explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3227: Creation

2026-04-04T17:52:31Z

Kynde:

did anyone else wait for the screensaver to hit the corner? [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 20:13, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yes. I watched waaay too long to see if it would, but lost patience and I don’t want to put effort into determining if it will happen. Can anyone confirm whether or not it will eventually happen either for some people or for all people? [[User:Dúthomhas|Dúthomhas]] ([[User talk:Dúthomhas|talk]]) 23:06, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
::The comic always bounces off of the top of your screen, but keeps its place relative to the rest of the page when scrolling, so you can try to make it hit the corner yourself [[User:Jarochar|Jarochar]] ([[User talk:Jarochar|talk]]) 21:21, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

I can't work out what Modem mode is meant to do... on my machine it just freezes the whole page. [[Special:Contributions/78.213.151.110|78.213.151.110]] 20:22, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:It plays the sound of an old-style phone modem, and scrolls the comic into view slowly. It's supposed to represent the early days when downloading an image would take a long time. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:can confirm on android firefox it seems to render the page unresponsive to input - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 21:18, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Same here on Desktop Firefox - under "Modem mode", the whole page freezes up and the browser prompts me to close it ("this page is slowing down Firefox", or words to that effect). I wonder if it's a Firefox thing - odd if so, because I imagine Randall of all people would test on browsers other than Chrom* - or some weird side-effect of my ad/popup/script/cookie-blockers. A shame because all the other modes seem to work - "Greyscale mode" is far too subtle, and I'm ashamed to admit I missed the change from "math" to "maths"! - but this is a great April Fools' comic. [[Special:Contributions/50.45.232.78|50.45.232.78]] 22:56, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Firefoxer here, and ''without'' any particular add-ons that might interact badly with it... It does (seem to) lock up and it does (sometimes... didn't on at least one occasion) prompt Firefox to ask if I want to stop the page. But if I wait long enough it 'wipes off' the last seen comic image, starts to 'scanline' it back (note: not actually accurate to the real days of modems, as you'd probably be loading up images in interlaced mode) and ''then'' starts to give a modem-shriek.
:I wonder, without delving into the code used, if it's the method used to 'sleep' (could it be using busy-busy NOP-like code, rather than true sleep-interupts?), or just a slightly different asynchronous script-handling method that Firefox uses instead of other test-platforms. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 23:46, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
::Using Firefox (On mac, in Australia, if relevant) and it works fine, but no audio component. [[Special:Contributions/114.198.19.39|114.198.19.39]] 08:07, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: For me (in Chrome) it scrolled the whole page in from the bottom, but then kept scrolling so that you got the top of the page appearing beneath the bottom of it - like a TV with vertical hold problems (kids - ask your grandparents). Then changing to other modes it was stuck in that position. However, on subsequent attempts it only scrolled open the comic portion of the page. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:35, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I clicked darker mode and my screen is black and I cant undo it help {{unsigned ip|207.233.27.2|20:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)}}
:I assume you mean Darkest Mode, since there's no darker mode. The screen turns black but if you look carefully you can still see the grey of the menu and you can click on it. Also, the menu border continues to appear after you select the choice (at least it does on my Mac). P.S. Don't forget to sign your comment with 4 ~ characters. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

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

I see the mobile site m.xkcd.com was left out on this change😔 [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.219|104.28.215.219]] 20:37, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:I have been viewing via a tablet, though I think I've permwnently set my browsers to ''not'' use mobile version sites (they tend to assume viewing everything in portrait, I have found, whereas I almost always browse in landscape, so it gives me badly relocated on-page menu bars, or other wierdnesses).
:Everything seems to work nicely, as I bounced back and forth between modes (and occasionaly went to other comics to see how something like Stained Glass worked with them). Until I tried out the Star Wars scrolling one. Earlier on, I'd checked it out on a desktop, so I left it until one of the last few because it was hardest on the desktop to move on from (unless you used the cursor key, when you'd let the select-drop-down element drift to far 'away' to easily click.
:However, on the tablet, it ''just'' goes black, no appearance of the scrolly-scrawled page contents. (No way to use cursors to change the in-focus drop-down element to a neighbour.) Back-paging just takes me back through the various Random-comic pages I'd passed through, then the plain xkcd.com latest-comic default, all completely black, no animation. (Plane/Boat/Spring/Screensave mode dynamics, etc animated/transformed properly in their various ways.) Back-paging to before landing on xkcd.com (the tab I'd set off from) then forward again landed me in the all-black page with no space-sprawl in evidence...
:...''until'' I turned the tablet sideways (portrait proportions), and there it was. And rotated back to landscape to find it ''still'' properly visible, still scrolling away. Also, discovered I could drag (without pinch-dragging, which is zooming) the scrawl back 'towards me' (essentially scrolling down the skewed page, not an interaction that I'd attempted on the desktop computer), so that I could intercept the dropdown box and shift myself onto a different mode again.
:This is on Chrome For Android. I have other tablet browsers handy, but would need to check them properly before committing to ''their'' compatabilities or peculiarities. But sort of works, after you get over a funny hurdle (as just described), and ''perhaps'' need to have set Desktop Site as default rather than letting your device attempt to automatically use the "m." site version. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.40|82.132.237.40]] 02:56, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I read “Modern mode” instead of Modem mode and I spent a while making wild theories about what it could be referencing. But I’m also quite sleepy. [[Special:Contributions/146.70.116.107|146.70.116.107]] 20:51, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:i also misread it as modern mode, it made everything lag for me, made it feel like a modern website [[Special:Contributions/85.206.187.35|85.206.187.35]] 00:57, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

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

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

applies across the whole website? i forsee a preservation effort in the near future to capture What This Was Like, when randall inevitably removes the menu and all its modes--there's no chance this is staying, is there? - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 21:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:It applies to older comics, but not other parts of the site. I'm also wondering if this might be just for April Fool's Day. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:27, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:: I know it's april the 1st, but could we keep the modes? Stainglass is fun when the background doesn't turn maroon (and makes the text hard to read). I also checked other pages of xkcd, the modes are on on the other comics. {{unsigned ip|2a04:cec0:121a:5180:bcf7:54ff:feb2:d55|21:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)}}
::Of course it's the April Fools'/Fools' comic. Nice to see it being on time, this year, and I too wonder how long it'll stay. Might it permanently stay on this comic page, perhaps even stay if you jump off of it, but comic 3228 (or the 'default' latest-comic page) will probably be back to normal on Friday. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 22:14, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Luckily, preservation is easy enough. I think you just need to save the main [https://xkcd.com/3227/5710add.js Javascript file] (which contains the CSS, and generates the necessary DOM on the fly) and the [https://xkcd.com/3227/imgs/nyoom_2x.png one image asset]. I think it should be easy enough to turn it into a UserScript if you turn the png into a data URI, or even a web extension if that's more your speed. [[User:Dratini0|Dratini0]] ([[User talk:Dratini0|talk]]) 00:12, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honestly, I'd love a real dark mode for xkcd.com. But one where the comic isn't inverted. Sometimes I prefer to read the comic here on explainxkcd.com since I have mediawiki settings for dark mode, but those don't invert the comic. (I don't think I can make mediawiki settings for space opera mode...) [[User:Orion205|Orion205]] ([[User talk:Orion205|talk]]) 00:28, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:You should be able to force a custom CSS on this site (with or without any browser-helpers, but there are ones out there that streamline/automate/augment this ability). The AFD-code is applying a full visual filter (over the top of the comic; maybe or maybe not above the mode-selection 'widget', depending upon browser implementation), but sounds like you just want to apply foreground/background inversion as priority (above anything xkcd.com normally 'suggests' via CSS/tag-attributes) to all markup, but leave the comic image (and any other images, like the thumbnails) as is. Might he tricky if any element is "black-on-transparency" image, which assumes white but now has your code turning it black behind the non-transparent black, but you could probably live with it (or make it 75% dark-grey or so?), and non-transparent black-on-white (presuming white all around it) could look strange.
:But you can't tell for sure without trying to tweak your end (or actually checking the source HTML, on the way to doing just that).
:Alternatively, maybe you can isolate the on-site code for just the Dark Mode of the entire-page treatment, modified to 'demask' the filter exactly over the limits of the comic img-rendering area. If it's been done the way I think it's been done (not gonna try to check, 'til I'm not on mobile platform myself) should be a fairly trivial job to add to the fraction of the code you 'borrow'. Or at least a learning experience, as you work out what tweaks do what. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.40|82.132.237.40]] 12:22, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I spent way too long watching screensaver mode to see if it would do anything if the comic hit a corner. [[Special:Contributions/170.142.177.145|170.142.177.145]] 00:31, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:fyi ive found that the comic panels bounce on the edges of the viewport but move with reference to page coordinates--which means if you scroll just right you can place a corner of your screen where it's going to hit, without having to wait for it to get there on its own - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 03:39, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I wonder if the choice of the actual text in the comic is a reference to the Apollo 8 Christmas broadcast of Genesis, due to the Artemis II launch today... or maybe I'm overthinking it and it's simply a joke about light and dark mode. [[Special:Contributions/2601:241:8002:3E0:5CAD:3E02:93FF:FB00|2601:241:8002:3E0:5CAD:3E02:93FF:FB00]] 01:05, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:TY! I was not aware of that broadcast and it seems incredibly strange, since everything done on the mission "debunks" that passage! Apparently it was done because anything alluding to "world peace" in any way would seem like a commentary on the Vietnam War. Which, depending on one's skepticism of religion, can also seem quite ironic -now I'm overthinking, so I'll stop now. [[User:Cuvtixo|Cuvtixo]] ([[User talk:Cuvtixo|talk]]) 16:00, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

Anyone test the other April fools comics? [[User:Commercialegg|Commercialegg]] ([[User talk:Commercialegg|talk]]) 01:14, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:I tried Machine (2916) in dark mode and it just froze after the tutorial. [[User:King Pando|King Pando]] ([[User talk:King Pando|talk]]) 03:34, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

:Hoverboard (1608) becomes quite challenging in Space Opera Mode, not least because the player and the coins are invisible (at least in my antique MS Edge browser). [[Special:Contributions/74.220.129.129|74.220.129.129]] 15:26, 4 April 2026 (UTC)

I noticed using some of the modes makes xkcd.com/688 no longer self describing, not sure if its worth noting on either wiki [[User:Daunting Zebra|Daunting Zebra]] ([[User talk:Daunting Zebra|talk]]) 07:31, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

The current explanation of dark mode as 'inverting black and white pixels' isn't quite correct. For example, on [[2623]] a pale yellow colour gets flipped to black. On the other hand, other colours elsewhere are left untouched. So it must be doing 'some very light area of colour palette > black' and presumably 'some very dark area of colour palette > white'. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:27, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: On [[2342]] a light khaki(?) colour gets changed to a dark grey - not even a black. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:29, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: Brown sun, anyone? [[2750]] [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:33, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:Similar to the criteria for the Stained Glass region borders, perhaps? Sufficiently light grey (or unssaturated+light colours) do not 'edge' a given floodfill area, it seems. (See {{xkcd|1811}}, and how it floods/filters that, for example, with pre-coloured ''and'' greyscale text to compare its operational limits upon.) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.40|82.132.237.40]] 12:22, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: It is not flipped to black. It is turned into a very dark yellow that appears closer to black than the original yellow appeared to white because it is not gamma-corrected. [[Special:Contributions/80.187.115.75|80.187.115.75]] 00:05, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
... ... I was hoping this comic would be actually fun, like ALL previous April 1 comics are... :( It would be much better if it follows its name and the standards of earlier April 1's, i.e. there is only a "dark" option and when you switch to it the story progresses and you continue to do some other things and eventually complete a full xkcd-style "creation" (a great idea!) [[Special:Contributions/203.198.86.210|203.198.86.210]] 11:43, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

unsigned comment (pretend it's April foooools) {{unsigned ip|13:27, 2 April 2026 (UTC)}}

Is nobody noticing the fact that Randall was ACTUALLY ON TIME? That's quite rare! --''''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]][[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|Converse]] 13:58, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I wonder if any intentional "Easter eggs" were hidden inside other comic pages. [[User:Benzaldehyde|Benzaldehyde]] ([[User talk:Benzaldehyde|talk]] 17:10, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:I tried looking up #[[880]] (the one about 3D) and sadly it has no additional easter eggs with it :( [[Special:Contributions/2407:0:3006:2959:B0A4:2347:EF39:22AE|2407:0:3006:2959:B0A4:2347:EF39:22AE]] 12:03, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

Did anyone else notice that the effect (3D, Airplane, etc.) carries over to other comics accessed by the 'Random' button?
:You can change it on any comic. The dropdown is still there. [[User:King Pando|King Pando]] ([[User talk:King Pando|talk]]) 23:09, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

Spring Mode is broken on comic [https://xkcd.com/1127/ 1127]. It doesn't do anything for that one, but the other modes work. [[Special:Contributions/2600:4040:2CD4:C200:C134:93AD:21E2:1202|2600:4040:2CD4:C200:C134:93AD:21E2:1202]] 12:35, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
: On that note, the spring mode on Earth Temperature Timeline is crazy. [[Special:Contributions/85.76.164.131|85.76.164.131]] 15:07, 4 April 2026 (UTC)

I tried watching this one render in Modem mode with the volume turned up... [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]] :-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:52, 4 April 2026 (UTC)

3222: Star Formation

2026-03-22T11:53:56Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3222
| date = March 20, 2026
| title = Star Formation
| image = star_formation_2x.png
| imagesize = 676x272px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It's ok, I still have some nice, cool gas clouds that aren't collapsing. As long as nothing ionizes them, I can continue to enjoy their ... HEY! NO!!!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a DIRECT COLLAPSE BLACK HOLE. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic depicts a simplified model of how structure forms in the universe, then pushes it to an absurd extreme. In cosmology, small density variations in the early universe grow over time: regions with slightly higher density attract more matter via {{w|gravity}}, eventually forming {{w|gas cloud}}s, stars, and galaxies. Pressure, driven by temperature, resists collapse, so the evolution of a cloud depends on the balance between gravitational attraction and internal pressure; this is often described by the {{w|Jeans instability}} criterion.

In the first panel, the on-screen narrator (with a passing resemblance to the [[:Category:Time-Traveling Sphere|time-travelling sphere]] and other speaking dots uses in xkcd), and apparent creator of the universe, describes pressure waves moving through gas and causing it to clump. In the second, the clouds begin to collapse under gravity as more gas falls in. The third panel sees the outcome: as collapse proceeds, the gas heats up (via compression and radiation processes), increasing pressure and eventually sparking fusion. The comic depicts the formation of stars, something that we know this universe has done, with the implication that this was a totally unforeseen outcome for the {{w|Demiurge|manipulator}} or {{w|Creator deity|creator}} of this universe.

The final panel humorously frames this as the narrator lamenting the destruction of their "beautiful clouds," as the process has gone out of their control and produced a star instead of the desired (and perhaps, to their mind, more aesthetically pleasing) gently pulsating clouds.

The title text continues this joke by referencing the importance of ionization. "Cool" gas clouds (low temperature, neutral gas) can remain stable or collapse slowly. If they are ionized (for example, by nearby stars emitting {{w|ultraviolet}} radiation), the gas heats up, increasing pressure and preventing or disrupting collapse. The narrator hopes to preserve some of their own calm, neutral clouds but then reacts in horror as something ionizes them, ruining the delicate balance and ending their ability to "enjoy" stable gas clouds. But this is a natural result of {{w|star formation}} within and around a {{w|nebula}} again unforeseen by the being who apparently set up the circumstances that led to all the cosmic evolution we see.

==Transcript==
:[A black dot with star burst all around it is speaking, as indicated with a line from one of the burst lines to the text above it. Around the dot there are four larger and three small clouds. The one to the top right is somewhat larger than the other bigger ones.]
:Dot: I think I did a good job with this universe.
:Dot: Pressure waves dance through gas clouds.
:Dot: They clump together and then pressure pushes them apart.

:[In a fame-less panel the dot comments on the development as the largest cloud from seems to be gathering several other smaller clouds together. The other three larger clouds are still there, but there now seems to be some larger clouds stuck together in the upper right part, with more than ten smaller cloud either on top of these or moving in from all angles.]
:Dot: Oh weird, that big clump of clouds is staying together.
:Dot: Their gravity is overcoming the pressure and more gas is falling in.

:[The dot keeps commenting as the increasingly fragmentary clouds start to fall in streaks towards the original large cloud, which has now been compressed so it is smaller than before, but obviously are many more clouds stuck together. The larger clouds from before have begun to be drawn out and moving towards the larger.]
:Dot: It's not stopping!
:Dot: The heat is rising but the collapse is only accelerating!
:Dot: I messed up bad. I messed up '''''bad.'''''

:[The dot comments on the final result. There is now a shining star in place of the dense field of clouds, radiating strongly in all directions, blowing the few remaining smaller clouds around it, nine in total, away from it.]
:Dot: <big>'''''Noooooooo!!!'''''</big>
:Dot: My beautiful clouds!
:Dot: Ruined! It's all ruined!

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Cosmology]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

3222: Star Formation

2026-03-22T11:52:58Z

Kynde: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 3222
| date = March 20, 2026
| title = Star Formation
| image = star_formation_2x.png
| imagesize = 676x272px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It's ok, I still have some nice, cool gas clouds that aren't collapsing. As long as nothing ionizes them, I can continue to enjoy their ... HEY! NO!!!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a DIRECT COLLAPSE BLACK HOLE. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic depicts a simplified model of how structure forms in the universe, then pushes it to an absurd extreme. In cosmology, small density variations in the early universe grow over time: regions with slightly higher density attract more matter via {{w|gravity}}, eventually forming {{w|gas cloud}}s, stars, and galaxies. Pressure, driven by temperature, resists collapse, so the evolution of a cloud depends on the balance between gravitational attraction and internal pressure; this is often described by the {{w|Jeans instability}} criterion.

In the first panel, the on-screen narrator (with a passing resemblance to the [[:Category:Time-Traveling Sphere|time-travelling sphere]]), and apparent creator of the universe, describes pressure waves moving through gas and causing it to clump. In the second, the clouds begin to collapse under gravity as more gas falls in. The third panel sees the outcome: as collapse proceeds, the gas heats up (via compression and radiation processes), increasing pressure and eventually sparking fusion. The comic depicts the formation of stars, something that we know this universe has done,{{Citation needed}} with the implication that this was a totally unforeseen outcome for the {{w|Demiurge|manipulator}} or {{w|Creator deity|creator}} of this universe.

The final panel humorously frames this as the narrator lamenting the destruction of their "beautiful clouds," as the process has gone out of their control and produced a star instead of the desired (and perhaps, to their mind, more aesthetically pleasing) gently pulsating clouds.

The title text continues this joke by referencing the importance of ionization. "Cool" gas clouds (low temperature, neutral gas) can remain stable or collapse slowly. If they are ionized (for example, by nearby stars emitting {{w|ultraviolet}} radiation), the gas heats up, increasing pressure and preventing or disrupting collapse. The narrator hopes to preserve some of their own calm, neutral clouds but then reacts in horror as something ionizes them, ruining the delicate balance and ending their ability to "enjoy" stable gas clouds. But this is a natural result of {{w|star formation}} within and around a {{w|nebula}} again unforseen by the being who apparently set up the circumstances that led to all the cosmic evolution we see.

==Transcript==
:[A black dot with star burst all around it is speaking, as indicated with a line from one of the burst lines to the text above it. Around the dot there are four larger and three small clouds. The one to the top right is somewhat larger than the other bigger ones.]
:Dot: I think I did a good job with this universe.
:Dot: Pressure waves dance through gas clouds.
:Dot: They clump together and then pressure pushes them apart.

:[In a fame-less panel the dot comments on the development as the largest cloud from seems to be gathering several other smaller clouds together. The other three larger clouds are still there, but there now seems to be some larger clouds stuck together in the upper right part, with more than ten smaller cloud either on top of these or moving in from all angles.]
:Dot: Oh weird, that big clump of clouds is staying together.
:Dot: Their gravity is overcoming the pressure and more gas is falling in.

:[The dot keeps commenting as the increasingly fragmentary clouds start to fall in streaks towards the original large cloud, which has now been compressed so it is smaller than before, but obviously are many more clouds stuck together. The larger clouds from before have begun to be drawn out and moving towards the larger.]
:Dot: It's not stopping!
:Dot: The heat is rising but the collapse is only accelerating!
:Dot: I messed up bad. I messed up '''''bad.'''''

:[The dot comments on the final result. There is now a shining star in place of the dense field of clouds, radiating strongly in all directions, blowing the few remaining smaller clouds around it, nine in total, away from it.]
:Dot: <big>'''''Noooooooo!!!'''''</big>
:Dot: My beautiful clouds!
:Dot: Ruined! It's all ruined!

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Cosmology]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

3222: Star Formation

2026-03-22T11:52:30Z

Kynde: /* Transcript */ complete with more details

{{comic
| number = 3222
| date = March 20, 2026
| title = Star Formation
| image = star_formation_2x.png
| imagesize = 676x272px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It's ok, I still have some nice, cool gas clouds that aren't collapsing. As long as nothing ionizes them, I can continue to enjoy their ... HEY! NO!!!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a DIRECT COLLAPSE BLACK HOLE. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic depicts a simplified model of how structure forms in the universe, then pushes it to an absurd extreme. In cosmology, small density variations in the early universe grow over time: regions with slightly higher density attract more matter via {{w|gravity}}, eventually forming {{w|gas cloud}}s, stars, and galaxies. Pressure, driven by temperature, resists collapse, so the evolution of a cloud depends on the balance between gravitational attraction and internal pressure; this is often described by the {{w|Jeans instability}} criterion.

In the first panel, the on-screen narrator (with a passing resemblance to the [[:Category:Time-Traveling Sphere|time-travelling sphere]]), and apparent creator of the universe, describes pressure waves moving through gas and causing it to clump. In the second, the clouds begin to collapse under gravity as more gas falls in. The third panel sees the outcome: as collapse proceeds, the gas heats up (via compression and radiation processes), increasing pressure and eventually sparking fusion. The comic depicts the formation of stars, something that we know this universe has done,{{Citation needed}} with the implication that this was a totally unforeseen outcome for the {{w|Demiurge|manipulator}} or {{w|Creator deity|creator}} of this universe.

The final panel humorously frames this as the narrator lamenting the destruction of their "beautiful clouds," as the process has gone out of their control and produced a star instead of the desired (and perhaps, to their mind, more aesthetically pleasing) gently pulsating clouds.

The title text continues this joke by referencing the importance of ionization. "Cool" gas clouds (low temperature, neutral gas) can remain stable or collapse slowly. If they are ionized (for example, by nearby stars emitting {{w|ultraviolet}} radiation), the gas heats up, increasing pressure and preventing or disrupting collapse. The narrator hopes to preserve some of their own calm, neutral clouds but then reacts in horror as something ionizes them, ruining the delicate balance and ending their ability to "enjoy" stable gas clouds. But this is a natural result of {{w|star formation}} within and around a {{w|nebula}} again unforseen by the being who apparently set up the circumstances that led to all the cosmic evolution we see.

==Transcript==
:[A black dot with star burst all around it is speaking, as indicated with a line from one of the burst lines to the text above it. Around the dot there are four larger and three small clouds. The one to the top right is somewhat larger than the other bigger ones.]
:Dot: I think I did a good job with this universe.
:Dot: Pressure waves dance through gas clouds.
:Dot: They clump together and then pressure pushes them apart.

