employs and dispatches strike teams to apprehend persons that use incorrect measurements. This may be a play on words about the {{w|Nuclear Emergency Support Team}}, or "NEST", a {{w|United States Department of Energy}} group who respond to nuclear and radiological emergencies such as reactor accidents or nuclear terrorism, and who might reasonably have access to resources such as the helicopters depicted during a crisis.

The title text references a {{w|Subway (restaurant)#Sandwich_size|2013 lawsuit}} over the length of a "Footlong" sandwich sold by the Subway fast food chain. However – in contrast to the issue at stake in that lawsuit – the difference in length between an 'international footlong' sandwich and a 'US survey footlong' sandwich is far below the precision ''or'' accuracy by which sandwiches are usually produced, making it understandable that Subway would not think it necessary to clarify which definition of 'foot' they use for their products.

Absurd outcomes from updated survey standards was also the topic of [[2920: Survey Marker]].

===Explanation of the comic's underlying assumptions and implications===
Randall appears to be playing a bit fast-and-loose here. To make this joke work implies a rather imaginative situation: that both Black Hat and the searchers have set their devices to measure and report location in reference to the same location (the place where Cueball is, at one end of the 8,000 mile measurement) and not just use a satellite navigation system like GPS and lat/long like every other smartphone on the planet.

In the unlikely event that the searchers' phones measure and report location in reference to Cueball's location, evidently Black Hat has also overridden his device's in-built GPS to report its location in reference to Cueball's location as a way to toy with him and the NIST teams, and then traveled EXACTLY 8,000 survey-foot miles away, knowing NIST would be able to track him and that a team would be sent in pursuit. After all, Black Hat is known for his preternatural powers of mischief.

Though Cueball’s location is not specified, one potential location is NIST headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland, or another governmental location, perhaps in the Greater Washington Area where most US government agencies and departments are headquartered. These options are supported by the panel in which Cueball mentions a NIST team is on their way and brags that “we” are going to capture him. This language implies that Cueball either works for NIST or for a larger effort in which NIST is a partner. These location options are also supported by the fact that Cueball’s location is used for the origin point of the 8,000-mile measurement, suggesting that he’s speaking at a flagship location and not a random office building.

The use of helicopters — which cannot fly 8,000 miles unaided — also suggests an imaginative situation in which NIST teams with access to helicopters are distributed around the globe, perhaps at US air bases and on US aircraft carriers.

===Real world example===
In the early 2000s, Survey Foot/International Foot conversion issues created difficulties in the civil engineering industry after a commonly used CADD design software package changed how it processed units. Prior versions of the software program Microstation were unit-agnostic, relying only on absolute coordinates assigned to elements from survey data. Starting with Microstation Version 8, internal software calculations were performed entirely in metric units and relied on a units definition file to seamlessly convert to the unit system being used for a project. The default options in the program being “Foot” (i.e., International Foot) or “Survey Foot”, many users were unaware of the difference and selected “Foot” even when a project’s field survey was performed in survey feet. In the US, most states have their own coordinate systems, referred to as State Plane Coordinates, to correct for the approximation of projecting the Earth’s spherical surface into a cartesian X,Y plane. Some states have coordinate zones which span their entire length, so a project’s coordinates can be millions of feet from the origin, a scale on which the minuscule difference between Survey and International feet conversion becomes whole feet.

==Transcript==

:[Closeup on Cueball.]
:Cueball: We thought it was over. After 60 years of struggle, the US survey foot was dead, deprecated by NIST in 2023.

:[Cueball is shown to be talking to Ponytail, Hairy, and Megan. He has a presentation behind him.]
:Cueball: We thought architects and engineers could rest easy, free of the headaches of having two conflicting definitions of the foot that differ by 610 nanometers.
:International foot: 0.304 800 000 m
:US survey foot [crossed over in gray] R.I.P.: 0.304 800 609... m

:[Cueball points at an image of Black Hat with unreadable writing above it.]
:Cueball: But I bring dire news:
:Cueball: ''Someone has started using the US survey foot again.''

:[Closeup on Cueball again.]
:Off-panel voice: Why!?
:Cueball: We don't know.
:Cueball: Some people just want to drag the world 610nm closer to madness.

:[Farther view of Cueball only. He clenches a fist.]
:Off-panel voice: What can we do!?
:Cueball: A NIST team is already in the air. We will capture the scofflaw and end this nightmare.

:[Two helicopters flying, with mountains in the background.]