:[In a fame-less panel the dot comments on the development as the largest cloud from seems to be gathering several other smaller clouds together. The other three larger clouds are still there, but there now seems to be some larger clouds stuck together in the upper right part, with more than ten smaller cloud either on top of these or moving in from all angles.]
:Dot: Oh weird, that big clump of clouds is staying together.
:Dot: Their gravity is overcoming the pressure and more gas is falling in.

:[The dot keeps commenting as the increasingly fragmentary clouds start to fall in streaks towards the original large cloud, which has now been compressed so it is smaller than before, but obviously are many more clouds stuck together. The larger clouds from before have begun to be drawn out and moving towards the larger.]
:Dot: It's not stopping!
:Dot: The heat is rising but the collapse is only accelerating!
:Dot: I messed up bad. I messed up '''bad.'''

:[The dot comments on the final result. There is now a shining star in place of the dense field of clouds, radiating strongly in all directions, blowing the few remaining smaller clouds around it, nine in total, away from it.]
:Dot: <big>'''''Noooooooo!!!'''''</big>
:Dot: My beautiful clouds!
:Dot: Ruined! It's all ruined!

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Cosmology]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

Talk:3220: Rotational Gravity

2026-03-17T08:44:07Z

Kynde:

Beep, Boop! nothing else here yet ;) [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 03:06, 17 March 2026 (UTC)

Counterpoint the the action park thing; i think its referencing [[2935]] [[User:TheTrainsKid|TheTrainsKid]] ([[User talk:TheTrainsKid|talk]]) 03:26, 17 March 2026 (UTC)
:For sure. It is a direct reference to that comic. I wonder if they should be seen as a two comics series? I think there is a bit too little for it. If there ever comes a third comic where Cueball is fired from a cruise line I would say there should be made a category for it though. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:44, 17 March 2026 (UTC)

Is he saying that the ship is rolling? This would not give as much artificial G than pitch or yaw. [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 04:53, 17 March 2026 (UTC)
:It all depends on the rotation speed. It is more likely the ship would survive being rotated along that axis. Of course there would then only be gravity away from the central line of the ship. And of course the ship would not survive such a rotation. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:44, 17 March 2026 (UTC)

3220: Rotational Gravity

2026-03-17T08:41:08Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */ bit more on title text

{{comic
| number = 3220
| date = March 16, 2026
| title = Rotational Gravity
| image = rotational_gravity_2x.png
| imagesize = 303x325px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I don't get it. The peak acceleration for passengers was WAY lower than in the giant-waterslide-loop-the-loop incident the other cruise line fired me for.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by A DISMEMBERED WATERSLIDE TEST DUMMY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
Low-gravity environments can cause humans and other animals to lose muscle mass, a serious problem for people staying for extended periods on the International Space Station.

[[Cueball]] at first appears to be describing his experience operating a spaceship, creating artificial gravity by rotating the ship so as to preserve the passengers' muscle mass.

However, the caption to the panel indicates that the "ship" Cueball was operating was a cruise ship, not a space ship. Since cruise ships that travel upon the seas and oceans of the Earth, experience the same gravity that they would experience at sea level on land, there is no need for "artificial gravity" aboard a cruise ship.

Furthermore, Cueball's rotation of the ship along its longitudinal axis would involve turning the ship upside down (and then right side up again). This would likely result in many people aboard drowning, as well as anything on the decks being lost that wasn't nailed down. Of course not if he did this with the angular speed required to create artificial gravity. But a cruise ship would not be build to withstand the stress imposed on it if it was rotated like this (at all, independent of the speed!)

The title text references the earlier comic [[2935: Ocean Loop]], where Cueball made an {{w|Action Park}}'s Cannonball Loop for Cruise ships. Such loops can subjected riders to up to nine gees of acceleration. Cueball complains about being fires, and says he do not understand why. Since "The peak acceleration for passengers was WAY lower than in the giant-waterslide-loop-the-loop incident the other cruise line fired me for." This is thus the second comic where Cueball has been fired by a cruise line for his hazardous actions. In the first comic he similarly complains about the decision of the cruise line in the title text.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Cueball stands facing Hairbun and White Hat. Hairbun has a "steaming" symbol above her head indicating anger, while White Hat is facepalming.]
:Cueball: I was able to produce artificial gravity by rotating the ship along its longitudinal axis, helping passengers maintain muscle mass on the long-duration voyage!
:[Caption below the panel:]
:Well, the cruise line fired me.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Physics]]

2935: Ocean Loop

2026-03-17T08:40:09Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */ more on Rotational Gravity

{{comic
| number = 2935
| date = May 20, 2024
| title = Ocean Loop
| image = ocean_loop_2x.png
| imagesize = 317x286px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I can't believe they wouldn't even let me hold a vote among the passengers about whether to try the loop.
}}

==Explanation==
Upon hearing the term "ocean loop", many people think of horizontal {{w|ocean gyre}}s or {{w|ocean currents}}. This comic illustrates a vertical, rather than horizontal, ocean loop.

The comic shows a large construction, rising out of the sea to dwarf a nearby cruise ship. It involves a submerged water-jet sending water up out of the surface and round a rollercoaster-loop-like water-flume trough. The scale is such that it seems that the ship, once caught in the necessarily powerful stream of water, is also intended to be propelled around the inverting loop before "safely" exiting at the other side.

The design is reminiscent of the infamous 'Cannonball Loop' water slide - a [https://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-trb-action-park-looping-water-slide-20150305-story.html fully-functional] water slide complete with a loop-de-loop - which was one of many famously dangerous rides and attractions at Action Park; a theme park in New Jersey that became iconic for its blithe disregard for human safety, and the numerous accidents and deaths at the park as a result. This [https://youtu.be/P14W1pRRK9Y video], among other potentially dangerous water slides, shows 2 such loop-de-loop water slides ([https://youtu.be/P14W1pRRK9Y?t=487 1] and [https://youtu.be/P14W1pRRK9Y?t=522 2]). Apart from various other issues regarding {{what if|43|large "loop-de-loops"}}, the stream of water required to maintain this setup would be {{w|Entrainment (hydrodynamics)|acting upon the nearby water}} and so the nearby ship is probably already close enough to be drawn into the loop (with the best option left being to deliberately steer into it, rather than risk being swept uncontrollably into the structure), assuming that it isn't already caught in the tug of the water-jet's inward flow.

Even assuming a "successful" loop (the stresses and rotation inflicted by the loop are likely beyond the design limits of such a vessel), the emergence back into the ''relatively'' calm and stationary waters beyond the exiting outflow would be a severe challenge to navigation. On the positive side, due to the nature of buoyancy, if the loop structure itself is capable of withstanding the force of the water being forced round it then it ''should'' be equally capable of withstanding the passage of the ship, unlike an impromptu rail-based loop which might stand up on its own but then shake itself apart when the first carriage is sent around it.

Not only would there be problems for the engineers, ship and navigators, the "ride" wouldn't be pleasant for the ship's passengers in any way. Many of the passengers would suffer extreme injuries from the changes of velocity (up to 370km/h or 230mph based on a loop radius of 3 x ship length) and rotation (unlike {{w|rollercoasters}}, or even airplanes during simple take-off and landing, passengers aren't normally strapped down). It is possible that the initial extreme undercurrent would capsize the ship. Depending upon where in the ship you were, the centripetal forces and the ship's rotation may not match for all passengers, forcing anyone not properly secured out towards the bow or stern. As well as the passengers, this also is relevant to all unsecured items (e.g. knives and forks would go flying off tables), as well as the dangers of breakable glass, liquids and many other dangerous objects which could create hazards even (or particularly) against those who have strapped themselves down to prevent their own movement through the ship.

Because of all these safety concerns, the caption, "[[:Category: Banned from conferences|I don't know why the cruise line fired me]]", suggests that someone in the company realized this would not be a good idea, and shut down the concept. However, the title text, "I can't believe they wouldn't even let me hold a vote among the passengers about whether to try the loop", implies that the narrator (whether because they simply hadn't thought it through properly, or they are [[Black Hat|someone with a sadistic nature]]) actually managed to get as far as building this loop and having a ship ready to try it. Considering the vast budget that would have been required to realise this concept, it appears that oversight at the cruise company is not what it could be, and perhaps others should be in line for firing as well (if it has not already bankrupted the company).

When those in charge of the ship objected to sailing into this loop, the builder attempted to get around this by having the passengers vote on it. Presumably worried that opening the decision-making process to the passengers might favor the exciting risk over the well-founded reason of the staff, those in charge put a stop to that too. Cruise ships generally don't function as democracies, even outside of absurd situations such as the one depicted.

In the later comic [[3220: Rotational Gravity]] the same Cueball is fired by another cruise line for a similar bad idea where he turns the ship around to create artificial gravity. The title text, which complains about the decision of the cruise line, just as here, references directly back to this comic.

==Transcript==

:[A cruise ship approaches an enormous loop-de-loop flume from the left. A large jet of water is being propelled into the loop-de-loop by an enormous submerged hot tub style jet. The loop-de-loop, that looks like a waterslide, and the structure housing the jet are connected to a slightly inclined seabed, higher on the right.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I don't know why the cruise line fired me.

==Trivia==
* '''This trivia section was created by a BOT'''
* The [[:File:ocean_loop_huge.png|standard size]] image was uploaded with a resolution/size larger than the supposed 2x version.
* This may have been an error.
* At the time of posting, the image was ''massive'', 4760 x 4295 pixels.

{{comic discussion}}

3220: Rotational Gravity

2026-03-17T08:36:42Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */ Several changes to the explanation throughout.

{{comic
| number = 3220
| date = March 16, 2026
| title = Rotational Gravity
| image = rotational_gravity_2x.png
| imagesize = 303x325px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I don't get it. The peak acceleration for passengers was WAY lower than in the giant-waterslide-loop-the-loop incident the other cruise line fired me for.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by A DISMEMBERED WATERSLIDE TEST DUMMY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
Low-gravity environments can cause humans and other animals to lose muscle mass, a serious problem for people staying for extended periods on the International Space Station.

[[Cueball]] at first appears to be describing his experience operating a spaceship, creating artificial gravity by rotating the ship so as to preserve the passengers' muscle mass.

However, the caption to the panel indicates that the "ship" Cueball was operating was a cruise ship, not a space ship. Since cruise ships that travel upon the seas and oceans of the Earth, experience the same gravity that they would experience at sea level on land, there is no need for "artificial gravity" aboard a cruise ship.

Furthermore, Cueball's rotation of the ship along its longitudinal axis would involve turning the ship upside down (and then right side up again). This would likely result in many people aboard drowning, as well as anything on the decks being lost that wasn't nailed down. Of course not if he did this with the angular speed required to create artificial gravity. But a cruise ship would not be build to withstand the stress imposed on it if it was rotated like this (at all, independent of the speed!)

The title text references the earlier comic [[2935: Ocean Loop]], where Cueball made an {{w|Action Park}}'s Cannonball Loop for Cruise ships. Such loops can subjected riders to up to nine gees of acceleration. Cueball complains about being fires, and says he do not understand why. Since "The peak acceleration for passengers was WAY lower than in the giant-waterslide-loop-the-loop incident the other cruise line fired me for." This is thus the second comic where Cueball has been fired by a cruise line for his hazardous actions.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Cueball stands facing Hairbun and White Hat. Hairbun has a "steaming" symbol above her head indicating anger, while White Hat is facepalming.]
:Cueball: I was able to produce artificial gravity by rotating the ship along its longitudinal axis, helping passengers maintain muscle mass on the long-duration voyage!
:[Caption below the panel:]
:Well, the cruise line fired me.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Physics]]

3219: Planets and Bright Stars

2026-03-15T12:57:32Z

Kynde: /* Transcript */ complete

{{comic
| number = 3219
| date = March 13, 2026
| title = Planets and Bright Stars
| image = planets_and_bright_stars_2x.png
| imagesize = 374x265px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = An old astronomer trick for distinguishing the Sun from other stars is to take multiple photos a few minutes apart and overlay them, making the Sun stand out due to its high proper motion.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a GLOWING SPACE DOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic shows an identification chart for some of the planets and bright stars visible at night from Earth. Bright shiny objects in the sky are often confused with each other by people without astronomical experience. This the chart is supposed to make identification easier by placing them adjacent to one another to easily see the differences. The joke is that all 12 dots are nearly identical, making the chart useless.

The real way of distinguishing these objects is by their location in the sky. Stars can be found by using constellations, which are an apparent pattern of bright stars that make different regions of the sky distinguishable from one another. The planets can be distinguished by not belonging to the constellations, and further differentiated by their color, brightness, and movement relative to the stars (on the scale of weeks or months).

The stars and planets do indeed look similar to one another in reality, but they are not identical. Some of them (in particular, the star Betelgeuse and the planet Mars) have a distinct reddish color, which can be seen in good conditions. The brightness is also different, and it can serve as a guide, but it's difficult to precisely judge brightness by eye, and the planets don't have a constant brightness over time. The differences are actually visible in the comic to a degree - e.g., the spots for Venus and Jupiter are slightly larger than the others - but they're subtle enough to not recognize at first glance.

Each 'object' also has a color, albeit ''extremely'' desaturated (very nearly white). If deliberately exaggerated, the comic's planets and suns are all notably non-white, as can bee seen in the picture in the [[#Trivia|trivia section]] below..
*Planets:
**{{w|Venus}}: the yellowy-orange hue of its cloud layers.
**{{w|Mars}}: the red of its surface (given more muted saturation, in the comic, for the joke to work?).
**{{w|Jupiter}}: the general orange hue of its combined cloud layers.
**{{w|Saturn}}: a more 'peachy' orange of its clouds (no obvious hint of its ring system).
**{{w|Mercury (planet)|Mercury}}: a yellow surface (not typically noted, in true-hue images, perhaps artistic licence from its proximity to the Sun).
*Stars
**{{w|Sirius}} (binary system, primarily a {{w|main sequence}} A-type star): light blue.
**{{w|Procyon}} ({{w|subgiant}} F-type star): more light green, or yellowy-blue/cyan.
**{{w|Antares}} (M-type star, {{w|red supergiant}}): orange.
**{{w|Altair}} (A-type, main sequence): light blue.
**{{w|Betelgeuse}} (M-type, {{w|red supergiant}}): relatively dark red (usually visible as such in real eyes-only observations).
**{{w|Vega}} (A-type, main sequence): light blue.
**{{w|Polaris}} (ternary star-system, dominant member being an F-type {{w|yellow supergiant}}): ''extremely'' unsaturated cyan.

Using even a small telescope would make it easy to distinguish the planets by their brightness, size, and surface features. Additionally, using a spectroscope would allow for a measurement of the star's spectrum, which coupled with its brightness would allow an astronomer to distinguish the mentioned stars.

The title text suggests a "trick" for recognizing the Sun among other stars, suggesting measuring its {{w|proper motion}} (a measure of the change in apparent position against the more distant 'fixed' background of stars, as an {{w|angular rate}} to specify some angle per time) by overlaying several images, a similar principle to the {{w|blink comparator}}. This does indeed differentiate it from other stars, but there are much easier methods, such as its extreme brightness and large angular size.{{cn}} A disadvantage of this method is that it distinguishes the Sun from other stars, but it cannot distinguish the Sun from planets. It is also completely unnecessary, except during a {{w|solar eclipse}}, because stars are not usually visible during the day, when the Sun is out. Additionally, "proper motion" is a term usually not used for the Sun.

==Transcript==
:[A 4x3 grid of white dots are displayed on a black background. Above them there is caption in white text. Below each white dot there is a label in white. The dots are almost identical slightly fuzzy and white. There may be a slight color hue to some of the dots, but it is not clearly visible.]
:Planets and Bright Stars identification chart
:Venus
:Mars
:Jupiter
:Saturn
:Mercury
:Sirius
:Procyon
:Antares
:Altair
:Betelgeuse
:Vega
:Polaris

==Trivia==
*[[User:Rumbling7145]] made this picture enhancing the colors of the dots in the original comic:
[[File:3219_planets-and-bright-stars-2x-saturation.png]]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

Talk:3219: Planets and Bright Stars

2026-03-15T12:53:15Z

Kynde:

There are sight color differences...[[Special:Contributions/209.240.116.218|209.240.116.218]] 19:55, 13 March 2026 (UTC)

I've created a version that brings out the color contrast, but I don't have permissions to upload it yet. How may I get those? [[User:Rumbling7145|Rumbling7145]] ([[User talk:Rumbling7145|talk]]) 20:04, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
:See [[Special:ListGroupRights]] for info about becoming autoconfirmed. In the meantime, you can upload the image onto an image hosting website such as Imgur or ImgBB and I can help you upload it! [[User:42.book.addict|tori :3]][[User talk:42.book.addict|talk to me!]] 20:20, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
:[Ninjaed... You got there just before me, just realised I ended up Edit Conflicted... :P Editing down to the bits that weren't said above.]
:[...] you've been here a while, but 'only' edited thirteen times, it looks like [...]
:[...and when someone else uploads it...] you can alwas add your own [claims to ownership], to the finished 'file page' [if the user concerned doesn't credit you already]. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:31, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
::Here you go! https://ibb.co/5gyVM59C [[User:Rumbling7145|Rumbling7145]] ([[User talk:Rumbling7145|talk]]) 15:19, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
:::Great work. I have uploaded your image and put it in a [[3219:_Planets_and_Bright_Stars#Trivia|trivia section]] and linked from the explanation. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:52, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

Anyone know where that </div> overlaying "Add Comment" at the bottom of the discussion is coming from? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:01, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
:Well, Tori's signature is a bit lopsided with its tags, by the time it gets to the browser (is one <code><nowiki></nowiki></code> short, and has one closing <code><nowiki></a></nowiki></code> before the closing <code><nowiki></nowiki></code> that should have been within it), but not sure how that might have tricked-out the rest so that some closing <code><nowiki></div></nowiki></code> is redundant, without going through the ''entire'' page source to track down any other accumulated discrepancies.
:I've seen that rogue close-div before, and I seem to recall that some precautionary extra close-tags (in either HTML or Wiki markup) have been added to 'make sure' some things don't run on. But it seems to vanish after some later edits (either main comic page or discussion one), and I would have imagined that the excess tag would just be 'ignored' under most circumstances. But it's difficult to tell easil tell what a combination of meta-tagging and actual tagging does.
:And there's all kinds of weirdness in the scripting part of the page, like the bit that says <code><nowiki>node.outerHTML="\u003Cdiv id=\"localNotice\" lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cdiv[... most of this statement removed ...]\n\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/div\u003E";</nowiki></code> with ''escaped'' DIVs in it, that only apply when the script self-modifies the page-source. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 21:59, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
::In fact, the rogue DIV only appears when viewing the transcluded Talk page within the main article. Viewing the Talk page directly doesn't seem to show it (or have it in the same bit of the respective HTML source), which adds to my belief that it's a run-on tag (not?) being opened as part of the Comic page's definition. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 22:02, 13 March 2026 (UTC)

Jupiter, Venus, Mars (at its peak) and Sirius are noticeably brighter than the others. Mars, Antares and Betelgeuse are also quite red. Also if you look at planets through a telescope or good binoculars you can tell that they have a larger size (and some have moons). The others would be quite hard to tell apart without knowing their position.
<table>
<tr>
<th>Object</th><th>App. Mag</th><th>B-V (Colour)</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Venus</th><th>-4.98 to -2.98</th><th>0.82</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Mars</th><th>-2.94 to +1.86</th><th>1.33</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Jupiter</th><th>-2.94 to -1.66</th><th>0.83</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Saturn</th><th>-0.55 to +1.17</th><th>1.04</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Mercury</th><th>-2.48 to +7.25</th><th>0.97</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Sirius</th><th>-1.46</th><th>0</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Procyon</th><th>+0.34</th><th>0.42</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Antares</th><th>+0.6 to +1.6</th><th>1.83</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Altair</th><th>+0.76</th><th>0.22</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Betelgeuse</th><th>0 to +1.6</th><th>1.85</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Vega</th><th>0</th><th>0</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Polaris</th><th>+1.86 to +2.13</th><th>0.6</th>
</tr>
</table>
It would be interesting to see if these characteristics are at all present in the comic (it does look like Mars, Betelgeuse and Antares are red and Saturn is a little yellow so maybe the colours are right), or what the comic should look like if they are not --22:50, 13 March 2026 (UTC)[[User:Sameldacamel34|Sameldacamel34]] ([[User talk:Sameldacamel34|talk]])

Created a nice image using the explanations on this page (using Gemini)

[https://ibb.co/k6wQF0Vd Chart fixed by explanations here] {{unsigned|2A09:BAC3:2FF0:28C:0:0:41:127}}
:Since Rumbling7145 did the same higher up in the discussion I used his picture in stead, but still great work. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:52, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

Do planets and stars both have the same "flickering" appearance? If they don't, that would aid in identification. [[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]]) 05:37, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

;Proper motion
According to the Wikipedia page to proper motion, it is defined relative to the center of the solar system. So having a proper motion of zero makes the sun stand out indeed. [[Special:Contributions/84.115.169.154|84.115.169.154]] 04:50, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
:Err. {{w|proper motion}} is "relative to the center of mass of the Solar System," aka the {{w|barycenter}}, which is not the center of the Sun, but rather very close to it and sometimes outside of it. So, I think, (and I am definitely inexpert here), the [center of the] Sun is rather rapidly moving in an angular fashion about that point, far more so than any other object, whose angular movement around that point is much slower. Just like if you are one foot away from the north pole and wandering aimlessly, you can very quickly change your longitude from +90° to –90° in a step or two. So, I think, the Sun does indeed have "high proper motion," not "zero proper motion." But someone please correct me. Also, I (earlier) tried to explain proper motion in the last graf of the article and I suspect I did a poor job (possibly also inaccurate), so I'd appreciate someone with the, err, ''proper'' expertise fixing it up. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 05:00, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
:(Indeed...) The barycentre for the Sun-Jupiter pair, alone, sits (just!) outside of the mass of the Sun, and Jupiter is the main non-solar part of the mass. (That we know of, and that forms identifiable point-gravitational components. Even if they were more massive, the ring/shell nature of the Asteroid Belt, Kuiper Belt and Oort Clouds likely cancel themselves out.) Depending on where the rest of the planets are (next most influential would be Saturn, with everything else far smaller and/or further away), there's going to be funny a 'petal-like' track of the barycentre w.r.t. the Sun (or vice-versa), with seemingpy retrograde periods and inflections, but if you chose to sit it out 'at' the barycentre and track the Sun's position you'd expect 360° of 'heavenly motion' from Sol every 11.86 years (for a little over a third of the time you'd be ''within'' the Sun, due to the sufficient balancing out of masses around it, but you could still track the direction to its centre ...assuming you weren't bothered by being ''within the Sun'', like you aren't bothered by being right next to it for the rest of the time).
:Barnard's Star is (otherwise) the star with the current greatest proper motion, at 10.358 seconds of arc per year. Comparing the two (not that BS is going to complete any 'orbit', like that), it means that the Sun moves with Proper Motion (if I've not messed up toouch, on the back of this envelope) slightly above 175x greater than BS's current record rate. Though, instantaneously, the strict comparison would fluctuate over time due to the complex resonancing nature of the Sun's theoretical looping and de-looping w.r.t. the reference frame. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.238.245|82.132.238.245]] 17:36, 14 March 2026 (UTC)

The extremely high parallax of the Sun (324,000 arc seconds if I calculate correctly) swamps out any prer motion. [[Special:Contributions/2600:1001:B008:1230:9C83:B115:90B1:6038|2600:1001:B008:1230:9C83:B115:90B1:6038]] 12:12, 14 March 2026 (UTC)