:Caption: 8,000 miles away
:[Two operatives in a forest by a pond with NIST helmets. One talks on a walkie-talkie.]
:Operative: We've reached the coordinates of the target's device. There's no one here.
:Voice from walkie-talkie: How!?

:Caption: 8,000.016 miles away
:[Black Hat walking elsewhere (by the same pond) in the forest, very close by. He appears to be holding a device of some sort.]
:Black Hat: ♫ ♪

==Trivia==

The number of miles in the last panel was [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/5/5f/20240131173446%21us_survey_foot_2x.png originally] 8,000.014, but was changed to 8,000.016. The latter matches the 2 ppm difference between the international foot and the US survey foot.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Characters with hats]]
[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Food]]

Talk:2809: Moon

2023-08-01T22:13:07Z

KingPenguin:

Happy birthday to me. This comic is a good birthday present, so I'm gonna try to add some stuff to the explanation now. [[User:R3TRI8UTI0N|R3TRI8UTI0N]] ([[User talk:R3TRI8UTI0N|talk]]) 02:11, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

Okay, added a Trivia section and a lot of stuff to the explanation. Request someone help add more information about lunar cycles and some wikipedia links. [[User:R3TRI8UTI0N|R3TRI8UTI0N]] ([[User talk:R3TRI8UTI0N|talk]]) 02:35, 1 August 2023 (UTC)
:Ah, well, I added more (sufficient? ...haven't wikilinked yet) info about the illumination/tide cycles. i.e. about half the time (at least) half reilluminating areas on the night side of Earth + roughly twice a day dragging/flinging the tides 'upwards' (modifying the Sun's own twice-daily effects).
:Had to heavily qualify the secondary Trivia point, for caveats. I mean selenically-specific names aren't rare, when refering to orb sometimes known as Phoebe/Cynthia, until you become more precise about "common English use". Didn't say anything about (the) Earth, but did mention the Sun(/suns in general) in the edit comment. Interesting point to make, but not so much unusual as stemming from long time (way into prehistory!) custom so really being the heavily weighted precedent. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.187|172.70.90.187]] 05:21, 1 August 2023 (UTC)
:Reminds me of that conversation from Dragonheart (paraphrized as I only watched the German dub): "So instead of calling me 'dragon" in your language you call me 'dragon' in another language... I think I like it" [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:16, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

If there was no Moon, would an Earth astronomer that discovered moons around one of the other planets be considered a loony? [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 02:40, 1 August 2023 (UTC)
:If there was no moon, it's quite possible there would be no intelligent life on Earth. Also, when Galileo Galilei found Jupiter's moons, he was totally considered loony by some, while others said it's defect of the telescope. Remember that at that point of history, suggesting that if Earth has moon, other planets might have one too was something you could be burned on stake for. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 03:13, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

:Definitely not. (I see what you did there.) --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.247.155|172.70.247.155]] 12:55, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

I doubt the title text is intended as a reference to that saying. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.51|172.69.247.51]] 04:17, 1 August 2023 (UTC)
:Yeah, I don't get how that is related either. The title text references that it is pretty, but the nmoves away from that. Not sure how that is related to a quote that doesn't even use the word "pretty". --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 09:28, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

Like many things,{{Citation needed}} it has probably seemed usual whilst we only know our own example. Once we started to find other examples out there, we can discover the ways in which it's an outlier. (Martian: "Well of ''course'' there's those two small rock 'stars' visibly zipping around overhead, that's what the sky alsays looks like for me, and I imagine that it's much the same for anyone else..." Earthling/Venusian/Jovian/Tritonian/Plutoid: "...hold my beer!") [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.133|141.101.99.133]] 07:26, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

I've been saying this about the Sun… A great fireball looming in the sky. It remotely powers life. (Even with 90% of that power lost at each trophic level!) It is worshipped as a god. It controls Earthlings' sense of time. When it leaves the sky at a regular interval, a wave of fear follows, and everything seeks shelter and goes dormant until its return. Oh, but it also burns and mutates the flesh of those who stand in its rays, to the point that it's ''dangerous to look at''. Sounds fake, right? And yet, there it is. [[User talk:AgentMuffin|~AgentMuffin]] 08:00, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

I have a personal theory that the constant gravitational massage is responsible for sustaining the Earth's large magnetic field, thus preventing the solar wind making us like Venus or Mars, and probably keeping the tectonic plates on the move. (Oh and dogs domesticated themselves - just saying p.s. same for cats but only after we had barns). [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 09:38, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

I think we’re well past the point of “plans being made” of humans returning to the Moon. [[User:SilverTheTerribleMathematician|Silver]] ([[User talk:SilverTheTerribleMathematician|talk]]) 19:29, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

August 1, 2023 the moon is a "Super Moon" [[User:KingPenguin|KingPenguin]] ([[User talk:KingPenguin|talk]]) 22:13, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

Talk:1927: Tinder

2023-04-06T14:32:23Z

KingPenguin:

This comic reminds me of [http://xkcd.com/582] (because of using an inappropriate form of communication in an emergency).

"Cueball is violating the law by using a cell phone that is not in "airplane mode" when on an airplane.", really? I don't think it's an actual "law" since the entire concept is based on garbage and bullshit (you'd have to be in the cockpit AND within about 2 feet of the equipment in question in order to interfere with it. For both airplanes and hospitals the rule is actually just to try to bully people into being considerate to the people around them). I believe it's just a rule set by the FAA or some other governing body. Also, I believe said rule is limited to during take off and landing, not the entire flight. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 07:31, 12 December 2017 (UTC)

*I also wondered about "Cueball is violating the law by using a cell phone that is not in "airplane mode" when on an airplane.", but for a different reason: How do we now that the phone is not in airplane mode, but which activated wifi? As some airlines (at least in Europe) offer wifi on board, it would be quite common (and allowed) to be able to use online services on a phone while flying (but not other wireless signals, e.g. phone calls). [[User:Scm|Scm]] ([[User talk:Scm|talk]]) 09:00, 12 December 2017 (UTC)

:: Actually, you're correct (at least in the US). However, some countries has actual laws that either explicitly do not allow phone usage on a plane (e.g. Japan) or do not allow it implicitly (In Russia, using licensed radio frequencies above a certain height is not allowed unless the regulator allows that use) - [[Special:Contributions/172.68.144.169|172.68.144.169]] 10:29, 12 December 2017 (UTC)

::: I understand the reason for turning off cellular connections is not for the safety of the aircraft but the safety of the cellular network. Having phones hopping between cells at 400 mph is out of spec for the technology and causes problems. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.143|141.101.104.143]] 17:59, 12 December 2017 (UTC)

:::: There are more legitimate (at least in the eyes of the government, for example Russia fears spys using weather baloons and radio to signal something) reasons than that it will interfere with the plane (unless that plane is seriously broken) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.165.40|162.158.165.40]] 23:23, 12 December 2017 (UTC)

::Actually, as far as I know, the point of Airplane Mode is to cut off ALL communication, including Wifi. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 02:51, 14 December 2017 (UTC)

:To suggest that there is a meaningful difference (in this context) between a rule and a law is silly; the FAA can (and has) fined individuals for using cell phones *during takeoff*. Does it matter if the fine was for breaking a rule or for breaking a law?
:: Can't get arrested for breaking a rule. :) But mostly just talking about being accurate here. Dramatic exaggerations bug me. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 02:51, 14 December 2017 (UTC)
::: Actually, in the US or on a US carrier you can get arrested for not doing pretty much whatever the flight attendant tells you (sit down, disembark, etc.). Per the FAA, this is called "interfering with the duties of a crewmember" and violates federal law. Federal Aviation Regulations 91.11, 121.580 and 135.120 state that "no person may assault, threaten, intimidate, or interfere with a crewmember in the performance of the crewmember's duties aboard an aircraft being operated." So yeah, you can be arrested for violating a regulation, or "rule". And basically in general, you can certainly be jailed for violating a regulation. And not just in the US: a coach passenger on the Niki airline that just declared bankruptcy today was arrested for using the first class restroom.

:More importantly, in the scenario shown Cueball has somehow found himself in the role of PIC (pilot in command) and in an emergency situation. Assuming he declares the emergency he can freely violate any and all FAA rules that he believes will help in resolving the emergency (that's the FAA's rule).