:Err…''wutt?'' Again, I am not a domain expert or even really a domain user, but… 
:(a) A single object cannot have a "parallax." Parallax is a measure of error between two viewpoints (line segments), or perhaps between three points in space (the far object and two eye positions). Assuming the Sun is the far object, what are the other reference points or lines? If one is the Earth (a pretty big ''if'' ) then what is the other? 
:(b) 324,400 is 90 degrees, a right angle. "The Sun has a parallax of 90 degrees" is not a concept that makes sense to me. 
:Maybe I'm misunderstanding though? [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 13:20, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
::Using usual definitions of stellar parallax, half the shift in angular position of the star when viewed from opposite "ends" of Earth's orbit. From, say December to June the Sun's position relative to the background stars shifts by 180 degrees. It's a bit of a joke, but this _is_ a comic we are discussing. [[Special:Contributions/2600:1001:B008:1230:9C83:B115:90B1:6038|2600:1001:B008:1230:9C83:B115:90B1:6038]] 15:12, 14 March 2026 (UTC)

@81.179.199.253, I do not think that writing «a simple "angle per time"» is more clear than «degrees/second» or «rad/sec.». Just like saying "linear distance" is more confusing to people than "feet" (or meters). One might even suggest if we have to label something "simple" that is evidence that it isn't. I think, also, the grammar of the sentence got even more complex. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 20:09, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
:With the "angle per time", I wanted to avoid the argument being had (astronomy tends to use "arc-seconds per year", rather than any radian-based measure, in my experience) and make it more neutral.
:As for how complicated it then went, I was ''tempted'' to just leave it to the wikilink, but tried to respond to the prior edit comments instead. I could cut it back again, though. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:18, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
::I think that's totally wrong and every edit seems to make it worse and worse. More neutral isn't easier-to-understand, and that's what we need. Using the wrong units is better than using no units. I lifted rad/s from the enwiki article, but I have no idea if it is correct (and I'm starting to suspect it's not). Degrees/second would be the most clear, because far more people know what a degree is than a radian. Happy pi day. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 21:12, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
:::Then you'll probably want to add a full-blooded combo-link such as "{{w|Minute and second of arc#Symbols and abbreviations|arcseconds}}/{{w|year}}" (or whatever your choice is... but rad/sec or even deg/sec will give you ''smaaaallll'' values even for the Sun), if it's not already good enough to help the currently unaware by linking to Proper Motion and Angular Speed/Velocity/Displacement/whatever. I'm not sure what else can be added to make it more understandable, nor what else to remove to tighten it up without losing something that someone might appreciate. But over to you, to edit it to your satisfaction. That's the beauty/price of a wiki. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 22:27, 14 March 2026 (UTC)

This is redundant: "The joke is that they are all nearly identical dots, making the chart almost useless. [...] The joke is that the pictures look almost identical to one another, and therefore the chart isn't helpful at all." But I don't know which of the two sentences to delete, so I'm just going to leave this note here, and let someone else tighten the explanation. [[Special:Contributions/2603:7000:6100:48CF:1D2B:3433:E765:8B8C|2603:7000:6100:48CF:1D2B:3433:E765:8B8C]] 02:37, 15 March 2026 (UTC)
:Tried to fix it --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:52, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3219: Planets and Bright Stars

2026-03-15T12:52:57Z

Kynde:

There are sight color differences...[[Special:Contributions/209.240.116.218|209.240.116.218]] 19:55, 13 March 2026 (UTC)

I've created a version that brings out the color contrast, but I don't have permissions to upload it yet. How may I get those? [[User:Rumbling7145|Rumbling7145]] ([[User talk:Rumbling7145|talk]]) 20:04, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
:See [[Special:ListGroupRights]] for info about becoming autoconfirmed. In the meantime, you can upload the image onto an image hosting website such as Imgur or ImgBB and I can help you upload it! [[User:42.book.addict|tori :3]][[User talk:42.book.addict|talk to me!]] 20:20, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
:[Ninjaed... You got there just before me, just realised I ended up Edit Conflicted... :P Editing down to the bits that weren't said above.]
:[...] you've been here a while, but 'only' edited thirteen times, it looks like [...]
:[...and when someone else uploads it...] you can alwas add your own [claims to ownership], to the finished 'file page' [if the user concerned doesn't credit you already]. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:31, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
::Here you go! https://ibb.co/5gyVM59C [[User:Rumbling7145|Rumbling7145]] ([[User talk:Rumbling7145|talk]]) 15:19, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
:::Great work. I have uploaded your image and put it in a [[3219:_Planets_and_Bright_Stars#Triviatrivia section]] and linked from the explanation. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:52, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

Anyone know where that </div> overlaying "Add Comment" at the bottom of the discussion is coming from? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:01, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
:Well, Tori's signature is a bit lopsided with its tags, by the time it gets to the browser (is one <code><nowiki></nowiki></code> short, and has one closing <code><nowiki></a></nowiki></code> before the closing <code><nowiki></nowiki></code> that should have been within it), but not sure how that might have tricked-out the rest so that some closing <code><nowiki></div></nowiki></code> is redundant, without going through the ''entire'' page source to track down any other accumulated discrepancies.
:I've seen that rogue close-div before, and I seem to recall that some precautionary extra close-tags (in either HTML or Wiki markup) have been added to 'make sure' some things don't run on. But it seems to vanish after some later edits (either main comic page or discussion one), and I would have imagined that the excess tag would just be 'ignored' under most circumstances. But it's difficult to tell easil tell what a combination of meta-tagging and actual tagging does.
:And there's all kinds of weirdness in the scripting part of the page, like the bit that says <code><nowiki>node.outerHTML="\u003Cdiv id=\"localNotice\" lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cdiv[... most of this statement removed ...]\n\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/div\u003E";</nowiki></code> with ''escaped'' DIVs in it, that only apply when the script self-modifies the page-source. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 21:59, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
::In fact, the rogue DIV only appears when viewing the transcluded Talk page within the main article. Viewing the Talk page directly doesn't seem to show it (or have it in the same bit of the respective HTML source), which adds to my belief that it's a run-on tag (not?) being opened as part of the Comic page's definition. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 22:02, 13 March 2026 (UTC)

Jupiter, Venus, Mars (at its peak) and Sirius are noticeably brighter than the others. Mars, Antares and Betelgeuse are also quite red. Also if you look at planets through a telescope or good binoculars you can tell that they have a larger size (and some have moons). The others would be quite hard to tell apart without knowing their position.
<table>
<tr>
<th>Object</th><th>App. Mag</th><th>B-V (Colour)</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Venus</th><th>-4.98 to -2.98</th><th>0.82</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Mars</th><th>-2.94 to +1.86</th><th>1.33</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Jupiter</th><th>-2.94 to -1.66</th><th>0.83</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Saturn</th><th>-0.55 to +1.17</th><th>1.04</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Mercury</th><th>-2.48 to +7.25</th><th>0.97</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Sirius</th><th>-1.46</th><th>0</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Procyon</th><th>+0.34</th><th>0.42</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Antares</th><th>+0.6 to +1.6</th><th>1.83</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Altair</th><th>+0.76</th><th>0.22</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Betelgeuse</th><th>0 to +1.6</th><th>1.85</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Vega</th><th>0</th><th>0</th>
</tr><tr>
<th>Polaris</th><th>+1.86 to +2.13</th><th>0.6</th>
</tr>
</table>
It would be interesting to see if these characteristics are at all present in the comic (it does look like Mars, Betelgeuse and Antares are red and Saturn is a little yellow so maybe the colours are right), or what the comic should look like if they are not --22:50, 13 March 2026 (UTC)[[User:Sameldacamel34|Sameldacamel34]] ([[User talk:Sameldacamel34|talk]])

Created a nice image using the explanations on this page (using Gemini)

[https://ibb.co/k6wQF0Vd Chart fixed by explanations here] {{unsigned|2A09:BAC3:2FF0:28C:0:0:41:127}}
:Since Rumbling7145 did the same higher up in the discussion I used his picture in stead, but still great work. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:52, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

Do planets and stars both have the same "flickering" appearance? If they don't, that would aid in identification. [[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]]) 05:37, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

;Proper motion
According to the Wikipedia page to proper motion, it is defined relative to the center of the solar system. So having a proper motion of zero makes the sun stand out indeed. [[Special:Contributions/84.115.169.154|84.115.169.154]] 04:50, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
:Err. {{w|proper motion}} is "relative to the center of mass of the Solar System," aka the {{w|barycenter}}, which is not the center of the Sun, but rather very close to it and sometimes outside of it. So, I think, (and I am definitely inexpert here), the [center of the] Sun is rather rapidly moving in an angular fashion about that point, far more so than any other object, whose angular movement around that point is much slower. Just like if you are one foot away from the north pole and wandering aimlessly, you can very quickly change your longitude from +90° to –90° in a step or two. So, I think, the Sun does indeed have "high proper motion," not "zero proper motion." But someone please correct me. Also, I (earlier) tried to explain proper motion in the last graf of the article and I suspect I did a poor job (possibly also inaccurate), so I'd appreciate someone with the, err, ''proper'' expertise fixing it up. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 05:00, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
:(Indeed...) The barycentre for the Sun-Jupiter pair, alone, sits (just!) outside of the mass of the Sun, and Jupiter is the main non-solar part of the mass. (That we know of, and that forms identifiable point-gravitational components. Even if they were more massive, the ring/shell nature of the Asteroid Belt, Kuiper Belt and Oort Clouds likely cancel themselves out.) Depending on where the rest of the planets are (next most influential would be Saturn, with everything else far smaller and/or further away), there's going to be funny a 'petal-like' track of the barycentre w.r.t. the Sun (or vice-versa), with seemingpy retrograde periods and inflections, but if you chose to sit it out 'at' the barycentre and track the Sun's position you'd expect 360° of 'heavenly motion' from Sol every 11.86 years (for a little over a third of the time you'd be ''within'' the Sun, due to the sufficient balancing out of masses around it, but you could still track the direction to its centre ...assuming you weren't bothered by being ''within the Sun'', like you aren't bothered by being right next to it for the rest of the time).
:Barnard's Star is (otherwise) the star with the current greatest proper motion, at 10.358 seconds of arc per year. Comparing the two (not that BS is going to complete any 'orbit', like that), it means that the Sun moves with Proper Motion (if I've not messed up toouch, on the back of this envelope) slightly above 175x greater than BS's current record rate. Though, instantaneously, the strict comparison would fluctuate over time due to the complex resonancing nature of the Sun's theoretical looping and de-looping w.r.t. the reference frame. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.238.245|82.132.238.245]] 17:36, 14 March 2026 (UTC)

The extremely high parallax of the Sun (324,000 arc seconds if I calculate correctly) swamps out any prer motion. [[Special:Contributions/2600:1001:B008:1230:9C83:B115:90B1:6038|2600:1001:B008:1230:9C83:B115:90B1:6038]] 12:12, 14 March 2026 (UTC)

:Err…''wutt?'' Again, I am not a domain expert or even really a domain user, but… 
:(a) A single object cannot have a "parallax." Parallax is a measure of error between two viewpoints (line segments), or perhaps between three points in space (the far object and two eye positions). Assuming the Sun is the far object, what are the other reference points or lines? If one is the Earth (a pretty big ''if'' ) then what is the other? 
:(b) 324,400 is 90 degrees, a right angle. "The Sun has a parallax of 90 degrees" is not a concept that makes sense to me. 
:Maybe I'm misunderstanding though? [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 13:20, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
::Using usual definitions of stellar parallax, half the shift in angular position of the star when viewed from opposite "ends" of Earth's orbit. From, say December to June the Sun's position relative to the background stars shifts by 180 degrees. It's a bit of a joke, but this _is_ a comic we are discussing. [[Special:Contributions/2600:1001:B008:1230:9C83:B115:90B1:6038|2600:1001:B008:1230:9C83:B115:90B1:6038]] 15:12, 14 March 2026 (UTC)

@81.179.199.253, I do not think that writing «a simple "angle per time"» is more clear than «degrees/second» or «rad/sec.». Just like saying "linear distance" is more confusing to people than "feet" (or meters). One might even suggest if we have to label something "simple" that is evidence that it isn't. I think, also, the grammar of the sentence got even more complex. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 20:09, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
:With the "angle per time", I wanted to avoid the argument being had (astronomy tends to use "arc-seconds per year", rather than any radian-based measure, in my experience) and make it more neutral.
:As for how complicated it then went, I was ''tempted'' to just leave it to the wikilink, but tried to respond to the prior edit comments instead. I could cut it back again, though. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:18, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
::I think that's totally wrong and every edit seems to make it worse and worse. More neutral isn't easier-to-understand, and that's what we need. Using the wrong units is better than using no units. I lifted rad/s from the enwiki article, but I have no idea if it is correct (and I'm starting to suspect it's not). Degrees/second would be the most clear, because far more people know what a degree is than a radian. Happy pi day. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 21:12, 14 March 2026 (UTC)
:::Then you'll probably want to add a full-blooded combo-link such as "{{w|Minute and second of arc#Symbols and abbreviations|arcseconds}}/{{w|year}}" (or whatever your choice is... but rad/sec or even deg/sec will give you ''smaaaallll'' values even for the Sun), if it's not already good enough to help the currently unaware by linking to Proper Motion and Angular Speed/Velocity/Displacement/whatever. I'm not sure what else can be added to make it more understandable, nor what else to remove to tighten it up without losing something that someone might appreciate. But over to you, to edit it to your satisfaction. That's the beauty/price of a wiki. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 22:27, 14 March 2026 (UTC)

This is redundant: "The joke is that they are all nearly identical dots, making the chart almost useless. [...] The joke is that the pictures look almost identical to one another, and therefore the chart isn't helpful at all." But I don't know which of the two sentences to delete, so I'm just going to leave this note here, and let someone else tighten the explanation. [[Special:Contributions/2603:7000:6100:48CF:1D2B:3433:E765:8B8C|2603:7000:6100:48CF:1D2B:3433:E765:8B8C]] 02:37, 15 March 2026 (UTC)
:Tried to fix it --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:52, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

3219: Planets and Bright Stars

2026-03-15T12:48:54Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */ link to trivia

{{comic
| number = 3219
| date = March 13, 2026
| title = Planets and Bright Stars
| image = planets_and_bright_stars_2x.png
| imagesize = 374x265px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = An old astronomer trick for distinguishing the Sun from other stars is to take multiple photos a few minutes apart and overlay them, making the Sun stand out due to its high proper motion.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a GLOWING SPACE DOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic shows an identification chart for some of the planets and bright stars visible at night from Earth. Bright shiny objects in the sky are often confused with each other by people without astronomical experience. This the chart is supposed to make identification easier by placing them adjacent to one another to easily see the differences. The joke is that all 12 dots are nearly identical, making the chart useless.

The real way of distinguishing these objects is by their location in the sky. Stars can be found by using constellations, which are an apparent pattern of bright stars that make different regions of the sky distinguishable from one another. The planets can be distinguished by not belonging to the constellations, and further differentiated by their color, brightness, and movement relative to the stars (on the scale of weeks or months).

The stars and planets do indeed look similar to one another in reality, but they are not identical. Some of them (in particular, the star Betelgeuse and the planet Mars) have a distinct reddish color, which can be seen in good conditions. The brightness is also different, and it can serve as a guide, but it's difficult to precisely judge brightness by eye, and the planets don't have a constant brightness over time. The differences are actually visible in the comic to a degree - e.g., the spots for Venus and Jupiter are slightly larger than the others - but they're subtle enough to not recognize at first glance.

Each 'object' also has a color, albeit ''extremely'' desaturated (very nearly white). If deliberately exaggerated, the comic's planets and suns are all notably non-white, as can bee seen in the picture in the [[#Trivia|trivia section]] below..
*Planets:
**{{w|Venus}}: the yellowy-orange hue of its cloud layers.
**{{w|Mars}}: the red of its surface (given more muted saturation, in the comic, for the joke to work?).
**{{w|Jupiter}}: the general orange hue of its combined cloud layers.
**{{w|Saturn}}: a more 'peachy' orange of its clouds (no obvious hint of its ring system).
**{{w|Mercury (planet)|Mercury}}: a yellow surface (not typically noted, in true-hue images, perhaps artistic licence from its proximity to the Sun).
*Stars
**{{w|Sirius}} (binary system, primarily a {{w|main sequence}} A-type star): light blue.
**{{w|Procyon}} ({{w|subgiant}} F-type star): more light green, or yellowy-blue/cyan.
**{{w|Antares}} (M-type star, {{w|red supergiant}}): orange.
**{{w|Altair}} (A-type, main sequence): light blue.
**{{w|Betelgeuse}} (M-type, {{w|red supergiant}}): relatively dark red (usually visible as such in real eyes-only observations).
**{{w|Vega}} (A-type, main sequence): light blue.
**{{w|Polaris}} (ternary star-system, dominant member being an F-type {{w|yellow supergiant}}): ''extremely'' unsaturated cyan.

Using even a small telescope would make it easy to distinguish the planets by their brightness, size, and surface features. Additionally, using a spectroscope would allow for a measurement of the star's spectrum, which coupled with its brightness would allow an astronomer to distinguish the mentioned stars.

The title text suggests a "trick" for recognizing the Sun among other stars, suggesting measuring its {{w|proper motion}} (a measure of the change in apparent position against the more distant 'fixed' background of stars, as an {{w|angular rate}} to specify some angle per time) by overlaying several images, a similar principle to the {{w|blink comparator}}. This does indeed differentiate it from other stars, but there are much easier methods, such as its extreme brightness and large angular size.{{cn}} A disadvantage of this method is that it distinguishes the Sun from other stars, but it cannot distinguish the Sun from planets. It is also completely unnecessary, except during a {{w|solar eclipse}}, because stars are not usually visible during the day, when the Sun is out. Additionally, "proper motion" is a term usually not used for the Sun.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[Caption: Planets and bright stars identification chart:]
:[A 4x3 grid of planets and stars are displayed on a black background. White text below dots of light caption which object it is. Planets and stars are represented by almost-identical slightly fuzzy dots of white light.]
:Venus
:Mars
:Jupiter
:Saturn
:Mercury
:Sirius
:Procyon
:Antares
:Altair
:Betelgeuse
:Vega
:Polaris

==Trivia==
*[[User:Rumbling7145]] made this picture enhancing the colors of the dots in the original comic:
[[File:3219_planets-and-bright-stars-2x-saturation.png]]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

3219: Planets and Bright Stars

2026-03-15T12:48:11Z

Kynde: /* Transcript */ Adding trivia and picture with colors. Aldo it is not "inverted brightness", since this is how the sky looks. Inverted is when the background is black and the people in the comic are white

{{comic
| number = 3219
| date = March 13, 2026
| title = Planets and Bright Stars
| image = planets_and_bright_stars_2x.png
| imagesize = 374x265px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = An old astronomer trick for distinguishing the Sun from other stars is to take multiple photos a few minutes apart and overlay them, making the Sun stand out due to its high proper motion.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a GLOWING SPACE DOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic shows an identification chart for some of the planets and bright stars visible at night from Earth. Bright shiny objects in the sky are often confused with each other by people without astronomical experience. This the chart is supposed to make identification easier by placing them adjacent to one another to easily see the differences. The joke is that all 12 dots are nearly identical, making the chart useless.

The real way of distinguishing these objects is by their location in the sky. Stars can be found by using constellations, which are an apparent pattern of bright stars that make different regions of the sky distinguishable from one another. The planets can be distinguished by not belonging to the constellations, and further differentiated by their color, brightness, and movement relative to the stars (on the scale of weeks or months).

The stars and planets do indeed look similar to one another in reality, but they are not identical. Some of them (in particular, the star Betelgeuse and the planet Mars) have a distinct reddish color, which can be seen in good conditions. The brightness is also different, and it can serve as a guide, but it's difficult to precisely judge brightness by eye, and the planets don't have a constant brightness over time. The differences are actually visible in the comic to a degree - e.g., the spots for Venus and Jupiter are slightly larger than the others - but they're subtle enough to not recognize at first glance.

Each 'object' also has a color, albeit ''extremely'' desaturated (very nearly white). If deliberately exaggerated, the comic's planets and suns are all notably non-white.
*Planets:
**{{w|Venus}}: the yellowy-orange hue of its cloud layers.
**{{w|Mars}}: the red of its surface (given more muted saturation, in the comic, for the joke to work?).
**{{w|Jupiter}}: the general orange hue of its combined cloud layers.
**{{w|Saturn}}: a more 'peachy' orange of its clouds (no obvious hint of its ring system).
**{{w|Mercury (planet)|Mercury}}: a yellow surface (not typically noted, in true-hue images, perhaps artistic licence from its proximity to the Sun).
*Stars
**{{w|Sirius}} (binary system, primarily a {{w|main sequence}} A-type star): light blue.
**{{w|Procyon}} ({{w|subgiant}} F-type star): more light green, or yellowy-blue/cyan.
**{{w|Antares}} (M-type star, {{w|red supergiant}}): orange.
**{{w|Altair}} (A-type, main sequence): light blue.
**{{w|Betelgeuse}} (M-type, {{w|red supergiant}}): relatively dark red (usually visible as such in real eyes-only observations).
**{{w|Vega}} (A-type, main sequence): light blue.
**{{w|Polaris}} (ternary star-system, dominant member being an F-type {{w|yellow supergiant}}): ''extremely'' unsaturated cyan.

Using even a small telescope would make it easy to distinguish the planets by their brightness, size, and surface features. Additionally, using a spectroscope would allow for a measurement of the star's spectrum, which coupled with its brightness would allow an astronomer to distinguish the mentioned stars.

The title text suggests a "trick" for recognizing the Sun among other stars, suggesting measuring its {{w|proper motion}} (a measure of the change in apparent position against the more distant 'fixed' background of stars, as an {{w|angular rate}} to specify some angle per time) by overlaying several images, a similar principle to the {{w|blink comparator}}. This does indeed differentiate it from other stars, but there are much easier methods, such as its extreme brightness and large angular size.{{cn}} A disadvantage of this method is that it distinguishes the Sun from other stars, but it cannot distinguish the Sun from planets. It is also completely unnecessary, except during a {{w|solar eclipse}}, because stars are not usually visible during the day, when the Sun is out. Additionally, "proper motion" is a term usually not used for the Sun.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[Caption: Planets and bright stars identification chart:]
:[A 4x3 grid of planets and stars are displayed on a black background. White text below dots of light caption which object it is. Planets and stars are represented by almost-identical slightly fuzzy dots of white light.]
:Venus
:Mars
:Jupiter
:Saturn
:Mercury
:Sirius
:Procyon
:Antares
:Altair
:Betelgeuse
:Vega
:Polaris

==Trivia==
*[[User:Rumbling7145]] made this picture enhancing the colors of the dots in the original comic:
[[File:3219_planets-and-bright-stars-2x-saturation.png]]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

File:3219 planets-and-bright-stars-2x-saturation.png

2026-03-15T12:47:25Z

Kynde: Picture created by User:Rumbling7145, uploaded on his behalf/Kynde

== Summary ==
Picture created by User:Rumbling7145, uploaded on his behalf/Kynde
== Licensing ==
{{XKCD file derived}}

3219: Planets and Bright Stars

2026-03-15T12:41:00Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */ trying to remove the redundant start to the explanation and improving the wording

{{comic
| number = 3219
| date = March 13, 2026
| title = Planets and Bright Stars
| image = planets_and_bright_stars_2x.png
| imagesize = 374x265px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = An old astronomer trick for distinguishing the Sun from other stars is to take multiple photos a few minutes apart and overlay them, making the Sun stand out due to its high proper motion.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a GLOWING SPACE DOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic shows an identification chart for some of the planets and bright stars visible at night from Earth. Bright shiny objects in the sky are often confused with each other by people without astronomical experience. This the chart is supposed to make identification easier by placing them adjacent to one another to easily see the differences. The joke is that all 12 dots are nearly identical, making the chart useless.