* I think it's absolutely charming that you believe that a law can't be "based on garbage and bullshit". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.100|108.162.219.100]] 17:08, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

I'm not sure that the interpretation that he may be making up the emergency to gain matches really makes sense, given the title text - since the radio wouldn't really help him in that case.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 17:19, 12 December 2017 (UTC)

So, does anyone know what is the minimum size of a plane to have that style of cockpit? [[User:Jcc10|Jcc10]] ([[User talk:Jcc10|talk]]) 01:23, 13 December 2017 (UTC)
----
:"In either case, Cueball is violating the law by using a cell phone that is not in "airplane mode" (in some phones, flight mode or offline mode) when on an airplane."
Or maybe he's not actually ''on'' a plane, but simply wants to hook up with someone who's interested enough in planes to know how to fly one.
[[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 01:16, 13 December 2017 (UTC)

Why is the explanation talking about passengers? It's possible this is small airplane and Cueball is only person on board (after the pilot decided to rather parachute out than answer yet another Cueball's question, for example.) -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 03:18, 13 December 2017 (UTC)

:Possible, though who took the picture? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.118|108.162.216.118]] 15:41, 13 December 2017 (UTC) Kyle
::{{w|Self timer}}? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 02:34, 15 December 2017 (UTC)

Notice the contrast difference between the cockpit and Cueball. (I swear, I didn't do that assonance on purpose.) I think Cueball green-screened himself into the cockpit for a cool Tinder photo, which would also explain the odd angles mentioned in the current article. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 22:59, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

A Similar joke (about flying) is in [[2757: Towed Message ]] -- [[User:KingPenguin|KingPenguin]] ([[User talk:KingPenguin|talk]]) 14:32, 6 April 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2757: Towed Message

2023-04-06T01:53:23Z

KingPenguin:

I hear there were plane(s) pulling banners (Draftkings) around the Boston area yesterday (MLB opening day), perhaps that influenced Randall. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 23:31, 31 March 2023 (UTC)

I think that he edited the sign midflight somehow. --[[User:Purah126|Purah126]] ([[User talk:Purah126|talk]]) 00:06, 1 April 2023 (UTC)

Also, how do they answer the telephone call mid-flight? --[[User:Purah126|Purah126]] ([[User talk:Purah126|talk]]) 01:59, 1 April 2023 (UTC)
:Well, they didn't, but that means they flew out of range of any suitable cell towers before any call came in. Which is their oversight/error given that it should be easier to maintain line-of-sight than if you're stuck on the ground in a canyon or something.
:Otherwise, I'm sure they could waggle the stick with one hand whilst holding the handset to their ear with the other. I'm sure the FAA has rules against it (given that many jurisdictions don't like drivers driving whilst on a phone) but probably the least of the problems for a pilot who has to deal with a banner that they don't know how to handle... [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.87|172.71.242.87]] 03:06, 1 April 2023 (UTC)
::Or, y'know, voice control... remote headset...[[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.127|172.70.86.127]] 08:53, 4 April 2023 (UTC)
:I also don't think that there are any exchanges left in the USA which will accept a seven-digit number, the area code must be included. I reckon Randall understood this, and drew accordingly, to further protect against an 867-5309 incident. As for the call that went through, convenient for the joke. Or maybe White Hat made it.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.207.183|172.70.207.183]] 20:52, 3 April 2023 (UTC)

Is it some kind of [[:Category:Self-reference|self-reference]]? [[2659: Unreliable Connection]] 02:03, 1 April 2023 (UTC)

Actual answer: Fly over an open field and pull the lever that releases the cable, letting the sign fall to the ground. Then land normally.

Is this supposed to be the April Fools comic, but a day early, or is that comic late?20:21, 1 April 2023 (UTC)
:I can't wait for the April Fools comic! --[[User:Purah126|Purah126]] ([[User talk:Purah126|talk]]) 15:19, 2 April 2023 (UTC)
::April third, still no april fools comic :( [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 09:18, 3 April 2023 (UTC)
I noticed that image quality on the comics seems to have dropped, I wonder if this is some kind of quiet joke.

There is a similar theme in [[1927: Tinder]] -- [[User:KingPenguin|KingPenguin]] ([[User talk:KingPenguin|talk]]) 01:52, 6 April 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2757: Towed Message

2023-04-06T01:52:30Z

KingPenguin:

I hear there were plane(s) pulling banners (Draftkings) around the Boston area yesterday (MLB opening day), perhaps that influenced Randall. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 23:31, 31 March 2023 (UTC)

I think that he edited the sign midflight somehow. --[[User:Purah126|Purah126]] ([[User talk:Purah126|talk]]) 00:06, 1 April 2023 (UTC)