The real way of distinguishing these objects is by their location in the sky. Stars can be found by using constellations, which are an apparent pattern of bright stars that make different regions of the sky distinguishable from one another. The planets can be distinguished by not belonging to the constellations, and further differentiated by their color, brightness, and movement relative to the stars (on the scale of weeks or months).

The stars and planets do indeed look similar to one another in reality, but they are not identical. Some of them (in particular, the star Betelgeuse and the planet Mars) have a distinct reddish color, which can be seen in good conditions. The brightness is also different, and it can serve as a guide, but it's difficult to precisely judge brightness by eye, and the planets don't have a constant brightness over time. The differences are actually visible in the comic to a degree - e.g., the spots for Venus and Jupiter are slightly larger than the others - but they're subtle enough to not recognize at first glance.

Each 'object' also has a color, albeit ''extremely'' desaturated (very nearly white). If deliberately exaggerated, the comic's planets and suns are all notably non-white.
*Planets:
**{{w|Venus}}: the yellowy-orange hue of its cloud layers.
**{{w|Mars}}: the red of its surface (given more muted saturation, in the comic, for the joke to work?).
**{{w|Jupiter}}: the general orange hue of its combined cloud layers.
**{{w|Saturn}}: a more 'peachy' orange of its clouds (no obvious hint of its ring system).
**{{w|Mercury (planet)|Mercury}}: a yellow surface (not typically noted, in true-hue images, perhaps artistic licence from its proximity to the Sun).
*Stars
**{{w|Sirius}} (binary system, primarily a {{w|main sequence}} A-type star): light blue.
**{{w|Procyon}} ({{w|subgiant}} F-type star): more light green, or yellowy-blue/cyan.
**{{w|Antares}} (M-type star, {{w|red supergiant}}): orange.
**{{w|Altair}} (A-type, main sequence): light blue.
**{{w|Betelgeuse}} (M-type, {{w|red supergiant}}): relatively dark red (usually visible as such in real eyes-only observations).
**{{w|Vega}} (A-type, main sequence): light blue.
**{{w|Polaris}} (ternary star-system, dominant member being an F-type {{w|yellow supergiant}}): ''extremely'' unsaturated cyan.

Using even a small telescope would make it easy to distinguish the planets by their brightness, size, and surface features. Additionally, using a spectroscope would allow for a measurement of the star's spectrum, which coupled with its brightness would allow an astronomer to distinguish the mentioned stars.

The title text suggests a "trick" for recognizing the Sun among other stars, suggesting measuring its {{w|proper motion}} (a measure of the change in apparent position against the more distant 'fixed' background of stars, as an {{w|angular rate}} to specify some angle per time) by overlaying several images, a similar principle to the {{w|blink comparator}}. This does indeed differentiate it from other stars, but there are much easier methods, such as its extreme brightness and large angular size.{{cn}} A disadvantage of this method is that it distinguishes the Sun from other stars, but it cannot distinguish the Sun from planets. It is also completely unnecessary, except during a {{w|solar eclipse}}, because stars are not usually visible during the day, when the Sun is out. Additionally, "proper motion" is a term usually not used for the Sun.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[Caption: Planets and bright stars identification chart:]
:[A 4x3 grid of planets and stars are displayed on a black background. White text below dots of light caption which object it is. Planets and stars are represented by almost-identical slightly fuzzy dots of white light.]
:Venus
:Mars
:Jupiter
:Saturn
:Mercury
:Sirius
:Procyon
:Antares
:Altair
:Betelgeuse
:Vega
:Polaris

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

Talk:3217: Home Remedies

2026-03-10T08:03:21Z

Kynde:

Wow that came out late. I guess it is still technically Monday in California? Or at least was when it came up on explain xkcd half an hour ago? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:03, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3216: Bazookasaurus

2026-03-07T12:30:30Z

Kynde:

F1RST P0ST!![[User:SlimothyJ|SlimothyJ]] ([[User talk:SlimothyJ|talk]]) 14:34, 6 March 2026 (UTC)
:zeroth panel. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 15:18, 6 March 2026 (UTC)
::negative one like [[Special:Contributions/96.225.18.27|96.225.18.27]] 15:34, 6 March 2026 (UTC)
:::Do we really need people to make this kind of comment on every explanation now? It is tiresome. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:30, 7 March 2026 (UTC)

I think we should add what type of dinosaur is it based off, but i'm certainly not a dinosaur guy so i don't know. As a firearm guy (i don't own gund don't worry) i'm offended at the fact that that isn't a bazooka and more like a cannon. [[Special:Contributions/45.178.0.39|45.178.0.39]] 16:47, 6 March 2026 (UTC)
: I tried looking for examples (I'm sure I've read multiple such - not just a single dinosaur) but the only results I was getting back were about Pokémon fossils, which wasn't exactly helpful... [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 16:54, 6 March 2026 (UTC)
:: So there is Spicomellus, where there is debate over whether it was weaponry, display, or both, and Stegosaurus, where it may have been primarily thermoregulation-related (and high vascularization is part of the evidence to support this). Can't find any clear-cut cases where it's not disputed though. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 17:08, 6 March 2026 (UTC)
::There is a Pokémon called Genosect, which is a revived prehistoric Pokémon with a cannon on its back. The cannon was added by modern scientists working for a criminal organization though.--[[Special:Contributions/2600:100A:B1CC:B09C:6C09:24FF:9AC2:AA9B|2600:100A:B1CC:B09C:6C09:24FF:9AC2:AA9B]] 20:02, 6 March 2026 (UTC)
::Looks to me to be roughly a protoceratops (in most respects, especially skull, ''sans'' 'back decoration'/'bazooka'), or somewhere else (from amongst the no-horned, and not excessively 'frilled', examples) in the whole group of the ceratopsia family. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 21:36, 6 March 2026 (UTC)
:Despite the "Bazookausaurus" name, the structure is not actually referred to as a bazooka, only a "weapon". It might have been named by a paleontologist who didn't have much experience with the specific names of heavy weaponry, and the species' name could plausibly stay the same even after it became clear that the weapon wasn't actually a bazooka. Even the "-saurus" suffix itself actually means "lizard", which is now widely known to be an inaccurate description! [[Special:Contributions/104.39.200.58|104.39.200.58]] 21:06, 6 March 2026 (UTC)
::Honestly i'm convinced. I forgot about that. [[Special:Contributions/45.178.1.151|45.178.1.151]] 12:07, 7 March 2026 (UTC)
'course the original bazooka /was/ a horn of sorts, played by comedian Bob Burns. Though it didn't make so much of a "toot toot", more a bass buzz. [[User:Lordpishky|Lord Pishky]] ([[User talk:Lordpishky|talk]]) 23:01, 6 March 2026 (UTC)

Category:News anchor

2026-03-05T17:20:24Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */

A {{w|news anchor}}, also known as news presenter, is a person who presents news during a news program for instance on television. Below is a list with all comics where a news anchor is either shown speaking on the news or where "news anchor" is explicitly mentioned in xkcd.
'''Click''' to expand for a more detailed explanation:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed leftAlign" style="width:100%">
 
__NOTOC__
==Explanation==
On Wikipedia the primary term used is "{{w|News presenter}}", but various others redirect there. Randall has used the phrasing "news anchor" directly in [[1086: Eyelash Wish Log]], "news caster" in [[727: Trade Expert]] and just "reporters" in [[1368: One Of The]]. Another version of a news report could be with a reporter, reporting from the scene. Although that has been seen in some of these comics below, it is always with a news anchor talking to the reporter from the studio, otherwise it would not belong in this category.

[[Cueball]] became the most used character, with 10 comics, for presenting news reports after [[2965: Chili Tornado Quake]]. But given that he is the most used character in general it should be noted that the much rarer used [[Blondie]], seems to be the go to character for Randall when needing a news anchor. Blondie was the news anchor in the next such comie, [[2984: Asteroid News]], and tied Cueball for most times used as a News Anchor, until she again stared in [[3215: Solar Warning]] and moved to the top with 11 times used as News Anchor.

===List of presenters===
====Blondie====
#[[495: Secretary: Part 2]]
#[[618: Asteroid]]
#[[932: CIA]]
#[[1600: MarketWatch]]
#[[1607: Supreme Court]]
#[[1699: Local News]]
#[[1985: Meteorologist]]
#[[2201: Foucault Pendulum]]
#[[2304: Preprint]]
#[[2984: Asteroid News]]
#[[3215: Solar Warning]]

====Cueball====
#[[727: Trade Expert]]
#[[756: Public Opinion]]
#[[944: Hurricane Names]]
#[[957: Development]]
#[[1302: Year in Review]]
#[[1368: One Of The]]
#[[1487: Tornado]]
#[[1985: Meteorologist]]
#[[2080: Cohort and Age Effects]]
#[[2965: Chili Tornado Quake]]

====Hairy====
#[[1111: Premiere]]
#[[1295: New Study]]

====Ponytail====
#[[558: 1000 Times]]
#[[1391: Darkness]]
</div>
 

[[Category:Comics by topic]]

Category:News anchor

2026-03-05T17:17:53Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */

A {{w|news anchor}}, also known as news presenter, is a person who presents news during a news program for instance on television. Below is a list with all comics where a news anchor is either shown speaking on the news or where "news anchor" is explicitly mentioned in xkcd.
'''Click''' to expand for a more detailed explanation:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed leftAlign" style="width:100%">
 
__NOTOC__
==Explanation==
On Wikipedia the primary term used is "{{w|News presenter}}", but various others redirect there. Randall has used the phrasing "news anchor" directly in [[1086: Eyelash Wish Log]], "news caster" in [[727: Trade Expert]] and just "reporters" in [[1368: One Of The]]. Another version of a news report could be with a reporter, reporting from the scene. Although that has been seen in some of these comics below, it is always with a news anchor talking to the reporter from the studio, otherwise it would not belong in this category.

[[Cueball]] became the most used character, with 10 comics, for presenting news reports after [[2965: Chili Tornado Quake]]. But given that he is the most used character in general it should be noted that the much rarer used [[Blondie]], seems to be the go to character for Randall when needing a news anchor, and with the latest comic with a news anchor, [[2984: Asteroid News]], Blondie once again tied Cueball for most times used as a News Anchor, also with 10, and with [[3215: Solar Warning]] she is back on top with 11 times.

===List of presenters===
====Blondie====
#[[495: Secretary: Part 2]]
#[[618: Asteroid]]
#[[932: CIA]]
#[[1600: MarketWatch]]
#[[1607: Supreme Court]]
#[[1699: Local News]]
#[[1985: Meteorologist]]
#[[2201: Foucault Pendulum]]
#[[2304: Preprint]]
#[[2984: Asteroid News]]
#[[3215: Solar Warning]]

====Cueball====
#[[727: Trade Expert]]
#[[756: Public Opinion]]
#[[944: Hurricane Names]]
#[[957: Development]]
#[[1302: Year in Review]]
#[[1368: One Of The]]
#[[1487: Tornado]]
#[[1985: Meteorologist]]
#[[2080: Cohort and Age Effects]]
#[[2965: Chili Tornado Quake]]

====Hairy====
#[[1111: Premiere]]
#[[1295: New Study]]

====Ponytail====
#[[558: 1000 Times]]
#[[1391: Darkness]]
</div>
 

[[Category:Comics by topic]]

Category:News anchor

2026-03-05T17:16:49Z

Kynde:

A {{w|news anchor}}, also known as news presenter, is a person who presents news during a news program for instance on television. Below is a list with all comics where a news anchor is either shown speaking on the news or where "news anchor" is explicitly mentioned in xkcd.
'''Click''' to expand for a more detailed explanation:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed leftAlign" style="width:100%">
 
__NOTOC__
==Explanation==
On Wikipedia the primary term used is "{{w|News presenter}}", but various others redirect there. Randall has used the phrasing "news anchor" directly in [[1086: Eyelash Wish Log]], "news caster" in [[727: Trade Expert]] and just "reporters" in [[1368: One Of The]]. Another version of a news report could be with a reporter, reporting from the scene. Although that has been seen in some of these comics below, it is always with a news anchor talking to the reporter from the studio, otherwise it would not belong in this category.

[[Cueball]] became the most used character, with 10 comics, for presenting news reports after [[2965: Chili Tornado Quake]]. But given that he is the most used character in general it should be noted that the much rarer used [[Blondie]], seems to be the go to character for Randall when needing a news anchor, and with the latest comic with a news anchor, [[2984: Asteroid News]], Blondie once again tied Cueball for most times used as a News Anchor, also with 10.

===List of presenters===
====Blondie====
#[[495: Secretary: Part 2]]
#[[618: Asteroid]]
#[[932: CIA]]
#[[1600: MarketWatch]]
#[[1607: Supreme Court]]
#[[1699: Local News]]
#[[1985: Meteorologist]]
#[[2201: Foucault Pendulum]]
#[[2304: Preprint]]
#[[2984: Asteroid News]]
#[[3215: Solar Warning]]

====Cueball====
#[[727: Trade Expert]]
#[[756: Public Opinion]]
#[[944: Hurricane Names]]
#[[957: Development]]
#[[1302: Year in Review]]
#[[1368: One Of The]]
#[[1487: Tornado]]
#[[1985: Meteorologist]]
#[[2080: Cohort and Age Effects]]
#[[2965: Chili Tornado Quake]]

====Hairy====
#[[1111: Premiere]]
#[[1295: New Study]]

====Ponytail====
#[[558: 1000 Times]]
#[[1391: Darkness]]
</div>
 

[[Category:Comics by topic]]

Talk:3205: Carbon Dating

2026-02-10T13:19:04Z

Kynde:

F10st p0st! [[Special:Contributions/185.36.194.156|185.36.194.156]] 04:45, 10 February 2026 (UTC)

:First explanation! Hopefully it's fine... (also, nice TCMP reference.)--[[User:Utdtutyabthsc|Utdtutyabthsc]] ([[User talk:Utdtutyabthsc|talk]]) 06:00, 10 February 2026 (UTC)
::Oh, was that a deliberate reference? Why isn't it [[269|spelled the same way]]? What does "F10st" even mean? [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 06:58, 10 February 2026 (UTC)
:::Semi-deliberate, but more spirit of the law than letter of the law since early internet trolling is (was?) a common theme here anyways lol; the 0 was a typo [[Special:Contributions/185.36.194.156|185.36.194.156]] 10:04, 10 February 2026 (UTC)
::::It is though getting a little tiresome and repeatable that someone has begun writing first post on all talk pages... Please stop it ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:19, 10 February 2026 (UTC)

1062: Budget News

2026-02-08T18:03:43Z

Kynde:

{{comic
| number = 1062
| date = May 30, 2012
| title = Budget News
| image = budget_news.png
| titletext = I will vote, no questions asked, for any candidate who describes themselves as 'more of a deficit sugar glider.'
}}

==Explanation==
This was the first of [[Randall|Randall's]] [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering budget news. It is also one of five comics to use the News format in the title, which included the first four, and then only one more much later.

This comic is a use of homonym of the word "hawk" in the phrase "{{w|Deficit hawk}}". Wikipedia has a great definition: "Deficit hawk is an American political slang term for people who place great emphasis on keeping the federal budget under control. Deficit hawks believe the best way to reduce the deficit, pay off national debt, and balance the budget is by a combination of increasing taxes and cutting government spending." It is derived from the concept of a "hawk", or "warhawk", being a person who advocates aggressive foreign policy, compared with "doves" who prefer negotiated diplomacy; a deficit hawk thus tends to promote harsher economic actions to 'defeat' deficits.

And obviously, a 'regular' {{w|hawk}} is a bird of prey. In this case, the prey has become a politician known to be fiscally strict. This event may have been contrived, as a certain [[Black Hat]] is visible in the audience.

In the title text, there is a reference to the {{w|sugar glider}}, which is a small gliding possum originating from the {{w|marsupial}} infraclass or subclass. They are generally considered to be cute and harmless, as well as being relatively obscure, indicating a politician who is humorous and good-natured enough to make such a comparison, as well as nerdy enough to know what a sugar glider is. Having an insect diet, along with the sugary saps that inspire its name, a "deficit sugar glider" would not normally be seen as aggressive (by anyone not relating themselves to any sort of insect) as the carnivore-inspired "hawk", but would perhaps be considered more proactive than those who might be said to equivalently tend to 'peck' at a deficit's {{w|Columbidae#Feeding|'peppercorn grains' and 'low-hanging fruits'}}.

==Transcript==
:[The front page of a newspaper with the name of the paper in large gray letters at the top, and several unreadable sections left of, right of, and below the main front page news. A large heading is written to the left of a photo on the right. In the photo a man with black hair who has been standing behind a lectern with a microphone delivering a speech is falling towards the left and holding out one hand in that direction while blocking his face with the other hand against an attack from a large black bird. Below the podium with the lectern is the top of the crowd in the front row. Five Cueball-like guys (two cut off at the edges), a person with black hair and Black Hat to the right can be seen. Below the headline and below the picture are black lines indicating the main text in the article.]
:Title: The <big><big>'''Daily News'''</big></big> 
:Headline: '''Deficit Hawk Attacked by Regular One'''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1280: Mystery News

2026-02-08T18:03:07Z

Kynde: More on news

{{comic
| number = 1280
| date = October 21, 2013
| title = Mystery News
| image = mystery news.png
| titletext = If you find and stop the video, but you've--against all odds--gotten curious about the trade summit, just leave the tab opened. It will mysteriously start playing again 30 minutes later!
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering mystery news. It is also one of five comics to use the News format in the title.

With the introduction of tabbed browsing, many users, even on widescreens, will have so many tabs open that it is hard to find any given one. At 44 {{w|Tab (GUI)|tabs}} on {{W|Google Chrome}} on a {{w|1080p}} screen, the user can no longer see any text on the tabs. Long before this point (~20 tabs), the text is so short as to be unusable. Randall refers to this tendency to open many tabs without closing them in this comic.

Many modern tabbed {{w|web browser|browsers}} can remember what tabs were open upon closure if this setting is on, and will reload the same tabs on startup. This will start any auto-playing videos, such as YouTube videos (although some browsers, like Firefox, have since fixed this by forcing videos to pause), which appear on any of the open pages. This situation can also occur during browsing when an auto-playing video does not begin playing until after a user has moved on to a new tab, when a page with a video refreshes in the background, or when a site with such a video automatically opens in a tab that does not become the active tab when it opens.

This generally leads the user to clicking through all of the open tabs to try to find where the sound is coming from. This can be even more difficult if the video is not obvious and not centered on the screen of whatever tab it is playing in. Years after the release of this comic, Google Chrome began to indicate to the user which tabs are playing audio, thus alleviating this problem.

The title text refers to websites that {{w|meta refresh|refresh in the background}}, causing videos (and ads) to start playing again even if you stopped them previously. Many news sites, such as CNN, will do this if you [http://www.holovaty.com/writing/23/ stay on the same page for 30 minutes].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball sitting at a laptop.]
:Laptop: It's day five of the trade summit, and still no...
:Cueball: ''Dammit''
:''click click click''

:I get most of my news from autoplaying videos in browser tabs I can't find.

:''Title text'': If you find and stop the video, but you've--against all odds--gotten curious about the trade summit, just leave the tab opened. It will mysteriously start playing again 30 minutes later!

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

1699: Local News

2026-02-08T18:02:44Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1699
| date = June 27, 2016
| title = Local News
| image = local_news.png
| titletext = Will there ever be a physics term greater than 'tachyonic antitelephone?' According to this message from the future, the answer is 'no.'
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering local news. It is also one of five comics to use the News format in the title.

Typical news broadcasts are divided into local, national, and global news segments. The broadcast in this comic presented by [[Blondie]], the [[:Category:News anchor|news anchor]], has been broken into real local, (about city council election) and what the newscaster calls "nonlocal". Rather than focusing on national or global news, the nonlocal segment deals with news of a {{w|nonlocality}} nature; more likely dealing with causal nonlocality.

A "{{w|tachyon}}" is a theoretical or thought-experiment particle which travels {{w|Faster-than-light|faster}} than the {{w|speed of light}}. It has many strange properties, including being able to go back in time. This is how the newscaster is able to send a beam back in time to kill her past self. The comic does not explain {{w|Grandfather paradox|the paradox}} of how someone who died in the past could still be alive in the present/future, nor any of the many other paradoxes that arise when {{w|time travel}} is involved, a [[:Category:Time travel|recurring theme]] in xkcd.

The title text asks if there could ever be a greater physics term than ''{{w|tachyonic antitelephone}}'', a theoretical device which would allow messages to be sent to the past. The text then continues to answer the question via a message from the future (presumably sent by antitelephone). The answer is ''No'' - there will never be a greater physics term.

==Transcript==
:[Blondie as a news anchor is sitting behind a table with her arms resting on the tabletop.]
:Blondie: In local news, city council elections were held today.
:Blondie: In nonlocal news, I killed my past self with a tachyon beam.

==Trivia==
*Blondie was finally named as a new character based on this comic. See the discussion below and this [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Proposals#New_character_category_for_blonde_woman_news_reporter_.28from_1699.29|community portal discussion]].
*And seeing she was often used as a news anchor that [[:Category:News anchor|new category]] was also based on this comic.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:News]]
[[Category:News anchor]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Time travel]]

1996: Morning News

2026-02-08T18:02:02Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */

<noinclude>{{distinguish|768: 1996}}</noinclude>
{{comic
| number = 1996
| date = May 21, 2018
| title = Morning News
| image = morning_news.png
| titletext = Support your local paper, unless it's just been bought by some sinister hedge fund or something, which it probably has.
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering morning news. It is also one of five comics to use the News format in the title. This was the last in a long time after the first four News comics used this format.

[[Megan]] is complaining to [[Hairbun]] about her easy access to infuriating national news stories and bad opinions (editorial articles and commentary) and worries that it may be having a negative effect on her, perhaps by promoting misinformation, by distraction, or by prompting adverse emotional reaction to content; she muses that, in some way or another, this habit is probably doing some sort of damage to her brain's wiring, training it to think in ways that are not necessarily good. While the capacity of the brain to change and adapt to a person's daily habits is, like most neurological phenomena, as yet not very well understood, it's clear that something of the sort exists--scientists refer to this capacity as "[https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=40362 neuroplasticity]."

Hairbun sarcastically tells Megan that things were different in her time, implicitly stating that access to infuriating stories via newspapers took only a tiny bit more time and effort during a morning routine compared to accessing them via the Internet.

Megan counters this idea and says that while it is true that newspapers provided the sort of national news she is being provoked by, they also had much more ''local'' news mixed in (which may be of a lighter nature, sometimes referred to in a derogatory sense as "fluff" news pieces), to which Hairbun agrees.

Megan also raises the point that bad opinions were not granted wide distribution. Hairbun is rather less quick to agree to this, and suggests that Megan not check that, revealing that Megan’s assertion isn’t entirely true. Indeed, before the Internet, newspapers were a common medium for expressing opinions, either by local columnists or average citizens via letters to the editor, and they, as with any body of opinions throughout history, were frequently noxious or ill-informed.

This comic has a similar tone to [[1348: Before the Internet]] in that it makes fun of the idea that life and society were better "in the good old days".

The title text takes another jab at newspapers as a supposedly superior source of news. Supporting your local paper is generally considered a positive action, as it is often the best or only source for local news (national media can't focus on smaller areas, and radio/television often lacks print media's focus on investigative journalism). However, in recent years, many seemingly independent local newspapers in major cities have been bought up by financial groups rather than traditional publishing companies, and their effect on the industry as a whole has been controversial. Most notably, hedge fund groups often attempt to make newspapers profitable by [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-22/the-hard-truth-at-newspapers-across-america-hedge-funds-are-in-charge cutting costs and downsizing], at the expense of quality reporting; critics call such hedge fund groups [https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/as-a-secretive-hedge-fund-guts-its-newspapers-journalists-are-fighting-back/2018/04/12/8926a45c-3c10-11e8-974f-aacd97698cef_story.html?utm_term=.d4e6ff7d3058 "vulture capitalists"] who are throttling newspapers for short-term profit, without any thought of long-term viability or public service. The owners of the fund may also be unethical or controversial for other reasons. Thus, the standard well-meaning suggestion of supporting your local paper may no longer be good advice.

==Transcript==
:[Megan, looking on a smartphone in her hand, and Hairbun are standing together and talk.]
:Megan: Every morning, before my eyes even focus all the way, I read a bunch of infuriating national news stories and bad opinions. I wonder what this is doing to my brain.
:Megan: It's probably not great.

:[Zoom in to the head of Hairbun.]
:Hairbun: Back in my day, we had to pay people to '''''print out''''' infuriating news stories and bring them to our door. And we waited until we had stumbled out to the '''''kitchen''''' to read them.
:Hairbun: '''''Totally''''' different.

:[Frameless panel, zoom out on both while Megan has lowered her hand holding the phone.]
:Megan: OK, fair. But newspapers at least had more local news mixed in, right?
:Hairbun: Yeah, true.

:[Same as last panel, except it has a border.]
:Megan: I bet they weren't full of bad opinions.
:Hairbun: Yyyyyes.
:Hairbun: All our opinions were good. It was a remarkable time.
:Hairbun: Please don't go check.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]

2624: Voyager Wires

2026-02-08T18:00:51Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2624
| date = May 25, 2022
| title = Voyager Wires
| image = voyager_wires.png
| titletext = Also, they're getting increasingly worried that someone will accidentally hit the 'retract' button, and that the end of the cable thrashing around as it winds up could devastate the Earth's surface.
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering sad news. It was the first where the news is written in a caption rather than in the title as it was with the first four News comics.

This comic claims that the {{w|Voyager program|Voyager probes}} communicate with NASA though ridiculously long copper wires. These wires would have to be continuously lengthened as the probes travel away from {{w|Earth}}. Supposedly, because of "high copper prices and budget constraints," they may not be able to afford to lengthen the wires much longer. If this occurred, they would have to either cut the wires or let them break, which would prevent any further communication with the probes. In reality [https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status/ they use radio waves], not long copper wires, so this doesn't actually happen.

If copper wires were dragged by the Voyager probes, assuming a 1 mm² thick cable, 550 tons of copper would be needed per hour and it would add 1 million {{w|ohm}} per hour to the cable resistance. At [https://www.moneymetals.com/copper-prices $8,720/ton], this would cost just over $42 billion dollars/year, which would be nearly twice [https://www.planetary.org/space-policy/nasas-fy-2022-budget NASA's entire annual budget].

The resulting wire would slow down the probes by drag unless the wire itself was actively suspended (i.e. accelerated) continuously as it was fed. The wire could not be used for any other mechanical purpose such as a {{w|Space elevator|space elevator}} for this reason.

Since the Earth spins, the wires would also spool around the Earth, slowing the probes down even further. [https://what-if.xkcd.com/157/ Clearly, this is not a good idea.] This problem might be avoided if the wires reached Earth at one of the poles. Or perhaps they could go to an airplane that flies around Earth at exactly 15 degrees of longitude per hour, with periodic {{w|air-to-air refueling}}, so that it is always on the side of the Earth facing the probe.

Because the Voyager probes aren't in the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, the Earth would not, in its rotation around the Sun, drag these copper wires through the {{w|Sun}}. If it did, the wires would melt, as copper melts at around 1360 {{w|kelvin|K}}, while the Sun's surface is approximately 5700 K.

The title text references the phenomenon seen with self-retracting cables, such as are commonly found on vacuum cleaners, where the free end of the cable, where the plug is, oscillates more and more wildly as the cable approaches full retraction, leading to the danger of a painful rap on the hand if it is not withdrawn in time. A planet-sized impact of this kind could cause severe damage.{{Citation needed}}

A few days before this comic was released, [https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/news/details.php?article_id=124 NASA had reported] receiving corrupted data from the Voyager 1 probe. The fact that they are receiving any data at all means that the attitude control system must be working (or else the antenna would not point at Earth), but they continue to investigate how that data could be corrupted after that point.
{{spoiler|The following paragraph contains spoilers for the first episode of the series ''{{w|Foundation (TV series)|Foundation}}'' and the {{w|Mars Trilogy}}.}}
The consequence of a cable between a craft in space and a planetary location being suddenly retracted was recently imagined in the first episode of the Apple TV+ series ''{{w|Foundation (TV series)|Foundation}}'', wherein a {{w|space elevator}} tether was severed. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huRmvG3zRpg It didn't end well] for anyone other than the terrorists, who won the freedom of thousands of inhabited worlds which had formerly suffered under the jackbooted oppression of {{w|Trantor}}'s fascist galactic Empire regime. Another illustration in fiction of a severed space elevator is in Red Mars, part of the {{w|Mars Trilogy}} by Kim Stanley Robinson.

[[Black Hat]] has previously severed a space elevator tether using a pair of scissors in an [[697: Tensile vs. Shear Strength|earlier comic]].

==Transcript==
:[In the bottom right corner is a space probe, with large satellite dish and long antenna. Behind it runs a long wire, that makes three loops before it is connected to North America on the Earth in the top left corner. To the left of the Earth there is a second wire, which goes off-panel to the left.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Sad news: Due to high copper prices and budget constraints, NASA may finally have to cut the wires that they've been spooling out to communicate with Voyager 1 and 2.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Space probes]]

2717: L6 Lagrange Point

2026-02-08T18:00:31Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */

{{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==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering huge space news.

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 can float motionless relative to the defining bodies.

There are five traditional Lagrange points. Two form equilateral triangles with the two massive objects (in this case the Earth and the Sun), and three more are collinear with the massive objects. The L1, L2, and L3 points are unstable, as any drifting off the point (e.g. due to the gravity of other bodies) might quickly increase the tendency to depart the area. However, there are quasi-stable {{w|Halo orbit}}s around these points, like the one used by the {{w|James Webb Space Telescope}}. The L4 and L5 points can actually retain objects stably over long periods, resulting in the Sun-Jupiter L4 and L5 points capturing the {{w|Trojan (celestial_body)|Trojan Asteroids}}.

Randall claims that a sixth Lagrange point has been discovered outside of {{w|Cleveland}}, {{w|Ohio}}. This is pretty obviously farcical,{{Citation needed}} as this would be part of the Earth and thus not gravitationally balanced between Earth and the Sun, though it is balanced by the countering forces that hold anything stable on the surface of any body: {{w|gravity}} and {{w|electromagnetism}}. The joke here is that there actually is a small village named {{w|LaGrange, Ohio|LaGrange, OH}} (population 2,595 in 2020) just outside Cleveland ([https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lagrange,+OH+44050/ map]). However, the village name is spelled with a capital G, unlike {{w|Joseph-Louis Lagrange}} after which the Lagrange points were named.

There is, however, a {{w|Lagrange,_Maine|Lagrange in Maine}}, a {{w|Lagrange,_Virginia|Lagrange in Virginia}} and a {{w|Lagrange_Township,_Bond_County,_Illinois|Lagrange Township in Illinois}} which all use the lower case g in their spelling like Joseph-Louis Lagrange. There are also {{w|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrange_(disambiguation)|twenty-six other communities}} in the United States with a spelling of LaGrange or La Grange, as well as four in France and two in Australia with one of the three spellings. This includes {{w|La_Grange,_Texas|La Grange, Texas}} which became famous as the title of a {{w|La_Grange_(song)|ZZ Top song}}.

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 the LaGrange L6 are unstable. The Lagrange points are solutions for a simplified three-body system, and orbits around them may be disrupted if additional bodies such as moons or planets are close enough or massive enough to cumulatively exert significant gravitational forces over time (the Moon does factor into the Earth-Sun L1 and L2 Lagrange points, especially, but that can be accounted for in the station-keeping measures already required). Trying to orbit around a point on the ground would, of course, run into much more serious problems, {{w|lithobraking|such as the ground.}}

==Transcript==
:Grey on white diagram of the Earth orbiting the Sun, not to scale. Earth is depicted as a circle with pale grey continents on darker grey seas, and shows a view from above the North Pole without any Arctic ice. The sun is drawn surrounded by radially symmetrical exaggerated wave pattern.
:Also in grey, approximate locations of Lagrange points 1 to 5 are marked with dots and labels: "L1" "L2" "L3" "L4" "L5".
:In black, a point on the Earth's surface within the boundary of a continent that could be North America. Also in black, an arrow pointing towards the point, and the label "L6".
:[Caption below the panel:]
:Huge space news: Astronomers have discovered a new Lagrange point just outside Cleveland.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

2775: Siphon

2026-02-08T18:00:09Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */ more on news

{{comic
| number = 2775
| date = May 12, 2023
| title = Siphon
| image = siphon_2x.png
| imagesize = 310x378px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = ADDITIONAL NOTES: Fixed a bug that caused some rocks to generate virtually infinite heat while just sitting there.
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering physics news.

[[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] have set up a simple experiment to test how a {{w|siphon}} works, using the gravitational force on a lower portion of liquid-filled tube, atmospheric pressure on the upper reservoir, and molecular cohesion within the liquid, to move a liquid upwards through a bit of tube at a higher gravitational potential. In short, the liquid passes over a higher peak to reach a lower exit. [[Randall]] has also mentioned siphons in ''{{what if|143|Europa Water Siphon}}'' and in ''[[How To]]'' (section "How to Throw a Pool Party").

Siphons are commonly used in modern society (e.g., most {{w|Flush_toilet|American residential toilets}} are flushed by siphon action). Siphons should not be confused with [[#Trivia|capillary action]].

Apparently, even though Cueball and Megan have set up the experiment correctly, the water no longer demonstrates a siphon by flowing from the upper bucket to the lower. Cueball observes in surprise that "it's true," that siphoning doesn't work anymore. Thus indicating that this is a very recent development, and Megan remarks that it was honestly weird that it ever worked, and muses over why we ever thought that was a normal thing.

The punchline of the comic comes in the caption, which delivers a piece of ''Physics News'': "The 2023 update to the universe finally fixed the "siphon" bug." The joke here is that the entire complex and multifaceted system of {{w|physics}} in and of itself is treated as though it is simply the coded logic running the universe (or perhaps the sometimes unintentional result of various default configuration options like in a video game - see [[1620: Christmas Settings]]), and that siphoning (rather than being an interesting physical phenomenon worth studying) was nothing more than a bug in the Universe. It has now been fixed, somehow and for some reason, being considered a glitch and not the intended behavior.

In reality, siphons still {{w|siphon|very much exist}} in our universe. Siphons require filling beforehand to function, either by initially actively sucking liquid through or by first immersing the siphon tube in any compatible liquid then ensuring it retains its contents as it draped over the obstacle and each end positioned properly into the respective receptacle, so it is plausible to imagine skeptical people “proving” they do not function by refraining from providing the initial priming. However, the small amount of water in the bottom of the bucket near Megan indicates that there was at least some water in the tube, and that this just ran down on either side, leaving the tube empty and a bit of water in Megan's bucket and a bit more in Cueball's bucket. So they did set up the experiment correctly, but since the latest update siphons do not work anymore. Or as they state it, the universe now works correctly and the siphon bug has been corrected.

A siphon requires that the weight of the liquid column on the "higher" side of the channel peak not exceed atmospheric pressure, or else the liquid will split, leaving a {{w|Torricelli's_experiment|partial vacuum}}. The observed failure could be caused by several kinds of changes to the universe. If there was a significant decrease in the ratio between the pressure of Earth's atmosphere and the force of gravity, the siphon would stop working. Eventually, the water in the "lower" side of the tube would dribble out, letting air in, and the water in the "higher" side would also drain back into the reservoir. If the density of water increased enormously, the increased weight of the liquid column would lead to a similar failure. If the molecular cohesion of water decreased drastically and the flow rate of the siphon was slow, air could bubble into the "lower" end more quickly than the water was flowing through, and eventually the tube would empty. The siphon could also fail more mundanely if the water had a lot of gas dissolved in it under pressure (as with soda water), because the gas would come out of solution and collect at the highest point of the tube.

{{w|simulation hypothesis|The idea}} that we live in a computer simulation is also prevalent in our modern pop culture, most famously shown in {{w|The Matrix}} (See [[566: Matrix Revisited]]).

The title text is an additional note to the 2023 physics update stating that the update has: "Fixed a bug that caused some rocks to generate virtually infinite heat while just sitting there."

This is a reference to radioactive materials that keep emitting energy (heat) almost indefinitely (on a human timescale). This is mainly a reference to {{w|uranium}} and {{w|thorium}} and their decay chain.

This is similar to the comic [[2115: Plutonium]], because {{w|plutonium}} (though man-'made', during nucleosynthesis) is used to power spacecraft. In that comic the title text has the same idea that someone controls the universe: ''It's like someone briefly joined the team running the universe, introduced their idea for a cool mechanic, then left, and now everyone is stuck pretending that this wildly unbalanced dynamic makes sense.''

The entire comic is one of many where Randall muses over strange aspects of our universe, and wonders why we (people) ever think that it seems normal, the way the Universe works (or how humans work - see for instance [[1268: Alternate Universe]]).

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing next to two buckets while Megan is looking on from the other side of the buckets. The left bucket is on a stool and is almost filled with water while the other is on the ground and has a very small amount of water in it. Cueball is holding an empty tube between the two buckets. The end to the left is deep into the water in the left bucket while the other end hangs into the empty bucket to the right.]
:Cueball: Wow, it's true—the water doesn't flow up the tube anymore.
:Megan: Honestly, it's weird that it ever did.
:Megan: Why did we think that was normal?

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Physics news: The 2023 update to the universe finally fixed the "Siphon" bug.

==Trivia==
Siphons are separate from a similarly counter-intuitive phenomenon of {{w|capillary action}}, where a liquid flows through narrow spaces (even upwards, entirely against gravity) in that a siphon need not be of such small diameter. Capillary action will also move liquid into an initially empty channel, whilst a siphon must be 'primed', by filling the tube, in order to draw liquid over a high point to ultimately always drop down into a lower container. Capillary action is caused by surface tension and attractive forces between the liquid and the walls of the channel; the liquid level will rise until the weight of the column of liquid matches the attractive forces. Capillary action can lift liquid higher than the maximum height of the "higher" side of a siphon with the same liquid, if the attractive forces are strong enough.

{{comic discussion}}

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

3203: Binary Star

2026-02-08T17:59:28Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3203
| date = February 4, 2026
| title = Binary Star
| image = binary_star_2x.png
| imagesize = 353x365px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The discovery of a fully typographical star system comes with a big asterisk.
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering space news.

{{w|Binary star|Binary star systems}}, where two stars orbit each other, are common throughout the universe. In some cases, these are different types of stars, such as a {{w|neutron star}} co-orbiting with a {{w|main sequence}} star. Here, however, the comic depicts a system consisting of a real celestial object (just such a main sequence star), and a star which is instead a stylised five-pointed shape in which stars are often drawn, called a {{w|pentagram}}.

Pointed stars [https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2015/06/16/4253961.htm do not actually exist] as astronomical bodies, as the spikes would quickly collapse under the effects of gravity. Stars seen in the night sky can sometimes appear as though they have spikes coming out of them, but these are just optical illusions caused by the {{w|diffraction spike|diffraction}} [[2762|spike]] effect, and not {{w|Inverted World|something far weirder}}. Although stars have {{w|Solar prominence|prominences}} and {{w|coronal mass ejections}}, which project from their surfaces, these are small relative to the stars themselves.

If an object was discovered that really did have that shape, emitting light consistent with the spectrum of a star, it would almost certainly have to be an enormous alien constructed device. It could not be built solely of the kinds of materials we're familiar with, in order to be of a size similar to that of a star but not collapse under its own gravitational attraction, because we don't know of any substances that would be strong enough. Its ability to emit light intensity comparable with a star's is beyond our understanding, by many orders of magnitude, especially given that the heat and radiation would weaken its structure, and the need for some power source. Another possible, albeit even more implausible, explanation is that some alien technology has somehow forced a real star to assume that shape while still doing fusion and emitting light consistent with a star's spectrum.

The title text puns on the * symbol (an {{w|asterisk}} - meaning little star), which is sometimes called a star, and is often used to indicate {{w|Note (typography)|footnotes}} in text. A "big asterisk" is used as a metaphor for a rather large caveat or significant reservations about the statement being made, suggesting that such qualifications would form a long footnote. This could be interpreted as meaning that the existence of the "typographical star system" is significantly doubtful. Alternatively, it could be read as meaning that the "big asterisk" is a physically very large (astronomical scale) symbol, which forms part of a system composed of other bodies in the form of typography.

Drawing a star as a pentagram, as shown in the comic, is referenced in [[1029: Drawing Stars]].

The orbital paths shown are anomalous. The main sequence star follows a path that's nearly circular, while the five-pointed star follows an elliptical path, and they're at different locations along their paths. If the two stars were the most massive objects in their system by a significant margin, approximating a two-body system, their paths should be the same shape (albeit at different sizes, if their masses differ) centered on opposite sides of the shared focal point of their {{w|Barycenter (astronomy)|barycenter}}, with all four of the ellipses' foci collinear. Their locations along those paths should be directly in (anti-)phase, and collinear with the barycenter. That this isn't true implies that there's at least one other massive object, which isn't shown, in the system. The much smaller path of the main sequence star suggests that it's in a (relatively) close orbit with the other massive object, with the five-pointed star being much less massive than either, and essentially orbiting them both at a greater distance. That the five-pointed star has much less mass makes sense, since it appears to consist only of five intersecting linear structures, with large empty spaces in between.

==Transcript==
:[Graphical depiction of a binary star system. The orbits are shown with dashed lines. One star is revolving circularly close to the center of mass and is shown as a filled circle. The other has a very elliptic orbit further out. It is currently close to its furthest point from the other star. This star is depicted as a pentagram.]
:[Caption below the image:]
:Space news: astronomers have found the first known system with a main-sequence star orbited by a five-pointed one.
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

3119: Flettner Rotor

2026-02-08T17:59:03Z

Kynde: More on news

{{comic
| number = 3119
| date = July 23, 2025
| title = Flettner Rotor
| image = flettner_rotor_2x.png
| imagesize = 385x359px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = "And in maritime news, the Coast Guard is on the scene today after an apparent collision between two lighthouses."
}}

==Explanation==
This is another one of [[:Category:Tips|Randall’s tips]]. [[Randall]] is pointing out that a {{w|Flettner rotor}} can make a boat look like a lighthouse, and thus make other boats avoid it. A vertical-axis Flettner rotor is a smooth cylinder which is spun along its axis. As air passes across it from the side, an aerodynamic force is generated at a right angle (i.e., forward) to propel the boat in the desired direction.

This is also one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering maritime news in the title text.

As a tall vertical cylinder, the rotor has the approximate appearance of the column of a stereotypical lighthouse. If a directional light were attached at the top, it too would spin, sending out periodic flashes of light and making it even more similar to a lighthouse. Or, as it appears to be in the comic, a fully working {{w|Lighthouse#Components|lantern house}} could be fixed to the top of the non-rotating core to the rotor, making it look even more like a lighthouse (and also allowing independent control of the light's flash rate).

To people on a vessel directly in the path of the disguised boat, it would appear that they are sailing or drifting towards a hazard, prompting them to take action to navigate away from it, thereby clearing its course. In fact, there would be no need to have a Flettner rotor at all to achieve this effect — a simple, non-rotating column with a rotating or flashing light would do just the same thing for a boat that is powered by other means, and seems a small additional effort if you're already taking the trouble to install the fake rocks and light.

The title text describes "an apparent collision between two lighthouses", which could refer to two Flettnerized boats colliding with each other because they were ''both'' assuming that everyone else will give them the right of way. Alternatively, a single Flettnerized boat could complacently collide with an actual lighthouse, having similarly dismissed it as another boat that should have taken avoidance measures. This alludes to an old {{w|Lighthouse and naval vessel urban legend|urban legend}} in which a naval vessel insists that another radio operator at sea divert course to avoid a collision, demanding right of way by citing their military rank, only to be embarrassed when the other operator reveals they are not another sea vessel, but a lighthouse.

==Transcript==
:[A panel showing Cueball standing on a Flettner Rotor Sailboat, which is decorated with rocks and a lighthouse-top on the Flettner Rotor.]
:[Text beneath panel:]
:Sailing tip: If you have a Flettner Rotor Sailboat, you can add some fake plastic rocks and a light to make other boats give you the right of way.

==Trivia==
[[Actually|Technically]], Randall is wrong to say "...give you the right of way" - this isn't how the maritime "rules of the road" work. The other vessel could ''give way'' to the Flettner craft, but not give it '''right''' of way, as that's given by {{w|COLREGS|an international convention}} and not by individual ships. Also, one doesn't give way to lighthouses because they ''have'' right of way. There's nothing in common maritime law that explicitly says one has to give way to lighthouses. The closest thing would be the {{w|STCW|STCW convention}}, but it only uses phrases such as "Navigate with due care" and doesn't explicitly say "give way to lighthouses".

To be more pedantic, under the international convention mentioned above, neither ship ever has a right of way: one ship has an obligation to give way, while the other ship has an obligation to stand-on (i.e., keep its current course and speed until the ships are past one another). If the ships collide, both are held responsible. Navigators are very clear that the "right of way" of a car doesn't apply at sea, and one always has many obligations, including obligations to give way under certain circumstances even when you're the stand-on vessel.

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

3066: Cosmic Distance Calibration

2026-02-08T17:57:48Z

Kynde: More on news

{{comic
| number = 3066
| date = March 21, 2025
| title = Cosmic Distance Calibration
| image = cosmic_distance_calibration_2x.png
| imagesize = 317x409px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = This is the biggest breakthrough since astronomers noticed that the little crosshairs around red giant stars starting to burn helium are all the same size.
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering cosmology news.

Astronomical photographs sometimes have various labels added for the objects in them, such as names, distances, stellar classifications, etc. The comic interprets the labels next to stars in the image as actual objects in space, which is absurd because, among other reasons, they are in English, they could be observed from other distances and angles where they wouldn't be correct, they wouldn't stay in place by the star, and probably a hundred other reasons. If these labels were to become astrophysical objects in reality, made of any kind of matter we're aware of, it would quickly result in major changes to the universe. As each of these labels would need to be clearly visible from an observatory, they would require monstrous size — maybe even big enough to collapse into black holes when applied to particularly distant stars. They would also create a sudden lack of need for themselves, as the stars would be gravitationally attracted to their respective labels and promptly destroyed.

The label in this image appears to be pointing to a star in the spiral galaxy M106 (also known as "{{w|Messier 106}}" and "NGC 4258"), located between 22 and 25 million light-years (MLY) away from Earth and compatible with the 23.6163 MLY shown in the comic.

The title text extends the main joke by suggesting that the "crosshairs" around red giant stars, put into an image by an astronomer to indicate those stars starting to burn helium, are actual objects in space which are of a standardized size when seen from Earth. One such set of crosshairs can be seen in the comic. Stars at this stage of stellar evolution are of particular astronomical interest because they all have the {{w|Standard candles|same absolute brightness}}, allowing their distance to be determined because the observed luminosity is a simple inverse-distance-squared falloff from a known original value. This is referred to as the "{{w|tip of the red-giant branch}}" (TRGB) distance calculation method, referring to the red-giant region of the {{w|Hertzsprung–Russell diagram}}. This allows estimation of distances not only to the stars themselves, but also to distant galaxies that contain them. In the weeks before this comic appeared, [https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-webb-hubble-telescopes-affirm-universes-expansion-rate-puzzle-persists/ findings based on measurements of star and galaxy distances] reinforced a longstanding quandary in cosmology known as the {{w|Hubble tension}}.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail is standing behind a lectern, pointing towards a large screen behind her with a stick. On the screen is a scattering of small, hard-to-make-out galaxies and stars with illegible writing next to them. On the screen behind Ponytail, one of these stars has been circled, and there are graphics indicating it is being repeatedly magnified along with the text next to it. At the first level of magnification the text next to this star remains somewhat illegible, but at the second level it is readable, albeit partially cut off and blurry.]

:[First level of magnification (... represents cut off text)]:
:M106 0-06832
:Distance:
:23.6163 MLY (27...

:[Second level of magnification (... represents cut off text)]:
:M106 0-06...
:Distance:
:23.6163 MLY...

:[Caption below the panel]:
:Cosmology News: New telescopes are finally powerful enough to read the little labels next to stars showing how far away they are.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Cosmology]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Telescopes]]

3027: Exclusion Principle

2026-02-08T17:57:10Z

Kynde: /* Explanation */ more on news

{{comic
| number = 3027
| date = December 20, 2024
| title = Exclusion Principle
| image = exclusion_principle_2x.png
| imagesize = 264x336px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Fermions are weird about each other in a standoffish way. Integer-spin particles are weird about each other in a 'stand uncomfortably close while talking' kind of way.
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering big news.

In this comic, [[Randall]] lists the four {{w|fundamental forces}} of physics—{{w|gravity}}, {{w|electromagnetism}}, the {{w|weak interaction}}, and the {{w|strong interaction}}—then humorously adds a fifth force called "Electrons are weird about each other." This is a nod to how electrons cannot occupy exactly the same quantum state. The principle that underlies this is the {{w|Pauli exclusion principle}} (also covered in [[658: Orbitals]], [[1862: Particle Properties]], and [[2351: Standard Model Changes]]), which says that no two electrons at the same position (within their {{w|Matter wave|de Broglie wavelength}}s) can have the same set of quantum numbers.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjDvBP5IU-4] The idea behind Pauli exclusion isn't really a conventional "force" like gravity or electromagnetism. Instead, it's a result of the fundamental quantum mechanical rules governing {{w|fermions}}, a class of particles that includes electrons. When combined with electromagnetism, it makes electrons repel each other more than mere electric charge would predict on its own.

This phenomenon is sometimes described via the {{w|exchange interaction}}, which can be tricky to explain to non-experts. Randall's joke is that physicists, frustrated with explaining the subtleties of quantum mechanics, have simply decided to create a "fifth force" to cover the weirdness of electrons. In reality, inventing a fifth force to patch up confusing behavior doesn't improve the accuracy of physicists' predictions of how real-world matter and energy behave; they strive for increasingly accurate descriptions of how nature behaves, rather than rewriting the rules in ways that compromise their accuracy in predicting physical systems' behavior in favor of simplicity. An alternate interpretation is that they are studying the actual phenomenon but saying that it ''counts as'' a force (much like centrifugal force as discussed in [[123: Centrifugal Force]]).

In the title text, Randall expands the idea from electrons to all fermions, which have half-integer {{w|Spin (physics)|quantum spin}} and obey the Pauli exclusion principle, and contrasts them with {{w|bosons}}, which have integer spin and can share the same space. He humorously likens fermions to people standing standoffishly far apart, while bosons are like those who stand uncomfortably close while talking—an imaginative analogy for the fundamental differences in their behaviors.

==Transcript==
:[Inside the panel, there is an underlined header and a numbered list, with the fifth and last item in red:]
:Fundamental Forces
:1. Gravity 
:2. Electromagnetism 
:3. The Weak Interaction 
:4. The Strong Interaction 
:''5. Electrons are weird about each other''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Big news: Physicists have finally given up trying to explain about the "exchange interaction" and agreed to just make the exclusion principle a force.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics with red annotations]]
[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Physics]]

2996: CIDABM

2026-02-08T17:56:42Z

Kynde:

{{comic
| number = 2996
| date = October 9, 2024
| title = CIDABM
| image = cidabm_2x.png
| imagesize = 423x480px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = There's a heated debate over whether the big island of Tierra del Fuego should qualify for membership.
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering geopolitical news.

The comic parodies intergovernmental cooperations, such as the {{w|G7}} "group of seven" (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) or the {{w|BRICS}} group (originally '''B'''razil, '''R'''ussia, '''I'''ndia and '''C'''hina, with '''S'''outh Africa soon after rounding off the acronym before further nations attained membership). Such treaties, and other more casual associations between nations, can be based upon some close association in geographical, political, cultural and/or economic terms (or even, in some cases, by little more than sharing a common opposition to a ''different'' {{w|Trade bloc|bloc}} of nations).

The "CIDABM" group, named for the very specific membership criteria, has been formed on a rather more abstract basis than most geographically-focused groupings (e.g. {{w|NATO}} or the {{w|Pacific Islands Forum}}) and (currently) consists of four otherwise disparate islands:
*{{w|Sicily}} is an autonomous region of {{w|Italy}}, which is on the south eastern edge of the {{w|Eurasia}}n mainland.
*{{w|Sri Lanka}} is a nation in its own right, south of {{w|India}}, which is on the southern edge of the Eurasian mainland.
*{{w|Hainan}} is a province of {{w|China}}, which is on the south eastern edge of the Eurasian mainland.
*{{w|Tasmania}} is a state of the nation of {{w|Australia}}, south of the eastern side of {{w|Australia (continent)|continental Australia}} mainland.

These four islands 'dangle below' their mainlands only because of the convention of having north at the top of maps. If the mapmaking convention had instead been to have south at the top, the islands might have been described as floating above their continents. Conversely, {{w|Madagascar}}, {{w|Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland}} or {{w|Adelaide Island}} might have been applicable members of similar 'dangling' alliances where the basic premise might come from one or other different map orientations.

The big island of Tierra del Fuego ({{w|Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego}}), mentioned in the title text, is off the southern tip of the {{w|Chile}}an mainland (as well as a small bit of {{w|Argentina}}). Unlike the others in the comic, it doesn't prominently 'dangle' south of a mainland: it has narrow channels separating its northern and northwestern sides from the mainland, and other parts of the {{w|Tierra del Fuego}} archipelago surround its southwestern side and make it appear well-connected to the mainland. In addition, it isn't a single political entity: the island is split between Chile to the west and Argentina to the east. The 'heated debate' mentioned in the title text may be a play on ''Tierra del Fuego'' being Spanish for ''Land of Fire''.

While the banner on stage depicts each of the islands with approximately the same size, Tasmania (68,400 km²) and Sri Lanka (65,600 km²) are much larger than Hainan (35,200 km²) and Sicily (25,800 km²). Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego is in the middle sizewise (48,000 km²).

Here is a list of island that clearly do not belong to this club:
*{{w|Corsica}} (8,700 km², south of France's mainland) but clearly not dangling beneath the tip of a land mass like Sicily but on the side of Italy.
*{{w|Cyprus}} (9,300 km², south of Turkey) but also to the west of Syria thus not dangling beneath a land mass.
*{{w|Kyushu}} (36,800 km²) and {{w|Shikoku}} (18,800 km²) that are very close and south of the Japanese mainland of Honshu but this is an island state so island beneath island kind of makes no sense here.
*The same problem with {{w|Stewart Island}}/Rakiura (1,746 km²), which dangles south of the South Island of New Zealand again an island state so island beneath island kind of makes no sense here.
*The {{w|Isle of Wight}} (merely 380 km²) is not really beneath the UK as part of the mainland goes more to the south and again an island state so island beneath island kind of makes no sense here.
*{{w|Gotland}} (3,200 km²) and {{w|Long Island}} (3,600 km²) are even smaller and, like {{w|Taiwan}} (36,200 km²), are not even close to being south of their respective mainlands.
*{{w|Cuba}} (105,800 km²) which "dangles" south of Florida seems to also not quite fit the theme as it is much larger and longer than the part that is "dangles" beneath and thus would not be considered dangling from Florida, rather supporting Florida.
*{{w|Sumatra}} (482,300 km²), is not dangling south of the Malay peninsula as it goes much higher up and is also much larger than the part of the mainland it should dangle beneath so makes no sense to look as it as dangling.

==Transcript==
:[A banner hangs at the top of the frame with a large acronym written above four map segments. The map segments show a landmass in grey with an island at the bottom drawn in black. Beneath the banner are four people. Hairbun and Cueball to the left are shaking hands while looking at each other, Megan is looking towards the unseen crowd, arms spread out, and Hairy to the right is waving with one arm.]
:Banner: C.I.D.A.B.M.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Geopolitical news: Sicily, Sri Lanka, Hainan, and Tasmania have joined together to form the Coalition of Islands that Dangle Awkwardly from the Bottom of a Mainland.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Maps]]

2991: Beamsplitters

2026-02-08T17:56:07Z

Kynde: more on news

{{comic
| number = 2991
| date = September 27, 2024
| title = Beamsplitters
| image = beamsplitters_2x.png
| imagesize = 479x385px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Under quantum tax law, photons sent through a beamsplitter don't actually choose which path they took, or incur a tax burden, until their wavefunction collapses when the power is sold.
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering Astronomy news.

A {{w|beamsplitter}} is a device, usually made from a pair of prisms or a half-silvered mirror, that splits a beam of light into two beams going in different directions. Beamsplitters are used in numerous scientific instruments such as microscopes and (here) telescopes. In a microscope, for example, a beamsplitter may be used to direct the imaging beam to the user's eyes, or to a recording device such as a camera, or to both at once so as to allow visual aiming at specific targets at the same time as conducting scientific measurements upon them. Beam-splitting in order to simultaneously analyse a single 'ray' of light with two or more different types of detectors is also scientifically useful.

In this comic, a beamsplitter is being used in a large-scale telescope to "steal" part of the incident light beam and direct it to a {{w|Solar cell|photovoltaic cell}}. The power generated is then sold on the local grid. The scientists could be {{w|Embezzlement|pocketing the proceeds}}, or possibly using them to help pay the telescope operation's bills. This could be dark humor, implying that surreptitious and legally/ethically questionable strategies are needed to fund scientists and their projects. The comic pushes the point by supposing that the practice had become so commonplace that the {{w|International Astronomical Union}} (IAU) got wind of it, and has acted to ban it.

Most optical instruments, even large telescopes, are unlikely to capture enough light during regular operations to make the "banned" strategy feasible. (Far more light would reach the solar cell if it was simply left outdoors, even on a cloudy day.) Moreover, the ban is ham-fisted, as it makes legitimate scientific operation of telescopes profoundly more difficult. For the sake of the joke, both of these issues are ignored.

The telescope shown, without the beam splitter, is a reflecting telescope of the general form of a {{w|Gregorian telescope}}, or a derivative, while the sending of (a fraction of) the light out the side is implemented in the manner of a {{w|Nasmyth telescope}}.

The title text humorously conflates financial tax laws, applicable to the sale of the {{w|Abstracting electricity|"stolen" electricity}}, with the laws of quantum physics, governing the behavior of the photons that are generating the electricity. Under typical {{w|Capital_gain|capital gains}} tax laws, certain intangible assets such as stocks are not taxed until they are sold, at which point taxes will be levied on the profits of the sale (relative to the asset's purchase price). This is typically done to simplify tax assessment, as it can be very difficult to assign a concrete value (and thus tax burden) to certain assets until they are sold and the value realized. It is also typically done for reasons of liquidity; a taxpayer may have insufficient cash to pay a tax until they have sold the underlying assets.

The title text imagines a fictional "quantum tax law" in which individual photons are treated as taxable assets. Due to the probabilistic nature of the photon's {{w|Wave_function|wave function}}, the monetary value of any given photon entering the telescope is uncertain up until the point where it strikes the photovoltaic cell, generating an electron which is sold to the power grid. Under the quantum tax law, the "wavefunction" of the photon refers not to its traditional quantum {{w|Wave_function|wave function}}, but to the monetary wavefunction which can only be observed once the photon has generated a tangible profit. This is likely an analogy with {{w|capital gains tax}} which does not accrue until assets are sold at a profit over their purchase price.

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

:[Cross section of a telescope with some parts of the image darkened to represent the path of light, with portions where the light would be more concentrated being darker]

:[A large column of light comes in from the left panel border, labeled "Incoming Light."]
:[The "Incoming Light" column is focused by a large curved mirror labeled "Primary Mirror," then focused again by a much smaller mirror labeled "Secondary Mirror."]
:[After bouncing off the secondary mirror, it passes through a beamsplitter. Half of the light passes through to a sensor, but the other half is reflected into a secret Solar Panel connected to a battery labeled "Power sold to grid."]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Astronomy News: The International Astronomical Union has finally banned beamsplitters, optical devices used by scientists to embezzle light from their instruments.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Telescopes]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Taxes]]

2984: Asteroid News

2026-02-08T17:55:26Z

Kynde:

{{comic
| number = 2984
| date = September 11, 2024
| title = Asteroid News
| image = asteroid_news_2x.png
| imagesize = 376x288px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Their calculations show it will 'pass within the distance of the moon' but that it 'will not hit the moon, so what's the point?'
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics delivering Asteroid News. It is also one of five comics to use the News format in the title. So far the last, after a long break without using this format.

[[Blondie]] as a [[:Category:News anchor|news anchor]] presents an image where an {{w|asteroid}} is seen zooming past {{w|Earth}} outside of the {{w|Moon}}'s orbit.

The comic is about an unspecified asteroid that is predicted to approach Earth in 2063. It could possibly be related to the recently discovered asteroid [https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2024/06/Close_approach_of_asteroid_2024_MK 2024 MK], which made a close approach to Earth on June 29, 2024, but it could be any of the {{w|Sentry (monitoring system)|Sentry Objects}} of the {{w|Jet Propulsion Laboratory}}'s Center for Near Earth Object Studies [https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/sentry/ ].

Blondie mentions that according to the astronomers, the asteroid only has 'a one-in-6000 chance of "doing something cool",' meaning that there is only a small chance that the asteroid will have a direct impact on Earth's surroundings. What is described as "something cool" would presumably be that the asteroid hits or almost hits the Earth or the Moon. She then states that further observations have shown that this will not happen and the asteroid will just be yet another boring dot in the sky.

The joke is that most people are afraid that a near-Earth asteroid would actually hit, and hope to hear that it will not. If the asteroid in this comic gets close enough that it will actually be a visible dot, then given the normal sizes of {{w|Near-Earth object|near-Earth asteroids}}, it would indeed be very close to Earth. Many people interested in the night sky would find it interesting to see an asteroid with their naked eye.

The title text may refer to another asteroid that gets even closer than the one depicted, because this one should come closer than the Moon according to calculations (presumably by the astronomers). However, this asteroid will not hit the Moon even though it gets close, so the astronomers ask, "What's the point?". The comic is mute on the question whether the asteroid will hit the Earth, although this is generally very unlikely even for an asteroid passing closer than the Moon. Again Blondie implies that the astronomers hope for some visible effect.

This is the fourth comic in the last seven about space.

==Transcript==
:[Close-up of Blondie as a news anchor speaking, alongside an image to the left of an asteroid passing by Earth. The path of the asteroid is shown as a dashed line near the top-left, with the Moon orbiting the Earth below it.]
:Blondie: Astronomers initially said there was a one-in-6,000 chance that the newly-discovered asteroid might "do something cool" in 2063, but further observations determined it will be "just a boring dot like all the others."

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:News anchor]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Space]]

2861: X Value

2026-02-08T17:54:37Z

Kynde:

{{comic
| number = 2861
| date = November 29, 2023
| title = X Value
| image = x_value_2x.png
| imagesize = 291x192px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The value of n is still unknown, but new results constrain it to fall between 8 and 10^500, ruling out popular 'n=1' and 'n=2' theories.
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics, delivering big math news.

In algebra, a {{w|Variable (mathematics)|variable}} is any symbol used to represent a number that has not been determined or chosen. The most familiar algebraic variable is ''x'' (the unknown input), with ''y'' often being the yet-to-be-determined output (its value being dependent on ''x''). According to the comic, the value of ''x'' has finally been found, being 4.1083. The joke is that a general-purpose variable, which may take different values in different scenarios, turns out to have a specific value, as though it were a constant. Constants in mathematics and other scientific fields are also often represented by a single symbol - some of the most well-known are {{w|Pi|''π''}} (3.14159...), ''e'' ({{w|E (mathematical constant)|Euler's number}}, 2.71828...), ''i'' (an {{w|Imaginary unit}}, where i2 = -1), and ''c'' (the {{w|speed of light}} in a vacuum, 299,792,458 m/s (670,616,629 mph, 1,079,252,848.8 km/h, 1.8026x1012 {{w|FFF system|fur/ftn}})).

The specific number 4.1083 does not have any notable significance or special role in the contexts of physics, chemistry, finance, astronomy or cryptography. This number to 3 decimal places, 4.108, was referenced previously in comic [[899: Number Line]].

The '''title text''' declares the value of ''n'' is unknown. ''n'' is often used as an unknown/undetermined ''integer'' value. In {{w|Sampling (statistics)|statistics}}, it might be used to specify the size of a sample. For example, a list where ''n = 50'' would mean the list contains 50 data points, for which that number of iterations or a larger number of cross-comparisons might be expected.

According to the title text, however, the value of ''n'' ''has'' been narrowed down to somewhere between 8 and 10500, or one hundred quinsexagintacentillion. This narrowing-down isn't particularly narrow, although it is perhaps quite specific compared to the 'pre-narrowing' possibilities of being absolutely any finite value at all.

The title text also says that this narrowing has ruled out the (usually) simplest values of 1 or 2. In mathematical problems involving iterating over multiple inputs of a function, or functions where the input is a list of variable size, the variable n is used to represent either the current iteration's input or the length of the input list. In both cases the inputs "n=1" and "n=2" are used as examples to demonstrate the function, to let the reader wrap their head around the basics of the function. The title text is spoofing the usage of "n=1" and "n=2" as if they were the leading theories for the constant value of n, and that these theories have been debunked by supposedly proving that n's minimum value is 8.

==Transcript==
:[A math formula is circled.]
:<big><big>x = 4.1083</big></big>

:[Caption below the panel:]
: Big math news: They finally figured out the value of x.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Math]]

Category:News

2026-02-08T17:53:51Z

Kynde:

This is for comics that present "<Subject> News" as title, subtitle or similar, in the same manner as we are presented with Facts and Tips in [[:Category:Fun fact]] and [[:Category:Tips]] categories.


Five comics have titles in this format, but it is more often in the caption or the title text.

The mere presence of the word "news" is insufficient, or the portrayal of ''newspapers'', the comic [[1062: Budget News]] qualifies due to its title, not the "Daily News" newspaper within it. And thus a comic like [[997: Wait Wait]] with several newspapers do not belong here.

If it is a sentence where it alludes to "good" and/or "bad" news, then it does not belong here.


'''Click''' to expand for a more detailed explanation:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed leftAlign" style="width:100%">
 
[[1062: Budget News]] seems to have been the first comic, with this kind of News. It even used it for the title. Actually the first four comics all used it in the title and after that it only happened one more time, as of 2026, with [[2984: Asteroid News]].

At the time this category was created, the comic that caused this was [[3203: Binary Star]], where the news is mentioned in the caption, a Space News.

This category should not be confused with [[:Category:News anchor]]. There could be a News part of such a comic, like in [[2984: Asteroid News]], but generally that is no the case.

Also comics using the word News in the title (or any other way) is not part of this category if it is not used as described above. For instance like in [[2505: News Story Reaction]] or [[2174: First News Memory]]

So far, there have been the following types of news:
#Budget News: [[1062: Budget News]] - 1. comic to use this format in the title - also first using news like this.
#Mystery News: [[1280: Mystery News]] - 2. comic to use this format in the title
#Local News: [[1699: Local News]] - 3. comic to use this format in the title
#Morning News: [[1996: Morning News]] - 4. comic to use this format in the title - four in a row, and then a long break
#Sad news: [[2624: Voyager Wires]]
#Huge space news: [[2717: L6 Lagrange Point]]
#Physics news: [[2775: Siphon]]
#Big math news: [[2861: X Value]]
#Asteroid News: [[2984: Asteroid News]] - 5. comic to use this format in the title - so far the last
#Astronomy News: [[2991: Beamsplitters]]
#Geopolitical news: [[2996: CIDABM]]
#Big news: [[3027: Exclusion Principle]]
#Cosmology News: [[3066: Cosmic Distance Calibration]]
#Maritime news: [[3119: Flettner Rotor]] - In the title text. This comic is also a Tips comic.
#Space news: [[3203: Binary Star| Binary Star]]
</div>
 

[[Category:Comics by topic]]

2775: Siphon

2026-02-08T17:52:33Z

Kynde: more on news

{{comic
| number = 2775
| date = May 12, 2023
| title = Siphon
| image = siphon_2x.png
| imagesize = 310x378px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = ADDITIONAL NOTES: Fixed a bug that caused some rocks to generate virtually infinite heat while just sitting there.
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics.

[[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] have set up a simple experiment to test how a {{w|siphon}} works, using the gravitational force on a lower portion of liquid-filled tube, atmospheric pressure on the upper reservoir, and molecular cohesion within the liquid, to move a liquid upwards through a bit of tube at a higher gravitational potential. In short, the liquid passes over a higher peak to reach a lower exit. [[Randall]] has also mentioned siphons in ''{{what if|143|Europa Water Siphon}}'' and in ''[[How To]]'' (section "How to Throw a Pool Party").

Siphons are commonly used in modern society (e.g., most {{w|Flush_toilet|American residential toilets}} are flushed by siphon action). Siphons should not be confused with [[#Trivia|capillary action]].

Apparently, even though Cueball and Megan have set up the experiment correctly, the water no longer demonstrates a siphon by flowing from the upper bucket to the lower. Cueball observes in surprise that "it's true," that siphoning doesn't work anymore. Thus indicating that this is a very recent development, and Megan remarks that it was honestly weird that it ever worked, and muses over why we ever thought that was a normal thing.

The punchline of the comic comes in the caption, which delivers a piece of ''Physics News'': "The 2023 update to the universe finally fixed the "siphon" bug." The joke here is that the entire complex and multifaceted system of {{w|physics}} in and of itself is treated as though it is simply the coded logic running the universe (or perhaps the sometimes unintentional result of various default configuration options like in a video game - see [[1620: Christmas Settings]]), and that siphoning (rather than being an interesting physical phenomenon worth studying) was nothing more than a bug in the Universe. It has now been fixed, somehow and for some reason, being considered a glitch and not the intended behavior.

In reality, siphons still {{w|siphon|very much exist}} in our universe. Siphons require filling beforehand to function, either by initially actively sucking liquid through or by first immersing the siphon tube in any compatible liquid then ensuring it retains its contents as it draped over the obstacle and each end positioned properly into the respective receptacle, so it is plausible to imagine skeptical people “proving” they do not function by refraining from providing the initial priming. However, the small amount of water in the bottom of the bucket near Megan indicates that there was at least some water in the tube, and that this just ran down on either side, leaving the tube empty and a bit of water in Megan's bucket and a bit more in Cueball's bucket. So they did set up the experiment correctly, but since the latest update siphons do not work anymore. Or as they state it, the universe now works correctly and the siphon bug has been corrected.

A siphon requires that the weight of the liquid column on the "higher" side of the channel peak not exceed atmospheric pressure, or else the liquid will split, leaving a {{w|Torricelli's_experiment|partial vacuum}}. The observed failure could be caused by several kinds of changes to the universe. If there was a significant decrease in the ratio between the pressure of Earth's atmosphere and the force of gravity, the siphon would stop working. Eventually, the water in the "lower" side of the tube would dribble out, letting air in, and the water in the "higher" side would also drain back into the reservoir. If the density of water increased enormously, the increased weight of the liquid column would lead to a similar failure. If the molecular cohesion of water decreased drastically and the flow rate of the siphon was slow, air could bubble into the "lower" end more quickly than the water was flowing through, and eventually the tube would empty. The siphon could also fail more mundanely if the water had a lot of gas dissolved in it under pressure (as with soda water), because the gas would come out of solution and collect at the highest point of the tube.

{{w|simulation hypothesis|The idea}} that we live in a computer simulation is also prevalent in our modern pop culture, most famously shown in {{w|The Matrix}} (See [[566: Matrix Revisited]]).

The title text is an additional note to the 2023 physics update stating that the update has: "Fixed a bug that caused some rocks to generate virtually infinite heat while just sitting there."

This is a reference to radioactive materials that keep emitting energy (heat) almost indefinitely (on a human timescale). This is mainly a reference to {{w|uranium}} and {{w|thorium}} and their decay chain.

This is similar to the comic [[2115: Plutonium]], because {{w|plutonium}} (though man-'made', during nucleosynthesis) is used to power spacecraft. In that comic the title text has the same idea that someone controls the universe: ''It's like someone briefly joined the team running the universe, introduced their idea for a cool mechanic, then left, and now everyone is stuck pretending that this wildly unbalanced dynamic makes sense.''

The entire comic is one of many where Randall muses over strange aspects of our universe, and wonders why we (people) ever think that it seems normal, the way the Universe works (or how humans work - see for instance [[1268: Alternate Universe]]).

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing next to two buckets while Megan is looking on from the other side of the buckets. The left bucket is on a stool and is almost filled with water while the other is on the ground and has a very small amount of water in it. Cueball is holding an empty tube between the two buckets. The end to the left is deep into the water in the left bucket while the other end hangs into the empty bucket to the right.]
:Cueball: Wow, it's true—the water doesn't flow up the tube anymore.
:Megan: Honestly, it's weird that it ever did.
:Megan: Why did we think that was normal?

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Physics news: The 2023 update to the universe finally fixed the "Siphon" bug.

==Trivia==
Siphons are separate from a similarly counter-intuitive phenomenon of {{w|capillary action}}, where a liquid flows through narrow spaces (even upwards, entirely against gravity) in that a siphon need not be of such small diameter. Capillary action will also move liquid into an initially empty channel, whilst a siphon must be 'primed', by filling the tube, in order to draw liquid over a high point to ultimately always drop down into a lower container. Capillary action is caused by surface tension and attractive forces between the liquid and the walls of the channel; the liquid level will rise until the weight of the column of liquid matches the attractive forces. Capillary action can lift liquid higher than the maximum height of the "higher" side of a siphon with the same liquid, if the attractive forces are strong enough.

{{comic discussion}}

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

2717: L6 Lagrange Point

2026-02-08T17:52:13Z

Kynde: more on news

{{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==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics.

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 can float motionless relative to the defining bodies.

There are five traditional Lagrange points. Two form equilateral triangles with the two massive objects (in this case the Earth and the Sun), and three more are collinear with the massive objects. The L1, L2, and L3 points are unstable, as any drifting off the point (e.g. due to the gravity of other bodies) might quickly increase the tendency to depart the area. However, there are quasi-stable {{w|Halo orbit}}s around these points, like the one used by the {{w|James Webb Space Telescope}}. The L4 and L5 points can actually retain objects stably over long periods, resulting in the Sun-Jupiter L4 and L5 points capturing the {{w|Trojan (celestial_body)|Trojan Asteroids}}.

Randall claims that a sixth Lagrange point has been discovered outside of {{w|Cleveland}}, {{w|Ohio}}. This is pretty obviously farcical,{{Citation needed}} as this would be part of the Earth and thus not gravitationally balanced between Earth and the Sun, though it is balanced by the countering forces that hold anything stable on the surface of any body: {{w|gravity}} and {{w|electromagnetism}}. The joke here is that there actually is a small village named {{w|LaGrange, Ohio|LaGrange, OH}} (population 2,595 in 2020) just outside Cleveland ([https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lagrange,+OH+44050/ map]). However, the village name is spelled with a capital G, unlike {{w|Joseph-Louis Lagrange}} after which the Lagrange points were named.

There is, however, a {{w|Lagrange,_Maine|Lagrange in Maine}}, a {{w|Lagrange,_Virginia|Lagrange in Virginia}} and a {{w|Lagrange_Township,_Bond_County,_Illinois|Lagrange Township in Illinois}} which all use the lower case g in their spelling like Joseph-Louis Lagrange. There are also {{w|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrange_(disambiguation)|twenty-six other communities}} in the United States with a spelling of LaGrange or La Grange, as well as four in France and two in Australia with one of the three spellings. This includes {{w|La_Grange,_Texas|La Grange, Texas}} which became famous as the title of a {{w|La_Grange_(song)|ZZ Top song}}.

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 the LaGrange L6 are unstable. The Lagrange points are solutions for a simplified three-body system, and orbits around them may be disrupted if additional bodies such as moons or planets are close enough or massive enough to cumulatively exert significant gravitational forces over time (the Moon does factor into the Earth-Sun L1 and L2 Lagrange points, especially, but that can be accounted for in the station-keeping measures already required). Trying to orbit around a point on the ground would, of course, run into much more serious problems, {{w|lithobraking|such as the ground.}}

==Transcript==
:Grey on white diagram of the Earth orbiting the Sun, not to scale. Earth is depicted as a circle with pale grey continents on darker grey seas, and shows a view from above the North Pole without any Arctic ice. The sun is drawn surrounded by radially symmetrical exaggerated wave pattern.
:Also in grey, approximate locations of Lagrange points 1 to 5 are marked with dots and labels: "L1" "L2" "L3" "L4" "L5".
:In black, a point on the Earth's surface within the boundary of a continent that could be North America. Also in black, an arrow pointing towards the point, and the label "L6".
:[Caption below the panel:]
:Huge space news: Astronomers have discovered a new Lagrange point just outside Cleveland.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

2624: Voyager Wires

2026-02-08T17:51:47Z

Kynde:

{{comic
| number = 2624
| date = May 25, 2022
| title = Voyager Wires
| image = voyager_wires.png
| titletext = Also, they're getting increasingly worried that someone will accidentally hit the 'retract' button, and that the end of the cable thrashing around as it winds up could devastate the Earth's surface.
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics. It was the first where the news is written in a caption rather than in the title as it was with the first four News comics.

This comic claims that the {{w|Voyager program|Voyager probes}} communicate with NASA though ridiculously long copper wires. These wires would have to be continuously lengthened as the probes travel away from {{w|Earth}}. Supposedly, because of "high copper prices and budget constraints," they may not be able to afford to lengthen the wires much longer. If this occurred, they would have to either cut the wires or let them break, which would prevent any further communication with the probes. In reality [https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status/ they use radio waves], not long copper wires, so this doesn't actually happen.

If copper wires were dragged by the Voyager probes, assuming a 1 mm² thick cable, 550 tons of copper would be needed per hour and it would add 1 million {{w|ohm}} per hour to the cable resistance. At [https://www.moneymetals.com/copper-prices $8,720/ton], this would cost just over $42 billion dollars/year, which would be nearly twice [https://www.planetary.org/space-policy/nasas-fy-2022-budget NASA's entire annual budget].

The resulting wire would slow down the probes by drag unless the wire itself was actively suspended (i.e. accelerated) continuously as it was fed. The wire could not be used for any other mechanical purpose such as a {{w|Space elevator|space elevator}} for this reason.

Since the Earth spins, the wires would also spool around the Earth, slowing the probes down even further. [https://what-if.xkcd.com/157/ Clearly, this is not a good idea.] This problem might be avoided if the wires reached Earth at one of the poles. Or perhaps they could go to an airplane that flies around Earth at exactly 15 degrees of longitude per hour, with periodic {{w|air-to-air refueling}}, so that it is always on the side of the Earth facing the probe.

Because the Voyager probes aren't in the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, the Earth would not, in its rotation around the Sun, drag these copper wires through the {{w|Sun}}. If it did, the wires would melt, as copper melts at around 1360 {{w|kelvin|K}}, while the Sun's surface is approximately 5700 K.

The title text references the phenomenon seen with self-retracting cables, such as are commonly found on vacuum cleaners, where the free end of the cable, where the plug is, oscillates more and more wildly as the cable approaches full retraction, leading to the danger of a painful rap on the hand if it is not withdrawn in time. A planet-sized impact of this kind could cause severe damage.{{Citation needed}}

A few days before this comic was released, [https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/news/details.php?article_id=124 NASA had reported] receiving corrupted data from the Voyager 1 probe. The fact that they are receiving any data at all means that the attitude control system must be working (or else the antenna would not point at Earth), but they continue to investigate how that data could be corrupted after that point.
{{spoiler|The following paragraph contains spoilers for the first episode of the series ''{{w|Foundation (TV series)|Foundation}}'' and the {{w|Mars Trilogy}}.}}
The consequence of a cable between a craft in space and a planetary location being suddenly retracted was recently imagined in the first episode of the Apple TV+ series ''{{w|Foundation (TV series)|Foundation}}'', wherein a {{w|space elevator}} tether was severed. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huRmvG3zRpg It didn't end well] for anyone other than the terrorists, who won the freedom of thousands of inhabited worlds which had formerly suffered under the jackbooted oppression of {{w|Trantor}}'s fascist galactic Empire regime. Another illustration in fiction of a severed space elevator is in Red Mars, part of the {{w|Mars Trilogy}} by Kim Stanley Robinson.

[[Black Hat]] has previously severed a space elevator tether using a pair of scissors in an [[697: Tensile vs. Shear Strength|earlier comic]].

==Transcript==
:[In the bottom right corner is a space probe, with large satellite dish and long antenna. Behind it runs a long wire, that makes three loops before it is connected to North America on the Earth in the top left corner. To the left of the Earth there is a second wire, which goes off-panel to the left.]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Sad news: Due to high copper prices and budget constraints, NASA may finally have to cut the wires that they've been spooling out to communicate with Voyager 1 and 2.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Space probes]]

2984: Asteroid News

2026-02-08T17:50:20Z

Kynde:

{{comic
| number = 2984
| date = September 11, 2024
| title = Asteroid News
| image = asteroid_news_2x.png
| imagesize = 376x288px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Their calculations show it will 'pass within the distance of the moon' but that it 'will not hit the moon, so what's the point?'
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics. It is also one of five comics to use the News format in the title. So far the last, after a long break without using this format.

[[Blondie]] as a [[:Category:News anchor|news anchor]] presents an image where an {{w|asteroid}} is seen zooming past {{w|Earth}} outside of the {{w|Moon}}'s orbit.

The comic is about an unspecified asteroid that is predicted to approach Earth in 2063. It could possibly be related to the recently discovered asteroid [https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2024/06/Close_approach_of_asteroid_2024_MK 2024 MK], which made a close approach to Earth on June 29, 2024, but it could be any of the {{w|Sentry (monitoring system)|Sentry Objects}} of the {{w|Jet Propulsion Laboratory}}'s Center for Near Earth Object Studies [https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/sentry/ ].

Blondie mentions that according to the astronomers, the asteroid only has 'a one-in-6000 chance of "doing something cool",' meaning that there is only a small chance that the asteroid will have a direct impact on Earth's surroundings. What is described as "something cool" would presumably be that the asteroid hits or almost hits the Earth or the Moon. She then states that further observations have shown that this will not happen and the asteroid will just be yet another boring dot in the sky.

The joke is that most people are afraid that a near-Earth asteroid would actually hit, and hope to hear that it will not. If the asteroid in this comic gets close enough that it will actually be a visible dot, then given the normal sizes of {{w|Near-Earth object|near-Earth asteroids}}, it would indeed be very close to Earth. Many people interested in the night sky would find it interesting to see an asteroid with their naked eye.

The title text may refer to another asteroid that gets even closer than the one depicted, because this one should come closer than the Moon according to calculations (presumably by the astronomers). However, this asteroid will not hit the Moon even though it gets close, so the astronomers ask, "What's the point?". The comic is mute on the question whether the asteroid will hit the Earth, although this is generally very unlikely even for an asteroid passing closer than the Moon. Again Blondie implies that the astronomers hope for some visible effect.

This is the fourth comic in the last seven about space.

==Transcript==
:[Close-up of Blondie as a news anchor speaking, alongside an image to the left of an asteroid passing by Earth. The path of the asteroid is shown as a dashed line near the top-left, with the Moon orbiting the Earth below it.]
:Blondie: Astronomers initially said there was a one-in-6,000 chance that the newly-discovered asteroid might "do something cool" in 2063, but further observations determined it will be "just a boring dot like all the others."

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:News anchor]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Space]]

1996: Morning News

2026-02-08T17:49:45Z

Kynde: More on news

<noinclude>{{distinguish|768: 1996}}</noinclude>
{{comic
| number = 1996
| date = May 21, 2018
| title = Morning News
| image = morning_news.png
| titletext = Support your local paper, unless it's just been bought by some sinister hedge fund or something, which it probably has.
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics. It is also one of five comics to use the News format in the title.

[[Megan]] is complaining to [[Hairbun]] about her easy access to infuriating national news stories and bad opinions (editorial articles and commentary) and worries that it may be having a negative effect on her, perhaps by promoting misinformation, by distraction, or by prompting adverse emotional reaction to content; she muses that, in some way or another, this habit is probably doing some sort of damage to her brain's wiring, training it to think in ways that are not necessarily good. While the capacity of the brain to change and adapt to a person's daily habits is, like most neurological phenomena, as yet not very well understood, it's clear that something of the sort exists--scientists refer to this capacity as "[https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=40362 neuroplasticity]."

Hairbun sarcastically tells Megan that things were different in her time, implicitly stating that access to infuriating stories via newspapers took only a tiny bit more time and effort during a morning routine compared to accessing them via the Internet.

Megan counters this idea and says that while it is true that newspapers provided the sort of national news she is being provoked by, they also had much more ''local'' news mixed in (which may be of a lighter nature, sometimes referred to in a derogatory sense as "fluff" news pieces), to which Hairbun agrees.

Megan also raises the point that bad opinions were not granted wide distribution. Hairbun is rather less quick to agree to this, and suggests that Megan not check that, revealing that Megan’s assertion isn’t entirely true. Indeed, before the Internet, newspapers were a common medium for expressing opinions, either by local columnists or average citizens via letters to the editor, and they, as with any body of opinions throughout history, were frequently noxious or ill-informed.

This comic has a similar tone to [[1348: Before the Internet]] in that it makes fun of the idea that life and society were better "in the good old days".

The title text takes another jab at newspapers as a supposedly superior source of news. Supporting your local paper is generally considered a positive action, as it is often the best or only source for local news (national media can't focus on smaller areas, and radio/television often lacks print media's focus on investigative journalism). However, in recent years, many seemingly independent local newspapers in major cities have been bought up by financial groups rather than traditional publishing companies, and their effect on the industry as a whole has been controversial. Most notably, hedge fund groups often attempt to make newspapers profitable by [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-22/the-hard-truth-at-newspapers-across-america-hedge-funds-are-in-charge cutting costs and downsizing], at the expense of quality reporting; critics call such hedge fund groups [https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/as-a-secretive-hedge-fund-guts-its-newspapers-journalists-are-fighting-back/2018/04/12/8926a45c-3c10-11e8-974f-aacd97698cef_story.html?utm_term=.d4e6ff7d3058 "vulture capitalists"] who are throttling newspapers for short-term profit, without any thought of long-term viability or public service. The owners of the fund may also be unethical or controversial for other reasons. Thus, the standard well-meaning suggestion of supporting your local paper may no longer be good advice.

==Transcript==
:[Megan, looking on a smartphone in her hand, and Hairbun are standing together and talk.]
:Megan: Every morning, before my eyes even focus all the way, I read a bunch of infuriating national news stories and bad opinions. I wonder what this is doing to my brain.
:Megan: It's probably not great.

:[Zoom in to the head of Hairbun.]
:Hairbun: Back in my day, we had to pay people to '''''print out''''' infuriating news stories and bring them to our door. And we waited until we had stumbled out to the '''''kitchen''''' to read them.
:Hairbun: '''''Totally''''' different.

:[Frameless panel, zoom out on both while Megan has lowered her hand holding the phone.]
:Megan: OK, fair. But newspapers at least had more local news mixed in, right?
:Hairbun: Yeah, true.

:[Same as last panel, except it has a border.]
:Megan: I bet they weren't full of bad opinions.
:Hairbun: Yyyyyes.
:Hairbun: All our opinions were good. It was a remarkable time.
:Hairbun: Please don't go check.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]

1699: Local News

2026-02-08T17:49:20Z

Kynde: More on news

{{comic
| number = 1699
| date = June 27, 2016
| title = Local News
| image = local_news.png
| titletext = Will there ever be a physics term greater than 'tachyonic antitelephone?' According to this message from the future, the answer is 'no.'
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics. It is also one of five comics to use the News format in the title.

Typical news broadcasts are divided into local, national, and global news segments. The broadcast in this comic presented by [[Blondie]], the [[:Category:News anchor|news anchor]], has been broken into real local, (about city council election) and what the newscaster calls "nonlocal". Rather than focusing on national or global news, the nonlocal segment deals with news of a {{w|nonlocality}} nature; more likely dealing with causal nonlocality.

A "{{w|tachyon}}" is a theoretical or thought-experiment particle which travels {{w|Faster-than-light|faster}} than the {{w|speed of light}}. It has many strange properties, including being able to go back in time. This is how the newscaster is able to send a beam back in time to kill her past self. The comic does not explain {{w|Grandfather paradox|the paradox}} of how someone who died in the past could still be alive in the present/future, nor any of the many other paradoxes that arise when {{w|time travel}} is involved, a [[:Category:Time travel|recurring theme]] in xkcd.

The title text asks if there could ever be a greater physics term than ''{{w|tachyonic antitelephone}}'', a theoretical device which would allow messages to be sent to the past. The text then continues to answer the question via a message from the future (presumably sent by antitelephone). The answer is ''No'' - there will never be a greater physics term.

==Transcript==
:[Blondie as a news anchor is sitting behind a table with her arms resting on the tabletop.]
:Blondie: In local news, city council elections were held today.
:Blondie: In nonlocal news, I killed my past self with a tachyon beam.

==Trivia==
*Blondie was finally named as a new character based on this comic. See the discussion below and this [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Proposals#New_character_category_for_blonde_woman_news_reporter_.28from_1699.29|community portal discussion]].
*And seeing she was often used as a news anchor that [[:Category:News anchor|new category]] was also based on this comic.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:News]]
[[Category:News anchor]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Time travel]]

1280: Mystery News

2026-02-08T17:49:02Z

Kynde:

{{comic
| number = 1280
| date = October 21, 2013
| title = Mystery News
| image = mystery news.png
| titletext = If you find and stop the video, but you've--against all odds--gotten curious about the trade summit, just leave the tab opened. It will mysteriously start playing again 30 minutes later!
}}

==Explanation==
This is one of the [[:Category:News|News]] comics. It is also one of five comics to use the News format in the title.

With the introduction of tabbed browsing, many users, even on widescreens, will have so many tabs open that it is hard to find any given one. At 44 {{w|Tab (GUI)|tabs}} on {{W|Google Chrome}} on a {{w|1080p}} screen, the user can no longer see any text on the tabs. Long before this point (~20 tabs), the text is so short as to be unusable. Randall refers to this tendency to open many tabs without closing them in this comic.

Many modern tabbed {{w|web browser|browsers}} can remember what tabs were open upon closure if this setting is on, and will reload the same tabs on startup. This will start any auto-playing videos, such as YouTube videos (although some browsers, like Firefox, have since fixed this by forcing videos to pause), which appear on any of the open pages. This situation can also occur during browsing when an auto-playing video does not begin playing until after a user has moved on to a new tab, when a page with a video refreshes in the background, or when a site with such a video automatically opens in a tab that does not become the active tab when it opens.

This generally leads the user to clicking through all of the open tabs to try to find where the sound is coming from. This can be even more difficult if the video is not obvious and not centered on the screen of whatever tab it is playing in. Years after the release of this comic, Google Chrome began to indicate to the user which tabs are playing audio, thus alleviating this problem.

The title text refers to websites that {{w|meta refresh|refresh in the background}}, causing videos (and ads) to start playing again even if you stopped them previously. Many news sites, such as CNN, will do this if you [http://www.holovaty.com/writing/23/ stay on the same page for 30 minutes].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball sitting at a laptop.]
:Laptop: It's day five of the trade summit, and still no...
:Cueball: ''Dammit''
:''click click click''

:I get most of my news from autoplaying videos in browser tabs I can't find.

:''Title text'': If you find and stop the video, but you've--against all odds--gotten curious about the trade summit, just leave the tab opened. It will mysteriously start playing again 30 minutes later!

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

1062: Budget News

2026-02-08T17:48:24Z

Kynde: More one News

{{comic
| number = 1062
| date = May 30, 2012
| title = Budget News
| image = budget_news.png
| titletext = I will vote, no questions asked, for any candidate who describes themselves as 'more of a deficit sugar glider.'
}}

==Explanation==
This was the first of [[Randall|Randall's]] [[:Category:News|News]] comics. It is also one of five comics to use the News format in the title.

This comic is a use of homonym of the word "hawk" in the phrase "{{w|Deficit hawk}}". Wikipedia has a great definition: "Deficit hawk is an American political slang term for people who place great emphasis on keeping the federal budget under control. Deficit hawks believe the best way to reduce the deficit, pay off national debt, and balance the budget is by a combination of increasing taxes and cutting government spending." It is derived from the concept of a "hawk", or "warhawk", being a person who advocates aggressive foreign policy, compared with "doves" who prefer negotiated diplomacy; a deficit hawk thus tends to promote harsher economic actions to 'defeat' deficits.

And obviously, a 'regular' {{w|hawk}} is a bird of prey. In this case, the prey has become a politician known to be fiscally strict. This event may have been contrived, as a certain [[Black Hat]] is visible in the audience.

In the title text, there is a reference to the {{w|sugar glider}}, which is a small gliding possum originating from the {{w|marsupial}} infraclass or subclass. They are generally considered to be cute and harmless, as well as being relatively obscure, indicating a politician who is humorous and good-natured enough to make such a comparison, as well as nerdy enough to know what a sugar glider is. Having an insect diet, along with the sugary saps that inspire its name, a "deficit sugar glider" would not normally be seen as aggressive (by anyone not relating themselves to any sort of insect) as the carnivore-inspired "hawk", but would perhaps be considered more proactive than those who might be said to equivalently tend to 'peck' at a deficit's {{w|Columbidae#Feeding|'peppercorn grains' and 'low-hanging fruits'}}.

==Transcript==
:[The front page of a newspaper with the name of the paper in large gray letters at the top, and several unreadable sections left of, right of, and below the main front page news. A large heading is written to the left of a photo on the right. In the photo a man with black hair who has been standing behind a lectern with a microphone delivering a speech is falling towards the left and holding out one hand in that direction while blocking his face with the other hand against an attack from a large black bird. Below the podium with the lectern is the top of the crowd in the front row. Five Cueball-like guys (two cut off at the edges), a person with black hair and Black Hat to the right can be seen. Below the headline and below the picture are black lines indicating the main text in the article.]
:Title: The <big><big>'''Daily News'''</big></big> 
:Headline: '''Deficit Hawk Attacked by Regular One'''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:News]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Animals]]

Category talk:News

2026-02-08T17:46:13Z

Kynde: /* Poorly defined */ Better now...

== Poorly defined ==

Greetings. This category seems poorly-defined, and it is unclear when to use it vs. when to exclude it. Furthermore, it does not seem useful for navigation or classification of comics based on the inclusion criteria. Lastly, there are already comics mis-classified according to the explanation given by the creator, such as [[3095]], if we assume that a "bad news" sentence is equivalent to a "good news" sentence. I would propose that the inclusion criteria be changed to something concrete, such as "the comic is structured as a news report" of some kind, such as newspaper clipping or newscast, and I propose that we steer away from relying on literal wording in the title or comic. Thank you. [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 17:40, 7 February 2026 (UTC)
:My thinking is:
:Intended for this category (and why I redescribed it as "<Subject> News"):
:*as title: [[1062: Budget News]]
:*as title: [[1280: Mystery News]] (but arguable)
:*as title: [[1699: Local News]] (arguable)
:*as title: [[1996: Morning News]] (arguable)
:*Huge Space News: [[2717: L6 Lagrange Point]]
:*Physics News: [[2775: Siphon]]
:*Big Math News: [[2861: X Value]]
:*as title: [[2984: Asteroid News]]
:*Astronomy News: [[2991: Beamsplitters]]
:*Geopolitical News: [[2996: CIDABM]]
:*Cosmoogy News: [[3066: Cosmic Distance Calibration]]
:*Maritime News: [[3119: Flettner Rotor]]
:*Space News: [[3203: Binary Star]]
:There is room for a "Category:Newspapers" or perhaps "Category:Headines" that ''may or may not'' overlap with this category, and give anyone still with ambiguity a different place to put that sort of thing.
:If, as apparenty suggested (but not implemented), "Good News" isn't supposed to be here, then consider something for those. "Announcing a change of fortune", but needs a better description than "Category:Good News" (which needs to encompass Bad News examples) or something perhaps too simple like "Category:Fortune". These are (and therefore should not be bere, as described)...
:*[[2342: Exposure Notification]] (Good Newses)
:*[[2624: Voyager Wires]] (Sad News)
:*[[2755: Effect Size]] (Bad News)
:*[[2824: Abstract Pickup]] (Bad News)
:*[[2956: Number Line Branch]] (Good News)
:*[[3011: Europa Clipper]] (Good News)
:*[[3027: Exclusion Principle]] (Big News - only here because it isn't "Big <Foo> News", and so arguably more like Good News than Subject News)
:*[[3049: Incoming Asteroid]] (various levels of Good/Bad news)
:*[[3078: Anchor Bolts]] (Good News)
:*[[3095: Archaea]] (Bad News)
:*[[3137: Cursed Number]] (Good News)
:*[[3145: Piercing]] (Good News)
:*[[Prescriptions]] (Good ''and'' Bad News)
:The following are certainly not this Category, but ''may or may not'' eventually be covered by "Good/Bad/etc News", however it is defined.
:*[[2605: Taylor Series]]
:*[[2762: Diffraction Spikes]]
:...it might actually be easier to just allow "Good/Bad/etc News"es into this category (minus the more out-of-field ones), after all, in which case widen my description to something like "<Type> News" to include them properly.
:But I am still confused between the stated intent of this category (before and after corrections were maded) and actual implementation, so... not de'News'ing any more of those added by Kynde, until we've had a good discussion about this. (Honestly, could have been worth a brief discussion about it before creating the new pages, but that's water already under the bridge.) [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:16, 7 February 2026 (UTC)
::Thanks for chiming in. I did not get a chance to finish the project that I began yesterday. And just added anything that had some clearly <subject> News and then the news. I think the two you mentioned last is in line with all the other good/bad news comics. So not agreeing with leaving them out just because they are frased a bit different.
::I do now agree that good and bad news should be let out of this category and I do not yet know if I think they should or should not have a different category all together.
::But I believe this category (as it is now) is very relevant. Seeing that there are 15 comics (give or take a few) that uses this phrasing, and that no one ever found a way to collect them before. I really see it like the Tips and Fun fact categories. Similar style used in several comics.
::Someone must have changed my original phrasing before you read it. Because I definitely did write so it could include god and bad news. But as I said I agree those should be removed, and thus also the two comics where we disagree based on the different way they are presenting the Good News.
::I just finished the extra section (which had been removed when it was just begun), where each type of news is now listed. That I think is very relevant, so you can quickly see which have been used without clicking into the 10 comics where it is not in the title. And by letting this be in a collapsed section, you need to bother about this to find it, and it will not push the list of the comics below out of view. Similar has been used on lots of other categories, to give an overview of what it is all about, without having to read them all.
::We cannot wait until people get to discuss every category made, there is way too few that notices such discussions. But if this turns out to be a bad name or similar, then it can either be moved or deleted and remade under a different name. But I think this is a good category, now that it has been pruned. I was already doubting inclusion of the good and bad news, but if there had only been one of each, I think it would have made sense, and I just added all comics using the format for news when starting the category. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:46, 8 February 2026 (UTC)

Category:News

2026-02-08T17:30:06Z

Kynde:

This is for comics that present "<Subject> News" as title, subtitle or similar, in the same manner as we are presented with Facts and Tips in [[:Category:Fun fact]] and [[:Category:Tips]] categories.


Five comics have titles in this format, but it is more often in the caption or the title text.

The mere presence of the word "news" is insufficient, or the portrayal of ''newspapers'', the comic [[1062: Budget News]] qualifies due to its title, not the "Daily News" newspaper within it. [[997: Wait Wait]]

If it is a sentence where it alludes to "good" and/or "bad" news, then it does not belong here.


'''Click''' to expand for a more detailed explanation:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed leftAlign" style="width:100%">
 
[[1062: Budget News]] seems to have been the first comic, with this kind of News. It even used it for the title. Actually the first four comics all used it in the title and after that it only happened one more time, as of 2026, with [[2984: Asteroid News]].

At the time this category was created, the comic that caused this was [[3203: Binary Star]], where the news is mentioned in the caption, a Space News.

This category should not be confused with [[:Category:News anchor]]. There could be a News part of such a comic, like in [[2984: Asteroid News]], but generally that is no the case.

Also comics using the word News in the title (or any other way) is not part of this category if it is not used as described above. For instance like in [[2505: News Story Reaction]] or [[2174: First News Memory]]

So far, there have been the following types of news:
#Budget News: [[1062: Budget News]] - 1. comic to use this format in the title - also first using news like this.
#Mystery News: [[1280: Mystery News]] - 2. comic to use this format in the title
#Local News: [[1699: Local News]] - 3. comic to use this format in the title
#Morning News: [[1996: Morning News]] - 4. comic to use this format in the title - four in a row, and then a long break
#Sad news: [[2624: Voyager Wires]]
#Huge space news: [[2717: L6 Lagrange Point]]
#Physics news: [[2775: Siphon]]
#Big math news: [[2861: X Value]]
#Asteroid News: [[2984: Asteroid News]] - 5. comic to use this format in the title - so far the last
#Astronomy News: [[2991: Beamsplitters]]
#Geopolitical news: [[2996: CIDABM]]
#Big news: [[3027: Exclusion Principle]]
#Cosmology News: [[3066: Cosmic Distance Calibration]]
#Maritime news: [[3119: Flettner Rotor]] - In the title text. This comic is also a Tips comic.
#Space news: [[3203: Binary Star| Binary Star]]
</div>
 

[[Category:Comics by topic]]

Category:News

2026-02-08T17:28:27Z

Kynde: Re-adding my section as it was not finished, it was of course not useful yet. I have removed more of those with good news.

This is for comics that present "<Subject> News" as title, subtitle or similar, in the same manner as we are presented with Facts and Tips in [[:Category:Fun fact]] and [[:Category:Tips]] categories.


Five comics have titles in this format, but it is more often in the caption or the title text.

The mere presence of the word "news" is insufficient, or the portrayal of ''newspapers'', the comic [[1062: Budget News]] qualifies due to its title, not the "Daily News" newspaper within it. [[997: Wait Wait]]

If it is a sentence where it alludes to "good" and/or "bad" news, then it does not belong here.


'''Click''' to expand for a more detailed explanation:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed leftAlign" style="width:100%">
 
[[1062: Budget News]] seems to have been the first comic, with this kind of News. It even used it for the title. Actually the first four comics all used it in the title and after that it only happened one more time, as of 2026, with [[2984: Asteroid News]].

At the time this category was created, the comic that caused this was [[3203: Binary Star]], where the news is mentioned in the caption, a Space News.

This category should not be confused with [[Category:News anchor]]. There could be a News part of such a comic, like in [[2984: Asteroid News]], but generally that is no the case.

Also comics using the word News in the title (or any other way) is not part of this category if it is not used as described above. For instance like in [[2505: News Story Reaction]] or [[2174: First News Memory]]

So far, there have been the following types of news:
#Budget News: [[1062: Budget News]] - 1. comic to use this format in the title - also first using news like this.
#Mystery News: [[1280: Mystery News]] - 2. comic to use this format in the title
#Local News: [[1699: Local News]] - 3. comic to use this format in the title
#Morning News: [[1996: Morning News]] - 4. comic to use this format in the title - four in a row, and then a long break
#Sad news: [[2624: Voyager Wires]]
#Huge space news: [[2717: L6 Lagrange Point]]
#Physics news: [[2775: Siphon]]
#Big math news: [[2861: X Value]]
#Asteroid News: [[2984: Asteroid News]] - 5. comic to use this format in the title - so far the last
#Astronomy News: [[2991: Beamsplitters]]
#Geopolitical news: [[2996: CIDABM]]
#Big news: [[3027: Exclusion Principle]]
#Cosmology News: [[3066: Cosmic Distance Calibration]]
#Maritime news: [[3119: Flettner Rotor]] - In the title text. This comic is also a Tips comic.
#Space news: [[3203: Binary Star| Binary Star]]
</div>
 

[[Category:Comics by topic]]

3137: Cursed Number

2026-02-08T17:26:24Z

Kynde: Removing news as bad/good news should not be included

{{comic
| number = 3137
| date = September 3, 2025
| title = Cursed Number
| image = cursed_number_2x.png
| imagesize = 388x449px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Another group of mathematicians is working to put an upper bound on the number, although everyone keeps begging them to stop.
}}

==Explanation==

It is quite common on mathematics to not know the value (or existence) of a number but be able to put bounds on it. For example, we know the first counterexample to the {{w|Collatz conjecture}} is at least 10^21, if it exists. There are also constants where we have an upper bound.

In this case, there is apparently postulated to exist a number that extremely harmful to the human mind to read it without eye protection - an {{w|information hazard}}. Dangerous pieces of writing like this are a fairly common trope in speculative fiction, such as the {{w|Necronomicon}} in the {{w|Cthulhu Mythos}}, [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-033 cognitohazards] in the {{w|SCP Foundation}}, the Basilisk in {{w|BLIT_(short_story)|BLIT}} by David Langford, and {{w|Monty Python}}'s {{w|The Funniest Joke in the World|Funniest Joke in the World}}. It is also very similar to the concept of an {{w|illegal number}}, or the {{w|Number of the beast}}.

Saying that it is once ''again'' safe to view large random numbers without eye protection may imply that the cursed number used to not be cursed (as opposed to no one realizing that the cursed number existed). This might indicate an evolutionary change in human brain structure, or, [[2332: Cursed Chair|considering previous comics]], someone with magical powers literally placing a curse on it (but not telling humans which). In the latter case, the fact that mathematicians have been able to place a lower bound might suggest that the magic-wielder gave some sort of hint, such as a hashed or encrypted version or a mathematical puzzle/riddle. Alternatively it could be that after the existence of the cursed number was discovered, but before there was a lower bound on it, people were advised to wear eye protection when viewing any large number, because no one could be sure which large number was cursed. The mechanism by which the eye protection works is not explained; theoretically any eye protection which allowed someone to view the cursed number at all shouldn't work, as being able to see or read the number means you can perceive it.

Naturally, the mathematicians of this world are doing their best, in the interest of public safety, to keep this number away from as many human eyeballs as possible. Through some process they have figured out the number is at least 22 digits long. Numbers this large (greater than 1021, i.e. at least a {{w|Orders_of_magnitude_(numbers)#1021|'sextillion'}}) are extremely unlikely to be found in the day-to-day lives of non-mathematicians (and almost all mathematicians); even if a person spent their entire lives looking at random strings of 22 digit numbers flashing by every millisecond, for a 100 year lifetime, they would still only have about 3 in a (short) billion chance of seeing the number. Because of the low risk, public officials have deemed it safe for people to go about their daily lives reading numbers again without eye protection, which apparently protects you from the number.

Despite this, there are some instances of large numbers (more than 21 decimal digits) that may be encountered relatively frequently. IT professionals may encounter "{{w|Universally unique identifier}}s". These are 128 {{w|bit}} binary numbers requiring up to 39 decimal digits to display. However, with 2^128 possible possible numbers of that length, even if you look at UUIDs all day long you are extremely unlikely to see this "cursed number" if it exists.

In the title text another group of mathematicians are trying to narrow down the number's identity even further. The more attributes of the cursed number the mathematicians identify, the easier it is for someone with morbid curiosity or someone researching more attributes of the number to discover the number themselves and get their mind damaged. This includes the researchers themselves, as they are now willingly going above the lower safe limit, increasing their chances of encountering it accidentally. Furthermore, the cursed number may appear as part of another number; for example, 223 appears as part of 2237. Worse, if the number could be determined in some controllable way that didn't necessarily expose its discoverers, it {{w|BLIT (short story)|might be used as a weapon}}, and this might be easier with the upper bound discovered, if the method used to find the number is brute force. This echoes concerns about knowledge gained from research on nuclear forces having been used to create atomic weapons. This was also how the Funniest Joke in the World was used in Monty Python.

==Transcript==
:[A large screen with one equation in the middle is shown to the left of three people. The left part of the equation shows a black bar with a skull in the middle:]
: 💀 > 2.6 x 1021

:[Cueball is standing to the right of the screen and further right is Blondie. Blondie is standing behind a lectern with a label in front. Hairbun stands further and holds a paper up in front of her using both hands. The paper shows illegible text surrounding what is visibly the same equation as appears on the screen, with a skull, but not the black bar. None of the text can be read and the skull can only be made out as such, knowing what it is from the screen.]
:[The lectern reads:]
:Math Dept

:[Caption below the comic:]
:Good news: Mathematicians have put a new lower bound on the '''Cursed Number that destroys the minds of all who perceive it'''!
:It's at least 22 digits, which means it's unlikely to be seen by any human no matter how many random numbers they look at.
:They say it's once again safe to view large random numbers without eye protection.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Comics with cursed items]]

3078: Anchor Bolts

2026-02-08T17:23:31Z

Kynde: Removing news as bad/good news should not be included

{{comic
| number = 3078
| date = April 18, 2025
| title = Anchor Bolts
| image = anchor_screws_2x.png
| imagesize = 381x326px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The biggest expense was installing the mantle ducts to keep the carbonate-silicate cycle operating.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic displays a cross-section of a subduction zone, with an anchor bolt connecting the two tectonic plates. Sudden shifts in the positions of tectonic plates relative to each other is a major cause of earthquakes, especially the largest ones. {{w|anchor bolt|Anchor bolts}} are used to secure an item in place, for instance to attach a building to its foundation. In earthquake prone areas, anchor bolts are often used to secure furniture so it won't slide or jump around during a tremor, potentially creating a hazard. The joke is that, instead of settling for an engineering solution that minimizes the consequences of an earthquake, geophysicists have applied the solution to prevent earthquakes from happening. The caption facetiously expresses frustration that the geophysicists have taken this long to address the earthquake problem at its source. The simple absurdity of this project is another part of the joke.

{{w|Subduction}} is a geologic process in which two {{w|Plate tectonics|plates}} of planetary {{w|lithosphere}} converge, and one is dragged under the other. The Earth's lithosphere is divided into tectonic plates. They slowly move across the surface at a few centimeters per year, although the rate is nonuniform across plates. Where they collide, the denser plate gets dragged under the less dense plate, in a process called subduction. {{w|Earthquake|Earthquakes}} are common at subduction zones, and subduction can also lead to volcanic activity. An "anti-subduction anchor bolt" would aim to stop the process of subduction and the movement of plate tectonics as a whole.

A round head bolt is screwed in through both the oceanic lithosphere and the continental crust from the bottom up, with a plain washer on either side, and a wing nut tightened at the surface. Washers are present to prevent the bolt and the wing nut from sinking into the crust, by distributing the forces over larger areas. There are several concerns not addressed in the comic with such a design. The implication that the bolt is being screwed in from the mantle side would imply that a very large bolt head was operated from inside the mantle. (There are types of nut-and-bolt system that might be easier to deploy, such as {{w|toggle bolt}}s and {{w|Molly (fastener)|mollys}}. These would have the bolt head on the Earth's surface, rather than in the mantle, and use a spreading "nut" inside the Earth. They wouldn't require conducting enormous operations from below, "merely" a large hole bored from above.) As of the time of posting of the comic, {{w|Kola Superdeep Borehole|humans have not drilled a hole through a continental crust}}, still less deployed large vehicles in the mantle. In addition, the presence of wing nuts, fasteners that are designed to be able to be screwed in by hand, implies work done by a larger being that has appendages able to use the wing nut. The bolt itself would be a technological challenge, as well. It would need to be made to withstand the temperature of Earth's mantle, around 1000°C near the surface. At these temperatures, most commercial stainless steel used to manufacture bolts would experience noticeable strength losses. The bolt would need be around 50 km long. Moreover, as subduction zones move parallel to each other, the construction would have to withstand high shear forces, something that a bolt is rather unsuited to compared to other tools, such as rivets. On top of that, ways to alleviate stress must be sought out as if the bolt fails, it could produce a highly amplified earthquake. On top of all this, having secured the bolt, the mantle team would have sealed off their most obvious route of exit back to the surface.

In the short term, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are typically bad for those living nearby, and thus ways to prevent them happening might reduce economic risks in those areas. However, volcanic eruptions deposit nutrients in the surrounding area, enriching soils. Volcanos also release gases. The vents mentioned in the title text might replenish the nutrients and gases, replacing the benefits of eruptions. Earthquakes sometimes trigger {{w|tsunami|tsunamis}}, which create or modify beaches, and redistribute nutrients from bays and estuaries across coastal plains. So, while the immediate effects of eruptions and earthquakes can be disruptive, they also enrich the environment. Areas at risk from these "disasters" are also attractive and enriched as a result of these same events.

When plates collide but do not subduct, they often uplift, thickening or raising the crust. The {{w|Himalayas|Himalaya}} mountains, are an example. Tectonic plates spread apart as new lithosphere is formed at ridges, most of which occur under oceans. If spreading continued, but subduction was prevented by the system of anchors pictured in this cartoon, there would likely be new areas of uplift. If positioned appropriately, the mantle ducts, mentioned in the title text, might slow or stop the spreading, reducing uplift.

The title text references the {{w|Carbonate–silicate cycle|carbonate-silicate geochemical cycle}}. Briefly, subduction and subsequent heating of the global crust restores carbon dioxide and silicate rocks to the planetary surface, countering the effects of carbonate deposition and silicate rock weathering. Anchor bolts sufficient to stop plate tectonics would also stop the carbonate-silicate cycle, leading to unexpected, and likely unwelcome, changes in the surface geosphere and biosphere. (Arguably, if the carbonate cycle alone could be paused, it might be a means of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the biosphere.) To restore the cycle by an unknown mechanism, "mantle ducts" have been installed as part of the planet-wide plate anchoring system. It is stated that the mantle duct installation was the most expensive part of the project, implying greater intellectual and technical challenges than the already-massive ones associated with anchor-bolt design and deployment. It is unclear how these mantle ducts would operate in a way that does not replicate many of the issues that the anchor bolts were intended to solve.

This project would presumably render [[Beret Guy]]'s [[1388: Subduction License|subduction license]] worthless.

==Transcript==
:[Panel shows Randall's usual illustration of a subduction zone: a tectonic plate subducting from the left side of the panel with water above it, and a mountain range forming on the right side of the panel on the other tectonic plate. Beneath each tectonic plate is the asthenosphere. The main difference between this image and others like it is that there is a bolt shown attaching the plates together in the subduction zone. The head of the bolt is shown in the asthenosphere below the subducting plate. There are two washers displayed, one between the bolt head and the subducting plate and one above the other above the upper plate on the side of a smaller mountain. A wing nut is positioned above this washer, with part of the bolt sticking out above the nut, higher than the tallest mountains in the panel]

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Good news: Geophysicists are '''''finally''''' installing Earth's required anti-subduction anchor bolts.

==Trivia==
In the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/0/00/20250419063115%21anchor_screws_2x.png original version of the comic], the caption said "anti-subduction anchor '''screws'''" instead of "anti-subduction anchor '''bolts'''". The title of the comic was also changed, from "Anchor Screws" to "Anchor Bolts". The original comic image and title can be seen on an [https://web.archive.org/web/20250419024242/https://xkcd.com/3078/ archived version] of the [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com] site. The fastener illustrated is indeed a {{w|Bolt (fastener)|bolt}} (with a {{w|Wingnut (hardware)|wing nut}}), not a screw. A screw has a pointed end and is drilled into a hole that is smaller than the diameter of the screw; the pressure caused by its {{w|screw thread|thread}} and screw head binds two objects together. A screw does not need a nut to go with it.

A bolt has a flat end, and it goes into a hole that is larger than the diameter of the bolt; it needs a nut which, when fixed onto the bolt and tightened, together with the head creates the pressure that binds the two objects together. Because a nut is used to create pressure, "bolt" is a more correct term than "screw", although it is very common to talk of 'screws' for [[1474: Screws|screw-headed]] bolts which attach panels (with non-threaded holes) against a substrate which incorporates a 'nut-like' threaded hole within it (or a nut encapsulated and held non-rotating in the backing plate's recess), even though they are also flat-faced at the thread-end and not self-tapping.

Or, for a differently worded definition, {{w|Screw#Differentiation between bolt and screw|see here}}.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Subduction]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]]