Also, how do they answer the telephone call mid-flight? --[[User:Purah126|Purah126]] ([[User talk:Purah126|talk]]) 01:59, 1 April 2023 (UTC)
:Well, they didn't, but that means they flew out of range of any suitable cell towers before any call came in. Which is their oversight/error given that it should be easier to maintain line-of-sight than if you're stuck on the ground in a canyon or something.
:Otherwise, I'm sure they could waggle the stick with one hand whilst holding the handset to their ear with the other. I'm sure the FAA has rules against it (given that many jurisdictions don't like drivers driving whilst on a phone) but probably the least of the problems for a pilot who has to deal with a banner that they don't know how to handle... [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.87|172.71.242.87]] 03:06, 1 April 2023 (UTC)
::Or, y'know, voice control... remote headset...[[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.127|172.70.86.127]] 08:53, 4 April 2023 (UTC)
:I also don't think that there are any exchanges left in the USA which will accept a seven-digit number, the area code must be included. I reckon Randall understood this, and drew accordingly, to further protect against an 867-5309 incident. As for the call that went through, convenient for the joke. Or maybe White Hat made it.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.207.183|172.70.207.183]] 20:52, 3 April 2023 (UTC)

Is it some kind of [[:Category:Self-reference|self-reference]]? [[2659: Unreliable Connection]] 02:03, 1 April 2023 (UTC)

Actual answer: Fly over an open field and pull the lever that releases the cable, letting the sign fall to the ground. Then land normally.

Is this supposed to be the April Fools comic, but a day early, or is that comic late?20:21, 1 April 2023 (UTC)
:I can't wait for the April Fools comic! --[[User:Purah126|Purah126]] ([[User talk:Purah126|talk]]) 15:19, 2 April 2023 (UTC)
::April third, still no april fools comic :( [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 09:18, 3 April 2023 (UTC)
I noticed that image quality on the comics seems to have dropped, I wonder if this is some kind of quiet joke.

There is a similar theme in [[1937: Tinder]] -- [[User:KingPenguin|KingPenguin]] ([[User talk:KingPenguin|talk]]) 01:52, 6 April 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2732: Bursa of Fabricius

2023-02-01T23:33:01Z

KingPenguin:

One of the reasons for the success of humans is that the tools of humans do not depend on the structure and strength of the human body. Using fire as an example, a single person with a fire stick can burn down an entire forest in a matter of hours. Fire is not limited by the person who started it. The same goes for any other tool we make. ~ [[user:megan|Megan]] she/her [[user talk:megan|talk]] [[special:contribs/megan|contribs]] 18:35, 1 February 2023 (UTC)

Here's the wiki for Bursa of Frabricius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bursa_of_Fabricius

And the wiki for Hieronymus Fabricius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieronymus_Fabricius [[User:Mr. I|Mr. I]] ([[User talk:Mr. I|talk]]) 18:51, 1 February 2023 (UTC)

So ''that's'' why I can't find the Gräfenberg spot! [[User:LunarNapolean|LunarNapolean]] ([[User talk:LunarNapolean|talk]]) 20:34, 1 February 2023 (UTC)
:Perhaps you should have met {{w|R. G. Waldeck|Frau Gräfenberg}}? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.96|172.70.85.96]] 22:10, 1 February 2023 (UTC)

At first I thought the top character was swinging on a rope like in https://xkcd.com/208/, but now I see he's actually flying. So is he supposed to be Fabricius? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 22:15, 1 February 2023 (UTC)

Perhaps the presence of the organ in avian dinosaurs prevented their demise after the asteroid. [[User:KingPenguin|KingPenguin]] ([[User talk:KingPenguin|talk]]) 23:33, 1 February 2023 (UTC)

2717: L6 Lagrange Point

2022-12-27T23:10:01Z

KingPenguin: There are two Lagrange points on the orbital path and three that are colinear with the earth and sun

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

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LANDED LAGRANGE POINT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In celestial mechanics, the {{w|Lagrange point}}s are points of equilibrium for small-mass objects under the influence of two massive orbiting bodies. Or in simpler terms, positions in space where objects sent there tend to stay put, relative to each other.

There are five traditional Lagrange points, two spaced on the same orbital path as the original object (in this case Earth), and three more colinear with the Earth and the body it orbits (the Sun). Randall claims that a sixth Lagrange point has been discovered outside of {{w|Cleveland}}, {{w|Ohio}}. {{w|LaGrange,_Ohio|Lagrange, OH}} is a small (population 2,103) village outside Cleveland [[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lagrange,+OH+44050/ map]]. This is pretty obviously farcical, as this would still be part of the Earth and thus not a separate Lagrange point, and [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlaceWorseThanDeath plays into Cleveland's reputation as a strange place].

The title text mentions {{w|Akron}} and {{w|Toledo,_Ohio|Toledo}}, two other large cities in Ohio. It says that their gravitational influence is the reason why orbits around Cleveland are unstable.

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

Huge space news: Astronomers have discovered a new Lagrange point just outside Cleveland.

{{comic discussion}}

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

Talk:559: No Pun Intended

2022-02-20T01:28:31Z

KingPenguin:

To be fair, internalising anything from a girlfriend... or a girlfriend internalising anything from a boyfriend.... could have some implications. Which wasn't intended here I'm sure. [[Special:Contributions/122.148.216.22|122.148.216.22]] 08:21, 14 March 2013 (UTC)
:Perhaps, but that's not a pun. That's a double entendre in the strictest sense. Anonymous 05:29, 4 December 2013 (UTC)

This needs an incomplete flag. --[[User:Mynotoar|Mynotoar]] ([[User talk:Mynotoar|talk]]) 22:31, 10 January 2014 (UTC)
:So, just give us a reason. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:55, 10 January 2014 (UTC)
::Sorry, the title text needs explanation, and I think it needs more detail, especially as it doesn't really explain the punchline. --[[User:Mynotoar|Mynotoar]] ([[User talk:Mynotoar|talk]]) 23:13, 10 January 2014 (UTC)
:::The incomplete tag is set. I did copy your remarks. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:32, 11 January 2014 (UTC)

Is the fact that this explanation is set as incomplete ironic? Surely the point of this post is that there IS no punchline - the victim is searching the sentence for humour that does not exist. As the alt text explains, the more literate the victim, the more they will agonize over potential wordplay which is simply not present. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.237|141.101.98.237]] 07:30, 12 January 2014 (UTC)

Inserting "if you'll pardon the pun" into a phrase with no pun is a recurring joke on "A Bit of Fry and Laurie". {{unsigned ip|173.245.50.60}}

A great comeback to this, if you're quick enough to realize it, comes courtesy of the Get Fuzzy comic strip: "No pun... implemented." [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.61|173.245.56.61]] 18:59, 11 January 2016 (UTC)Krkn

Why are there two "citation needed"? I can see no way this would be true in the first case and there ''is'' a citation in the second case (P.S. did I do this right? First time using the discussion feature) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.217|141.101.91.217]] 14:59, 23 January 2016 (UTC)

I think the explanation of the title text (at least the last part) isn't entirely relevant. The point is that literate people are likely to (over)correct "dammit" to "damn it" and respond to the troll, wasting time. Just like highly literate people will spend time worried about the pun they're supposedly missing. People who don't care won't waste time in either case. Making people waste time is the definition of successful trolling, so in these cases the trolling works better on literate people. A relatively uncommon regional contraction in the United States (South?) isn't really part of the issue. {{unsigned ip|108.162.226.103}}

Poor Beret Guy. [[User:SilverMagpie|SilverMagpie]] ([[User talk:SilverMagpie|talk]]) 23:09, 29 March 2017 (UTC)

When I read the title text, I at first thought that some people spell "dammit" with one m or something, because of the words "with two m's". Well, I certainly wondered how other people misspelled it. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.63|162.158.62.63]] 03:25, 9 February 2021 (UTC)

"Damn it"? Only one 'm'! [[User:KingPenguin|KingPenguin]] ([[User talk:KingPenguin|talk]]) 01:28, 20 February 2022 (UTC)

I'm familiar with the "pardon the pun" misuse thing from David Walliams' and Matt Lucas' short-lived BBC comedy series "Come Fly With Me", but this comic predates that by about a year. Perhaps XKCD is an apparently (to me anyway) seldom-recognised influence on Messrs Walliams and/or Lucas? Or maybe it's just coincidence. (P.S. I think it's probably just coincidence.)

Talk:2578: Sword Pull

2022-02-08T01:36:16Z

KingPenguin:

I was going to opine that the title text should have said "mini bike" instead of "dirt bike" since the former is usually started by a recoil pull rope and the latter by a kick start. But I guess technically neither one is started by a magic sword so kind of a toss up. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.221|172.70.126.221]] 22:48, 7 February 2022 (UTC)Pat
Hope u like my explanation {{unsigned ip|172.70.110.151}}

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

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

Talk:2578: Sword Pull

2022-02-08T01:28:30Z

KingPenguin: