explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2979: Sky Alarm

2024-09-03T12:17:52Z

L-Space Traveler:

♫♪ Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me... ♪♫ :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:55, 31 August 2024 (UTC)

I've tried to do just this by subscribing to a channel promisingly named "AstroAlert", which then proceeded to spam me 500 times per day with messages about a random meteor on the opposite part of the world. Woe. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.110.200|162.158.110.200]] 05:15, 31 August 2024 (UTC)
:Hence the need for this alarm, to keep it LOCAL, :) That's the thing, any such thing needs a LOCATION, to limit results to what is locally relevant to each person. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:19, 31 August 2024 (UTC)

This comic seems super simple, so I added as muc( explanation as I can think of... [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:19, 31 August 2024 (UTC)

Local58 moment 💔 [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.138|172.70.85.138]] 11:27, 31 August 2024 (UTC)

With that device, no work is ever going to be done again... D: [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.24|108.162.221.24]] 11:36, 31 August 2024 (UTC)

There is a nice site called [https://apod.nasa.gov/ Astronomy Picture of the Day] that is like this. Alas, it is "A cool space thing happened three days ago - sorry you missed it". --[[User:Divad27182|Divad27182]] ([[User talk:Divad27182|talk]]) 11:41, 31 August 2024 (UTC)

Sounds like it needs a sky dome camera system (like they made for immersive filmimg) on the roof coupled with statistical analysis (mistakenly aka AI) to recognise and record 'interesting' things, coupled with localised alerts for known phenomena. A product for someone? [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 11:46, 31 August 2024 (UTC)

Most cool astronomical events don't come up so suddenly that you need an alarm. We know about eclipses years in advance, meteor showers recur annually, comets have months of warning, and unusual auroras are usually known a few days early. Anything sudden will probably also be short-lived, so by the time you get outside it will be over. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 15:26, 31 August 2024 (UTC)
:If you're anything like me, you're often eager to see (predicable space phenomenon) and then get reminded of it a day too late when the photos starts appearing on the internet. Though that could just as easily solved with a reminder on a standard calendar app, if only you had something reminding youto set up reminders. What would be nice would be an app where you put in your location and it gives you the next week's A) weather forecast, and B) list of interestingly visible space thingies. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.246.142|172.69.246.142]] 14:38, 1 September 2024 (UTC)

Seems like there should be a name for these alerts, like "Amber Alert" for missing children. I nominate "Neil Alert" -- it should probably use Neil deGrasse Tyson's voice. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 15:28, 31 August 2024 (UTC)

Since the characters in the comic are the same as in the previous ISS comic, I like to think that they're in the ISS and Megan is getting ready to do an EVA (ignore the fact that such a desk wouldn't make sense, or the walking, or that prepping for the EVA would probably take well over a full orbit) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.223.93|172.71.223.93]] 17:58, 31 August 2024 (UTC)

Dang, we really cleaned up all the incomplete explanations, didn't we?
Either that, or someone just went around and removed all the tags [[User:New editor|New editor]] ([[User talk:New editor|talk]]) 19:50, 31 August 2024 (UTC)
:I'm not too sure on that actually, considering that there's been people using AI to write explanations. It's unfortunately a possibility that somebody used AI and then removed the tags. Hoping to be proven wrong though. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.110.250|172.70.110.250]] 09:45, 2 September 2024 (UTC)
::Even before the latest craze for AI, premature Incomplete-Tag removal has been a thing. (IMO, if it's less than a week old, then there ''might'' be someone yet to check in.)
::Not that the Incomplete status is actually what it used to be (the momentum of contributors hardly lets a new comic go up without a very rapid 'full' explanation edit, and there's basically no big 'backfilling' needed on historic articles for the most part). These days, the Incomplete tag is a friendly quirk, with the replacemet of the BOT bit with something homorously topical to the comic (with any luck!) being its main attraction, and (apart from possibly confusing newbugs to the site... though, honestly, any newbug to ''any'' site is always going to have to learn the local community culture, and it's the same with the Citation Needed tag) it no longer functions as an ''actual'' call to edit. Edits will happen immediately, and probably happen long afterwards, regardless. But it's become a form of treasured landmark for those who have seen more than a few articles being created and dealt with.
::Then there are times when clearly someone has 'wiped the tag' off of even the last article (published within the last day, even). With or without it, the articles will get edited, but that'd be definitely premature. Believing that everything that can be said about the comic ''has'' been said about the comic (or, indeed, that all the wrong things said about it have been corrected/deleted) is an optomistic viewpoint on one's own understanding. Give it that week or so, and at least a day or so since the last actual edit, before presuming that you know the tag isn't needed any more. (As I said, it's actually not needed at all for attracting people's attention, but it still has that connection. But what you're really depriving people of is the latest consensus funny 'BOT replacement statement', which is a major part of our own independent contribution to this documentation of the comic. It belongs to us, rather than basically just being a reiteration of Randall's own humour. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.58.3|172.70.58.3]] 11:17, 2 September 2024 (UTC)

Does anyone know of anything like this? Something that will tell me about things like upcoming meteor showers, comets, auroras, etc. the day before, rather than hearing about it the day after from people who somehow knew about it? To this day I still have no idea how people find out about these things before they happen {{unsigned ip|162.158.154.134|13:35, 1 September 2024}}
:Offline, the national (and local) Weather broadcasts might give info on "what might be visible tonight". Or at least respond to the preceding News programme's "and finally..." if it features the note that supermoons will happen or aurora have a decent chance to and all that remains is the hope of clear sky. That's UK television, can't speak for wherever you are/what you might watch.
:Online, it would depend upon what you can imagine wanting to know. Keep an eye on something obvious like space.com (which might have internal/external links to gateways that push notifications on various subjects) or go the full hog and search for "aurora alert", "meteor alert", "rocket launch alert" in every sort of phrnomenon that you think might (if timed/located well) interest you and be visible.
:The comic device might be either configured to deal with everything the comic characters might be interested in, nails absolutely ''anything'' (without prejudice/selectability) or perhaps (over time) has an AI/heuristic element that 'learns' what random phenomena most interest you as it collates so many possible feed options (itself, or via its manufacturer's centrally maintained servers).
:But it looks like a project ripe for a 'Maker' to try. Set up an Arduino/Raspberry Pi/whatever with a "speaker/siren and lights" housing and an internet connection with suitably configured feed-scraping commands run within it (or via a separate computer to which it connects) that makes a fuss whenever a suitable notification is passed. Add to that maybe some skyward-facing camera(s) with one degree or other of image-processing applied to their images to (for example) identify when a particularly nice sunset is happening with plenty of rose-tinted clouds. With enough foresight (and the right processing) it could pick up particularly aesthetic cloudscapes, the spontaneous murmurations of starlings, an amusing conjunction of contrails, the first snowflakes of winter or (back to space things) a surprise Earth-skimming bolide... whatever your imagination, technical tinkering and subsequent data-munging could get your "Sky's-Pi Alarm" (or whatever it is) to make its noises for.
:I don't actually subscribe to anything (as proxy for my imagined self-contain/collating device), so I can't tell you any particularly good sources of info, but there'll be some out there. Like you can get earthquake alerts (or at least "yeah, we also know about it, be careful" semi-simultaneous detection), tornado alerts, flood aleets and other hobbyist/public-safety notification systems. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.207|172.70.162.207]] 14:58, 1 September 2024 (UTC)
:There's a link to subscribe to Google and Apple calendars at this site: https://www.nytimes.com/explain/2024/astronomy-space-calendar. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 12:17, 3 September 2024 (UTC)

At the moment, a device like this might actually be useful for all of us who irritate their friends and family by going out every evening at around 10 when it's dark but Corona Borealis is still a fair distance above the horizon, because of this [https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/t-coronae-borealis-nova nova-in-waiting]. There is a distinct chance it'll be cloudy on the nights it happens anyway, because ''that's reality: always pissing on the epic moment'' ([https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89186.Pushing_Ice?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=cSxwg6qHB1&rank=6 this last part is a quote, here's the source]) As with many glorious celestial events, if you don't know what it signifies, it'll just be another of many inconspicious little dots of light, and if you don't know or care what the constellations normally look like, you won't even notice. It'll still be an awesome once-in-a-lifetime event to watch, but be aware at all times that for all practical purposes (and for so-called "normal" people) the awesomeness is all in your head.* [[User:PaulEberhardt|PaulEberhardt]] ([[User talk:PaulEberhardt|talk]]) 15:30, 1 September 2024 (UTC)
: see [[1644: Stargazing]], [[2017: Stargazing 2]] and [[2274: Stargazing 3]] for further reference. To be honest, I'm actually waiting on xkcd's take on the event as much as on T Coronae Borealis going boom already. [[User:PaulEberhardt|PaulEberhardt]] ([[User talk:PaulEberhardt|talk]]) 15:30, 1 September 2024 (UTC)

I previously changed the words from the alarm in the Transcript to italics, but I wasn't convinced that the noises from the alarm were also italicized. I see someone else changed them to italics as well, but I wonder if anyone else is of the same mind as myself. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 14:16, 1 September 2024 (UTC)
:The transcript shouldn't actually use (or rely upon) formatting, really, though saying something like <code><nowiki>:[The device emits sounds and speech, in italics] ''The things the device says''</nowiki></code> in both description ''and'' markup would satisfy both human and non-human readers better than one method alone. I've not been involved in that transcript, probably won't, but it's the kind of expansion that I'd expect (done with more thought than this quick note, maybe). [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.207|172.70.162.207]] 14:58, 1 September 2024 (UTC)

'''NOAA weather radio:''' How has nobody mentioned the NWS NOAA weather radio system (162.400–162.550 MHz)? It has both continuous broadcasting of weather information as well as a special system of alert tones that many receivers can automatically recognize and then flag to the user in whatever way. It's kind of like this, except maybe that watches and warnings are about severe weather and not "cool stuff happening." [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 15:51, 1 September 2024 (UTC)

spaceweather.com - provides aurora alerts to your phone, solar flare warnings for expected solar activity, near earth asteroid fly pasts, meteor showers, geomagnetic storm warnings, and generally announces upcoming celestial events such as conjunctions, comets, predicted nova (eg T CrB), and more. Also provided imagery of past events too short or local for most people to catch including noctilucent clouds, rocket fuel dumps, fireballs, and rare forms of lightning. Also ongoing weekly measures of radiation levels at altitude from balloon flights over the continental US. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.141|108.162.241.141]] 14:24, 2 September 2024 (UTC)

== T Coronae Borealis ==

Paul mentioned T Coronae Borealis, but it's worth calling attention to it more specifically. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a (sort of) scheduled nova. It's unlikely you can actually witness the explosion in real time, but you can see the before (now) and after (any day now) without great effort:

Go outside tonight and look at the "before" so you will know it has changed when you see the "after". And the "after" may only last a day or two, hence, the appeal of the Sky Alarm. Or monitor other pages for updates, such as:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T_Coronae_Borealis

In September 2024, in the USA, it's visible after sunset, nearly overhead, and then (like everything) it sets in the west a few hours later. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.154.20|172.71.154.20]] 00:52, 3 September 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2972: Helium Synthesis

2024-08-20T04:57:19Z

L-Space Traveler:

I had imagined that, rather than destroying the entire universe, they just somehow made a big bang INSIDE THE MACHINE that they could somehow obtain helium from safely. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.109.166|141.101.109.166]] 07:34, 15 August 2024 (UTC)
:I get the impression that, like an abbreviated version of the cyclical {{w|Big Bounce}} hypothesis, they did indeed recreate the conditions for a (sufficiently similar) universe.
:The question as to whether they obliterated their current one (in a short-sighted and {{w|Instrumental convergence#Paperclip maximizer|paperclip-maximiser}}-like effort that disregards the safety of their current existence) or create a new instance of universe-within-the-universe (like [[2688: Bubble Universes]], presumably with some way of [[248: Hypotheticals|bringing the stuff out]]) is left open.
:If the latter, it could be that the ''reason'' why each universe's helium-users are chronically short of helium is that their universe ''has'' been used as a source for the next-universe-out's helium by the equivalent outwards recursion of the very same people. (The former would imply a kind of {{w|The Last Question}} situation, only not with the same timing.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.118|162.158.74.118]] 08:25, 15 August 2024 (UTC)
::I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that you probably couldn't create a big bang in the lab capable of replaying the events of the current universe exactly without obliterating at least, as the explanation says, all the closest galaxies. If new inflation pushes the existing universe apart, it's still smeared quite thinly outside the new expanding edge.
:::You think in such three-dimensional terms - and I don't mean it as a praise, just like the Borg Queen. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 03:07, 16 August 2024 (UTC)
::But I really like the idea, it's kind of like Rick's car battery in ''Rick and Morty'', one of my favorite episodes. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.210.4|172.70.210.4]] 08:34, 15 August 2024 (UTC)
:::What if inflation doesn't disturb the matter and space around it, it just shrinks the apparent size of the matter inside it to create the expanded space relative to observers inside, by curving the interior spacetime and distorting the gravitational field to block it from its surroundings? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.45|172.70.206.45]] 10:04, 15 August 2024 (UTC)
::::Black hole universe, anyone? https://arxiv.org/abs/2204.11608 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71eUes30gwc [[Special:Contributions/172.71.147.192|172.71.147.192]] 18:16, 15 August 2024 (UTC)
:::[https://wiki.lspace.org/Roundworld Universe within a (continuing) universe] isn't exactly hard to imagine. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.33.216|162.158.33.216]] 13:07, 15 August 2024 (UTC)

Could this comic maybe be a reference to a certain popular space video game? Sadly, in what I call a reverse spoiler, I cannot tell you which game I mean without massively spoiling that game. I hope some people know which one I mean and can reply basic on that guess. [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 09:30, 15 August 2024 (UTC)
:If it's [https://www.mobiusdigitalgames.com/outer-wilds.html Outer Wilds], there's nothing here that's a gameplay spoiler, is there? Just for a pretty small part of the story, right? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.55|162.158.187.55]] 10:08, 15 August 2024 (UTC)
::[not OP] It's a pretty big story spoiler and it could be considered a gameplay spoiler indirectly, or it could if there was more specifity. It's fine to discuss it here. Most xkcd fans would love that game even if they can only watch play-throughs, I reckon. So I consider the discussion here a net positive, really, and I suspect most of the authors would too. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.36|162.158.91.36]] 17:19, 15 August 2024 (UTC)

This is also a bit reminiscent of the classic Perry Bible Fellowship comic "[https://pbfcomics.com/comics/reset/ Reset]". [[Special:Contributions/172.68.144.140|172.68.144.140]] 03:29, 16 August 2024 (UTC)

I wonder whether the cyclicity in the comic is an intentional play a cyclic universe theory. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.210.47|162.158.210.47]] 11:46, 16 August 2024 (UTC)
:It's certainly a recurring (NPI!) theme in Randall's works, in various forms (as noted all over this article/Talk-page), so I'd be absolutely amazed if it really isn't anything at all to do with it. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.54|172.70.91.54]] 12:15, 16 August 2024 (UTC)

I think I've read too much [[Wikipedia:Casey and Andy|Casey and Andy]] but I thought that machine should be called a Big-Bang-Nucleosynthesis-O-Mat. [[User:WhiteDragon|WhiteDragon]] ([[User talk:WhiteDragon|talk]]) 14:55, 16 August 2024 (UTC)
:I have never heard of C&A before. Thank you so much - I should be sleeping now - guess what I'm doing instead? [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]])

Talk:2958: Hatchery

2024-07-15T17:58:11Z

L-Space Traveler:

Aren't hatcheries usually about breeding fish, not farming them?[[User:RadiantRainwing|RadiantRainwing]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 23:26, 12 July 2024 (UTC)
:Well farming sheep often involves the lambing process (though you ''can'' just buy in fresh surplus tups every year, from wherever happens to suit your price/quality thresholds, if that's your thing), so "farming" is a wide application in terms of animal husbandry (as well as agriculture, though ''perhaps'' in some arboriculture/horticulture/viniculture situations you needn't do the initial seeding, and just buy in the juvenile plants).
:Open-water "Fish-farms" may be more likely to get their fry/big-enough-to-keep-netted-youngsters from an 'on-shore' breeding facility that ''may'' be a separate supplier, but I'd probably accept the description of the breeding facility (in 'barrels', quite possibly) as 'farming', even if it's not a full-lifetime aquaponics setup, just had mysteriously internet-accessible firearms trained upon the various tanks of growing fish. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.163.120|172.70.163.120]] 10:42, 13 July 2024 (UTC)
:Comic does not say "farm" anywhere? [[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 20:53, 13 July 2024 (UTC)
::Although it's missing a trick by not doing so — would have given the opportunity for a further fish farm/server farm pun.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.63|172.69.195.63]] 08:28, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Reading it, I first thought it was about Call of Duty, an fps game series. Its usual abbreviation is COD, but this might be coincidence.[[User:Intara|Intara]] ([[User talk:Intara|talk]]) 01:44, 13 July 2024 (UTC)

:As funny as that is, it is almost certainly coincidence. An incredible, hilarious one to be sure, but still most likely a coincidence.[[User:OmniDoom|OmniDoom]] ([[User talk:OmniDoom|talk]]) 06:50, 13 July 2024 (UTC)

::I noticed [[792]] also features Black Hat, is about hacking and mentions CoD4 tournaments, but I guess it isn't part of this comic's joke. [[User:Asdf|Asdf]] ([[User talk:Asdf|talk]]) 08:52, 13 July 2024 (UTC)

:::I actually think the 'CoD' connection might be something. A hatchery is (amongst other things) where fish spawn. Someone sitting at a computer remotely executing cod as they spawn definitely feels like it might be some kind of 'spawn camping' joke. Also he mentions shooting and there's a 'blam' sound effect. Both of which I don't think fit that well with the pure cod/code pun, but make more sense if it's partially a reference to killing helpless players in an FPS as they first spawn. It feels intentional to me, but also very awkward, so I suspect I'm missing something. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.43.226|172.69.43.226]] 12:40, 14 July 2024 (UTC)

::::I recall a "remote controlled gun" from elsewhere in the xkcd canon. Can't immedaitely find it (was it somewhere in a What-If/off the usual numbered comics?) but eveything in this ones scenario screams at "actual gun (in a fish-farm) being controlled via a monitor". I'll have to use a bit better Google-Fu and discover which precise prior art I'm ''actually'' thinking of, out of the nearly (or slightly over, depending upon what I include) 3000 possibilities.
::::And I rather think that if this was a pun (even partially a pun) on Call Of Duty, there'd be a few more actually direct references to this than merely "something you do on a computer". [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.144|172.70.90.144]] 17:00, 14 July 2024 (UTC)

:::::Maybe originally there was meant to be a more obvious CoD connection, but it was dropped to make the cod(fish)/code pun(s) smoother? I'm not sure. Still, the title text seems to not reference CoD. [[User:Asdf|Asdf]] ([[User talk:Asdf|talk]]) 17:26, 14 July 2024 (UTC)

:::I just want to observe that despite Randall's convention for using all-caps in his comics, in the above-referenced CoD [[792]] comic, he does stylize that specific abbreviation with a lower-case "o". He doesn't do that here. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 17:58, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

I wonder if this is also inspired by the [https://visdeurbel.nl/en/about-the-fish-doorbell/ fish doorbell] set up so that users watching a webcam of a river lock can see when a fish is waiting and press a button to open the lock so the fish can continue swimming upstream to spawn. The title "hatchery" doesn't ''quite'' match but doesn't seem that far off. --Zeborah
::I don't know if that has anything to do with it, but I'm glad you put the reference here - I've never heard of it before, and it's awesome! [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 17:58, 15 July 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2943: Unsolved Chemistry Problems

2024-06-08T04:54:08Z

L-Space Traveler:

P stands for poncentration, SMH my head 😒 --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.211|172.70.162.211]] 21:22, 7 June 2024 (UTC)

Is 'depolymerization' in this context referring to means of chemically recycling plastics? As I understand it, we basically just do recycling of thermoplastics at the moment by physically melting them, whereas being able to split a plastic apart into its component monomers would in principle enable a completely closed loop lifecycle for plastics, easing the strain on dwindling oil reserves and landfills and whatnot. Since these are supposed to be important unsolved problems, I feel like it probably is a reference to this, but I'm not a chemist and there may be something else which makes more sense. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.33.134|162.158.33.134]] 22:37, 7 June 2024 (UTC)

i've always been taught that the p stood for "parts". [[user talk:lettherebedarklight|youtu.be/miLcaqq2Zpk]] 04:01, 8 June 2024 (UTC)

:In chemistry, I was taught that it was "potential". I didn't even know this was in dispute. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 04:54, 8 June 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2925: Earth Formation Site

2024-04-27T14:46:42Z

L-Space Traveler:

The title text is only true for geocentric latitude and longitude, not geodetic (which is what is commonly used). [[Special:Contributions/172.69.58.125|172.69.58.125]] 18:32, 26 April 2024 (UTC)

I'm impressed that whatever distant body that sign is placed upon, has actually developed plant life. Especially since it would need to be parked in place relative to the rest of the observable cosmos, & thus seems unlikely to have a suitably close star making regular appearance overhead...
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 19:11, 26 April 2024 (UTC)
::Magrathea? [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 14:46, 27 April 2024 (UTC)
: Hi Proph! I just wanted to say that I enjoy reading your comments here and in the SMBC comment page, if you are in fact ProphetZarquon in both places. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.175.28|172.70.175.28]] 21:46, 26 April 2024 (UTC)
::If there's another Prophet Zarquon out there - wait, nope, looks like that's me, too...
::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 03:25, 27 April 2024 (UTC)

The ridiculously specific date may be a reference to how real historical markers frequently get dates incorrect [[Special:Contributions/172.70.127.135|172.70.127.135]] 23:29, 26 April 2024 (UTC)

The other side of the sign says, "At this exact point in space, 13.7878693 billion years ago, the Big Bang took place." That's true of every point in space, according to the current model. The Big Bang implies that all of space was a single point, and space itself expanded outward from that point. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 03:07, 27 April 2024 (UTC)

The explanation needs to be rewritten. It is missing the point and far to detailed for just saying: The marker could be standing at any point of earth's surface, as reinforced by the title text. The whole discussion about galaxies and solar systems moving is just a matter of the reference system and does not contribute to the understanding of the comic.--[[Special:Contributions/172.70.243.32|172.70.243.32]] 07:28, 27 April 2024 (UTC)
* I disagree. The section is saying that it could not have reasonably happened on Earth itself due to the fact the Earth and the Solar System itself move around through space. [[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]|[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]]) 13:25, 27 April 2024 (UTC)
::Randall was once a physicist. He's aware of the fact that there is no absolute system of measurements, and that locations on Earth are always relative to Earth coordinates, not some sort of galactic map. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 14:10, 27 April 2024 (UTC)

Can the Earth's core even have a latitude and a longitude? Aren't those all referring to the surface? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.198|162.158.90.198]] 11:47, 27 April 2024 (UTC)
:You're right. That is the joke, in fact. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 14:10, 27 April 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2893: Sphere Tastiness

2024-02-15T12:56:02Z

L-Space Traveler:

base balls are delicious after boiling and peeling[[Special:Contributions/172.68.64.212|172.68.64.212]] 00:19, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
:You seem to be confusing baseballs with eggs. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]])
:And who the hell calls baseballs “bAsE bAlLs”. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 02:40, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

who's the authority on whether or not the earth and the moon are "not tasty"????, i think the moon would be pretty delicious actually [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.71|172.69.71.71]] 00:26, 13 February 2024 (UTC)GR8GH
:Some Apollo astronauts reported that moondust tastes and smells like gunpowder. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 00:28, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
::Yum! [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 02:41, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
::Sounds {{w|Gunpowder_tea|delicious}} to me.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.26|172.70.85.26]] 11:09, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
:::My favorite! [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 12:56, 15 February 2024 (UTC)
:Sure, if you like green cheese! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.207.123|172.70.207.123]] 03:26, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
::I actually quite like a good blue cheese, and had a blue (red) leicester only yesterday. But some actual sage derby would fulfil the role of a green one quite tastily. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.112|141.101.99.112]] 04:56, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
::{{w|Green_cheese}} can be perfectly tasty - it's just a young unaged cheese.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.26|141.101.99.26]] 11:13, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
:"Not like any cheese I've ever tasted"-Wallace[[Special:Contributions/172.70.127.43|172.70.127.43]] 21:30, 14 February 2024 (UTC)

In Fuck Grapefruits, watermelons were just slightly tasty. Does he like other melons so much that the average melon is as tasty as grapes? Or has he learned how delicious watermelon actually is? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 00:42, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
:I think that he probably just learned how delicious watermelon is. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 02:41, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
::Watermelon is different genus (albeit in the same family) to most melons, so I'd assume watermelon is excluded here.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.162|172.69.194.162]] 11:19, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
:::Of course silly discussion but the melons is listed below grapes on the tasty scale. And if that scale is also log then they could be deemed to taste much less nice than grapes even with this slight difference. Maybe even grape fruit would be close to this line? But also melons does not mean water melons! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 06:33, 14 February 2024 (UTC)

This comic is begging for another of his four-corner plots, not a line graph. Ball bearings: lower left. Bowling balls: middle bottom. Tapioca: upper left. Cheese balls: upper middle. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.207.123|172.70.207.123]] 03:26, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
:My first thought was that he clearly isn't accounting for frequency, because I'm pretty sure there's a ''lot'' more oranges than baseballs...
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 05:06, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

It's a linear interpolation, Michael. How big could the error be? 10%? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.166|108.162.245.166]] 03:51, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

Grapes are spherical? I guess some varieties. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 04:12, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

With a logarithmic x axis and an unlabelled y axis, I find calling it “linear interpolation” without further explanation disingenious. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.121|172.68.110.121]] 08:08, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

I think we have to give serious consideration as to how untasty the Sun is, and the possibility of subatomic particles being absolutely delicious. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.189|172.69.79.189]] 10:07, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
:Can't we just ask whoever tasted quarks to figure out the different flavours?[[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.24|172.69.195.24]] 11:22, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

Baseballs aren't the only questionable object for this theory..... think of the marbles!!!--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.73|162.158.154.73]] 12:41, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
:Marbles are tasteless. [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 14:44, 14 February 2024 (UTC)

In looking for something else that might fulfil the 800m sphere criteria I stumbled across [https://www.reddit.com/r/theydidthemath/comments/p0qws3/self_if_you_blended_all_788_billion_people_on/ this] :o(| I'll make no comment on potential tastiness.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.191|172.70.90.191]] 12:58, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
:Soylent Green meatball. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:31, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

Galactus would totally disagree with this graph. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.175.25|172.70.175.25]] 16:24, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
:As would Unicron... and Dormammu...
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 17:57, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
::[https://tick.fandom.com/wiki/Omnipotus . . . Omnipotus . . .] [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 12:56, 15 February 2024 (UTC)

Here's a link to a mile-long hotdog [https://www.lifeinthecarolinas.com/syndicated-columns/2018/3/6/miles-and-miles-of-hotdogs-from-an-igloo miles-of-hotdog], while technically not a single hotdog nor a sphere it's a mile's worth of hotdogs. I recall there once being created a mile-long submarine / hoagie / po-boy sandwich, but couldn't find it on a quick google search. That also is not remotely spherical. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 16:41, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

The moon is made of delicious cheese, isn't it? That would put it in the upper right corner.
[[Special:Contributions/172.71.102.15|172.71.102.15]] 16:53, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

Giant peaches?

Am I reading this wrong, or is the mark for grapes just slightly to the left of the tick for 10^-1 m? Which suggests that grapes are about 8 cm wide? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.38.82|172.70.38.82]] 19:21, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
:Looks to me like it's about 2/3 the way between 10^-2 and 10^-1. So call it between 10^-1.3 and 10^-1.4. Which is between 4cm and 5cm. Still a rather large grape, but perhaps more plausible if he's measuring across its widest dimension. 10^-1.6 (2.5cm) would perhaps give a more representative grape length, or maybe 10^-1.7 (2cm) if he normalised the measurements to account for their spheroid(ish) nature. But we'd also have to get in to the question of when is a grape a grape? There will be lots of grapes that will never reach more than a few mm, but not ones that we would normally eat. His melon looks to be about 10^-0.7, or 20cm, which again seems rather large for an average dimension (though proportionately less so than the grape).[[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.203|172.69.194.203]] 09:57, 14 February 2024 (UTC)

I wonder if this is a reference to James and the Giant Peach [[Special:Contributions/172.71.155.39|172.71.155.39]] 21:04, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

IDK how you'd define "tastes okay", but I bet you could find an 800m comet that's about 50% ice & 50% dust. [[User:Snuffysam|Snuffysam]] ([[User talk:Snuffysam|talk]]) 21:29, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
:I think you would need less than 50% of dust for "taste OK". Still, you may be on right track - there should be some comet consisting of mostly ice which would taste OK. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 04:15, 14 February 2024 (UTC)
::Or one that was 50% dust and 50% ice cream.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.216|172.70.85.216]] 09:39, 14 February 2024 (UTC)

Why and how did John Young taste the moon? I heard moon dust is cancerous, far more jagged than earth sand, and even if it WAS just earth sand, it would be awful to put anywhere near your mouth. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.59.203|172.69.59.203]] 09:16, 14 February 2024 (UTC)
:I've heard it had some pretty nasty effects on Cave Johnson. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.46.3|172.70.46.3]] 11:13, 14 February 2024 (UTC)
::SPAAAAAAACEEEE!!!! [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 12:34, 14 February 2024 (UTC)
:I'm sure that when they removed their helmets back in the capsule, some of the dust was airborne. [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 14:44, 14 February 2024 (UTC)

Anyone else notice that the Earth is slightly more tasty than the Moon? [[User:Weslar|Weslar]] ([[User talk:Weslar|talk]]) 16:40, 14 February 2024 (UTC)Weslar
:This was mentioned, for some time (I even rephrased the original prose about it), but it seems to have been excised during a subsequent edit. The thoughts were that this is because there were known tasty bits in it. I refined that to "on the surface", or similar wording. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.108|141.101.99.108]] 17:28, 14 February 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2874: Iceland

2023-12-30T03:55:05Z

L-Space Traveler:

As someone with friends in Iceland, I can confirm that Iceland is actually not a real island, and was actually created by a team of 8000 workers that happened to be carrying bags of sand, ice, and grass. [[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]|[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]]) 00:33, 30 December 2023 (UTC)

With all due respect to the first editor contributing to the Explanation ... my take was that the comic has little to do with mission creep within projects but has to do with the fact that Iceland contains such a confluence of strange geographic features that it defies logic that they should all be collectively present in a single location. For example, you don't find islands on top of a mid-ocean ridge, or a glacier on top of a volcano, or a mild climate (because of the Gulf Stream) in the polar regions where the Aurora Borealis could be seen. The only logical explanation for such a bizarre jumble of features was that it must have been created by a committee of diverse scientists who wanted their pet feature to be included in the formation of Iceland. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 02:42, 30 December 2023 (UTC)
:Agreed. Also "More fjords!"-Slartibartfast [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 03:55, 30 December 2023 (UTC)

By the way, Iceland and Greenland have names that are contrary to their actual geography. Iceland is actually much more habitable suitable for cultivation because of the geothermal warmth and Gulf Stream effects. While Greenland is suitable for agriculture on only 1% of its territory. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 02:42, 30 December 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2848: Breaker Box

2023-12-03T15:06:15Z

L-Space Traveler:

added transcript and got to change the name of the thing that created the explanation incomplete tag WOHOOOOoO [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]][[[285: Wikipedian Protester|''citation needed'']]][[Category:Pages using the "citation needed" template]] 02:25, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
: can't help but notice the [[1590]] reference [[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]|[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]]) 02:43, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
Added explanation! Simple, but it'll do. How do I sign? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.159|172.69.34.159]] 03:42, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
: four tildes (<code><nowiki>~~~~</nowiki></code>) [[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]|[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]]) 03:08, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
:: Thanks. I thought that I had tried it earlier and it hadn't worked, but I guess I was wrong. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.160|172.69.34.160]] 03:46, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

Just added headers, but not good enough with this stuff to add descriptions. go nuts [[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]|[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]]) 02:52, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

Got a good laugh out of this one. Does anyone have a guess as to whether the "bugs" at the bottom of the second column refers to computer bugs or insects? Also, some self-referential humor going on at the end there. I guess the breaker box which contains all breakers would indeed contain itself. [[User:Jrfarah|Jrfarah]] ([[User talk:Jrfarah|talk]]) 04:31, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
: I thought it was some sort of reference to [[2753]] [[User:SomeoneIGuess|someone, i guess]]([[User talk:SomeoneIGuess|talk i guess]]|[[Special:Contributions/SomeoneIGuess|le edit list]]) 04:58, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
: It turns off the bunny. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.194|172.69.194.194]] 11:27, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
: Computer bugs switches actually exist. It's a feature in some emulators to either run an unofficial patched version or to stay true to the original system, for example to allow bug-exploit speedruns. [[User:Shirluban|Shirluban]] [[Special:Contributions/172.71.130.70|172.71.130.70]] 13:34, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

So... discussion about "Hot Water Heater" vs. "Regular Water Heater"... I was assuming this was a joke regarding the redundancy of the term "Hot Water Heater" since "Water Heater" is already making the water hot, so why would you need to heat water that's already hot? Similar to RAS Syndrome, I thought Randall was making fun of that, but the explanation has a different idea... which... kind of makes sense? But... I've never seen anything like what is being described. [[User:AdmiralMemo|Admiral Memo]] ([[User talk:AdmiralMemo|talk]]) 05:22, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
: After reading "Regular Water Heater", I assumed it was implying that the "Hot Water Heater" was somehow more physically attractive and thus "hotter". --[[User:Galeindfal|Galeindfal]] ([[User talk:Galeindfal|talk]]) 14:41, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

Regarding the "one surprise mystery outlet", I don't think it's necessary to assume it was wired that way by mistake. When extending the wiring in an existing house, it's not always easy to wire up an extra breaker, or use the most logically labelled one, and there may not be a compelling safety reason to do so. For instance, in my parents house, the original sockets are all wired from the floor, and when an extra one was needed for a boiler control, it was easier to run a conduit ''down'' from the floor above; so that particular socket is on the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_circuit ring] marked "Upstairs Sockets" on the consumer unit. - [[User:IMSoP|IMSoP]] ([[User talk:IMSoP|talk]]) 09:18, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

I read the "state/federal law" switches as ''required'' by said laws. i.e. respective building codes require a "foo switch" always to be installed, whether or not a foo is required, reasonable or even practicable. The switches may be left unlinked to anything that is serviced, or run to the household outlet/power-switch with the label plastered over it saying "don't use for anything but the quarter-inch hoojamaflip grinder" (or whatever it is, in the same sort of manner as "Refrigerator, do ''not'' unplug/turn off!" in a communal kitchen.... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.166|141.101.99.166]] 10:09, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
:Some laws contain "circuit breaker" provisions, where some action is triggered when a condition reaches a threshold. Maybe that's what state/federal law refers to. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 14:25, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
:: You guys are way too serious. It's a joke, so pick the funniest interpretation possible. Don't try to make it realistic. A circuit breaker turns off the electricity so you can work on the wiring without getting shocked. By analogy, you should be able to use a circuit breaker to turn off the laws when you want to avoid getting fined or arrested. Now that's funny. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 12:43, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

...in a separate comment, I have a fuse/switch labelled "Do not turn on!" in my house. It was turned on when I moved in, and (barring actually any reason to mess with anything/’get a man in' for any other purpose) I've ''left'' it on. Ditto, for these last six or seven years I've remained ignorant of the purpose of various wall switches (floor-height, one in living room, one at top of stairs, another in a bedroom) that are unlabelled and off (though I ''have'' switched them on... no obvious difference to lighting, alarm system, any other system I can imagine they're wired up into and left it pending some future time when I actually have to do something like strip plaster back and discover which (if any?) run of cable leads from/to them. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.166|141.101.99.166]] 10:11, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
:Regarding wall switches that don't have any apparent purpose. Many houses or apartments were not built with lights in the ceiling. So all your lighting came from lamps plugged into wall outlets. They would wire one of the wall outlets to a wall switch, usually near the door. This way you would leave the lamp turned on and use the wall switch to turn it off and on. It takes a little investigation to figure out which wall outlet is being controlled by the switch. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 12:43, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
::Not applicable, in my case (above 'owner' of the floor switches) because all my sockets(/outlets) in my house have switches ''on them''. One of the mysterious floor switches is indeed very close to a wall-socket, but that wall-socket is a double already with two independent switches ({{w|File:Uk 13a double socket.jpg|example image}}). And is of a very similar vintage to the 'mystery switch', by both actual appearance and the how the wallpaper/etc looks. (The house itself is 1930s vintage, but clearly fully updated and rewired to essentially modern standards some time in the last 50 years, and probably far far more recent. No reason for a 'leftover' separate socket switch to have remained/been kept instated.)
::The two main possibilities of purpose that I still imagine they controlled are: 1) The burglar alarm, and 2) The storage heater. Originally. Assuming you'd even want multiple different control-switches. But completely bypassed by a later reinstallation. The newer central heating (replacing the storage system) is entirely controlled from a kitchen wall switch, and its own fusebox breaker. And the alarm system has a hallway pad and if it was ever connected to the "Do not turn on" switch (that was actually on), it hasn't suffered at all from the experimental instances of it being turned off (when I thought I'd check).
::...it'll all have to wait until I have the next major overhaul, I think. I'll get the next electrician I need (perhaps when replacing the current boiler, or needing more sockets in the workroom) to try and work it out using their usual tricks and tools. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.29|172.70.85.29]] 15:29, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
:: LoadingReadyRun did a very funny sketch on a "mystery switch" in their office. [https://youtu.be/LpUlpmHG8oc] [[User:AdmiralMemo|Admiral Memo]] ([[User talk:AdmiralMemo|talk]]) 03:14, 11 November 2023 (UTC)
::In my last house, there was a switch that we couldn't figure out for anything. Finally, we asked the previous owner: they had damaged the wall there during construction, and it was cheaper to put in a dummy switch than to repair the hole! [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 15:06, 3 December 2023 (UTC)

I believe that the cryptogram may be an attempt to pun on a "code breaker" as a reference to people who solve ciphers. [[User:Aberdasher|Aberdasher]] ([[User talk:Aberdasher|talk]]) 13:48, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

Depending on interpretation, "North-facing appliances" could make sense. In my house, I have two main breakers, East and West, each covering (almost) everything in one side of the house. [[User:Ehusmark|EHusmark]] ([[User talk:Ehusmark|talk]]) 14:52, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
:And, contrary to the "how would the system know?", regarding north-facingness, if you had a ring-main/set of sockets servicing one particular wall (to just one side), there'd be a good chance that anything plugged in there (at least bulky "white goods", even if not smaller things that you might move and turn, like irons and fans) faces away from that particular wall. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.236|172.70.91.236]] 16:54, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

Definite {{w|Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge|Borges}} vibes from the "appliances that face north", "appliances whose names begin with the letter 'F'", "outlets in rooms that it's normal to eat pizza in" section. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.50|172.70.85.50]] 17:31, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

Amongst other things, there are problems under the "no friction" section. e.g. You might have a perpetual motion machine that would go forever, but without something else (e.g. the anullment of 3LoT) it couldn't also ''do external work''. And of course you can still hold something with zero friction, if you can sufficiently surround, support and/or impale the thing. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.230|172.70.90.230]] 19:24, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
: I agree. [[Special:Diff/327557|Edited]]. --[[User:Hddqsb|Hddqsb]] ([[User talk:Hddqsb|talk]]) 05:01, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

So.... em if you turn off causality, would the switch that turned off causality actually reliably turn off causality, given that causality has been disabled? (added something like this as a note about the title text). ([[User:Wowitschris|Wowitschris]] ([[User talk:Wowitschris|talk]]) 19:32, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
:Worse than that, if you ''need'' to have Causality turned off (for a 'legitimate' reason), there is now no way of preventing anything (including the Causality switch) to be actively toggled. Causaulity could become active again even without any intervention, as well as any number of other effects (of any spontaneous kind whatsoever) for which no cause is now required. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.103|172.69.195.103]] 19:53, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

"A circuit breaker ...to... protect appliances." --- A pedant would say the breaker protects the wires. When the box is specced and installed, the appliances may not have arrived, and are sure subject to replacement. In both the US and GB Codes the breaker size relates to the wire diameter. If an appliance needs greater protection it should have its own fuse/breaker. Some do, though the trend is to appliances which will fail without flame, smoke, or loud noise.
:It's a chicken-and-egg. If you've got a high-current device to install (e.g. electric cooker) then you'll ...hopefully... make sure it has thick copper cables to its outlet, and also sit it behind a fuse/breaker that will take the power throughput. But you still want your breaker to 'break' if something shortcircuity goes on in the cooker. Even/especially if the supply cables are happily feeding the power to it, or its own local fusepoint, because they're not so tightly toleranced that you end up with a long 'heating element' passing through the kitchen wall as well as on your cooker's hobtop (or in its grill/oven compartment(s)).
:Overspec the wires, try to tightly spec the current limits on the switches as much as you can anticipate will not ever false-trip. (With the switch from incandescent to LED lighting, many a lighting circuit will now be much further from failure, than designed, but actual ground-faulting will still likely trigger the RCD/whatever.) The aim is to never get so far as a breaking more circuitry than an intrinsic fault has already broken. e.g. motors may burn out, if something jams them, but ideally not spark across to the casing that houses them if they don't suffer direct physical damage. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.103|172.69.195.103]] 21:29, 31 October 2023 (UTC)

"Bathtub drain light" My bathtub drain is plastic pipe. If the lights are off in the bathroom, but on in the cellar, there's a "light in the drain". No, I don't have a dedicated breaker but that's an idea.....

"Hallway floors" My last house was 1830, so all the electrics were hacked-on. We had a floor outlet in the hall. This used to be more common above a wireable cellar, it avoided snaking the wall. [[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 20:14, 31 October 2023 (UTC)
:Floor outlets are pretty common in large rooms. I mean rooms larger than you'd find a house, say a large classroom. They're used for things like floor polishers or vacuum cleaners, that need to be plugged in near the middle of the space, because the walls are too far away. Also, meeting rooms often have floor jacks under the central table, so people can plug in laptops. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 15:12, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

Wait, what's the joke? I'm pretty sure my (multiple?) circuit boxes are wired exactly like this. {{unsigned ip|172.71.222.93|17:50, 1 November 2023}}

Would a Fujitsu laptop be turned off by "F" in the name. Sure its a laptop (no f), but perhaps the brand makes its name change. What about if it has an "f" in one language but not another. {{unsigned ip|172.70.127.158|14:03, 2 November 2023}}
:It would depend entirely upon the language/terminology used by the switch-switcher. (Though not what the switch-switcher ''wants'' to be the case, e.g. "on this occasion, the 'fridge' is just a 'cooler', but the 'ventillation' is the 'fans'..." 'Cos that'd be ''silly!'') [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.70|172.69.194.70]] 14:31, 2 November 2023 (UTC)

One minor issue: Sound doesn't depend on the friction in air. (minor nerdage alert) The inviscid Euler equations can totally support pressure (acoustic) waves. In fact, without viscosity, they'll damp out somewhat slower, so sound would travel slightly further! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.131.6|172.70.131.6]] 00:33, 4 November 2023 (UTC)

I feel like “one niner” and “bad” were overlooked. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.233|172.68.174.233]] 22:18, 12 November 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2842: Inspiraling Roundabout

2023-12-02T00:44:51Z

L-Space Traveler:

First edit. I'm unfamiliar with the road rules in the comic so I just added the transcript in it's most basic form. [[User:OmniDoom|OmniDoom]] ([[User talk:OmniDoom|talk]]) 02:00, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

:don't worry, even a wrong explanation is better than no explanation because it tricks people into being correct for you [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]][[[285: Wikipedian Protester|''citation needed'']]][[Category:Pages using the "citation needed" template]] 03:15, 17 October 2023 (UTC)
: New here, not sure of the procedure for discussing interpretation: I disagree with the interpretation that this is navigable by entering all the way into the center then driving out in a clockwise direction - that would be driving against traffic, which would be illegal and seem to violate the assertion that this is "technically navigable" (anything is "technically navigable" if you have a big enough vehicle and disregard for other people's property, but I'm assuming that we want to stay legal). I believe that the "correct way" to navigate this would be to signal and change to the right-lane until you get to your exit. The inward spiral may give cars a circuit or two to wait for a clear lane to the right, but the deeper you get, the faster you have to change lanes to get out again? --[[User:Candu|Candu]] ([[User talk:Candu|talk]]) 14:37, 17 October 2023 (UTC)
::Dangerous, probably, but 'illegal' is kind of out the window here, since Randall has thrown all notions of sensible road design language out of the window. The lanes permit access to the other lanes at the centre, even if it's not a sensible move.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.50|172.70.85.50]] 09:39, 18 October 2023 (UTC)
::This IS Clockwise, look at the arrows. For some reason Randall drew a British roundabout. I assume because North America doesn't really have them but they're famously common in Britain? The thing is, driving clockwise each entering lane ends just at the next exit, meaning Randall conceived of this as a counter-clockwise spiral after all. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:28, 29 October 2023 (UTC)
:::Those aren't directional arrows. They're an "exit line" marking (something similar to the actual UK {{w|File:Give_Way_Road_Marking_UK.jpg|Give Way markings}}?) or the equivalent US {{w|Yield sign}} (I don't see any indication as to what the US paints on its roads for them, but see the {{w|Stop and yield lines|European version}} that is "shark's teeth"), as far as I can tell. You have two 'right-side driving' lanes entering into the spiralabout, from each direction, and one leaving it. (''Part one of three sections by [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.170|172.71.178.170]] 17:57, 29 October 2023 (UTC)'')
::::You should sign your comments (I don't quite know how to post-sign a comment/fix it, so oh well). Such markings aren't used anywhere I've seen in North America, though. So North American drivers would understand them as directional arrows. :) Them being on-road Yield signs makes sense, but I have literally never seen that, only ever seen actual road signs for Yield - which is what I would expect if this was implemented, just that Randall can't draw an overhead version of THAT, :) Not in a way that we'd know what the sign said. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:54, 19 November 2023 (UTC)
:::::*I did sign it. I wrote three paragraphs (excessive!?!), that was just the first...
:::::*What *I* do, to post-sign, is:
:::::*# Go into the edit-history/version comparison. Establish ''what'' was edited in without signing (if indeed it was unsgned, unlike how [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2842:_Inspiraling_Roundabout&diff=327269&oldid=327255 this one] was),
:::::*# Copy the timestamp and ip (or username!) bit that applies,
:::::*# Go into (or back into the tab of) the page editor and add "<nowiki>{{unsigned ip||}}", or just "{{unsigned||}}</nowiki>" if it was a proper user at 'fault', and then shuffle in the IP(/username) between the two verticals and the timestamp after the second.
:::::*# ...or, if it's an established username that I ''know'' knows how to sign things (must have just forgotten), I copy something like "<nowiki>[[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:54, 19 November 2023 (UTC)</nowiki>" from a signed comment and paste in the correct username (three times!) and timestamp and consider it just my good deed for the day!
:::::* When researching the above response (and below, where I mention not being familiar with them), I didn't find ''much'' use of on-road markings, in the US, but they do exist. Not visually good enough pictures to link, as I recall, and maybe rare enough (perhaps nowhere you've been/noticed). I was most struck thst they looked most like European "dragon's teeth" markings than the British "honking big single elongated triangle" standard, but then I'm used to our (emminently sensible!) road-marking/signage being aittle bit adrift of what much of the (non-Commonwealth?) world seems to have decided is their standard.
:::::** e.g., the only "diamond" sign we have, in the UK, is a passing-place one; which actually depects a deliberate point-widening of the road, if you think about it. Though (probably for manufacturing reasons?) even that seems to have changed to be square-set. But none of these yellow-diamond-signs (except in the rear windows of school buses/coaches, the "children" warning, just like a "baby on board" vanity rear-screen 'hanger' that I'm ''sure'' makes people think twice before ramming the car in front(!)... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.244|172.69.194.244]] 16:13, 19 November 2023 (UTC) (Part one of three sections, at this level.)
:::The confusing bit to me (not being familiar with US standard road-markings) is the dotted line acute 'elbow' where the (wrong-direction-)outspiraling hits the (right-direction-)outermost off-lane. It seems not to be a valid lane to enter (anticlockwise) but not be enough like the double-dashed 'give way line' that the UK uses (along with the Give Way 'inverted triangle' painted upon the road). (''Part two of three sections by [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.170|172.71.178.170]] 17:57, 29 October 2023 (UTC)'')
::::Yeah, those lane endings should be solid lines, probably more. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:54, 19 November 2023 (UTC)
:::::In the UK, single dashes (of various lengths/gaps) have certain meanings, double-dashes (at a juntion) are a Give Way (together with the big 'yield' triangle, as noted) and solid lines are either Stop (in that context, but also with painted(+signed) STOP) or "do not cross".
:::::e.g., central hashes (or chevrons, usually at junction merging/diverving) with a solid border indicate no driving into them (if you can help it), often leading up to central bollards, pedestrian-crossing islands and/or division of the road into dual-carriageway where you really do ''not'' want to be on/over the diagonal hashing.
:::::But central hashes on the lead up to a right-turn (cross-traffic, that is) lane-split will have (long-)dashed boundaries, so that those ''intending'' to move into the un-hashed crossing-zone (where short dashed lines separate the new lane from the 'through lane', and again from the opposing through-lane that you'd implicitly Give Way to cross) can, where traffic flow and speeds make it more practical, use a short stretch of the hashed section (but not over the solid line on the side of the opposing lane!) to 'pre-enter' the tirning-meridian. Not, of course, to overtake traffic, going forward, and if anybody is signalling to merge over into the turn (but was not as hot to use the diagonally-hashed area) you'd be cheeky to not let them do so. (Or risk them not realising that you were coming up on their offside as they ''do'' decide to make that manouevre - *crunch*!) See [https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/lines-and-lane-markings-on-the-road.html Rule 130] for the short version... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.244|172.69.194.244]] 16:13, 19 November 2023 (UTC) (Part two of three sections, this level)
:::So I reject the idea that Randall drew a clockwise/UK roundabout(-sort-of). It's still a US one, albeit weird for the reasons given (also, it's titled "''In''spiraling Roundabout", not the "''Out''spiralling Roundabout" that the UK-version-of-Randall would hae had to call it, including spelling change). [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.170|172.71.178.170]] 17:57, 29 October 2023 (UTC) (Third and final part!)
::::Oh, the joke requires that this was intended as counter-clockwise, just pointing out the seeming arrows, :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:54, 19 November 2023 (UTC)
:::::Well, 'arrow''heads''', maybe, but not road-arrows as I'd recognise them. {{w|File:UK traffic sign 873+876P.svg|This is just a sign}}, but does depict the style of arrow one ''might'' see painted to accenuate the awareness of which lane goes what direction. As {{w|File:UK traffic sign 521.svg|this one}}, again maybe also depicted upon the road, warns that one is about to re-enter bidirectional traffic (from a multilane dual-carriageway or other one-way traffic system, usually).
:::::But I find all the different approaches to these things interesting.
:::::I've never actually driven abroad. (Technically... I've cycled in Europe. And drove in the Legoland 'Driving School' in Billund when I was a child (cycling in Denmark!) and that Legoland was the ''only'' Legoland in the world. And ''once'' had to be reminded that "You're not in England now..." by the 'instructor' over his loadspeaker who could see me and my Union Jack car-adornment had turned across over to the LHS of the mini road system... ;) )
:::::But I've been a passenger in vehicles, in the US and EU, as well as walked along/across streets and lanes (leafy 'beyond-the-suburbs' ones in PA, for example, having no sidewalks so not really being sure if ''anyone'' in their right mind walked there, so perpetually ready to jump into the undergrowth if anything big/fast came rattling past, and possibly disobeying the US's unusually strong Jaywalking statutes at times).
:::::And, of course, one gets to see the weird mirror-world and distinctly different signage in anything depicting 'foreign' roads (Hollywood on down), whether that's "right turn on red" signs in whatever city it happens to be in the US(/Canada?), or a "Warning: kangaroos" diamond alongside some Aussie outback highway or other.
:::::Given the subtle state-by-state differences, I'm sure you'll know much more (from long exposure) about particular local peculiarities on the roads. Like how red traffic-lights tend to just suddenly appear out of nowhere (i.e. tree branches) if you're driving around Hazzard County, GA (or that their "Bridge Out" signs are considered merely advisary, if your vehicle is orange with a flag on its roof, but ''not'' if it is black-and-white with flashing lights atop).
:::::Though I'm not ''really'' sure what I learnt about US Freeways from The Matrix Trilogy, I must admit. (Certainly nothing about being brief and to the point!) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.244|172.69.194.244]] 16:13, 19 November 2023 (UTC) (Third and final bit of this awkwardly split reply-to-reply. To avoid more confusion than is inevitable.)

added longer explanation [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]][[[285: Wikipedian Protester|''citation needed'']]][[Category:Pages using the "citation needed" template]] 03:05, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Could we create a category for these "traffic" or "driving" related comics? This would include this comic and the previous, and others that relate to driving/cars/traffic. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.37|172.70.211.37]] 04:02, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

in left lane driving countries this would work pretty well as a roundabout
:... Except going clockwise (as the arrows indicate), each entering lane ends at the next exit. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:28, 29 October 2023 (UTC)
::See above, it's not going clockwise. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.170|172.71.178.170]] 17:57, 29 October 2023 (UTC)

I've heard the Spanish and British road authorities are planing to implement this for roads going to France. [[Special:Contributions/172.64.236.144|172.64.236.144]] 06:39, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Actually, the correct solution is an out-spiraling roundabout, which if properly designed means that if you start in the correct lane, you end up at the correct exit without changing lanes. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 07:37, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Well if it spiralled the other way it would be a great roundabout design.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.28|162.158.203.28]] 08:14, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Out-spiraling roundabouts are getting more popular in the UK - they recently repainted the Wandsworth Bridge Roundabout as an out-spiral, and it's gone from one being one of the worst roundabouts in the area to one of the best. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.153|172.70.90.153]] 10:04, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

An example I designed several years ago... :https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5071913,-3.1457705,18z/data=!3m1!1e3 [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 19:34, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

About driving in circles for hours: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAgX6qlJEMc --[[User:Itub|Itub]] ([[User talk:Itub|talk]]) 11:32, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Uzumaki??? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.22.99|172.71.22.99]] 12:24, 17 October 2023 (UTC)Bumpf
:You're reading my mind! :) [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 00:44, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

I think the author of the explanation completely misunderstood the design. This is the turbo roundabout, except instead of getting everybody out it pulls everybody into the center, just like the highway supercollider from early xkcd. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.242.239|172.70.242.239]] 12:29, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Alternative ending/version - there is a singularity at the center of the roundabout [[User:Dllahr|Dllahr]] ([[User talk:Dllahr|talk]]) 12:42, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

I think the explanation as currently written is way overcomplicating the situation, it seems clear to me that this roundabout is designed (much like in the recent comic #[[2728]]), to require lane changes for some paths, and the inward spiral is simply to guide anyone that's indecisive or otherwise missing their exist out of the way of other drivers, and forcing them to make a decision rather than circling indefinitely to avoid a collision. The current description of having you go backwards out the spiral after reaching the end seems ridiculously over complicated and doesn't match any of the design elements of the path. [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 14:36, 17 October 2023 (UTC)
:I agree. The broken lines indicate that lane changes are intended. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.230.25|162.158.230.25]] 15:42, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

This design has a regulating effect on the traffic mass. (Assuming changing lanes is allowed.) When there is light traffic, cars can easily change on the next lane to reach their destination. When there is heavy traffic, some cars will fail to change lanes quickly enough, and they become trapped in the spiral. When the traffic becomes light again, the outermost cars will be able to leave the spiral. I estimate that up to 50 cars can be temporarily removed from the local traffic this way. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.150.31|172.69.150.31]] 16:57, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Should there be a category for this comic, [[2728: Lane Change Highway]], [[253: Highway Engineer Pranks]], and similar ones? --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.253.137|172.68.253.137]] 18:12, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Why hasn't the next comic been added to explainXKCD yet? I thought a bot posted the comics on explainXKCD. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.228|162.158.90.228]] 04:16, 19 October 2023 (UTC)

== Magic Roundabouts ==

See these two "unusual" roundabouts in England

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Hemel_Hempstead)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon)

Actually, they are (no longer) roundabouts, but Ring Junctions. Effectively mini Ring Roads. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 07:37, 17 October 2023 (UTC)
:Yeah, I've never quite got the mystique of the "Magic Roundabout" - yes, it's kind of pretty and neat to look at, but in terms of usage, it's just a load of mini-roundabouts near each other. And "mini-roundabouts near each other" is just another name for "Britain's road network". [[User:Yorkshire Pudding|Yorkshire Pudding]] ([[User talk:Yorkshire Pudding|talk]]) 20:14, 19 October 2023 (UTC)
:Swindon, I've heard of that place... I wonder if that's the "Roundabout of Roundabouts" I've seen pictures of... [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:33, 29 October 2023 (UTC)
::Note that it's one of the four such ring junction {{w|Magic Roundabout}}s shown above, and I'm sure linked somewhere or other up and down this article. Yes, it's (in)famous enough, I'm sure you've heard of it. (Whether you've heard of {{w|Swindon}}, or not might depend upon whether you're a fan of {{w|Jasper_Fforde#Novels|Jasper Fforde}}, as much as anything else... :P ) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.170|172.71.178.170]] 17:57, 29 October 2023 (UTC)

In France at least this design would not create any conundrum because roundabout rules are clearly stated and independent of ground markings. It could still be somewhat confusing.{{unsigned ip|141.101.68.239|10:43, 17 October 2023}}

Pretty sure it isn't a reference to the {{w|Inspiral Carpets}}, but thought I should note them in passing... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.103|172.69.195.103]] 22:17, 18 October 2023 (UTC)

The added link to the hours-long roundabout circling bicyclist is my first edit on this site, let me know if something should be done differently [[Special:Contributions/172.71.254.43|172.71.254.43]] 04:40, 20 October 2023 (UTC)
:Looks good, as it is. The sentence in which it is set could be slightly rewritten, perhaps, but that's just a personal reading (and not yet sure how I'd improve it) and doesn't make your workable markup addition at all wrong. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.123|141.101.99.123]] 05:43, 20 October 2023 (UTC)

Uhhh, why did American Randall draw a British roundabout? Look at the arrow indicators, he has drivers driving on the left... I mean, sure, roundabouts are uncommon (almost non-existent in my experience) in North America and notoriously common in Britain, but still... Plus THAT way each entering lane ends at the next exit, meaning Randall meant it as right side driving spiral after all. ??? I feel like something should be said about how roundabouts take skill and experience to flow through smoothly, meaning that in areas where drivers aren't used to them they're actually more dangerous. I mean, imagine a driver who is used to 4-way stops having half a second to align and merge with cars flowing in from the circle? It takes SUCH instant decision making to align, at least with highway entrances you have the on ramp to assess the traffic you're joining to find your gap! My brother lives in a newer area where the local idiots just put in several roundabouts where there used to be straightforward 4-ways before, so I've seen the difference, the new way spikes the adrenaline and triggers anxiety (except, I guess, in people who have been using them every day and got used to them, and I have to think always SOME). To me, needing to get used to them makes them a bad idea. And it's WEIRD! Just 3 days ago I was introducing a new driver to those roundabouts near my brother! [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:28, 29 October 2023 (UTC)
:(He didn't... see above. As you had to add multiple related statements in various places in this page, in more or less the same edit, I felt compelled to put a similar number of mostly related responses to them all, to not let anyone thinking you'd been left hanging.) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.170|172.71.178.170]] 17:57, 29 October 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2572: Alien Observers

2023-11-07T16:45:09Z

L-Space Traveler:

This is my first explanation, i know it is really bad but i wanted to give it a go[[User:ElijahRock|ElijahRock]] ([[User talk:ElijahRock|talk]]) 20:39, 24 January 2022 (UTC)
:Great you are helping. Often easier to continue and improve existing explanations rather than start as you did from scratch. Even if most of the original version end up getting changed. I make alot of edits but rarely begin the explanation. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 22:01, 24 January 2022 (UTC)
::thanks! glad i could be helpful [[User:ElijahRock|ElijahRock]] ([[User talk:ElijahRock|talk]]) 16:02, 25 January 2022 (UTC)

I don't think it makes sense to track each human individually, I was under the impression that it was a "before and after" picture. - [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.153|172.70.130.153]] 22:14, 24 January 2022 (UTC)
:I think they ''both'' track humans individually, and that this is a (representative) before-and-after picture. They probably have minions/computers/whatever continuously updating the actual flight-boundaries as people move around (and go into camera/phone/cameraphone stores and come out with something new) but this is a 'management briefing' that extraordinarily reports this otherwise mundane development as an individual matter, with a visual aid to make the report sink in. Just going to show how aliens can be both so alien and yet amazingly human in their bureaucratic minutiae. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.73|172.70.85.73]] 01:21, 25 January 2022 (UTC)
::What I was trying to say is that they don't actually keep track of which phone any random person has (or alter their flight path respectively), it's just a matter of "this is the furthest human technology can go". - [[Special:Contributions/172.70.131.122|172.70.131.122]] 00:28, 26 January 2022 (UTC)
:::I think they ''do'' track everyone's individual capabilities. (They're that good at observation!) That's why they're so specific about what two individuals have done to upgrade their media capabilities. On the other hand, I think the on-screen image is just a representative diagram, rather than real-time/real-geography with real UFO positions - but it depicts the effective alterations of approach distances that this person's now 'toy' has enforced upon these Little Green Voyeurs. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.155|172.70.162.155]] 00:46, 26 January 2022 (UTC)

Feels like this is a partial rebuttal of https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1235:_Settled [[User:Boatster|Boatster]] ([[User talk:Boatster|talk]]) 23:08, 24 January 2022 (UTC)
:Didn't see your comment, before, but added this link myself in my own way. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.73|172.70.85.73]] 01:21, 25 January 2022 (UTC)
:: cheers [[User:Boatster|Boatster]] ([[User talk:Boatster|talk]]) 14:21, 26 January 2022 (UTC)

I think that Randall is also referring to the fact that all footage of "UFOs" show them flying erratically. This being due to the fact that this is the way refraction works. Sorry for the bad English, not sure how to explain it :) EDIT: It could also refer to the fact that a lot of people still believe in UFOs even though this is a well-known phenomenon that is known to be the cause of a lot of these sightings. As I said below though most of these kind of sightings are reported by pilots flying at high altitudes, so now I'm not sure...[[User:The Cat Lady|-- The Cat Lady]] ([[User talk:The Cat Lady|talk]]) 23:18, 24 January 2022 (UTC)
:(Ditto above, didn't see this before starting editing, but...) I put it down to zoom-wobble in what I just inserted. Though didn't say that this is just normal (acceptable) hand-wobble augmented by the zoom needed to frame the distant whateveritis. Yes, rapidly changing refraction through moving air is probably also a thing (usually heat haze during the day, or the subtler stuff that astronomical telescopes have to deal with at night with lasers and adaptive optics and/or electronic post-processing) but I'm happy to leave it at zoom-wobble without going back and adding your suggestion. Do edit it if you feel like it, though, that being how this site works. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.73|172.70.85.73]] 01:21, 25 January 2022 (UTC)

:: The zoom-wobble is a great explanation! I didn't think of that at all :P However, there's lots of footage that exists from non-zoomed, fixed cameras like security cameras and 8 mm film cameras on tripods, which sort of obviates that explanation. But also, I did a quick search for footage like that and it looks nothing like refraction phenoma (at least the examples I could find) so my explanation isn't quite correct either. I think those kind of sightings are mostly reported by pilots at high altitudes, as those are more likely conditions for this to happen. I'm still leaning more towards my explanation than yours for now though:) I'm going to leave this here for now and wait for more discussion before I change anything [[User:The Cat Lady|-- The Cat Lady]] ([[User talk:The Cat Lady|talk]]) 08:53, 25 January 2022 (UTC)

Zoom is a misnomer for the lens setups modern phones come with. As an example, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra does not have any zoom - it has three distinct cameras, each with their own prime lens. You can switch between the cameras, but this is not zooming. [[User:Paul-Simon|Paul-Simon]] ([[User talk:Paul-Simon|talk]]) 13:13, 25 January 2022 (UTC)

I have added that "Human 38XT11" is a reference to THX 1138... anyone who can spot something similar with Human 910-25J-1Q38 or B-C54? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:42, 25 January 2022 (UTC)
:1Q38 can be seen as the 1st quarter of 2038, also known as {{w|Epochalypse}}.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.177|162.158.202.177]] 11:32, 26 January 2022 (UTC)
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1Q84 1Q84] is the title of a novel by Haruki Murakami. The meaning of the title is the year 1984, since 9 in Japanese is ''kyū''. So perhaps 1Q38 is code for 1938? [[User:Entropy|Entropy]] ([[User talk:Entropy|talk]]) 14:05, 25 January 2022 (UTC)
:Can't they just be random numbers that Randall decided to use? Why does everything need to be a reference to something? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.205|172.70.206.205]] 18:43, 25 January 2022 (UTC)
::people like to see patterns even if there are none[[User:New editor|New editor]] ([[User talk:New editor|talk]]) 21:27, 25 January 2022 (UTC)
::If Randall had chosen them randomly, they'd both [[221:_Random_Number|have ended up]] as "4444-4444-4444-4444"... ;) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.125|162.158.159.125]] 20:44, 25 January 2022 (UTC)
::I agree that some of the numbers may have been chosen randomly. But with Randall, being fan of Starwars, and often putting in funny references, I cannot imagine he would manage to put in the letters from THX1138 numbers in the first part of the first humans code, by a random coincidence, it is just too unlikely. But that doesn't mean the other numbers need to reference anything. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:41, 27 January 2022 (UTC)

I don't get why starting a YouTube-channel should have any impact on flying patterns because it's the filming and not the publishing that is the problem. The videos shown on that particular channel can be years old so the erratic flight behavior should take place as soon as a human has the capability to '''shoot''' a video rather than '''publish''' it. [[User:Kimmerin|Kimmerin]] ([[User talk:Kimmerin|talk]]) 08:25, 26 January 2022 (UTC)
:Maybe the aliens is [[:Category:Alien Visitors|not that bright]], just good at technology, I still don't get the lines spoken by the other alien and the reply to that. It makes no sense to me. As with the title text. Agree that it makes no difference to have a channel. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:42, 27 January 2022 (UTC)

:I disagree - aliens in popular media *constantly* present themselves to only one or a small number of people, with the expectation that those people will not further reveal their presence on earth (or even with the [https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Teaser deliberate intention of making them appear foolish to others!]). [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 16:45, 7 November 2023 (UTC)

These aliens need to do a better job of tracking human technology. One camera, the [https://www.dpreview.com/products/nikon/compacts/nikon_cpp900 Nikon P900] has an optical zoom ratio of 83x and a digital zoom of 166x. They should have made flight compensations immediately upon its product announcement back in 2015. Or at least upon its consumer rollout in 2017, not after the fact. [[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]]) 04:29, 30 January 2022 (UTC)

Talk:2588: Party Quadrants

2023-11-07T16:27:27Z

L-Space Traveler:

I added a first draft. I'm sure someone can make it better.
:The Venn diagram specifically says ''my'' birthday party. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 00:01, 3 March 2022 (UTC)

I can't be the only person who thinks I'd like to go to that party. [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 23:44, 2 March 2022 (UTC)
:Randall doesn't think so, as evidenced by his placing it about an eighth of the way down the chart, rather than completely in the top right - he thinks it will at least be some fun for some people. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.126|172.70.91.126]] 14:02, 3 March 2022 (UTC)
:That party sounds fun! I like to see how fast I can name all the countries in the world in alphabetical order on Sporcle![[User:Mathmannix|Mathmannix]] ([[User talk:Mathmannix|talk]]) 02:20, 4 March 2022 (UTC)

Competitions are not uncommon at parties. E.g. "pin the tail on the donkey". [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 00:01, 3 March 2022 (UTC)
: I assume the "not fun" for others part is trivia, specifically geography trivia. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.163|172.70.206.163]] 01:05, 3 March 2022 (UTC)
:: I am clearly Randall. I definitely cannot organise parties. The last BBQ I tried to organise, for the neighbours, was pre-Millenium. The weather did ''not'' cooperate and the neighbours moved away within only 10-15 more years!
::(I also haven't even had a birthday party since the early '80s, and haven't minded missing the stressfulness of the occasion at all.)
::Oh, and of course I do love a good map-based problem. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.32|141.101.99.32]] 01:50, 3 March 2022 (UTC)

;Why are there no examples of party games in the other 3 quadrants?
Am I missing something important? For the other 3 quadrants, why are there no examples of party games that may be enjoyed/not enjoyed. Eg; Squid Game (not enjoyed by anyone), TenPin Bowling (probably enjoyed by everyone). [[User:Beechmere|Beechmere]] ([[User talk:Beechmere|talk]]) 02:09, 3 March 2022 (UTC)Beechmere
:Less is more? There's three things. Two different 'party zones' that pretty much are the same thing, except for slight birthday-boy/host differences in emphasis, and the party that ''happens'', which is a self-indulgent planned activity that lies entirely outside those. :There are probably an infinite number of other 'party game spots' to place, but I think it's funny enough to show 'reality doesn't match theory' in just the one highly specific way. YMMV, but that's my interpretation. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.173|172.70.90.173]] 03:22, 3 March 2022 (UTC)
::Agree. The joke is that this diagram clearly indicates where his party should lie on this diagram. Fine if it's his birthday, it's OK it is more fun for him than the guest, but not so it would move up to not fun for the guest. And then he adds his latest attempt at a party, which is extremely fun to him and extremely dull for his guests, a long way from what is appropriate for a party. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:59, 3 March 2022 (UTC)
The statement "while music would be considered fun for most people" should be removed or a [citation needed] added. People have no concept of appropriate volume and have different taste in music, making it no fun, or alternatingly fun, for most attendees. Parties are much more fun when you can actually hear and understand the people around you.
: Depends on the party, otherwise people wouldn't go into discos. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 12:50, 4 March 2022 (UTC)

The snacks are probably why the Sporcle geometry party isn't further up on the graph. But they're not enough by themselves to move the party into the "fun for guests" half. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 18:07, 3 March 2022 (UTC)

I am puzzled by Randall's guest list. If he is inviting random people off the street, why is he inviting random people off the street? If he enjoys geography trivia, why doesn't he know people who enjoy geography trivia? Clearly there is something more deeply wrong with his party organizing than simply having non-conventional tastes. This should be discussed. A Zorn's lemma themed party is great fun if you invite the right people.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.175.146|172.70.175.146]] 21:30, 4 March 2022 (UTC)
:Perhaps someone should organize a Sporcle geography tournament themed party and invite Randall. I'd go, but IMO there should be at least some ambient background music.
:I would guess that it's because it's a *birthday* party - guests are invited based on acquaintanceship with Randall, not on commonality of any other interests. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 16:27, 7 November 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2570: Captain Picard Tea Order

2023-11-05T15:24:31Z

L-Space Traveler: Raw tea would be unprocessed/non-dried leaves

...{{w|Builder's tea|Builders}}. I mean, Picard is French and Trek(/Randall) is 'Merican but I suspect it would still be a valid option to give the Ready-Room replicator... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.126|172.70.91.126]] 23:31, 19 January 2022 (UTC)

In ''Star Trek: Picard'', Picard is seen requesting "tea, earl gray, decaf". [[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.202|172.69.68.202]] 03:33, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
:I would call for a {{citation needed}} here. In case you can supply it, put it in the table under defac. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:22, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
::I put it in with [https://tvline.com/2020/01/26/star-trek-picard-premiere-easter-eggs-earl-grey-decaf/] as ref. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.50.43|172.68.50.43]] 14:29, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
::But how warm is it? [[User:Kev|Kev]] ([[User talk:Kev|talk]]) 20:09, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

Presumably infinite tea could be the beverage to accompany [[1099|Endless Wings]]. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 03:45, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
::This joke should only come on a [[1099: Tuesdays|Tuesday]]! And I'm annoyed you beat me to it ;-) But at leat I found another infinity joke first [[1433: Lightsaber]]. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:22, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
:I assumed infinite tea was just a bad pun - as in 'To infinite tea and beyond!' [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.85|162.158.159.85]] 09:12, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
::[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VSYmGSJtCA To infinity and beyond] from Toy Story you mean? Good point.--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:22, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

I showed it to a friend an their response was: "[In early 20th century England] they added condensed beef stock to their tea for breakfast", so ''meaty'' tea is very much a possibility. Then they linked some brand promotional materials for "Vimbos: The Prince of Fluid Beef" and "Vimbos: an ox in a teacup". Because I was just about to sign off for the evening, I'm not going to do the due diligence to research, cite, and edit the main article to reflect this discovery--but I thought it should at least be written here to see if others found it interesting enough to add. [[User:Dextrous Fred|Dextrous Fred]] ([[User talk:Dextrous Fred|talk]]) 04:21, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
:{{w|Bovril|Bovril}} is a standard beef tea [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.79|172.70.85.79]] 07:40, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
::''Meaty'' is also a term that could be used to describe robustly flavoured teas, such as an Assam. Not likely to be used for Earl Grey, though.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.85|162.158.159.85]] 09:18, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
:::Should be added to the explanation... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:22, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

The concept of iced tea is not normal, especially as Picard is English. Almost but not quite, totally unlike tea. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 08:46, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
:Intravenous tea, on the other hand, is an entirely reasonable request. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.85|162.158.159.85]] 09:13, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
::But we agree that Icetea is? Could be seen as that. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:22, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
:Picard is actually natively, and by name, French. Born not far from the Swiss border, his family running a vinyard there. Though he indeed seems to be quite the Anglophile (steadfastly English by accent!) and we don't entirely know how the (re)merging of Europe may have affected cultural and social inheritances on the other side of the Eugenics Wars (and other civilisation-upturning shifts in terran future-history) from where we are now. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.5|172.70.162.5]] 12:45, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
::Are you thinking of Patrick Stewart being English? [[User:Kev|Kev]] ([[User talk:Kev|talk]]) 20:09, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
:::Me? (172.70.162.5, just above.) Not really. Stewart is from Kirklees (not far from Huddersfield, though an accent or two away), yet unless he consciously drifts back he tends to stick to his professional English voice. But Picard is from eastern France ''and proud of it'', though his accent (when speaking English) is also very... English.
:::When an episode has him on the Holodeck, at least when he's having fun without some Holodeck-located threat currently happening, he can drift into a Shakespearean bit-part dialect or Film Noir-style American to suit the program running at the time, but Picard's natural tone seems to be quite RP. Obviously proving that the future has developed the near-perfect scenario of traditional French wine being made by those with cut-glass English accents. :-p [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.121|172.70.90.121]] 20:36, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

I kind of think that the explanation should give more emphasis to the fact that the whole comic is basically just a convoluted set-up for the Earl Grey joke.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.145|141.101.98.145]] 09:20, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
:Agree have just added a line to that affect. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:22, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
::Disagree that this was the whole purpose. It's a punchline, but not sure it dictated where it was eventually going. That it goes into it twice (least-normal affix and then the titletext) reads more as stumbling to that conclusion rather than carefully aiming at this particular wham-line. But YMMV. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.22|172.70.86.22]] 12:50, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

I disagree that separating the tea into segments would not be possible. You simply need a segmented mug or cup. That would, though, probably prove difficult to drink, unless he used a straw.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.145|141.101.98.145]] 09:28, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

While I'm normally the first to jump in on the [citation needed] joke, that would have to be applied to almost every single line of the explanation, so I propose Not Doing That. I accept criticism and counter arguments --[[User:256.256.256.256|Evidently the unfunny person here]] ([[User talk:256.256.256.256|talk]]) 09:45, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
:Great, this has been used way too much. It is often not very funny. And in my opinion should really be used only when citation is needed{{citation needed}} :-p --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:22, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
::I disagree on that last thing, for that we have {{Actual citation needed}} [[User:256.256.256.256|256.256.256.256]] ([[User talk:256.256.256.256|talk]]) 12:31, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

Could the "infinite" also be a reference to the paperclip maker thought experiment - the replicator will consume the universe to get raw materials and energy to make more and more tea. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.225|141.101.98.225]] 10:09, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
:Definitely a problem with a machine that makes thing out of energy, is that is need lots of energy. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:22, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

I liked "verbose". Most software run from a command line has a "-verbose" or "-v" option which causes it to give more information about what it's doing, usually useful for the purpose of debugging. Rather than providing more information about the tea, I expect that "tea, earl grey, verbose" would result in the replicator giving a step-by-step explanation as it looks up the recipe for tea, selects appropriate raw materials (does it use particles from the air or something?), begins replicating, finishes replicating, and tests that the final product is within normal parameters. Of course, this might mean that the replicator runs more slowly while doing this; which could be useful if he's getting tea as an excuse to take a break from an argument of some kind. Perhaps the replicator even has a 'traditional' tea making mode, where it pauses and describes a more conventional method of tea-making as if there were an invisible chef with a kettle and a teapot somewhere just out of sight. [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 11:07, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

What if the countdown is actually to season 2 of [[https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/09/09/star-trek-picard-season-2-release-date-plot-cast/|Picard]]
:{{w|Star Trek: Picard (season 2)}} is set to run from March 3, which both Wikipedia (link before) and [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8806524/episodes?season=2 IMDb] agrees upon så bad to miss by more than a month, and what would the plane in the image have to do with this anyway ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:08, 21 January 2022 (UTC)

How about Jean Lucwarm tea? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.69.90|172.69.69.90]] 00:41, 21 January 2022 (UTC)
How about we don't. That is an AWFUL pun! ( which means I wish I had thought of it first 'cause I actually find it hilarious ;^)[[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.153|172.70.130.153]] 11:30, 21 January 2022 (UTC)

I'd like to think that the Earl Grey mentioned at the bottom was CGP Grey as an Earl. [[User:Mikeb108|Mikeb108]] ([[User talk:Mikeb108|talk]]) 18:46, 21 January 2022 (UTC)

I'd imagine there ought to be mention of milk/no milk. Not very funny, granted, but it's a fairly major consideration in the tea-making process, being a standard (or indeed mandatory) ingredient for many consumers. In the case of Earl Grey however it is generally regarded as optional (or perhaps incorrect, by those who have opinions about the propriety of such things), so it's a pretty key variable, and belongs close to the top of the list. [[User:Yorkshire Pudding|Yorkshire Pudding]] ([[User talk:Yorkshire Pudding|talk]]) 11:10, 22 January 2022 (UTC)

That link to season 2 trailer doesn't seem to work. Is that this one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feQTh-6M7pc -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 05:59, 23 January 2022 (UTC)

This page has been vandalized, we need to fix that [[User:MysticalMHM|MysticalMHM]] ([[User talk:MysticalMHM|talk]]) 00:20, 4 May 2022 (UTC)

I don't think "raw" tea would be tea steeped in room-temperature water, I think it would be tea made from fresh (unprocessed/non-dried) leaves. Possibly even just the leaves themselves. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 15:24, 5 November 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2310: Great Attractor

2023-10-21T14:45:01Z

L-Space Traveler: Added link to another xkcd that shows The Great Attractor

Is Beret Guy talking about the {{w|Great Attractor}}? or simply about the Sun? It would fit in Beret Guy's quirkiness to call the Sun "the Great Attractor". Also, I didn't even know there was actually something called the Great Attractor... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.229|172.69.33.229]] 23:42, 22 May 2020 (UTC)

Well, given that it's "below him all day" and on the horizion at night, it's probably not the Sun. [[User:Argis13|Argis13]] ([[User talk:Argis13|talk]]) 23:58, 22 May 2020 (UTC)

Has anyone (inc Randall) done an analyses on TGA similar to https://what-if.xkcd.com/25/ does for other things? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.242|162.158.155.242]] 01:44, 23 May 2020 (UTC)

"The unexpected onset of summer daylight patterns may be further commentary on the ongoing COVID-19 measures and how they have affected perception of time." <-- what the heck is this even supposed to mean?
::It's not there any more, but it sounds like it might be a comment on how the sun is not really rising much earlier yet, and our sense of that is warped because we're staying inside so much [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.250|108.162.216.250]] 23:27, 24 May 2020 (UTC)

"Pull harder, Mom. I miss you." [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.150|172.69.34.150]] 08:07, 23 May 2020 (UTC)
:I have added [[502: Dark Flow]] as it has some similarities, but it was not the great attractor in that comic. But also the first I though about. ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:22, 25 May 2020 (UTC)

It currently says “Beret Guy is not standing straight up [...]. This is presumably due to the extra downwards force that the Great Attractor is currently exerting on him, so he has to exert more effort to hold himself upright and seems quite content”. Am I the only one who thinks this makes no sense? Beret Guy is going to sleep because the Great Attractor starts pulling him sideways. And if there was more force downwards, instead of sidewars, it would not help to bend the knee and stand tilted. If you have to carry heavy things, the easiest way is to put them on your head and stand as much vertical as possible (although this method is unpopular in some countries). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.222|141.101.98.222]] 19:31, 23 May 2020 (UTC)
:It's not just you. I interpreted the final frame as him being dragged sideways. This fits with the movement lines along the side covering most of his body, and the "drag lines" left by his feet. His stance makes more sense if he's resisting a sideways force. It also fits better with the time, since the Great Attractor is said to currently be on the horizon at night, and it's 8PM when they are talking. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.196|162.158.75.196]] 21:19, 23 May 2020 (UTC)
::I guess the one who wrote that part of the explanation forgot that it was evening. I have corrected the explanation to indicate that the pull is to the right - i.e. south --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:22, 25 May 2020 (UTC)

Whenever I am standing on a moving Bus or Train, I always bend the knee on my leading leg in order to counteract the inertia trying to force me forwards if the vehicle rapidly slows or stops [adjusting or resisting changes to my center of gravity]. If I tried to lead with a stiff leg I would topple forward. Beret Guy's stance would only work if he intends to slide on his feet. [[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]]) 04:26, 24 May 2020 (UTC)

But why does the Great Attractor pin Berret Guy to the wall, while it won't make him fly?[[User:Gunterkoenigsmann|Gunterkoenigsmann]] ([[User talk:Gunterkoenigsmann|talk]]) 07:07, 24 May 2020 (UTC)
:There is friction so if it is pulling hard enough the the south he could stay on a wall facing south. But it is also Beret Guy so maybe not think too much. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:22, 25 May 2020 (UTC)
::I just changed this, BTW. Obviously a wall with a south-facing side normally also has a north-facing side (if not infilled in some way, or built into a hillside) but it's definitely the latter you'd be reclining against with a southerly attraction in force. Unless I'm confused and you're going to tell me why. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.90|162.158.159.90]] 19:38, 25 May 2020 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure the local Supercluster is called Laniakea, and Virgo is just a smaller supercluster within it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laniakea_Supercluster
:True has added this to the extra explanation. Great Attractor is withing than. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:22, 25 May 2020 (UTC)

The mysterious analyses of Dark Flow near the great attractor are consistent with Beret Guy's strange experience. Scientists have said it looks like the universe functions by different laws over there. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.250|108.162.216.250]] 23:27, 24 May 2020 (UTC)

:''Although the location of the Great Attractor should not be linked directly to daylight here on Earth.'': Literally, no; but like everything else above Luna's orbit, the GA appears to circle the groundpounding observer at about the same rate as Sol. What's really meant by this sentence is obscure.
:''But it is also Beret Guy so maybe not think too much.'': Absolutely! Is our purpose to explain '''XKCD''' or only to lecture science with "just enough" pedantry? If the former, which implies the reader may not count such a rare character as a personal friend, it might be well to drop a word or two about [[Beret Guy]]'s fantastic nature.
: [[User:Xiong|Xiong]] ([[User talk:Xiong|talk]]) 17:05, 25 May 2020 (UTC)

This might be a bit of a stretch, but was anyone else reminded of the "Silly Job Interview" sketch from Monty Python at the end? "Goooodniiiiight, ding ding ding ding!" [[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.104|162.158.202.104]] 06:00, 28 June 2020 (UTC)

See also: https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/482:_Height [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 14:45, 21 October 2023 (UTC)

Talk:2258: Solar System Changes

2023-10-01T13:00:59Z

L-Space Traveler: Added to the discussion of the anthropomorphization of Jupiter

'''Support''' except keep Uranus. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.181|172.68.189.181]] 19:16, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

Wait ... WHAT??? Why isn't Niburu in this???? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.229|162.158.154.229]] 19:22, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
Its similar to https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1902:_State_Borders [[Special:Contributions/172.68.47.102|172.68.47.102]] 19:37, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

What Venus has been through
:For "what Venus has been through" see [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/giant-planetary-smashup-may-have-turned-venus-hot-and-hellish-180958377/] [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.97|173.245.52.97]] 19:44, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

I feel like the transcript is unnecessary because it's wholly redundant with the table here. Anyone object to merging the two sections? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.164|172.69.22.164]] 20:45, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
:See the transcript for [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1902:_State_Borders State Borders]. I think we still need to have a transcript, since the locations of the arrows and other marks aren't made clear in the table. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.27|162.158.74.27]] 20:57, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
::We always need the transcript. There should be no explanations in the transcript. It is both for people who need it to "read" the comic, and to be able to search for text from comic. Also the description of the image is relevant, in case there could be misunderstandings of what is on the image. If the transcript gets that wrong, then it can be debated and corrected. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:54, 23 January 2020 (UTC)

Note that in future, we may be actually able to implement some of those changes ... however, at that point the consolidation of missions to Moon and Mars wouldn't be relevant :-). Also, I would be against: most of those changes would be likely to make our solar system considerably less stable. Except Venus would really deserve some moon. Just small one, it doesn't need to be as big as ours. Also, we should light up Jupiter, to warm it's moons (this is one of {{w|Arthur C. Clarke|Clarke}}'s ideas). -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:37, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
:If Venus god a Moon it would most likely quickly be ejected by the interactions of the Sun, it is too close to the Sun not to see it as a three body problem, and that will always be chaotic. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:54, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
::"Quickly ejected" is probably an overstatement; even Venus has a significant Hill sphere, and any significant moon would first spiral inward due to losing tidal energy "spinning up" the rotational velocity of Venus (a huge benefit!). the Sun would probably act to make the moon's orbit eccentric & it could either crash into Venus or get ripped away, but I give it half a billion years or more. (but with a bit of curation the moon could give Venus a nice 24 hour day, and with that a magnetic field, who knows!) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.119|162.158.62.119]] 15:40, 24 January 2020 (UTC)

Wow - I only just noticed that "Jaturn" has Saturn's hexagon at the top. Should this be highlighted in the table? After all, it is cool science: https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2010-07-06 [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.155|162.158.74.155]] 02:04, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
:Yes, has already been done. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:54, 23 January 2020 (UTC)

I don't think the title text has anything to do with anthropomorphism. Rather, there is a person near R. just then who knows stuff about Jupiter. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.82|162.158.214.82]] 03:44, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
: The title text is Randall relaying a quote spoken by someone other than himself, with that person's identity "signed" after the two dashes (kind of like how we usually sign posts with <nowiki>--~~~~</nowiki>). Therefore, it is properly read as "someone (who knows Jupiter is within earshot)", not "(someone who knows Jupiter) is within earshot". If Randall had meant the latter, he would more likely have written something like "To the Jupiter fans: of course Jupiter already has a very impressive ring system!" --[[User:NotaBene|NotaBene]] ([[User talk:NotaBene|talk]]) 04:44, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
:: You are correct. The two dashes are indicative of signing a comment. Had Randall intended to comment that someone who knows Jupiter is close by, he would have put the comment in parentheses. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.163|162.158.107.163]] 18:59, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
:: He may also refer to the God Jupiter, who is the God of sky and thunder, and may easily smite anyone offending him. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.118|141.101.98.118]] 07:42, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
:::I agree with the first commenter: This is not about anthropomorphism. This is someone who states that Jupiter already has rings, and Randall comes those in advance by mentioning it in the title text. Annoying people who cannot see the difference between Saturn's Rings and other ring systems! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:54, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
::::Honestly, I originally read the title text, got confused due to its wording, and went with the second interpretation ("a Jupiter fan is within earshot and knows about its rings"). However it didn't quite feel right, and reading it again, the first interpretation ("a person knows that an anthropomorphized Jupiter is within earshot and wishes to placate him") makes just as much sense - in fact, grammatically, it makes ''more'' sense, since otherwise you have to suppose that Randall intended this weird combination of speech attribution and stage direction. However, it makes less sense ''in context'', since the comic is talking about real planets and didn't mention gods or anthropomorphized planets at all. Randall simply seems to have been clumsy with his wording. [[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 09:58, 24 January 2020 (UTC)
:::::The joke is that ''nobody'' actually thinks Jupiter's ring system is all that impressive, and the only person who would say that it ''is'' impressive is literally concerned that Jupiter itself can hear them. If Randall had meant someone who knows ''about'' Jupiter, he would not have left out the word "about" (not to mention he would have formatted the title text differently). [[Special:Contributions/172.69.69.82|172.69.69.82]] 18:35, 24 January 2020 (UTC)
::::::I also agree with the first commenter: I think it is a person within earshot, who knows about Jupiter. I don't see any reason to presume that it would be formatted differently if he meant this, and it would be just as easy to add "that" as "about" to clarify. Possibly, the ambiguity is intentional, but I don't think it is definitively clear that his intent was "Jupiter can hear". [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 13:00, 1 October 2023 (UTC)

Someone needs to make a Kopernicus mod in KSP and load it with Principia to see how long it lasts. Assume scales are close to the real one. {{unsigned ip|172.69.63.47}}

This comic may alternatively be about climate change - something about satire, metaphors, acid rain, super-Earths, current-events, the nature of rings surrounding planets & extinction level events. I don't know. Don't listen to me. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.160}}
:We won't. Sure Randall makes those comics, but this is clearly not one of them. (oh and please sign you comments ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:54, 23 January 2020 (UTC)

Oh please won't someone calculate the extent of low and high tides if we replace the Moon with Mars? [[User:Cellocgw|Cellocgw]] ([[User talk:Cellocgw|talk]]) 15:15, 23 January 2020 (UTC)

You know, for all my complaints about the Solar System, I always thought Jupiter and Saturn were well-balanced. Each of them has something interesting about it, and we don’t get too much of an overload of features from either one. In order to maintain variety while keeping the number of gas giants to a minimum, I think Neptune should get the rings. Jupiter can keep the moons, though, and otherwise I support this revision. —[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.137|172.69.33.137]] 19:53, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
:Actually, Neptune already has a very impressive ring system![[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.233|162.158.158.233]] 10:28, 24 January 2020 (UTC)
::It's gone now, you can be honest. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.142.209|172.68.142.209]] 22:07, 24 January 2020 (UTC)

Can anyone make an educated guess about which of the changes, if implemented individually, would have the largest impact on the solar system as a whole? I'm guessing the largest impact on humans would be the mars-moon thing.[[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 11:20, 25 January 2020 (UTC)

== Anton 'What Da Math' Petrov tribute video ==

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zVznheFthY <-- please see. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.163|172.68.189.163]] 06:07, 28 January 2020 (UTC)

"Jaturn" seems the lean too heavily of Saturn for the name, giving Jupiter short-shrift, and we all know what a bitch Jupiter can be (see title text). The name should be "Jupurn". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.64|162.158.63.64]] 16:35, 30 January 2020 (UTC)

Talk:2236: Is it Christmas?

2023-09-27T14:12:16Z

L-Space Traveler: Added a comment about statistics

according Wayback Machine, the site [https://web.archive.org/web/20181225014549/https://isitchristmas.com/ still] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171225032723/https://isitchristmas.com/ says] [https://web.archive.org/web/20161209052757/https://isitchristmas.com/ NO] [https://web.archive.org/web/20151225060146/https://isitchristmas.com/ even] on Christmas. --[[User:Valepert|valepert]] ([[User talk:Valepert|talk]]) 21:56, 2 December 2019 (UTC)

:Hmmm, maybe it will be fixed this year. I imagine everybody spammed the guy on twitter when it didnt work last year. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.155|172.68.132.155]] 22:06, 2 December 2019 (UTC)

:; It checks your system time
:It uses the <code>new Date()</code> constructor to check whether it is Christmas, which uses your system time. Thus, the Wayback won't get anything, but changing your system time will. Kay? [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 22:14, 2 December 2019 (UTC)

Okay so looking at isitchristmas.com, there's a comment at the top of the page saying to look at the console, but I don't see anything in there, anyone know what that might be about? Also at the bottom of the html file, the bottommost <script> tag looks like it might contain code for a chat client? I don't know JS so I'm unsure, but I tried changing all the related "false" values to "true" that looked relevant and nothing happened, so idk. Maybe someone else can figure it out. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.155|172.68.132.155]] 22:03, 2 December 2019 (UTC)
:(I'm the dev.) Check back again closer to Christmas, on 12/23 or 12/24. [[User:Konklone|Konklone]] ([[User talk:Konklone|talk]]) 00:55, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
::I mean, I kind of find that suspect. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.47.234|172.68.47.234]] 01:39, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:::seconded. that's a suspicious lot of javascript just to display yes or no, even with globalisation. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.144|141.101.107.144]] 10:07, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
::::There are some other features besides globalization, but they only take effect closer to Christmas. [[User:Konklone|Konklone]] ([[User talk:Konklone|talk]]) 17:24, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:::::Aha! I found some more info from your blog: https://konklone.com/post/isitchristmas-dot-com-2013-more-and-better [[Special:Contributions/172.68.142.59|172.68.142.59]] 21:55, 3 December 2019 (UTC)

Well, one way to put it is that the overall probability of a false negative is 0.27%, which doesn't seem too bad, but the conditional probability of a false negative given that it's Christmas is 100%, which is horrid. --[[User:IByte|IByte]] ([[User talk:IByte|talk]]) 22:37, 2 December 2019 (UTC)

Of course it depends on your definition of "It's Christmas". The figure is right if you just mean Christmas Day and ignore the Julian vs Gregorian issue, but not you subscribe to "the 12 days of Christmas" = Christmas ... Just saying ;-) [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 23:53, 2 December 2019 (UTC)
:Every year, people ask me about including multiple definitions of Christmas, but I think for my own sanity it's going to keep looking just at 12/25. ;) [[User:Konklone|Konklone]] ([[User talk:Konklone|talk]]) 00:57, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
::There's an assumption here that people will only want to celebrate Christmas once a year. Might be different for someone living in a community with multiple religions who likes the holiday, or wants an excuse to take an additional day off work! --[[User:Marcus Rowland|Marcus Rowland]] ([[User talk:Marcus Rowland|talk]]) 11:08, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:::But that would not be Christmas. Christmas is the day the Bible states Jesus was born (or at least if it is in the bible at all, the day Christians choose to claim Jesus was born). Thus only one day can be Christmas and no matter how you choose to celebrate and when or how many days, still only the 25th of December will be Christmas! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:41, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
::::Not only Bible doesn't say anything about when was Jesus born, the first Christmas celebration happened in year 336 and the date was likely chosen to match Roman Festival of Saturnalia. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:49, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
::::I'm Catholic, Christmas day is one day a year, but Christmas (the liturgical season) ends on The Baptism of the Lord, which varies but can be as late as January 13th. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.91|172.69.63.91]] 15:19, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
::::There are at least two Christmas days, as noted previously - the Western one on 25th December, and the Eastern Orthodox version which is based on an older calendar and is now in January according to the Western calendar, because their calendar has slipped compared to ours. But if someone wants to celebrate both there is really no reason why not - they don't have to be followers of the religion to want to take a holiday. Or if you want another reason, in communities with followers of both versions of Christianity, there will be days when the followers of one or another version are celebrating Christmas and businesses etc. are closed, which will affect everyone regardless of which religion they follow, if any. --[[User:Marcus Rowland|Marcus Rowland]] ([[User talk:Marcus Rowland|talk]]) 15:33, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
How do we know Randall's version is wrong on Christmas? Has anyone set their system clock to Dec 25 and checked it? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 02:14, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:Have tested; Randall's displayed "no" as per main image. isitchritmas displayed "yes" as per explanation. [[User:RedHillian|RedHillian]] ([[User talk:RedHillian|talk]]) 02:44, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
::It may be Randall uses Server-Time, and not client-time like isitchristmas.com - Also, in the official Calendars, there are two Christmas days, first and second day of Christmas. I think Randall went only for the gifting day, which is different in many countries anyway. My kids get there presents on Christmas eve (24 December), their friends mostly on 6 December (Sint Nicolas) (or the evening before). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.62|141.101.77.62]] 07:45, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:: Based on his 99.73% accuracy comment, I assume the comic is a static image, and will always show "NO", even on Christmas day. I think that is the whole joke, that his comic is correct 364 (+ leap days) of the year, when it is not Christmas. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.158|172.69.34.158]] 08:23, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:::Of course this is a static image, that is the whole point. ;-) In Demark we also have the [https://erdetfredag.dk/ is it Friday] which at least is easier to check if it works, as it changes from No (Nej) to Yes (Ja) once a week. As mentioned above in Denmark the isitchristmas answers in Danish with a Nej. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:34, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:::Yes, that is clearly what the comic implies - that it is static and will be wrong on Christmas. But to be fair, it would very much be Randall's style to instead change this comic to say "YES" on christmas, and then ALSO to change it again so that it is wrong on some ''other'' unexpected day... :) [[User:Praxiq|Praxiq]] ([[User talk:Praxiq|talk]]) 05:23, 4 December 2019 (UTC)
:::Ummm, yeah, it ALWAYS says "No". LOL! Which for 364 days out of 365 is true. I haven't checked the math, but presumably 364 divided by 365 gets the percentage he states. It seems to me he's making fun of how silly a concept that website is. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:15, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

About "when is christmas". Christmas consists of two days, which makes the calculation of predicted correctness too optimistic. (99,45% for 363/365 and for 364/366; 99,38% for 363/365.25)[[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.62|141.101.77.62]] 07:45, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:No only the 25th of December is called Christmas Day. All other days are thus not Christmas, but just days you choose to celebrate that the 25th is Christmas! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:41, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:: Ah, learned something today. In Germany and several neighbouring countries Christmas has two days, a first and a second Christmas day (25th and 26th of December). As Christ was born in the night, both days around that night get celebrated. Stupidly I assumed this would be the case in English speaking countries too. So, the UK and a few former colonies have only one day of Christmas, and a "Boxing Day". Thanks for making me spill my time on wikipedia and other sources. ;) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.54.39|172.69.54.39]] 08:10, 4 December 2019 (UTC)
:::Actually, there's no Boxing Day in the United States, they refer to it as a Canadian "holiday" (speaking as a Canadian). It rather surprised me that they don't have the term, though we don't "celebrate" it in any way (except stores having Boxing Day Sales), it's just a name for the day after Christmas, like the opposite of Christmas Eve. Now I'm surprised to hear some places celebrate over 2 days. (As usual when such cultural differences come up, it's safest to assume the meaning is with how things are in the States, as that's where Randall lives. Not always true, but usually). [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:32, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

"In the western world celebrated on 25th" is not correct. For UK,US and Canada and probably a lot others it might be true, german and I think spanish speaking countries not.
:No no. Even when you celebrate Christmas Eve on December 24th (as also in Denmark) we call the 25th Christmas Day. Even if you also celebrate the 2nd Christmas day, there is only one day a year that it is Christmas, and that is the 25th of December. That is when Christians claim Jesus was born. Of course I celebrate the Winter solstice (and accept that I do this a few days off, since that is when I can have the day off.) In Denmark we count the days up till the 24th and celebrate in the evening, (as the Vikings always did, because the new day began the sun set.) We do not look at the 12 days after. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:34, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
::The word "celebrated" or "to celebrate", means (according to [https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/celebrate Lexico/Oxford]): "Acknowledge (a significant or happy day or event) with a social gathering or enjoyable activity." This activity is not set as a single day for the western world. E.g. in Germany it is acknowledged with social gatherings and enjoyable activities for at least 3 days: Christmas eve (24th), First Christmas day (25th) and second christmas day (26th December). Additionally not all the western world (is that even properly defined?) does acknowledge the birth of christ (significant/happy event) by social gatherings or enjoyable activities (e.g. you, as you stated yourself.)--[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 09:59, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:::The word celebrate is not present in the comic. That is about the question if today is Christmas. When you choose to celebrate Christmas has nothing to do with what day is Christmas, and also other religious holidays has nothing to do with Christmas at all. Do not mix up different issues here. This comic is only wrong on 25th of December which is Christmas day. All other days you choose to celebrate Christmas is not Christmas Day! And thus it is not Christmas! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:41, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
::::So you also agree, that the statement in the explanation is wrong? I will change it.--[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 12:47, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:::::Ummm, no, you shouldn't twist people's words to pretend they agree with you, sorry. Kynde was clearly arguing the other side. Again, as stated above, whether it IS Christmas is about what DAY has the name Christmas Day. The very name uses the singular "Day", not "Days". What day(s) people use is irrelevant. I suspect you can check the math to see that Randall is referring to one singular day. It was more accurate before, you shouldn't have changed it, especially against the majority "vote" like that. Christmas Day is December 25th, one day, period. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:58, 5 January 2020 (UTC)
:::::: As you can see, I made [[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2236:_Is_it_Christmas%3F&diff=184082&oldid=184079 this edit]] after my comment here, in which I tried to explain the comic to international readers. I changed celebreated to observed (as Kynde has said the comic is not about celebrating, but about wether it is the holiday), and changed "western world" to the US. As you said yourself in other comments here, it differs a lot between the US, canada and places that "celebrate" over 2 days. So to me it is not twisting his words, but now, with a few weeks passed, I see my comment as a bit of passive agressive as well, and would like to apologize to [[User: Kynde|Kynde]]. I hope the current version (in which I have introduced the paragraph that the comic is only true for 1-day definitions, and which also does not any longer make claims about "the western world") is acceptable to all. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:37, 6 January 2020 (UTC)

:The XKCD page has the additional advantage of being equally accurate whether you follow [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar Western] or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_liturgical_calendar Eastern Orthodox] calendars, or whatever calendar you choose! --[[User:Quantum7|Quantum7]] ([[User talk:Quantum7|talk]]) 08:39, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:::::I didn't mean to stir up such a hornet's nest, but there is a possible distinction between the Season of Christmas (from Christmas Day to Twelfth Night) and just Christmas Day and I was referring to that. Nobody talks of Advent Day or Lent Day and Easter is clearly Good Friday, Easter Day and Easter Monday, even if the Eggs are meant for just Easter Day. Just saying ;-) [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 19:04, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
::It's true that only the 25th is called Christmas Day in the U.S. (for example), but it's also true that the 24th is called Christmas Eve. I see no reason to assume that only the former can lay exclusive claim to a 24-hour "Christmas". If you want only a 24-hour period, I'd argue for a period cutting across both dates. (As a Minnesotan I may be culturally influenced by an apparent Scandinavian tradition.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.148|162.158.214.148]] 20:43, 4 December 2019 (UTC)

Reminds me of [[937: TornadoGuard]] in subject matter.--[[User:Henke37|Henke37]] ([[User talk:Henke37|talk]]) 09:47, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:I was mostly reminded of [[1132: Frequentists vs. Bayesians]]. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 10:06, 3 December 2019 (UTC)

Is the comic closely enough related to be put into [[:Category:Statistics]]?--[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 13:21, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:No. There is nothing statistic here. It is just 1/365 giving the error percentage. That the explanation goes into statistics to tell how bad this version of is it x-mas is, does not make the comics topic statistics --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:01, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
::I interpreted this comic to be about statistics: it boasts an impressively high accuracy rate, but is actually (indeed, by design) completely useless at it's purported purpose (telling you whether it's Christmas). How to lie with statistics! :) [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 14:12, 27 September 2023 (UTC)

Some other sites with the same idea: http://ismycomputeron.com https://shouldiblamecaching.com http://iscaliforniaonfire.com http://www.ismycomputeronfire.com/ [[User:Ahiijny|Ahiijny]] ([[User talk:Ahiijny|talk]]) 14:47, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
: [https://shouldipanic.info Should I panic] yet? [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 19:58, 4 December 2019 (UTC)

Also this flowchart: [[1723: Meteorite Identification]] - I am currently to absent-minded to get a proper wording for the relation right. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 14:57, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:Not seeing the similarity. The flowchart he mocks there is actually a real flowchart, which helps you realize that the stone you find is not a meteorite. Because it never is... until it is. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:01, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
::Both ask a question where the answer is known to usually be "no" and then go ahead, to proclaim "no" without further checks. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:37, 4 December 2019 (UTC)

Maybe it's just me, but I took this comic to be a mockery of a vastly over-complicated solution to a simple problem. I mean, have you looked at the source code for isitchristmas.com? Crazy! [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.195|172.69.63.195]] 20:47, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
:I think he just mocks pages in general that tells you something you know. I do though enjoy to sometimes look at the, [https://erdetfredag.dk/ is it Friday page], but only when I know it is Friday, as it is always nice to think about the weekend is near, early Friday morning. ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:01, 3 December 2019 (UTC)

The average number of days in a year in the Gregorian calendar is exactly 365.2425, not 365.25. Leap years are skipped in years divisible by 100 except in years divisible by 400. [[User:Programmerjake|Programmerjake]] ([[User talk:Programmerjake|talk]]) 18:12, 4 December 2019 (UTC)

I imagine this chap https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Park_(Mr._Christmas) will be very upset to find out NO days are Christmas![[User:Daemonik|Daemonik]] ([[User talk:Daemonik|talk]]) 11:22, 5 December 2019 (UTC)

Interestingly, isitchristmas.com has a link to this XKCD at the top. Is this worth noting? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.43|173.245.54.43]] 01:16, 26 December 2019 (UTC)

== More Ads ==

Am I the only one who again got adds in between paragraphs on this wiki? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:37, 4 December 2019 (UTC)
: Nope, but I only get them occasionally. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:53, 4 December 2019 (UTC)
:: Right now I'm seeing a lot of them in the discussion section that's transcluded on the main comic page, but not if I go directly to the Discussion Talk: page. See also [[Talk:2220: Imagine Going Back in Time/Ads]] (the previous discussion about this). [[User:Ahiijny|Ahiijny]] ([[User talk:Ahiijny|talk]]) 14:50, 4 December 2019 (UTC)
:::I've had to take a hiatus from XKCD so catching up now, I think this is my third comic with ads. And about every second paragraph, in bothe the explanation and here in the comments. NOT good. We may need to bring back the Ads comment section. :( [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:32, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

== The Asterisk ==

One thing nobody has mentioned yet: the asterisk after "NO" is very distinctly drawn with 4 lines, for 8 points. The vertical points are longest; the horizontal points second-longest; and the diagonal points are shortest. This is a very popular way to represent the star of bethlehem, especially as a christmas tree topper - see https://imgur.com/a/B9det9a for lots of ornaments that look an awful lot like that asterisk! I'm sure it's deliberate, given the Christmas theme of the comic. (I intended to update the explanation to point this out, but as a new user I can't upload the image here, and I'm not sure if linking to external images is good etiquette. So instead I'm posting here, in case someone else wants to update the explanation. The linked imgur is a collage of my own creation, but it's made up of 6 copyrighted photos. They're marketing photos from Amazon, Wayfair, and other sites, of products for sale - I believe using them educationally as a representative sample of ornaments depicting the star of bethlehem should constitute fair use, but IANAL.)

[[User:Praxiq|Praxiq]] ([[User talk:Praxiq|talk]]) 05:18, 4 December 2019 (UTC)

== Probably won't change ==

See the asterisk that says 99.73 accurate? It probably won't change, that's the joke. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.164|172.69.22.164]] 20:15, 12 December 2019 (UTC)
: Can confirm that it did not change. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.43|173.245.54.43]] 01:16, 26 December 2019 (UTC)
::Can someone else confirm? Because I just noticed, that someone made the transcript here change for that day, which I think is wrong.--[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:13, 6 January 2020 (UTC)

Talk:1801: Decision Paralysis

2023-07-24T22:13:45Z

L-Space Traveler:

Don't hurt me: First explanation. There's serious problems with it, I know. Be gentle. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.159|162.158.62.159]] 05:59, 20 February 2017 (UTC)

[[356: Nerd Sniping]] appears to be a practical application of this. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.16|162.158.114.16]] 09:14, 20 February 2017 (UTC)

[[309:_Shopping_Teams]] is also directly relevant. [[User:B jonas|B jonas]] ([[User talk:B jonas|talk]]) 11:26, 20 February 2017 (UTC)

Talking about Nerds: [[309: Shopping Teams]] ??? {{unsigned ip|141.101.76.250}}
:Yes to shopping teams no to Nerd snipping. Completely different reason to wasting time. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:39, 11 March 2017 (UTC)

Depends on what internet service you use to make your decision. I tried to compare car reviews with Amazon's Alexa and it led me to binge watching the recently concluded season of The Grand Tour. [[User:Nialpxe|Nialpxe]] ([[User talk:Nialpxe|talk]]) 13:59, 20 February 2017 (UTC)

My first reaction upon seeing the comic was: "There are two of you and two cars! Just steal each a car and whoever gets to the base first starts dealing with the bomb. (Plus, you get to find which car is faster)" [[Special:Contributions/188.114.110.178|188.114.110.178]] 14:35, 20 February 2017 (UTC)
:Good point. Of course the joke is that Cueball/Randall gets sucked into comparing. The third option might seem like a good alternative rather than risking being at the base when the bomb explodes (more likely due to the time wasted in the first place...) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:31, 20 February 2017 (UTC)

Randall has previously mentioned ways of harming him, like that one where he taught everyone to impersonate him, or trick his friends into punching him. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.100|141.101.76.100]] 19:51, 20 February 2017 (UTC)
:I guess you mean this for the impersonate: [[1121: Identity]]. I'm a bit more uncertain if the other is this one [[706: Freedom]]. But this seems more like something that could happen not something that has happened. I have included the first as I think that it relevant. Thanks. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:04, 20 February 2017 (UTC)
::I meant [[1057: Klout]] for the punching one. But reading it back, I'm not so convinced anymore. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.100|141.101.76.100]] 06:51, 22 February 2017 (UTC)
:::Ah. By the way those two comics 706 and 1057 "klout" up each other, as both invites people to hit Randall so now he will not know why people do it :-) And I agree that it is not so clearly an invitation as the one about Identity or this comic --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 18:41, 22 February 2017 (UTC)

If the pair are, as the page asserts, standing next to the cars then megan would have said ''these cars''. also, the cars as drawn, if next to the pair, are '''very small''' and floating in space. they appear instead to be quite '''far away'''. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.18|141.101.107.18]] 12:35, 21 February 2017 (UTC)
:Agree have changed the line in the transcript. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 18:41, 22 February 2017 (UTC)

The title, and the comic, seem to about the well known phenomenon "Analysis Paralysis", see [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis_paralysis this page]. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.4|172.68.34.4]] 03:49, 23 February 2017 (UTC)

My girlfriend always says - The harder a decision is, the less it matters [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.46|162.158.78.46]] 20:11, 28 February 2017 (UTC)
:Wow. That is really insightful - I will remember this, thank you (and her)! [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 22:13, 24 July 2023 (UTC)

=== Possible car models ===
I don't know if it's at all significant, but the car on the right is recognizably a 2016 Toyota Prius - I own one of these and the rear end of the car has a very distinctive design. The Prius does have good traction control - the 2004 model was one of the first "mid-level" (read: non-sport, non-luxury) vehicles to prominently feature Vehicle Stability Control, so while this feature is now common in most cars, the Prius still retains some notability for having it. [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 23:05, 24 February 2017 (UTC)
: There's another (admittedly tenuous) link here: The advertising campaign for the 2016 Prius, introduced during the Super Bowl that year, featured a couple of bank robbers stealing a Prius and using it to evade the cops in various ways that showed off the car's features - most notably its improved performance (over older models) and its high gas mileage. [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 23:08, 24 February 2017 (UTC)
::The specific car model is irrelevant at this comic.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 23:11, 24 February 2017 (UTC)
:: '''(Edit Conflict)''' Actually, nevermind - I zoomed in and realized that the car isn't as definite as I thought. It does have the general shape of a Prius, but the features would need to be better defined. [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 23:13, 24 February 2017 (UTC)

:::* I think the car on the left looks like like its optics are from 2000 Ford Mustang, while its roof should be from 90's Mustang. Both cars have decent acceleration, but 90's 3.8L V6 Mustang has top speed limited to 115mph. Muscle cars are not so good at traction, also.

So, there ''may'' be a competition between new Prius and robust Mustang or basically any muscle car.

Talk:1774: Adjective Foods

2023-07-20T23:41:41Z

L-Space Traveler:

Nobody has edited since I started this? Wow. I must have been ''early''. [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 15:23, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
:Nice to see somebody helping out! Thanks! [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 15:41, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

This looks just like all the food in my supermarket. I'm not even sure if I'm buying food or the best adjectives sometimes XD [[User:Fox Holmes|While most people have mass on Saturday, I have mine relative to my inertia]] ([[User talk:Fox Holmes|talk]]) 15:59, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

The can of Lite is a real thing, of course, and trademarked, which is why other beers can call themselves "light" but not "Lite". [https://www.beeradvocate.com/mag/2627/lite-beer-vs-light-beer/ This article has more on that.] [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.4|162.158.75.4]] 16:05, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
I thought Lite could be a name for a drink itself, and then i found you. Cool.

Italics is totally fine, and Glazed and Lite ''are'' in white. [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 16:13, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
:First off, I would like to apologize, my reason for changing the text to normal could be seen as inflammatory, and that was not my intention. As for my actual reason, it's that while you may be able to read it fine, many people can't read text like that. In the comic, it's large and capital letters, but the wiki has small text. Adding all that guff makes it hard to read. For example, my mom has awful eyes, and text like that would be virtually unreadable to her. It was not for my sake, but rather for the sake of others. [[User:Fox Holmes|While most people have mass on Saturday, I have mine relative to my inertia]] ([[User talk:Fox Holmes|talk]]) 16:18, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
::It's not hard to increase the font size on a computer -- just ctrl and + (or ctrl and =). ctrl and - to turn it back down. The transcript is mainly there for search engines anyway, I imagine; after all, the comic is directly above it on the same page.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.178|108.162.237.178]] 17:29, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
:::it isn't hard to increase font size, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how busy the text is. There is no reason for it to have that much. It distracts from the real purpose and decreases readability. Also, they want it edited as well. Note the box above the transcript about format. This is not about you. It needs to change for other people who cannot read this stuff as well. What makes you think everyone knows how to increase font size? I honestly didn't until now. You need to do something about it, I'll do it for you, which you may not like.[[User:Fox Holmes|While most people have mass on Saturday, I have mine relative to my inertia]] ([[User talk:Fox Holmes|talk]]) 17:48, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

Is "artisenal" even a word? Is that a purposeful misspelling of "artisanal"? (Like "lite" is a purposeful misspelling of "light".) [[User:Imperpay|Imperpay]] ([[User talk:Imperpay|talk]]) 16:42, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

The "artisenal" error has now been fixed in the updated comic. [http://xkcd.com/1774/]. --[[User:Esterhazy|Esterhazy]] ([[User talk:Esterhazy|talk]]) 17:42, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

The 'p' by a "kosher mark" indicates that it is kosher for Passover. It will say 'pareve' outright if the food is pareve. --Hamotron[[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.28|172.68.54.28]] 18:24, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

Who cares what foods ''might'' be in each of the packages? It has nothing to do with the comic and are generally speculation anyway. I'd disagree with most of what's written, but it doesn't matter. I would argue for removing the entire table/section. [[User:SeanAhern|SeanAhern]] ([[User talk:SeanAhern|talk]]) 18:58, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
:I'd generally agree. If we are to list them, the 'sack' should probably designate it as 'Flour or meal,' as cereals are sometimes steel-cut, but not usually stone-ground, and stone-ground wheat is flour. Also, while there are lots of kosher foods here, I've never seen kosher eggs. Rule seems to be it must come from a live kosher chicken, but I think all chickens are kosher while they are alive, & 'kosher chicken' refers to the manner of their slaughter. [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 23:07, 19 December 2016 (UTC)
:I don't think you are meant to be able to tell what is in the package as some of it makes no sense. Why would "cage free" be applied to flour or wheat? That is typically applied to chickens and their eggs to indicate the chicken/hen isn't trapped in a cage. But I have never heard of someone grinding a chicken. The only thing I can think of all those adjectives actually referring to would be ground up chicken such as for fertilisers. I think it is just a collection of adjectives which make no sense.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.160|108.162.249.160]] 00:00, 20 December 2016 (UTC)
::I do agree that there is no sense speculating about the contents of the packages with regard to the comic, but as an aside, I just have to comment that I routinely grind chickens to feed my cats! [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 23:41, 20 July 2023 (UTC)
Hear, hear; in fact I think the explanation should note that part of the joke is that no product could be described as cage free and stone-ground. similarly, fire-roasted and flambé are inconsistent. Also, smoked, sun-dried, and barrel-aged are very nearly mutually inconsistent. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.29|162.158.79.29]] 01:41, 20 December 2016 (UTC)
:: Disagree, fois gras could be made from cage free ducks and then ground with stone implements. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.64|108.162.221.64]] 14:36, 20 December 2016 (UTC)
:: It could refer to some baked good that uses stone-ground flour and eggs from cage-free chickens.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.46.5|172.68.46.5]] 17:05, 20 December 2016 (UTC)
`

This is the opposite of 993: Brand Identity. {{unsigned ip|162.158.62.75}}

"Stune-ground" might reffer to a "Ground stone" so its probably Flour. (PS hope i edit this correctly) {{unsigned ip|172.68.34.106}}

;Lite

The contents of the Lite can could also be soda, as it's well possible to produce a lite soda (though I don't think anyone has). {{unsigned ip|172.68.34.106}}
:Coca Cola has a Lite variety, so it certainly could be. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.219|141.101.104.219]] 14:10, 20 December 2016 (UTC)

;Original flavor

'Original flavor' actually isn't a noun phrase (in context). It's an adjectival phrase, which is why Randall has used it as he has. I'd suggest deleting this sentence in the explanation. {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.162}}

;Trivia
The link in the trivia section seems to point to the current comic image, not the older version.---- {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.100}}

Is it just me or is "original flavor" not an adjective? It seems to act as a noun, "flavor", being modified by an adjective "original", not as a phrase.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.88|108.162.215.88]] 21:18, 22 December 2016 (UTC)

It's hard to read it as a noun phrase in context. In another context it could be, for example if a soda-can were a likely container for flavoring. Here it reads most naturally as an adjectival phrase: imagine 'Original flavor Coca Cola'. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.126|141.101.107.126]] 05:47, 23 December 2016 (UTC)Adam

Randall has been partially successful. I can walk into my local grocery and purchase packages of "loaf" and "spread", and bottles of "drink" [[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]])

;OSASCOMP
At first glance not all of these adjective orderings look natural. Has anyone checked? Opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose. ''— [[User:Tbc|tbc]] ([[User talk:Tbc|talk]]) 15:09, 23 December 2016 (UTC)''

I’m disappointed in myself. I thought the product was called bespoke.... [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 14:02, 21 March 2019 (UTC)

Talk:1772: Startup Opportunity

2023-07-20T22:54:05Z

L-Space Traveler:

More escapades of Beret guy's business - [[1021]], [[1032]], and probably more --[[User:AnotherAnonymous|AnotherAnonymous]] ([[User talk:AnotherAnonymous|talk]]) 15:41, 14 December 2016 (UTC)

it may be a reference a episode of the Adult swim show Rick and Morty. In season 1 episode 9 "Something Ricked This Way Comes" the devil sets up a shop that gives away magical items that appear to give the user some superpower or other advantage but turn out to be cursed, for example a type writer that helps the user make best selling murder mystery books but then the murders happen to them in real life. Rick decides to open his own business to un-curse items but letting them keep there magic power thus disrupting the devils entire business. {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.226}}

While it wasn't Beret guy, the idea of a business that doesn't do anything reminds me of [[1060]] --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.51|162.158.62.51]] 22:38, 14 December 2016 (UTC)

Has Berry Guy ever interacted with White Hat before? [[User:Username'); DROP TABLE users;--|Username'); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:Username'); DROP TABLE users;--|talk]]) 00:57, 15 December 2016 (UTC)
;Online virtual world

I think this comic could be referring to online virtual world. There is several site that sell virtual good for real money. Players could also trade virtual currency for virtual magic item. The fact the shop is in virtual world could explain why they look like they never existed.

Temporary shops that sell items to adventurers in need are a common theme among many games. O'aka XXIII in FFX is the first one that comes to mind, but there are a LOT. A lot of these shops sell items that are of particular value at the time, but another common theme among them is to sell unidentified or even cursed items, admonishing the player for trusting some random guy that they met in the wilderness. Sometimes these "cursed" items end up being plot essential. The really crooked ones also offer to uncurse the items once they are identified (or the user has identified that they are cursed by equipping them before they are fully identified) Mordor: the depths of Dejenol is an old game that had cursed items that you had to pay the shop to have removed before you could level up. Some of the items, though, were "cursed" but provided real benefits, and players would equip them intentionally every level knowing that they'd have to pay because the benefit was great enough. [[User:Kashim|Kashim]] ([[User talk:Kashim|talk]]) 21:34, 14 December 2016 (UTC)

--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.94|108.162.219.94]] 18:12, 14 December 2016 (UTC)

Well does chair, actually mean chair like an object or Chairmen? Because I assumed the latter when first read the comic...
: I definitely read it like it was referring to the object. [[User:NotLock|NotLock]] ([[User talk:NotLock|talk]]) 06:14, 15 December 2016 (UTC)

[[User:Trimutius|Trimutius]] ([[User talk:Trimutius|talk]]) 01:54, 15 December 2016 (UTC)

:This is also how I read it. Since there are several people sitting at table, seemed likely to be an executive board (i.e. gathering of several chairpersons). This also plays on the tendency for the organization of an activity (administration) to become more important than the actual activity (at least to those administering it). "But it is possible, after a while, to develop certain dangerous habits of thought. One is that, while all important enterprises need careful organization, it is the organization that needs organizing, rather than the enterprise." (Pratchett, Thief of Time) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.208|108.162.245.208]] 06:22, 15 December 2016 (UTC)

2016 Kickstarters in a nutshell defined by this one comic. This is why I never do kickstarters. If they fail, you don't get your money. But if they succeed, people will question what's taking so long and can take hold of your project in court at any time. Any games I make, I make myself with my own money and budget. Still wouldn't mind having Beret Guy as a business partner, though. ;) --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 15:01, 15 December 2016 (UTC)

I wish I knew Beret Guy in real life. Dude you're awesome. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.64|108.162.221.64]] 15:06, 15 December 2016 (UTC)

How do we know that Cueball, Hairy, and the others are there as "advisers"? They might be potential investors looking into this startup!
--[[User:Lou Crazy|Lou Crazy]] ([[User talk:Lou Crazy|talk]]) 15:25, 16 December 2016 (UTC)
:This was my interpretation as well. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 22:54, 20 July 2023 (UTC)

I don't think this is proper usage of [citation needed]. The way I understand it, it's supposed to be used for things that are widely believed to be true but aren't provable, and implying their possible falsehood is humorous. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.51.79|172.68.51.79]] 18:19, 15 December 2016 (UTC)

Seriously, with the amount of startups popping up these days, there might be a startup crash tommorow...[[Special:Contributions/162.158.46.88|162.158.46.88]] 15:36, 17 December 2016 (UTC)

I kinda take issue with insinuating that Beret Guy "is hopelessly out of touch with reality" - is he? Really? Or might he rather be intersecting with an alternate reality, which, at least when he's around, occasionally bleeds through to the reality of the rest of the comic. Maybe he "is hopelessly out of touch with the other characters' reality"(?) or something similar - [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 19:20, 12 January 2017 (UTC)

Perhaps his "endless wings" (1099: Tuesdays) resulted from consuming similarly endless, but cursed, wings. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.10|162.158.255.10]] 01:53, 9 June 2018 (UTC)

Perhaps Beret Guy's business is him getting money from the "What If" about receiving money in cash, specifically the Jeff Bezos room. After all, he refers to the interview room as "this real building I found," so maybe he also "found" the room with Jeff's salary.

Talk:1759: British Map

2023-07-19T14:40:18Z

L-Space Traveler:

Might be a bit of a stretch, but Cardigan could also be a reference to Ceredigion, the Welsh county. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.10.34|172.68.10.34]] 16:14, 15 November 2016 (UTC)
:Ceredigion and Cardigan are the same word - Cardigan is just the Anglicised spelling. That's why it was formerly called Cardiganshire. The town is still called Cardigan, which is mentioned in the table. [[User:Schroduck|Schroduck]] ([[User talk:Schroduck|talk]]) 08:34, 16 November 2016 (UTC)
Minas Tirith could be a reference to the gorges in North Somerset. It's slap-bang on Cheddar Gorge and Clifton Village (cliff-town) in Bristol is built on the side of the Avon Gorge. [[User:Camarones|Camarones]] ([[User talk:Camarones|talk]]) 12:54, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

The actual location for Braintree should be Essex not North Yorkshire.
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.171|141.101.98.171]] 15:22, 14 November 2016 (UTC)
:When I first saw that, I was wondering how likely a [http://images.neopets.com/halloween/braintree.gif Neopets] reference was. Seeing that it's a real thing, and the creators of Neopets are from the UK, things make a lot more sense now. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.196|108.162.210.196]] 14:43, 16 November 2016 (UTC)

Could Highland be a reference to Highlander? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.84|173.245.52.84]] 15:27, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

OK, I know you removed the </nowiki> that ruined the italics there, [[User:Davidy22|Davidy]]. Don't lie to me, you troll. [[User:Jacky720|Jacky720]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]]) 19:04, 14 November 2016 (UTC)
:Whoops, was removing autogenerated nowiki text from another user, missed the first tag. Also, that edit was completely unnecessary. 21:29, 14 November 2016 (UTC)
::No it wasn't, see that "Please sign your comments" below? Leaving the <nowiki><nowiki></nowiki> made the italics become quotemarks, and if there hadn't been a </nowiki> at the end of it, it would ruin the rest too. But thanks for apologizing, just try to be more careful. [[User:Jacky720|Jacky720]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]]) 20:08, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

Blick could be referring to Wick , at the top of Scotland ''Please sign your comments with <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>''

''Waterdown: Near [the actual] Grimsby'' Interestingly enough, in southern Ontario, Canada, there's a Waterdown not far from a Grimsby. Waterdown is considered part of Hamilton, and is towards its northwestern edge, while Grimsby is to Hamilton's east. --[[User:VonAether|VonAether]] ([[User talk:VonAether|talk]]) 17:01, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

The protractor off the West coast of Scotland is a reference to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mull_of_Kintyre_test
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.215|141.101.98.215]] 17:44, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

Blick could also be Oldmeldrum.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.234.229|162.158.234.229]] 19:06, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

Why aren't the coordinates part of the first table? [[User:NotLock|NotLock]] ([[User talk:NotLock|talk]]) 20:05, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

Is Waterdown perhaps another Watership Down reference? [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 20:38, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

Pity there's no [[wikipedia:Towcester|Towcester]] :) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.251|141.101.98.251]] 20:47, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

"Lakebottom" is equated with Lake Windermere (probably correct, largest lake in the Lake District) and the table states that many waterspeed records were set there. Arguably it is Coniston Water (same area, third largest "Lake" in the region) that is more (in) famous for speed records... Not that Randall references speed at all. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.159|141.101.98.159]] 21:31, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

I agree with this, Windermere was home to only one (successful) water speed record attempt. Coniston is more popular for them as it doesn't have as many islands, so you can get a longer run in. Also, whichever one it is, it is drawn roughly east-west, whereas both Coniston and Windermere run north-south.

For me, the lake with the two boats is an obvious reference to the children's book 'Swallows and Amazons'. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallows_and_Amazons#Places_in_Swallows_and_Amazons See wikipedia] -- so these are neither speedboats nor yachts but rather sailing dinghies. There is however a discrepancy: they had a gaff rig, but it looks like Randall gave them a Bermuda rig.

Helcaraxë and Blick seem to share a single dot. Maybe Randall forgot to put a dot there, or there's some other reason? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.112|108.162.216.112]] 22:58, 14 November 2016 (UTC)
:Helcaraxë and Highlands are areas, not towns, so don't get dots. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.239.32|198.41.239.32]] 07:18, 16 November 2016 (UTC)

since Randal Munroe wrote the comic, and he is an american, the map WAS labeled by an american[[User:Jessep13|Jessep13]] ([[User talk:Jessep13|talk]]) 00:08, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

‘Seasedge’ and ‘Eyemouth’ look like they should be Seahouses and Lynemouth. So far as I can tell, Seasedge is marked as a little north of Seahouses, roughly west of Lindisfarne (which suggests Haggerston; regardless, north Northumberland coast), and Eyemouth is marked approximately where Ashington should be; ‘Hairskull’ appears to be where Durham should be. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.160|141.101.98.160]] 02:33, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

"BBC Channel 4" might also be a reference to Torchwood and other BBC Shows that were filmed in Wales (though did not necessarily air on Channel 4) [[User:Bpendragon|Bpendragon]] ([[User talk:Bpendragon|talk]]) 03:04, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

In fact, "Channel 4" is a channel not related to the BBC, so the reference to "BBC Channel 4" would be a mash-up between "Channel 4" and "BBC4" [[User:Gearoid|Gearóid]] ([[User talk:Gearoid|talk]]) 07:30, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

"Wessex", although "obsolete" as a place name, is still in common use as a descriptive term. For example, there is both a Wessex Police Force and a Wessex Water supply company. [[User:Gearoid|Gearóid]] ([[User talk:Gearoid|talk]]) 08:30, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

I know the "Fhqwhgads" reference from the Ikea-ripoff video game Home Improvisation - always thought it was a pun in that game on Ikea's Swedish product names. Is the Homestar Runner reference older? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.162|141.101.98.162]] 09:05, 15 November 2016 (UTC)
:I always thought it originated in Homestar Runner as a randomly typed name of an email sender. It's from Strong Bad Email #9 dated January 14, 2002, far predating Home Improvisation from 2015. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.243|108.162.221.243]] 14:35, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

"Aidenn" is an alternate form of "Eden." It's best known for Poe's using it in "The Raven." If the actual location is Merseyside, it could be a wordplay suggesting divine mercy. [[User:Gmcgath|Gmcgath]] ([[User talk:Gmcgath|talk]]) 11:25, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

The “hey then” explanation for “Aidenn” is so tortured as to be implausible. It should be changed per the above comment. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.55.81|172.68.55.81]] 13:19, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

The text [[http://cogink.com/cleese/]] that is referenced for "The Shire" and attributed to John Cleese is actually a hoax, see http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/revocation.asp [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.181|141.101.98.181]] 10:19, 16 November 2016 (UTC)
:And the reference in this piece to the incorrectness of "Devonshire" is completely wrong. Although the official name of the county is now "Devon", the form "Devonshire" has a pedigree going back over 1000 years and is still used in formations such as the Duke of Devonshire, HMS Devonshire, the Devonshire Regiment etc. The same goes for Dorset/Dorsetshire. [[User:Mikej|Mikej]] ([[User talk:Mikej|talk]]) 13:09, 16 November 2016 (UTC)

"Tarp" probably refers to the meme "It's a tarp!": http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=It%27s%20a%20tarp. [[User:Yodah|Yodah]] ([[User talk:Yodah|talk]]) 11:57, 16 November 2016 (UTC)

;Riffing on Boston?

The title text may be derivitive of an old joke around Randall's home town, where Boston has neighborhoods with geographically illogical names: The geographical center of Boston is in Roxbury. Due north of the center we find the South End.
This is not to be confused with South Boston, which lies directly east from the South End.
North of the South End is East Boston and southwest of East Boston is the North End. BackBay was filled in years ago

Also, from the counties surrounding Boston: Norfolk is mostly south of Suffolk, except for a small gerrymandered piece that is in the middle between Suffolk and Middlesex.

;Bottoms
"Bottoms" are not confined to Northern England. We have many bottoms here in Kent, which is not Northern. (See Lock's Bottom and Pratt's Bottom.) Also, "bottom" may refer to somewhere that is lower than somewhere else, but not necessarily in a valley as such. Also also, snurk. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.143|141.101.98.143]] 12:45, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

: "Bottoms" is not confined to Europe either, so don't feel special - we land-dwellers in North America use it too, usually to mean 'Low-lying alluvial land adjacent to a river' as defined in the dictionary! In more general terms, this would refer to land subject to frequent flooding, commonly called a floodplain. If you have a bottoms that never floods, you really should consider renaming it. --[[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 04:15, 6 June 2017 (UTC)

*And "-folk" is not common in place names. It exists in Suffolk and Norfolk but two (among thousands) can't be called common. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.143|141.101.98.143]] 12:53, 15 November 2016 (UTC)

Crewneck could also refer to actual crewneck sweaters, popularised by The Beatles in the 60's. The Beatles came from Liverpool... {{unsigned ip|108.162.246.41}}

Blighton would be pronounced the same as the surname of Enid Blyton (1897-1968), a famous author of childrens' books known for their resolute white middle class-ness. But she is associated with southern England; she lived in Beaconsfield, west of London. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.55.82|172.68.55.82]] 16:22, 24 November 2016 (UTC)

While I found this comic funny, what I found most humorous was the reactions to it. Facts: Randall drew a map of Britain, he said it was labeled by an American, and it included both real and made-up place names. Unfortunately, it seems that those commenting here and generating this article interpreted it as an American-bashing opportunity. I interpreted it as this: to the average American, Britain has a LOT of funny names for places and struggles with using appropriate directional prefixes. It's extremely funny how so many of you chose to see it in the least funny way possible, likely because you can only see it through your own eyes! --[[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 05:14, 6 June 2017 (UTC)

Why does it list "North Sea" as "no joke" when on the map it's written "Norther Sea"? There must be some explanation for writing it this way. Is it actually pronounced that way in England or something? It's sometimes called "Northern Sea" (or am I thinking of the one near Alaska? Maybe that's the joke?). Bu never "Norther Sea". Unless it's meant to sound like "Northersea", like "Battersea"? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.34|172.68.54.34]] 02:53, 18 January 2018 (UTC)
: It doesn't - it lists "''North'' Sea" as "no joke"; "''Norther'' Sea" says "pun on North Sea".[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 09:00, 18 January 2018 (UTC)

In what world is "paisley," a real place, a pun on "parsley?" Did someone just go through the list and think "hmm, these sound kinda like this word/phrase," regardless of all reason? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.226|172.69.62.226]] 00:59, 8 October 2018 (UTC)

I just removed "a word meaning "to obtain by trickery or persuasion"" from the definition of "Weedle" - this meaning is a different word, spelled differently ("wheedle"). [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 14:40, 19 July 2023 (UTC)

1759: British Map

2023-07-19T14:40:08Z

L-Space Traveler: Removed "a word meaning "to obtain by trickery or persuasion"" from "Weedle": this meaning is a different word/different spelling ("wheedle")

{{comic
| number = 1759
| date = November 14, 2016
| title = British Map
| image = british_map.png
| titletext = West Norsussex is east of East Norwessex, but they're both far north of Middlesex and West Norwex.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a joke similar to [https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on#q=how%20americans%20see%20the%20world&safe=active&ssui=on "How Americans see the world"] showing how the average American has opinions on the world, often including jokes such as a lack of {{w|Africa}}, etc. This has been used before in [[850: World According to Americans]]. The map also plays with the joke by noting it has been labeled by [[Randall Munroe|a specific American]] rather than "Americans".

Many areas of the UK are most familiar to foreigners thanks to their depiction in various fantasy novels and TV series. This map labels some of these, as well as including many silly names that simply sound like real British towns to an American ear. A protractor is shown off the coast of the {{w|Mull of Kintyre}} in reference to the "{{w|Mull of Kintyre test}}" - according to urban legend, the angle of the Mull defines the maximum allowed erectness for a man on films and home video releases in the UK.

Randall previously posted [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/11/24/a-puzzle-for-the-uk/ a map of Great Britain] on his blog as part of the promotion for his book ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]''. This map is from a very similar position and appears to have been traced from the same source, although there are some slight differences. Both maps include a sketch of {{w|Lake Windermere}} with boats on it, and both have the locations of London, Oxford and Cambridge labeled (the blog map also shows Edinburgh and Bristol - in this comic, these are labelled Eavestroughs and Minas Tirith). Both also contain references to {{w|Stonehenge}} and {{w|Watership Down}}.

Note that in British English, the correct spelling of “labeled” is ‘labelled’.

The title text plays around with the concept of the compass directions and how numerous regions (such as South "Sussex" and West "Wessex") incorporate such literal names in their description. Randall is creating similar sounding names which are nonsense-ish ("Norsussex" would be the region of the Northern-Southern Saxons), and placing them in relation to each other in ways which would be geographically implausible, similar to this [http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/92q3/xx19.html old joke about Boston]. However, in Germany there exists the region called ''Westphalia'' (''Westfalen''), and the eastern part of it is often referred to as ''East-Westphalia'' (''{{w|Ostwestfalen}}''), which sounds somewhat ridiculous. Part of the joke in the title text could be the fact that while three of the locations are fictional, {{w|Middlesex}} does actually exist.

{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable sortable"
!Label on the map !! Explanation !! Actual location !! Notes
|-
| Helcaraxë
|| The "[http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Helcarax%C3%AB Grinding Ice]", an area of {{w|Middle-Earth}}. Like Helcaraxë, northern Scotland is cold, mountainous and in many areas inhospitable.
|| The {{w|Grampian}} region
||
|-
| Blick
|| Possibly referencing {{w|Wick, Caithness}}, one of the northernmost towns in Great Britain. The real Wick is substantially further north, off the edge of the map.
||Near {{w|Rhynie, Aberdeenshire}}
|| This is the name of a goblin in the movie "Legend" starring Tim Curry. Could also reference the art supply store, Blick Art Materials
|-
| Everdeen
|| {{w|Katniss Everdeen}} is the heroine of ''{{w|The Hunger Games}}'' series of novels and films
|| {{w|Aberdeen}}
|| In colloquial Scots, its pronunciation is very similar to "Everdeen."
|-
| Highlands
|| {{w|Scottish Highlands|No joke}}
|| {{w|Scottish Lowlands}}
|| Maybe deliberate trolling - Scots have strong feelings about where the Highland-Lowland border is
|-
| Norther Sea
|| Pun on the {{w|North Sea}} - i.e. a sea that is further north (or 'norther') than the North Sea.
|| {{w|Sea of the Hebrides}}
||
|-
| Loch Lomond
|| {{w|Loch Lomond|No joke}}
|| Loch Lomond
|| Loch Lomond is the largest lake in Great Britain, and the third largest lake in the UK. It is the subject of a well-known {{w|The_Bonnie_Banks_o%27_Loch_Lomond|traditional song}}, and was referenced in the "beaming" (teleporter) bit in the movie Spaceballs by the Scotty expy 'Snotty'. It also houses a distillery producing a whisky appreciated by Captain Haddock in ''{{w|The Adventures of Tintin}}''. Thanks to the {{w|Loch Ness Monster|monster}}, {{w|Loch Ness}} is by far the most famous Scottish loch, so naming the second most famous subverts expectations.
|-
| Fjordham
|| {{w|Fjords}} are glacial valleys. "-ham" is a common English placename suffix from Old English, related to the modern {{w|Hamlet (place)|hamlet}} ''or'' another root, such as that relating to river meadows, but [http://keithbriggs.info/EPN_maps/ham.pdf not so common] in the more obviously glacier-carved areas such as this area in Scotland. There are several villages (in England) named {{w|Fordham}}
|| Near {{w|Oban}} on the {{w|Firth of Lorn}}
|| The Scottish word "Firth" is related to "Fjord", although Lorn is not a fjord in the strict scientific sense - it was formed along the {{w|Great Glen Fault}} by tectonics, rather than glaciers
|-
| Glassdoor
|| {{w|Glassdoor}} is a website where employees can review their employers
|| {{w|Stirling}}
|| Although it's shown near Stirling, the reference seems to be to {{w|Glasgow}}
|-
| Eavestroughs
|| A dialectal word for {{w|rain gutter}}
|| {{w|Edinburgh}}
||
|-
| Seasedge
|| Procan's realm in ''Dungeons & Dragons''. "Sea sedge" is also one of many common names used for ''{{w|Acorus calamus}}'', the calamus or sweet flag.
|| Somewhere near the Scotland-England border
||
|-
| Chough
|| A {{w|Chough|species of bird in the crow family}}
|| The {{w|Scottish Borders}}
||
|-
| Meowth
|| {{w|Meowth}} is a cat-like Pokémon. Name may allude to {{w|Howth}}.
|| {{w|Ayr}}
||
|-
| Glutenfree
|| {{w|Gluten-free}} food lacks the protein {{w|gluten}}. This allows {{w|coeliac disease}} sufferers to enjoy it, but has also become a dietary fad in itself.
|| {{w|Cairnryan}}, {{w|Dumfries and Galloway}}
||
|-
| Blighton
|| A mashup of {{w|Brighton}} and {{w|Blighty}} Or a reference to {{w|Enid Blyton}}, a noted UK children’s author.
|| The {{w|Scottish Borders}}
|| The real Brighton is much further south, on the south coast.
|-
| North Sea
|| {{w|North Sea|No joke}}
|| North Sea
||
|-
| Eyemouth
|| {{w|Eyemouth|No joke}}
|| near {{w|Newcastle-upon-Tyne}}
|| The real Eyemouth is further north, where "Seasedge" is marked on the map.
|-
| Earhand
|| A pun on Eyemouth
|| {{w|Carlisle}}
||
|-
| Hairskull
|| A pun on Eyemouth
|| {{w|Teesside}}
||
|-
| Belfast DeVoe
|| {{w|Belfast}}, capital of Northern Ireland, mashed up with the rock band {{w|Bell Biv DeVoe}}
|| {{w|Belfast}}
||
|-
| Lakebottom
|| The {{w|Lake District}}. "-bottom" is a common placename across Northern England, and refers to a town in a valley.
|| {{w|Lake District}}
|| Below Lakebottom is a sketch of a lake with yachts on it. This is illustrative and doesn't correspond to any of the actual lakes which would be barely visible on this map. There are 16 'lakes' in the Lake District, but only one ({{w|Bassenthwaite Lake}}) actually has 'lake' in its name.
|-
| Braintree
|| {{w|Braintree, Essex|Not a joke}}
|| {{w|North Yorkshire}}
|| The real Braintree is much further south, near where "Paulblart" is on the map. Also a possible reference to the [https://www.braintreepayments.com Braintree] online payments platform (widely advertised on podcasts), or a stop at the end of the Red Line in Boston.
|-
| Skinflower
|| A pun on Braintree
|| {{w|Yorkshire Dales}}
||
|-
| Bjork
|| {{w|Björk}} is an Icelandic singer
|| {{w|East Riding of Yorkshire}}
|| The reference is presumably to York (historically known as Jórvík), although it's a bit too far east.
|-
| Weedle
|| {{w|Weedle}} is a Pokémon
|| {{w|Forest of Bowland}}
|| In the original Pokémon Red and Blue games Weedle is most notably found in '{{w|Viridian Forest}}' which - like the real-life Forest of Bowland - is known for its diverse wildlife.
|-
| Eeugh
|| An expression of disgust
|| {{w|Kingston-upon-Hull}} (generally just "Hull")
|| Pronounced 'ull by locals
|-
| Crewneck
|| A shirt with a {{w|Crewneck|simple round collar}}.
|| {{w|Blackpool}}
|| There is a town called {{w|Crewe}} somewhat further south than shown in Cheshire.
|-
| Paisley
|| {{w|Paisley, Renfrewshire|No joke}}. It sounds funny to Americans because it's associated with {{w|Paisley (design)|paisley}} fabric, a Persian-style print invented in the town. Possibly a pun on {{w|Parsley|parsley}}, a herb.
|| {{w|Burnley}}
|| The real Paisley is in Scotland, near Glasgow.
|-
| Basil
|| Also {{w|Basil|a herb}}, and {{w|Basil Fawlty|one of the most famous British TV characters}}.
|| {{w|Scunthorpe}}
||
|-
| Aidenn
|| An apparent pun on the {{w|Scouse}} accent: {{w|h-dropping}} and {{w|th-stopping}} mean the common "hey, then" would be pronounced "ai denn".
|| {{w|Merseyside}}
||
|-
| Hillfolk
|| {{w|Hillfolk}} is an RPG. "-hill" (referring to, well, a hill) is common in British placenames, and "-folk" (referring to a tribe or culture) is seen in ''Suffolk'' and ''Norfolk''. Possibly also a reference to {{w|Hobbits}}, a race of little people that live under hills in The Lord of the Rings.
|| {{w|Manchester}}
|| Manchester's name does in fact reference hills: it means "castle on the {{w|breast-shaped hill}}"
|-
| Waterdown
|| To "water something down" is to weaken it. "-down" is common in British placenames and refers to {{w|Downland|chalk hills}}. Possibly a contraction from the book and movie: Watership Down.
|| Near {{w|Grimsby}}
||
|-
| Dubstep
|| {{w|Dubstep}} is a genre of electronic music with a heavy bass line.
|| {{w|Dublin}}
|| Dublin is the only non-UK settlement in the map, and one of two on the island of Ireland.
|-
| Borough-upon-Mappe
|| By being recorded here, this is literally a borough upon a map. The "-upon-" is a common element of placenames for towns on rivers, although there's no River Mappe. Possibly referencing the fact that the town is on a "mappe" (map)?
|| {{w|Lincolnshire Wolds}}
||
|-
| Fhqwhgads
|| "[http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/Fhqwhgads Fhqwhgads]" is a joke from the Homestar Runner internet cartoon. In the cartoon, the main character read a fanmail that was signed only with a random keyboard mash of characters, which Strong Bad shortened to "Fhqwhgads," a name that became a running gag on the cartoon.
|| {{w|Wrexham}}
|| This is near the Welsh border; Welsh names often look like a mish-mash of consonants to English speakers ignorant of Welsh orthography; within a few miles of Wrexham are towns like {{w|Yr Wyddgrug}} ("Mold" in English), {{w|Cefn-y-bedd}}, {{w|Gwernymynydd}} and {{w|Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog}}.
|-
| Cadbury
|| {{w|Cadbury}} is a British chocolate company.
|| Near {{w|Boston, Lincolnshire}}
|| Cadbury actually built a town for its workers... but it's called {{w|Bournville}}. There are several towns called {{w|Cadbury_(disambiguation)#Places|Cadbury}} in the UK (where the Cadbury family presumably got its name), but none are near here.
|-
| Cabinetry
|| The art of making {{w|cabinets}}.
|| Near {{w|Oswestry}}
||Several towns in the English Midlands have names ending in -try, including Oswestry. "Cabinetry" could be a pun on {{w|Coventry}}, which lies further to the east.
|-
| The Shire
|| {{w|Shire (Middle-earth)|The Shire}} is home to the {{w|Hobbits}} in {{w|Middle-Earth}}
|| {{w|Midlands}}
|| Tolkien drew inspiration for the Shire from the {{w|West Midlands (region)|West Midlands}}, although Tolkien was from the southern part of the Midlands (roughly where Dampshire is on the map).
An internet posting titled [http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/revocation.asp "A Letter to the U.S" after the 2016 Presidential Election"], falsely attributed to John Cleese, could also have been inspiration for this map. It in particular says: "3. You should learn to distinguish English and Australian accents. It really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney, upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier). Scottish dramas such as 'Taggart' will no longer be broadcast with subtitles.You must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is "Devon." If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become "shires" e.g. Texasshire Floridashire, Louisianashire."
|-
| Landmouth
|| Literal description
|| {{w|The Wash}}
||
|-
| Brandon
|| {{w|Brandon#United Kingdom|Not a joke}}
|| {{w|The Fens}}
|| There are several Brandons in the UK, the nearest being where "Keebler" is on the map. The area shown is borderline-uninhabitable, as it is marshland and lies mostly below sea-level. Only a few farms and isolated hamlets exist here.
|-
| Hamwich
|| A ham sandwich. Both "-ham" and "-wich" are common generic placenames. The village called simply "Ham" and the other called "Sandwich" are fairly close to each other, with a famous roadsign that points to "Ham Sandwich" between them. The bread-slices-and-filling foodstuff is named for the 4th Earl of Sandwich, and hence ultimately from the town of the same name.
|| {{w|Norwich}}
|| Likely to be coincidence but the "Cheese Hamwich" is a breaded cheese and turkey food product sold by {{w|Bernard Matthews Ltd}} whose food processing facility is based not far from this map location.
|-
| West Norsussex
|| Mash-up of {{w|West Sussex}} ("South Saxons") with the obsolete {{w|Wessex}} ("West Saxons") and never extant {{w|Norsex}} ("North Saxons")
|| {{w|Midlands}}
||
|-
| Redsox
|| The {{w|Boston Red Sox}} are a baseball team
|| {{w|The Fens}}
|| The Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. The map location is not far from the British {{w|Boston, Lincolnshire|Boston}}
|-
| Keebler
|| The {{w|Keebler Elves}} advertise cookies in the US
|| {{w|Elveden}}
|| The name of this village in Thetford Forest means "valley of the elves".
|-
| Bloughshire
|| Most British counties have "-shire" in their name. Originally it meant they were administered by a {{w|sheriff}}. However, they are usually no longer known by those names in Wales.
|| {{w|Powys}}
||
|-
| Lionsgate
|| {{w|Lionsgate|A film studio}}
|| {{w|Leicester}}
|| The word/suffix "-gate" in placenames often refer to {{w|Harrogate|ancient streets or roads}}, or possibly such a way through a gap that is natural (e.g. {{w|Ramsgate}}'s cliffs) or in a city wall (which can thus be sealed, or 'gated'). There are no obvious inspirations for Lionsgate in that part of the country &emdash; ''Ram''sgate, in particular, is at the extreme eastern end of the southern edge of the UK.
|-
| Kingsbottom
|| Another "-bottom". A possible reference to {{w|King's Landing}}, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms of {{w|Westeros}} and one of its districts Fleabottom.
|| {{w|Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve|Suffolk Coast}}
|| Possibly named for the town of {{w|King's Lynn}}, also located in East Anglia but close to its north coast.
|-
| Aberforth
|| {{w|Aberforth Dumbledore}} is {{w|Albus Dumbledore}}'s brother in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The name is sometimes translated as "from the river", but without any etymological references. "Aber" is Welsh for a "river mouth" or estuary, and is widespread in Wales, and occasionally found due to Celtic influence in other parts of the UK (such as {{w|Aberdeen}}).
|| {{w|Aberystwyth}}
|| {{w|Aberporth}} ("Mouth [of the] port" - the Welsh equivalent of the English name Portsmouth) is a real town located a little further southwest along the Welsh coast. {{w|Forth}} may be a reference to the {{w|Firth of Forth}} in Scotland, where "Firth" means estuary or fjord, and "Forth" is thought to mean "the open air". Aberforth would literally mean "the mouth of the river Forth", which is the location of {{w|Edinburgh}} in Scotland. Alternatively, "forth" in Welsh could be a soft mutated form of the Welsh name "{{w|Borth}}" (the name of a town - but not a river - a little further north along the coast), which is itself a soft mutated form of the word "porth" meaning port.
|-
| South Norwessex
|| Another mash-up of {{w|Sussex}} ("South Saxons") with the obsolete {{w|Wessex}} ("West Saxons") and never extant {{w|Norsex}} ("North Saxons"). Also southwest of West Norsussex.
|| {{w|Birmingham}}
||
|-
| Dryford
|| Would refer to a river crossing without water. "{{w|Ford (crossing)|-ford}}" is a common placename element.
|| {{w|Shropshire Hills}}
||
|-
| Frampton
|| There are many {{w|Frampton}}s in the UK. It means "town on the river Frome" - and there are also several {{w|River Frome}}s. The name is famous thanks to rock musician {{w|Peter Frampton}}
|| {{w|Bury St Edmunds}}
||see also "Southframpton"
|-
| Cambridge
|| {{w|Cambridge|No joke}}
|| {{w|Cambridge}}
|| Cambridge and Oxford, the two most prestigious university towns, are correctly marked. Together, they form {{w|Oxbridge}}
|-
| Kingsfriend
|| Possibly a joke about the royal patronage given to certain towns - for instance, {{w|Bognor Regis}} and {{w|Royal Wootton Bassett}}. Also {{w|Knighton, Powys|Knighton}} (a King's friend?) is very close to this locale, and so is {{w|Kington, Herefordshire|Kington}}.
|| Near the England-Wales border
||
|-
| Cair Paravel
|| {{w|Cair Paravel}} is the castle where the ruler of {{w|Narnia}} lives in the ''Narnia'' series.
|| {{w|Dedham Vale}}
||
|-
| Camelot
|| {{w|Camelot}} was (in legend) {{w|King Arthur}}'s court.
|| Near the England-Wales border
|| The King Arthur myth did in fact originate in the Welsh culture. However, most sites associated with Camelot, such as {{w|Winchester}}, {{w|Glastonbury}} and {{w|Cadbury Castle}}, are in England.
|-
| Nothingham
|| A pun on {{w|Nottingham}}, famous for {{w|Sherwood Forest}}, the legendary home of {{w|Robin Hood}}.
|| Near {{w|Northampton}}
||
|-
| Cumberbatch
|| A surname, best known as that of actor {{w|Benedict Cumberbatch}}.
|| {{w|Harlow}}
|| The surname of a famous actress is replaced with that of a famous actor
|-
| Dampshire
|| A pun on the county of {{w|Hampshire}}. Generically a joking reference to any county, particularly of the {{w|West Country}}, to imply it is particularly prone to rain.
|| Gloucestershire
||
|-
| The CW
|| {{w|The CW|An American TV channel}}.
|| {{w|Pembrokeshire}}
|| Presumably the placement is a reference to Welsh words such as "cwm" which use W as a vowel.
|-
| Whaling
|| The practice of hunting whales. May be a reference to other -ing towns like {{w|Reading, Berkshire|Reading}} (which is actually pronounced "redding", not "reeding"), and also to its location in Wales.
|| {{w|Merthyr Tydfil}}
||
|-
| Paulblart
|| ''{{w|Paul Blart: Mall Cop}}'' is a 2009 comedy film starring Kevin James
|| Near {{w|Chelmsford}}
|| Possibly a humorous contrast with Cumberbatch above, a highbrow British classical actor followed by a lowbrow American movie character.
|-
| Oxford
|| {{w|Oxford|No joke}}
|| {{w|Oxford}}
|| See Cambridge. Surprisingly, Randall made no attempt to troll readers by switching the locations of Cambridge and Oxford. Or he did, but ironically from the wrong 'correct' assumption!
|-
| Moorhen
|| The {{w|moorhen}} is a waterfowl.
|| {{w|Gower Peninsula}}
|| Possibly punning on nearby {{w|Swansea}}.
|-
| Cardigan
|| {{w|Cardigan, Ceredigion|No joke}} - it seems funny to Americans because of the {{w|Cardigan (sweater)|knitted sweater}} popularised by the {{w|James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan|Earl of Cardigan}}
|| {{w|Newport, Wales}}
|| The actual Cardigan is on the west coast. The name may be punning on the city of {{w|Cardiff}}, capital of Wales, which is further south-west.
|-
| BBC Channel 4
|| A composite of {{w|Channel 4}} and the {{w|BBC}} (UK TV operators) confusing the meaning of TV channel with a geographic channel. There ''is'' a {{w|BBC Four}} (digital TV channel) ''and'' a {{w|BBC Radio 4}} (FM and digital radio) with an {{w|BBC Radio 4 Extra|adoptive daughter-station}} (digital only, originally called BBC7), but none of these are ever really called "BBC Channel 4" by locals, and it is hard to say what detail 'an American' might ''think'' he knows.
|| {{w|Bristol Channel}}
||
|-
| London
|| By virtue of being the capital and largest city, as well as a famous {{w|world city}}, London is one of the few cities in Britain that anyone, no matter how ignorant of British geography, can manage to name correctly.
|| London
|| It is not unknown for foreigners ''and'' British alike (even some residents of London) to assume that London has a more central location in England (such as {{w|Midlands|'The Midlands'}}) or {{w|Britannia Inferior|even further towards the north}}. Randall seems to be more knowledgable than this.
|-
| GMT
|| A reference to {{w|Greenwich Mean Time}}. Shown on the map near the London bourough of Greenwich through which the GMT meridian passes.
|| {{w|Greenwich}} (roughly)
||
|-
| Corbyn
|| A reference to the leader (at the time of publication) of the UK {{w|Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party}} {{w|Jeremy Corbyn}}.
|| {{w|The Cotswolds}}
|| May be a confusion with the town of {{w|Corby}} although it is not near the location shown.
|-
| Tems-upon-Thames
|| A joke about the counter-intuitive pronunciation of {{w|Thames}}.
|| {{w|Rochester}}
||
|-
| Minas Tirith
|| {{w|Minas Tirith}} is the capital of Gondor in ''Lord of the Rings'' and is built on the side of a mountain.
|| {{w|Bristol}}
|| Clifton Village, in Bristol, is built on the side of the Avon Gorge so could be compared to {{w|Minas Tirith}}. Nearby {{w|Cheddar Gorge}} is famous for its steep cliffs that resemble the landscape from Lord of the Rings.
|-
| Hogsmeade
|| {{w|Hogsmeade}} is the nearest village to Hogwarts in the ''Harry Potter'' books.
|| {{w|Dover}}
|| The fictional Hogsmeade was in Scotland. Randall shows the {{w|Channel Tunnel}} running from there, a possible reference to Hogsmeade's secret connections to Hogwarts.
|-
| Tubemap
|| The {{w|Tube Map}} is the map of the {{w|London Underground}}, widely considered a masterpiece of design.
|| {{w|Outer London}}
||
|-
| Cambnewton
|| {{w|Cam Newton}} is quarterback for the {{w|Carolina Panthers}}. "Cam-" is common for placenames on any of the several British rivers called "{{w|Cam River|Cam}}", while "Newton" means "new town". Also possibly a pun on Camden Town, a touristic district in North London, although not its actual location on the map.
|| {{w|West Country}}
||
|-
| Efrafa
|| Efrafa is a rabbit warren in the story ''{{w|Watership Down}}''.
|| {{w|Chidden}}
|| According to the story, the warren is located roughly here - the real {{w|Watership Down, Hampshire|Watership Down}} is in Hampshire.
|-
| Chansey
|| {{w|Chansey|Another Pokémon}}. "-sey" is a common suffix meaning "island".
|| {{w|Dungeness (headland|Dungeness}}
||
|-
| Oughghough
|| Playing on common place name elements, "oughghough" has no clear pronunciation under the rules of English. It could be "Uff-guff", "Oo-gow", "Uh-guh" or any combination of these sounds. The name looks similar to the real {{w|Loughborough}} ("Luff-bruh")
|| {{w|Barnstaple}}
|| Legend has it that Loughborough was once pronounced 'Loogabarooga' by a visiting Australian.
|-
| Sundial
|| A {{w|sundial}} is a clock using a shadow to tell the time.
|| {{w|Wiltshire}}
|| The location roughly corresponds with {{w|Stonehenge}}, an ancient stone circle that was likely used to track the sun (though as a ritual calendar, rather than a clock)
|-
| Dobby
|| {{w|Magical_creatures_in_Harry_Potter#Dobby|Dobby}} is a character in {{w|Harry Potter}}.
|| {{w|Southampton}}
|| Similar to {{w|Derby}}.
|-
| Lower Bottom
|| Another -bottom. Also a redundancy, as the "bottom" is the lowest place by definition.
|| {{w|Devon}}
||
|-
| Southframpton
|| A confusion with {{w|Southampton}} which is nearby the location shown. The use of the postfix "frampton" is a reference to the "Frampton" elsewhere on the map, just as Southampton is distinguished from {{w|Northampton}}.
|| {{w|Milford on Sea}}
|| Frampton happens to be a common surname in the area.
|-
| Blandford
|| {{w|Blandford|No joke}}
|| {{w|Cornwall}}
|| The real Blandford is a bit further east, in Dorset, roughly under the m in 'Southframpton'.
|-
| Menthol
|| {{w|Menthol}} is a chemical with minty taste that produces a cooling sensation, and is used in mints and flavoured cigarettes.
|| {{w|Eastbourne}}
|| Possibly a reference to Methil in Fife (but possibly not).
|-
| West Sea
|| Literal description.
|| {{w|Atlantic Ocean}}
|| Historically, this was the name for the ocean off the UK's west coast. According to the {{w|Shipping Forecast#Region names|list of sea areas}} used in the UK's {{w|Shipping Forecast}}, that region of sea is called "Lundy"
|-
| Tarp
|| Tarp, short for {{w|tarpaulin}}, is a waterproof sheet for storage and weather protection.
|| {{w|Teignmouth}}
||
|-
| Longbit
|| Literal description.
|| {{w|Cornwall}}
||
|}

==Transcript==

:[A black-and-white map of Great Britain. The detail on the map is minimal, showing mainly the outlines of the land, upward-pointing angles representing mountains, and points representing cities. The only other features are a small drawing of a protractor south of one peninsula, and a lake with two small sailboats on the west side of the largest landmass. The caption in the upper-right states in large letters "A BRITISH MAP," then in smaller letters underneath, "LABELED BY AN AMERICAN." Most of the map's area is covered by labels for various features, which are listed below.]

<nowiki>
[In Scotland, from north to south:]
Helcaraxë
Blick
Everdeen
Norther Sea (to the west)
Highlands
Loch Lomond
Fjordham
Glassdoor
Eavestroughs
Seasedge
Meowth
Chough
Blighton
Glutenfree

[In England, from north to south:]
Eyemouth
Earhand
Hairskull
Lakebottom
Braintree
Skinflower
Weedle
Bjork
Crewneck
Paisley
Eeugh
Aidenn
Basil
Hillfolk
Waterdown
Borough-Upon-Mappe
Cadbury
Landmouth (to the East)
The Shire
West Norsussex
Redsox
Hamwich
Lionsgate
Keebler
South Norwessex
Kingsbottom
Cambridge
Frampton
Nothingham
Cair Paravel
Dampshire
Cumberbatch
Oxford
Paulblart
Corbyn
London
GMT
BBC Channel 4 (to the West)
Minas Tirith
Tems-Upon-Thames
Tubemap
Hogsmeade
Cambnewton
Oughghough
Efrafa
Chansey
Sundial
Lower Bottom
Dobby
Menthol
West Sea (to the West)
Blandford
Southframpton
Tarp
Longbit

[In Wales, from north to south:]
Fhqwhgads
Cabinetry
Bloughshire
Aberforth
Dryford
Kingsfriend
Camelot
The CW
Whaling
Moorhen
Cardigan

[In Northern Ireland:]
Belfast Devoe

[In the Republic of Ireland:]
Dubstep
</nowiki>

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Maps]]
[[Category:Harry Potter]]
[[Category:Chronicles of Narnia]]
[[Category:Fiction]]

1737: Datacenter Scale

2023-07-15T13:27:31Z

L-Space Traveler: Added a note that Cueball is contemplating that roping off the data center is wasting even more time.

{{comic
| number = 1737
| date = September 23, 2016
| title = Datacenter Scale
| image = datacenter_scale.png
| titletext = Asimov's Cosmic AC was created by linking all datacenters through hyperspace, which explains a lot. It didn't reverse entropy--it just discarded the universe when it reached end-of-life and ordered a new one.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic expands, to the limit, the strategy that it's a net cost saving to allow cheap hardware to fail and simply replace it than to have robust but much more expensive systems to start with. The technique was made famous by [https://books.google.com/books?id=zdlZ2rrcZWEC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19#v=onepage&q&f=false Google circa 1999,] when its successful cost-effective server designs were actually using sub-consumer, nearly junk, hardware.

{{w|RAID}} ("redundant array of independent disks") is a technology that splits data across several hard drives as if they were one. RAID comes in several levels (varieties) which have different applications, but one of the big applications of RAID is creating mirrored hard disks that back each other up. If one disk drive in such a RAID fails, no data is lost.

However, RAID is complicated to configure, so you don't want to be constantly setting it up. An alternative technique for data centers is, therefore, to simply send the data to several servers at once. This makes maintenance easier, but without RAID, one hard disk crash basically breaks the server. However, this is what [[Hairbun]] is doing since their scale is so large that fixing individual servers actually more expensive than simply buying a new one for replacement, and instead of fixing the drive they throw away the machine. (More about this approach will be explained later on)

From here, the comic starts to exaggerate. Nowadays, servers can be made extremely small ("{{w|Blade server}}s") and dozens of servers can be attached to one {{w|19-inch rack}} in a data center. Rather than going to the effort of unplugging and unscrewing one blade from the rack, when a blade fails at [[Cueball]]'s data center they just throw away the rack, and [[Ponytail]] agrees and mildly mocks Hairbun for replacing one server.

[[Hairy]]'s data center goes one step further - they have so many servers that they would constantly have to be throwing away and replacing racks, so instead they just build a new room when one rack fails. This would be currently possible with small modular data centers that are built in shipping containers for easy transport and can be linked together to expand capacity. Here the cargo-container "room" with the failure would be quickly swapped with a fresh one. Cueball adds "like Google!" - [[Randall]] previously mentioned {{w|Google}}'s approach to hard drive failures in the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|63|Google's Datacenters on Punch Cards}}''. Back in [http://static.googleusercontent.com/media/research.google.com/de//archive/disk_failures.pdf 2007] they had one failure every few minutes, which might have increased hugely since then.

Finally [[Megan]] appears and her company, of course, breaks the scale of silliness in exaggeration. She says that they don't have any fire extinguishers (neither {{w|Fire sprinkler system|regular sprinklers}} nor the systems that deploy gasses like FM-200 which alter the room air's ability to sustain a fire). Rather, they just rope the center off, thus letting the data center burn down. Then they simply move a town over and build a new one. This may indicate they are so big that the entire town will burn down if their center catches fire, or else they did not have to skip town. Alternatively, they just leave the center burning and this may cause problems in that town, so they simply flee the premises.

Most big internet companies do have multiple redundant data centers around the world, in order to increase speeds for users in different countries, but Megan's idea would be very expensive, result in increased {{w|Latency (engineering)|latency}}, possibly kill people (either in their company, or other people in the town, since they do not try to put out the fire), and cause severe destruction of properties in addition to their own. These last two items would result in additional litigation and fines, and potentially jail sentences for the people charged with implementing the policy. They may also result in other towns being unwilling to take their business, out of fear they will wind up burning too.

Hairy still thinks that it makes sense, while Cueball wonders what difference the roping off does. This could again be a reference to the fact that they just let the buildings burn without bothering about the local consequences, and the next step is just one more step towards the extreme of the title text. Or, he's contemplating that they're just wasting more time by roping it off.

This comic references how, as data requirements expand, the cost of time eventually outweighs the cost of hardware at ever increasing scales (drive, rack, room, building). While this comic takes this to the extreme, with whole buildings being destroyed for simple flaws, the concept is not as far-fetched as it seems if "thrown out" is taken to include being sold to equipment refurbishers. It could indeed be cost effective for a large data services provider to resell racks or even whole data center modules at some significant fraction of their "as new" price as opposed expending the time and effort to attempt a repair. The equipment refurbisher would then rely on a {{w|competitive advantage|cost advantage}} like cheaper labor to repair the flaw and sell it back to Google or another company with less demanding requirements. Equipment rental firms already operate on this model and with the added incentive customers preferring to rent newer models, this means that the equipment is often ''preemptively'' replaced before failures even occur.

The title text refers to {{w|Isaac Asimov}}'s science-fiction short story ''{{w|The Last Question}}'' ([http://imgur.com/gallery/9KWrH comic version]), where humanity asks, at different stages of its spatial and technological development, the same question to increasingly advanced computers: "How can the net amount of {{w|entropy}} of the universe be massively decreased?". At each point, the computer's answer is that it does not yet have sufficient data for a meaningful answer. Ultimately, the computers are all linked through hyperspace, outside the physical boundaries of the universe, and make up a single computing entity named AC which keeps pondering the question even as the {{w|heat death of the universe}} occurs and time and space cease to exist. When AC finally discovers the answer, since there is nobody left to report it to, it decides to demonstrate it and says "{{w|Let there be light|LET THERE BE LIGHT!}}", which are the first words said by God during the Creation, according to the {{w|Book of Genesis}}. Here, the title text implies that, as the universe died, AC no longer had a use for it as a physical support and, taking the comic's logic to the next extreme, chose to discard it and get a brand-new one instead of bothering to "fix" it by reversing its entropy. This short story was also referenced in [[1448: Question]].

This comic's concept of taking a real-world phenomenon and exaggerating it to levels currently considered implausible for comic effect closely mimics an earlier comic which describes progressively more "hardcore" programmers in [[378: Real Programmers]]. This comic might be related to [[1567: Kitchen Tips]] which suggests not throwing away your dishes but washing them.

==Transcript==
:[Zoom in on Hairbun holding her hand palm up in front of her taking to people off-panel right.]
:Hairbun: RAID controllers don't make sense at our scale; everything is redundant at higher levels. When a drive fails, we just throw away the whole machine.

:[In this frame-less panel it is revealed that Hairbun talked to Cueball and Ponytail who is looking her way.]
:Cueball: Machine? We throw away whole racks at a time.
:Ponytail: Yeah, who replaces ''one server''?

:[Hairy has appeared from the left and holds one hand palm up towards the other three where also Hairbun has turned towards him.]
:Hairy: We just replace whole rooms at once. At our scale, messing with racks isn't economical.
:Hairbun: Wow.
:Cueball: Like Google!

:[Megan walks in from the left, and everyone including Hairy now looks towards her. Cueball has taken a hand up to his chin. The replies to Megan are written with clearly smaller font.]
:Megan: We don't have sprinklers or inert gas systems. When a datacenter catches fire, we just rope it off and rebuild one town over.
:Hairy: Makes sense.
:Cueball: I wonder if the rope is really necessary.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Fiction]]

Talk:1677: Contrails

2023-06-30T12:05:23Z

L-Space Traveler:

Aside: worst name ever for university department: Astronomy and Cosmology - it's almost as if they want people to make the association... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.20|141.101.104.20]] 10:58, 6 May 2016 (UTC)

Love the title text, you can choose to laugh or take offence irrespective of where you call home. Which you do says more about you than the text. [[User:Toltec|Toltec]] ([[User talk:Toltec|talk]]) 11:41, 6 May 2016 (UTC)

Worth noting that 'contrails' is itself a North Americanism? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.111|108.162.229.111]] 12:03, 6 May 2016 (UTC)

The final paragraph does not logically follow from the comic or from the explanation. He's hooking different pseudoscience terms on different cultures (astrology on the UK and chemtrails on the US) so the comic doesn't take a stance on which country's educational system is better or more prone to superstitions than the other. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.106|108.162.245.106]] 15:04, 6 May 2016 (UTC)

I've always called them vapour trails (north west England) {{unsigned|141.101.98.137}}
:I can tell. I didn't know the english even put a 'u' in 'vapor'. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.178|108.162.237.178]] 17:34, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

🐍 Its Canadian usage as well. Rush has an album by that name, and a song titled, and referencing them in the lyrics. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KiSLZJj_E0 video] [[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]]) 20:28, 7 May 2016 (UTC) (Can't figure out how to prevent the font from changing)

The comic reminded me of the Hungarian Phrasebook sketch from Monty Python - basically someone who enjoys causing confusion for its own sake between speakers of (in this case, slightly) different languages. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.175|108.162.237.175]] 18:21, 6 May 2016 (UTC)Pat

I grew up (US Midwest then Northwest) calling them "plane tracks" (by extension from "train tracks," I suppose) and later, "jet trails." I don't think I've ever /heard/ (as opposed to read) either "chemtrails" or "contrails," but they're both far outside my normal areas of work/interest, that there never would have been a reason for them to come up or pass by. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.98|108.162.221.98]] 19:01, 6 May 2016 (UTC)

For difference in vocabulary between British English and American English, see {{w|Lists of words having different meanings in American and British English}}
[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 17:44, 7 May 2016 (UTC)

Contrails is more of a technical term, I think. I grew up in the southeast and currently live in the midwest and I only ever hear them called jet trails or vapor trails, only rarely does someone say contrails, and they're usually fairly technical people. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.43|108.162.219.43]] 02:34, 8 May 2016 (UTC)
:Born and raised in Colorado: always heard "contrails". [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 12:05, 30 June 2023 (UTC)

Should we mention the alternate meanings of "Con", especially {{w|Confidence trick}} would seem relevant here. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 06:42, 9 May 2016 (UTC)
:I don't think that's relevant at all, the term "contrail" as mentioned is from "condensation", i.e. "to condense". I don't think a full etymology is merited on this page.
:: On the other hand: A con trick with a contrail? Sounds like being a reasonable pun... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.211|162.158.158.211]] 16:56, 7 May 2020 (UTC)
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.178|108.162.237.178]] 17:33, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1509: Scenery Cheat Sheet

2023-05-06T13:44:24Z

L-Space Traveler:

Wish he added Big Hero 6 for San Francisco. They did a super good job at getting the map accurate to San Francisco. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.129|199.27.133.129]] 19:19, 8 April 2015 (UTC)
:But that was set in [http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/San_Fransokyo San Fransokyo] {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.193}}

One objection: although ''What About Bob?'' was set at Lake Winnipesaukee, NH, it was actually filmed at Smith Mountain Lake, VA. {{unsigned|‎Jstech}}

The Napoleon Dynamite Idaho square doesn't cover Preston, where it was filmed.[[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.121|199.27.133.121]] 06:00, 8 April 2015 (UTC)

The ''Twilight/50 Shades'' area really shouldn't cover eastern Washington and Oregon either. East of the Cascade Mountains is much more like Boise than Seattle. [[User:Tribble314|Tribble314]] ([[User talk:Tribble314|talk]]) 07:12, 8 April 2015 (UTC)
:Tribble314 is completely correct

It gets Forest Gump wrong, that is set in Alabama, including the Alabama gulf coast and not easter Georgia, The Tombstone section is on the wrong side of Arizona and Zorro is set, and filmed, in California. Anything By Mark Twain is too far south, and since Road Runner cartoons all have Saguaro and organ pipe cactus, it is amazing how the map outlines the exact part of Arizona where they don't exist {{unsigned ip|173.245.50.122}}
:It's not about where it's set. It's where it's filmed. And I object to the 'Anything by Mark Twain' on the grounds that it's basically just Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn without say Innocents Abroad or for that matter most of what was written by a guy who did a good bit of traveling in his lifetime.--Dude[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.183|108.162.237.183]] 09:28, 8 April 2015 (UTC)
::No, the map is about where it's set (generally). ''Star Trek'' wasn't actually filmed in Iowa, part of the movie was set there. In any event, the explanation provides a column for each. - Equinox [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.120|199.27.128.120]] 15:14, 8 April 2015 (UTC)

Let's not forget ''A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court''! I'm pretty sure that doesn't fit in 'Anything By Mark Twain'-space. --[[User:PsyMar|PsyMar]] ([[User talk:PsyMar|talk]]) 12:46, 8 April 2015 (UTC)

I never even knew I lived so close to so many awesome movies. [[User:YourLifeisaLie|The Goyim speaks]] ([[User talk:YourLifeisaLie|talk]]) 12:39, 8 April 2015 (UTC)

Wikipedia tells me that there are 3 2005 ''War of the Worlds'' movies. So... [[User:YourLifeisaLie|The Goyim speaks]] ([[User talk:YourLifeisaLie|talk]]) 12:43, 8 April 2015 (UTC)

A lot I'd like to argue with, but without proof (no time to look), I'll skip most except for this: The Twin Cities of Minnesota (Minneapolis & St. Paul) are clearly shown (Mpls. skyline at least) in ''Fargo'', yet the Twin Cities area is barely within ''Fargo'''s border. (Nitpick from the movie: the characters are coming FROM the north but the Mpls view is obviously from the south, I-35W Northbound.) Also, ''North Country'', whose story is based around taconite mining in Minnesota's Iron Range (north/northwest of Duluth), should have been included, and also shows a Mpls. skyline as an establishing shot for either lawyer's offices and/or a courthouse. (And one more thing: Thanks to whoever pointed out that Woodstock, IL is the true filming location for ''Groundhog Day''. I would show it on the map with a dot or star there, rather than the Pennsylvania area is supposedly represents.) --BigMal27 // [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.177|173.245.50.177]] 13:03, 8 April 2015 (UTC)

I think the Oregon Trail section of the map is specifically referring to the video game, because the subtitle below the main text in that map location says "The only part I ever got to." [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.190|199.27.128.190]] 17:00, 8 April 2015 (UTC)
:That was my assumption too. It's challenging to get to the end of the game, whereas I don't know any reason to not be able to finish the movie. [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 16:41, 9 April 2015 (UTC)
::I agree: I think it refers to the game. However, I will add that [https://www.teamstarkid.com/trail-to-oregon there was also a (hilarious) musical] that had come out by this time. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 13:44, 6 May 2023 (UTC)

Are we going to have a column for the area the square covers on the map? or a place to record whether or not the area covers the filming location or where it was set? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.121|199.27.133.121]] 17:57, 8 April 2015 (UTC)

I think the statement "this is where the movies are set, not where they are filmed" completely misses the point. This is a map of where the movies look like they are set. So, some areas are where they are set (if the movie background seems to be where it's supposed to be) and some areas are where they were filmed (if there's an obvious contradiction between location and setting). Hence, The Sandlot, for example... [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.188|173.245.48.188]] 18:03, 8 April 2015 (UTC)

Orange is the New Black is a much more convincing setting for Upstate New York, even though it isn't a movie. {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.206}}

For the record, northeast america is a pretty good guess for any Steven King movie. Lots of his stuff is set up there. I know because I am an avid reader. [[User:YourLifeisaLie|The Goyim speaks]] ([[User talk:YourLifeisaLie|talk]]) 04:18, 9 April 2015 (UTC)

I took out the line about 50 Shades being the first fan fiction book to be made into a movie. (The movie Mortal Instruments: City of Bones was a Harry Potter fan fiction.) {{[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.144|108.162.237.144]] 15:19, 9 April 2015 (UTC)}}

Much (if not most) of True Grit takes place in Oklahoma, so this should at least be Oklahoma/Arkansas {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.173}}

I did not watch "dazed and confused" but according to that one line in wikipedia,the cast are from austin,tx.maybe this should give a note -kai [[Special:Contributions/103.22.200.220|103.22.200.220]] 07:43, 12 April 2015 (UTC)

*Duck Dynasty* is a TV show not a movie [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.110|173.245.52.110]] 13:46, 16 April 2015 (UTC)

Vermonters know that Supertroopers wasn't filmed in Vermont. Vermont doesn't have billboards. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.130|173.245.52.130]] 14:49, 17 April 2015 (UTC)

As noted, Field of Dreams was filmed near Dyersville, IA, which is not in NW IA, but far eastern (Dyersville is near Dubuque, which is roughly at the "bridge" of Iowa's "nose").[[Special:Contributions/172.70.131.28|172.70.131.28]] 22:25, 3 August 2021 (UTC)

Talk:1489: Fundamental Forces

2023-04-26T21:21:37Z

L-Space Traveler:

«The off-panel audience, probably a student or class, is interested, but quickly begins to realize Cueball's lack of understanding. Instead of acknowledging the problem directly, Cueball simply blusters onwards.»

My interpretation is rather different. It looks like Cueball is a physicist who knows that the distinction of "four fundamental forces" is basically wrong/obsolete (the term "force" is not even used anymore in theoretical physics), but since his audience are high school students, he can't go into the many complex details underlying the fundamental interactions, and therefore is forced to gloss over it. This is confirmed by the title text (if Cueball didn't understand the theory of fundamental interactions, he wouldn't give that answer). --[[Special:Contributions/188.114.101.78|188.114.101.78]] 10:31, 20 February 2015 (UTC)

To me it appeared as a typical exam situation for Cueball with '''him''' being the pupil. And ironically that situation looks similar to the real scientific understanding of the topic. [[User:Renormalist|Renormalist]] ([[User talk:Renormalist|talk]]) 11:12, 20 February 2015 (UTC)
: I could see that, to an extent - it doesn't jive with the title text IMO, and it's less funny that a student would be glossing over this stuff than a someone in an instructive role, but I could see it -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 11:46, 20 February 2015 (UTC)

Irony like this is not uncommon in physics. What was the first encounter with electric phenomena? Triboelectricity. What don't we understand at all? Right. Or take Zenos paradoxon. Or the divisibility paradoxon. The oldest nuts tend to be the toughest. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.230.221|108.162.230.221]] 12:26, 20 February 2015 (UTC)

:Those paradoxes are perfectly explained through calculus. Zeno's requires only algebra. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.100|108.162.219.100]] 06:13, 24 February 2015 (UTC)

:I'm not sure about ''the'' first one, but one of first electromagnetic phenomenons we encountered was light. We first observed it about 200000 years ago. :P [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.77|141.101.104.77]] 13:45, 21 February 2015 (UTC)
::The first electromagnetic phenomenon we encountered was the the propagation of electric signals along the neuron's axon toward synaptic boutons situated at the ends of an axon. It was literally the first thing we experienced, as there can be no experience without it. However, the triboelectricity was the effect the electricity was named AFTER. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 06:48, 14 October 2021 (UTC)

I knew from the title, "Fundamental Forces", that this was going to be a great one. {{unsigned ip|199.27.128.200}}

I prefer Chromatic Force and Flavor Force. Why use weak names when we have new strong ones? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.98|108.162.254.98]] 11:58, 20 February 2015 (UTC)

In high school Physics, my class was taught that physicists had recently combined the Electromagnetic and Weak Nuclear forces into the Electro-Weak Force, so there were only three and if we were to find the Higgs Boson, there might be just two or one. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.11|108.162.241.11]] 21:55, 20 February 2015 (UTC)
:Actually, it is the Higgs Boson, that combines the electromagnetic and the weak nuclear interaction into the electroweak interaction, so it's still 3. But actually, even if electromagnetism and the weak interaction can be described in one theory, they are still viewed as two different phenomena, so it actually will always be 4. (Unless we discover other interactions). --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.192|141.101.105.192]] 22:23, 20 February 2015 (UTC)
:: Old timer physicists say the same thing about magnetism and electricity. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.64.35|141.101.64.35]] 16:53, 21 February 2015 (UTC)

Is it just possible that Randall posted this forum to see how we here actually try to explain strong and weak Forces? [[Special:Contributions/188.114.111.224|188.114.111.224]] 22:34, 21 February 2015 (UTC)

In the first panel, Cueball forgot to mention Einstein's field equations. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.77|108.162.254.77]] 11:35, 22 February 2015 (UTC)

This comic and the ensuing discussion is more intriguing when the Chrome xkcd substitutions extension is turned on. Weak Horse, Strong Horse, Flavor Horse, Chromatic Horse... [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.194|199.27.128.194]] 01:57, 24 February 2015 (UTC)

couldnt the title text joke just be joking about how the professor doesnt know anything? like if hes just saying that from a quantum point of view that gravity is the hardest, then its not really a joke. the joke is its the only one he can describe easily, but then he says its the most difficult one. i think thats irony, but maybe not. but yeah thats just my tide whats yours.[[User:TheJonyMyster|TheJonyMyster]] ([[User talk:TheJonyMyster|talk]]) 03:57, 26 February 2015 (UTC)

When I read this comic, I see a metaphor for the scientific community's difficulties explaining these interactions to laymen. Cueball is a stand-in for scientists, and while he likely understands these concepts very well, has no earthly idea how to encapsulate them for someone who hasn't studied them in-depth. As the concepts become more abstract and unintuitive, Cueball's explanations become more incomprehensible to the increasingly vexed lay audience. Gravity is a phenomenon that is readily observable to anyone, and so the audience accepts it without question--note that Cueball's explanation doesn't really do the topic any better justice than his explanations of the other forces; he just doesn't need to. Electromagnetism is less intuitive to a layman, but its effects are still observable, so the audience, accepting it, seems more concerned that Cueball glosses over a hint that it's a bit more complex than his initial explanation would suggest. The explanations of strong and weak forces are no more coherent, but the complete lack of observable effects to laymen makes this lapse unforgivable to the audience. The alt text highlights the irony of this situation, where the lack of any comprehensible explanation of the strong and weak forces leads the audience to believe that they are not well-understood, but in fact it is gravity, the force they simply accepted without question, that is a mystery. {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.209}}

As a philosopher, my interpretation was not that Cueball "can't encapsulate" the ideas, but that no one really understands them, even specialists. Like Socrates was the expert ethicist simply by virtue of not knowing what the good is, Cueball (Monroe?) is the expert physicist because he refuses to bullsh** about which and how many are the most "fundamental" horses. The fact is that knowing the mathematical formula that describes the phenomenon doesn't constitute understanding. Same goes for gravity. Hence the scrollover punchline. [[User:CircularReason|CircularReason]] ([[User talk:CircularReason|talk]]) 14:55, 13 June 2015 (UTC)

I find a different humor in this than it seems the rest of you do. As an out of practice physicist now teaching high school physics this is word for word what I would have said should I have to explain the fundamental forces without researching any of the things that have slipped my mind. There is something about the way Randall captures the exact way I think (have been trained to think?) that had me guffawing at this comic and feeling a bit sheepish at 793: Physicists {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.164}}

What is a "fundamental horse"? [[User:Malamanteau314|Malamanteau314]] ([[User talk:Malamanteau314|talk]]) 04:59, 6 November 2015 (UTC)
:There are four fundamental horses which we have a decent understanding of, but the one we understand the least is "Death". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.76|108.162.238.76]] 01:36, 20 January 2016 (UTC)
::Death is the rider, not the horse itself. [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 07:50, 16 February 2016 (UTC)
:::The horses name is Binky. [[User:Andyd273|Andyd273]] ([[User talk:Andyd273|talk]]) 14:00, 4 October 2016 (UTC)
::::His name is Susan, and he wants you to respect his life choices. 03:47, 29 January 2017 (UTC)
:::::No. [https://wiki.lspace.org/Binky His name is Binky.] [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 21:21, 26 April 2023 (UTC)
Should the explanation be updated to note the discovery of gravitational waves? [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 07:50, 16 February 2016 (UTC)

For the record, this is, with only a very little exaggeration, exactly how the four fundamental fources were presented to me in high school. Spot on. -CDJ

Talk:1447: Meta-Analysis

2023-03-20T14:17:36Z

L-Space Traveler:

What is this "Medline, Embase and Cochrane" ? Thanks. Dams. {{unsigned ip|108.162.254.30}}
:Databases of Medical Publications [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.30|108.162.254.30]] 08:19, 14 November 2014 (UTC)
:Medline[http://www.medline.com/], Embase[http://www.elsevier.com/online-tools/embase/about] and Cochrane[http://www.cochrane.org/] are medical research databases. You can find there studies on various drug uses or treatment plans. A useful information source if you want to compare studies on use of Allopurinol for chronic gout or else. [[User:Jkotek|Jkotek]] ([[User talk:Jkotek|talk]]) 08:28, 14 November 2014 (UTC)
::Seems to me that should be in the explanation, no? -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 15:03, 14 November 2014 (UTC)
Would it be helpful to include a breakdown of the terms?
*Meta-Analysis = "We searched M, E, & C for [keyword]"
*Meta-Meta-Analysis = "We searched M, E, & C for 'We searched M, E, & C for [keyword]'"
*Meta-Meta-Meta-Analysis = "We searched M, E, & C for 'We searched M, E, & C for 'We searched M, E, & C for [keyword]""
[[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 08:46, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

Your paper is rejected. //"TOO META"--[[User:Theme|Theme]] ([[User talk:Theme|talk]]) 08:49, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

IMHO a better would be this:
*Meta-Analysis = "We searched M, E, & C for [keyword] and compared results between each other"
*Meta-Meta-Analysis = "We analyzed how others 'search the M, E, & C for for [keyword] and compare the results'"
*Meta-Meta-Meta-Analysis = "We analyzed how other 'analyze how others search the M, E, & C for for [keyword] and compare the results'"
too meta [[User:Jkotek|Jkotek]] ([[User talk:Jkotek|talk]]) 15:22, 14 November 2014 (UTC)

I don't understand this explanation! Why isn't there an "Explain Explain XKCD" site? --[[User:RenniePet|RenniePet]] ([[User talk:RenniePet|talk]]) 23:43, 15 November 2014 (UTC)
:I don't understand this comment! We need a Explain XKCD comment comments section!--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.199|108.162.231.199]] 09:51, 19 November 2014 (UTC)

It seems that Randall actually enjoys rejections. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.139|173.245.50.139]] 03:18, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

The term "too meta" means that something is too self referential. Not "so abstract that they can't be easily interpreted." {{unsigned ip|108.162.254.88}}
:Actually, if we stick to the greek root, "meta" simply signifies "beyond", or "after". So, by adding level after level of analysis, by going beyond single studies, and single studies of single studies, it is truly becoming "too meta", too grand. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.207|108.162.229.207]] 21:17, 31 March 2015 (UTC)
:My interpretation is that it could mean both. For example, "too meta" = "the strenght of meta is too high" for being too self referential or "too meta" = "there's too many metas" for the excess or abstraction. I'm now experiencing {{w|Semantic satiation}}. [[Special:Contributions/188.114.99.189|188.114.99.189]] 18:43, 1 December 2015 (UTC)

== How much paper is there? ==

If the paper is a meta-meta-meta-analysis, then the paper is discussing the paper is discussing the paper? Is the Methods section (near-)infinite? How much paper does Randall have? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.164|108.162.246.164]] 17:22, 14 September 2022 (UTC)
:Papers are mostly paperless these days. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.10|172.69.34.10]] 20:34, 14 September 2022 (UTC)
::[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1162:_Log_Scale Maybe he's a quitter.] [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 14:17, 20 March 2023 (UTC)

Talk:1341: Types of Editors

2023-02-18T01:50:52Z

L-Space Traveler:

The horse is a noble animal; refers to this? http://www.marciafarquhar.com/artwork/the-horse-is-a-noble-animal/ --[[User:NSDCars5|NSDCars5]] ([[User talk:NSDCars5|talk]]) 13:40, 14 March 2014 (UTC)NSDCars5

Title text and last frame are a reference to the book [http://machineofdeath.net/ "Machine of Death"], a collection of short stories in which a machine can tell a person a word, that is in some way related to how they will die. {{unsigned ip|173.245.53.198}}

Incidentally, Munroe himself wrote a story in that anthology. Apparently, it was titled "?" Has anyone read it?[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.108|199.27.128.108]] 08:14, 12 March 2014 (UTC)

SPOILER ALERT In the machine of death story from Randal the protagonist struggles with the fact the machine can predict death, it does not fit his world picture. He decides the only way to win is not to play so he never reads his slip of paper and goes to work starting fires to form an huge question mark. In the end he decides to stay in one place to ether die there from hunger and thirst or any other way. He hopes the slip of paper says "murder" instead of anything else as in the machine murdered him. /SPOILER ALERT{{unsigned ip|62.177.168.231}}

There are also {{w|WYSIWYM}} editors: "what you see is what you mean", where editor marks the content according to its meaning (e.g. section title), but not necessarily exactly as it would appear in presentation. The main advantage of this system is the total separation of presentation and content. Examples include LyX, FrameMaker, WYMeditor, CodeMirror. --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 08:44, 12 March 2014 (UTC)

And let's not forget WYGIWYG (wiggywig), "What you get is what you get" A joking reference to the imperfection of certain well-known word processors. At this moment, someone out there is writing a machineofdeath-mode for Emacs. [[User:Jim E|Jim E]] ([[User talk:Jim E|talk]]) 16:07, 12 March 2014 (UTC)

Anyone know that "horse" reference? It sounds familiar but I can't place it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.9|108.162.216.9]] 16:34, 12 March 2014 (UTC)
: I don't know if it's relevant, but there's a sculpture titled "The Horse is a Noble Animal". [http://www.marciafarquhar.com/the-horse-is-a-noble-animal-tatton-park/][http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/north_yorkshire/8605076.stm] [[User:Wwoods|Wwoods]] ([[User talk:Wwoods|talk]]) 19:18, 12 March 2014 (UTC)

What about Death Note? Sounds a bit like WYSIHYD is a nerfed version of the Death Note. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.8|108.162.215.8]] 17:12, 12 March 2014 (UTC)
:It's just a correlation. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.64|108.162.237.64]] 17:16, 12 March 2014 (UTC)
::Are you Randall? If not, you do not know that. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.215|108.162.249.215]] 01:53, 13 March 2014 (UTC)
:I vote to add a reference in a Trivia section, as I've seen Trivias here deviating that much. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.125|108.162.219.125]] 04:34, 1 March 2015 (UTC)

I think this needs an incomplete flag. It doesn't make a clear distinction between the comic and the real-world context, and the latter isn't sufficiently explained. --[[User:Mynotoar|Mynotoar]] ([[User talk:Mynotoar|talk]]) 18:15, 12 March 2014 (UTC)

Was my indentation of the transcript too much? I thought it added to the understanding of the layout and flow. [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 12:38, 13 March 2014 (UTC)

I can't believe that no one has made a WYSITUTWYG editor on the internet yet, given that there are already hell tetris machines. [[User:Hppavilion1|Hppavilion1]] ([[User talk:Hppavilion1|talk]]) 04:22, 14 August 2014 (UTC)

WYSIHYD reminds me of the "goto" programmer getting attacked by a velociraptor http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/292 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.182|108.162.238.182]] 18:20, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

;HORSE reference

Preeeeeeeeetty certain this refers to the briefly famous, rather bizarre "Horse eBooks" twitter account which was presumably set up as some kind of Markov-chain based quotation engine intended to promote the service by spewing out famous phrases from the books in their collection, but instead ended up generating all kinds of amusing nonsense, much of it on the subject of equines. It may or may not still be operating ... I don't twitter much, so finding out will take a moment or two...
(gets curious, actually checks)

...well, it's still there, but it hasn't updated in a while: [[https://twitter.com/horse_ebooks]] ... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.150|141.101.98.150]] 09:08, 20 May 2015 (UTC)

:Given the nature of {{w|Horse_ebooks}} and the fact that [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1037:_Umwelt xkcd has referenced it before (under "Twitter")], I think this is certainly possible. (The above-stated reference to the statue could simultaneously be true.) [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 01:50, 18 February 2023 (UTC)

I just put together this comic in real life. LINK: http://1314.fluffycraft.net/
Check it out!!!!
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.72.35|162.158.72.35]] 03:21, 20 April 2016 (UTC) Gus

How I pronouce them:
wizz-ee-wig
wizz-en-wig
wizz-etut-wig
wizz-ee-hid
[[User:WolvesAreValid|Awoo is legal | (you can't) change my mind]] ([[User talk:WolvesAreValid|talk]]) 22:09, 2 October 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1293: Job Interview

2023-01-26T12:04:49Z

L-Space Traveler:

Wouldn't this be a continuation of the story in "[http://xkcd.com/1032/ Networking]" [[User:Whiskey07|Whiskey07]] ([[User talk:Whiskey07|talk]]) 09:00, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

:I completely agree, Whiskey. That comic is clearly a prelude to this. [[User:Grahame|Grahame]] ([[User talk:Grahame|talk]]) 07:35, 21 November 2013 (UTC)

Isn't it [[Beret Guy]] character, and not just "employer with a hat"? --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 10:02, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

Why is the soup coming out of the electrical outlet (OK, it is label "soup", but that still does not explain it) [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]])
:Who said it was an electrical outlet? It's clearly a soup outlet, it's even labeled as such. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.208|141.101.98.208]] 16:23, 20 November 2013 (UTC)
::My first thought was that this was a modern soup kitchen of some sort with the basics of public supplies. But I've never seen or heard of such a thing? Does anyone know if they exist? [[User:Grahame|Grahame]] ([[User talk:Grahame|talk]]) 01:31, 21 November 2013 (UTC)
:::It's definitely an electrical outlet. This reinforces that this is a virtual company, not a real one. [[User:Sulis|Sulis]] ([[User talk:Sulis|talk]]) 10:04, 22 November 2013 (UTC)
:My understanding of the outlet matter is that:
:# It is an actual U.S. - style electrical outlet.
:# The coil of wire seen at the chair's leg in panel 2 which beret Guy uses is actually a handheld electric heater that was commonly used to heat water in Eastern Europe before electric kettles made their way there; such heaters are still being sold here ([http://e-promedia.com/go/_info/?user_id=1812&lang=pl example (in Polish)])
:# The water in the bowl is already boiling in panel 4.
:# Beret Guy is going to add some cheap instant soup to the water, e.g. [http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2551/3900578012_6534fb3fed.jpg Chinese-style instant noodles]
:It may be worth noting that such heaters are very cheap, you can get one for an equivalent of $3-5 on a flea market. The whole Beret Guy's new business is an extremely low cost one... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.217|108.162.231.217]] 10:34, 22 November 2013 (UTC)
::I'd think it's really just a soup (or whatever liquid it is) outlet. Reasons: 1. I don't see any heating attachments while the wire isn't plugged in. 2. To me, the drawing in the last panel rather looks like liquid pouring out of a hose. 3. It even says so in the official transcript: "Something one can only hope is soup streams out of the wire into Beret Guy's bowl" [[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.41|108.162.231.41]] 11:25, 22 November 2013 (UTC)
:::Indeed, I don't like doing it, but I feel ''so'' strongly that this is surreality, not the more 'mundane' water-heater idea, that I actually reverted the explanation change making it so. (We don't know ''how'' he gets the soup from the outlet, or what happens if you plug a vacuum cleaner/etc into that outlet, but then we don't know how Beret Guy does ''most'' of the stuff he does. Or, when we do, ''why''..?) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.218|141.101.99.218]] 14:49, 22 November 2013 (UTC)
"We can offer you a bunch of paychecks" - but not actual money? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.215|173.245.55.215]] 16:31, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

Anyone have an idea of what "There are ghosts here" means? --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 16:34, 20 November 2013 (UTC)
:I assumed it was just part of a quirky interview. I feel it ties in to the later "interview from hell" stuff - it's not the sort of thing you want a job interviewer to raise in your interview. Even if the place does have ghosts, it's a terrible thing to mention. I think it just adds to the surrealism that others have mentioned and with which I agree. [[User:Grahame|Grahame]] ([[User talk:Grahame|talk]]) 01:31, 21 November 2013 (UTC)
::I thought it was a reference to some buzz-word that Beret Guy misunderstood, such as virtualization or intangible benefits or high spirits. I just couldn't figure out for sure what the source was. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.85|199.27.128.85]] 04:34, 21 November 2013 (UTC)
:::Probably a play on "[[wikipedia:Ghostwriter|Ghostwriter]]" [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]])
::Realized that this is probably a reference to Call of Duty: Ghost. Often tech companies will refer to the fun environment they have, and how guys will get together for LAN parties on the company equipment, and mention the games they play. Beret Guy, having heard and misunderstood, stripped this down to, "We have ghosts." [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.85|199.27.128.85]] 05:51, 27 November 2013 (UTC)
:Could it be a reference to the Snapchat mascot? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.213|141.101.98.213]] 07:44, 21 November 2013 (UTC)

I think the joke here is just that this is an example of a "job interview from hell" or at least a very surreal/oddball job interview. Basically everything Beret Guy says or does is nonsensical or a non sequitur. E.g. "this real building I found" gives the impression that it may be a vacant building that he has somehow gained entrance to. It seems unlikely that a real company would make both apps and stickers for phones. Obviously you can't get soup out of a wall by plugging a cord into an electrical outlet. The humor derives from putting oneself in the position of the interviewee being confronted with this odd situation. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.217|173.245.55.217]] 18:33, 20 November 2013 (UTC)Pat

Does Beret Guy mean physical stickers for decorating the outsides of phones, or in-app stickers like [https://faq.whatsapp.com/android/chats/how-to-use-stickers/?lang=en WhatsApp] has? The latter is significantly less weird here. [[User:Wizardofdocs|Wizardofdocs]] ([[User talk:Wizardofdocs|talk]]) 06:27, 11 September 2021 (UTC)

I suspect he is being a bit dadaist on this one. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.117|108.162.246.117]] 22:46, 20 November 2013 (UTC)

It is more accurate (theologically and biblically - assuming that the biblical account (which is the only one we have) is correct) to say that God allowed the trials but they were performed and initiated by Satan. (And to those who want to dispute it being a real story or question the accuracy of the Bible - that's not the point. The point is that it's the only account we have so let's be accurate about what the account portrays.)
So I've changed the description to reflect the view that "God allowed" and "Satan did the horrible things" rather than that Job "was put through some horrendous ordeals by God to test his faith" which is partially true but technically inaccurate, but I kept that "God did it to test Job's faith". [[User:Grahame|Grahame]] ([[User talk:Grahame|talk]]) 01:31, 21 November 2013 (UTC)

Are we using the Jewish version of the story of Job, or a Christian one? As I understand it, in the Jewish story it's God doing all the things, and Satan (as an advisor, literally a devil's advocate) merely gave God the idea that Job needed to be tested. [[User:Wizardofdocs|Wizardofdocs]] ([[User talk:Wizardofdocs|talk]]) 06:27, 11 September 2021 (UTC)
:It's exactly the same story, except that many Jews use the original Hebrew and Christians by and large use multi-translated (Hebrew --> Greek --> Latin --> English, for instance) versions in their Bibles. There are lots of translations, of course, and lots of variation in those translations. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 13:08, 27 November 2021 (UTC)

Forgive my ignorance, but I don't understand the reference in the explanation to "the countless humorous signs near wall outlets and faucets." I haven't run into such signs (or didn't realize they were humorous). Can someone fill me in? {{unsigned|Amz}}
:I've only encountered one such sign in person. It was near the outlet powering the web server at my last job. The sign was labeled "DOES (sic) NOT PULG (sic) OUT" in meticulously-careful handwriting. It was hung in much the same manner as the comic. While the meaning was clear, I found it funny how poor the English was, given the care taken on the calligraphy. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.211|173.245.55.211]] 05:57, 22 November 2013 (UTC)
----
;/dʒɒɒɒɒɒɒɒb/ or /dʒoʊb/
I don't think "job" is meant to be a religious reference. I think its similar that to how one might pronounce C# as "C-pound".[[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.33|108.162.222.33]] 06:13, 23 November 2013 (UTC)
:It very clearly is connected with Job in my opinion - there is piles of connection mentioned by numerous users here. Perhaps you don't see the connection because you don't know anything about Job. [[User:Grahame|Grahame]] ([[User talk:Grahame|talk]]) 08:39, 25 November 2013 (UTC)
::It's not a matter of opinion. The only word in English that is pronounced "job" with a long O, rhyming with ''globe,'' is the biblical figure. [[User:Xhfz|Xhfz]] ([[User talk:Xhfz|talk]]) 13:02, 26 November 2013 (UTC)
:::Well, there's also GOB from Arrested Development... -[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.160|199.27.128.160]] 07:37, 27 November 2013 (UTC)
:To elaborate, I think he is saying /dʒoʊb/ (rather than /dʒɒːːb/) because he never heard anyone say it before. For example, let's say we reverse the roles of these two guys in the comic. Suppose Beret guy looked up some buzzwords to impress the interviewer. I think the result is that Beret Guy will pronounce things like Hadoop as "Had-dop", URL as "Earl", GUI as "Guy", @ as "ear", Apache as "'A'-patch", etc. Surely someone has this problem before, *cough*.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.33|108.162.222.33]] 05:00, 27 November 2013 (UTC)
::I like the connection further up that a long 'O' could also be how a ghost may pronounce this. Given the surrealism of the comic, could it be that [[Beret Guy]] *is* a ghost? The reference to himself, then taking soup out of the wall, then 'hoping' it's a real company... maybe we're missing the clear implication you'd get if you were the guy in the chair in front of him in this situation. Steve [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.224|141.101.99.224]] 13:10, 24 December 2013 (UTC)

This, as well as networking, seem to me as commentary on the fragility of the 'typical' 'modern' job (and the 'typical' 'modern' company) - in terms of constancy of profession, livelihood security and permanency (and number of employees) - when compared to the 'typical' jobs of a few decades past. Many of today's SMEs and jobs live in economic bubbles, as well as credit bubbles: conventional metrics used to evaluate the strength of a job - monetary remuneration and monetary profit, no longer correlate well across career time-scales. Casting the quirky Beret Guy as the employer stokes cognitive dissonance (people expect a business owner/founder/employer to have the pulse of society, to be good strategists, etc.) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.209|108.162.222.209]] 10:30, 23 November 2013 (UTC)

I think this is completely misunderstood. The comic is about some startups and their lack of inherent value, as demonstrated by the ridiculousness of facebook's recent attempt to acquire Snapchat for $2bn. The office is called a "real building" to emphasize that the company's product is not real. Beret guy is just throwing out a bunch of buzzwords, which demonstrates that he clearly does not have a business plan. The ghosts reference, as well as the "long 'o'", or 'joooooobs' (nothing to do with Jobe from the bible) in the alt text, which is how a ghost would pronounce 'jobs', alludes to the fact that it's a ghost company (a company that doesn't break even). Finally, the fact the he can make food, a necessity for survival, come out of a wall socket (electricity, allusion to the virtual app world) demonstrates the misconception that these app companies have real value. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.41|108.162.231.41]] 06:27, 25 November 2013 (UTC)
:I have no comment about most of what you've written but am completely convinced that Randall has Job from the bible in mind. It is not spelled "Jobe" in English. The comments Randall makes and which others have connected with the Job character make far more sense than connecting it with something which ghosts might say. [[User:Grahame|Grahame]] ([[User talk:Grahame|talk]]) 08:39, 25 November 2013 (UTC)
::I know it's spelt "Job", but wanted to avoid being ambiguous. I don't see the "piles of connection mentioned by numerous users" you mention above; the explanation contains it (which could have been written by you) and you mention it in this discussion, that's it. This interview is in no way arduous and the interviewee is not really tested as Job was. Where do you see the connection between the comic and the Book of Job? As for the ghost explanation: as a user pointed out earlier, the Snapchat logo is a ghost, he mentions ghosts in the comic, the comic came out the same week as the Snapchat offers. This comic is clearly about Snapchat and the ridiculousness of the founder turning down an offer of billions of dollars for something that doesn't generate revenue. Where does Job fit into that story? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.41|108.162.231.41]] 09:32, 25 November 2013 (UTC)
:::I edited what had already been written about Job. Check the history. You're right - I may have exaggerated "numerous users". But I agree with whoever had written the comments/explanation about Job linking it to his job being a "trial of faith". I make no claim at all that it connects directly to most of the rest of the comic. As Randall often does, he's gone off on a tangent - he especially does this in title texts - switched gears so to speak. And the connection is not to the interview but to the job. Check the title text again. And it's not exactly the "book of Job" but the character/life of Job as described in that book. And as explained by whoever originally wrote in the explanation the connection to Job. And I'm not disputing that other aspects of the comic have other connections. I'm not saying that it doesn't connect in other ways as you are seeing. What I'm saying is the title text is clearly a reference to Job. [[User:Grahame|Grahame]] ([[User talk:Grahame|talk]]) 00:27, 26 November 2013 (UTC)
::::Perhaps the Job-experience allusion also refers to Snapchat being tempted by opportunities to sell out. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.8|108.162.237.8]] 06:55, 26 November 2013 (UTC)
The term "long O" is unambiguously used to denote "the long sound of O", the vowel of ''globe'' and ''Job'', as opposed to "short O" or "the short sound of O", the vowel of ''mob'' and ''job''. Since "long O" has that specialized meaning, to describe /dʒɒɒɒɒɒɒɒb/ we must say something like "a lengthened short O". [[User:Xhfz|Xhfz]] ([[User talk:Xhfz|talk]]) 13:13, 26 November 2013 (UTC)
:I wouldn't say unambiguous, but yes. This looks like the "English class" meaning of "long O", rather than the linguistics meaning, which has to deal with languages like Japanese where you ''can'' simply have a long vowel sound. [[User:Darekun|Darekun]] ([[User talk:Darekun|talk]]) 08:19, 6 December 2013 (UTC)
::The official term for the vowels described here would be a close or open O. Or more specifically close-mid and open-mid, since there are closer and opener vowels. And even more specific a close-mid back rounded and open-mid back rounded vowel. The O in globe isn't longer than that in job as far as I can tell. [[User:Tharkon|Tharkon]] ([[User talk:Tharkon|talk]]) 23:01, 4 September 2014 (UTC)
----

My initial impression of this strip related to [[288: Elevator]]; the link between apps and stickers on phones, the "SOUP" on a slip of paper taped over the outlet, and the job description "write on our computers" come together to suggest the business is built on the operation from 288. Of course, on a higher layer, attempting to rely on that operation is interview-hell madness — but it seems clear to me it's what's supposed to be going on on the lower layer. Anyone else think this has merit? [[User:Darekun|Darekun]] ([[User talk:Darekun|talk]]) 08:19, 6 December 2013 (UTC)
----

I think the person being interviewed steps into a virtual world during the interview. The stickers and the apps are both not real world goods and the job is likewise not real world. {{unsigned ip|108.162.215.137}}
:Why do people seem to have difficulty understanding when something is supposed to be surreal? It's not meant to represent a virtual world, or be an allegory for startups, or anything like that. It's just a surreal little escapade. Sheesh... -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 04:50, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

----
I think in a job interview there're always two kinds of people: those who think a company must be serious and official and the attitude must be the same. And the other half of applicants - who think it's just for fun (I mean the interview) and [http://essay-grader.com tool] development is something truly exciting and does not require any particular efforts.
[[User:Briansage|Briansage]] ([[User talk:Briansage|talk]]) 07:45, 19 July 2018 (UTC)

----
How common is it to do a job interview in parallel with lunch? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.74|162.158.88.74]] 07:52, 9 June 2020 (UTC)
:I don't know how common it is, but I've certainly heard of it. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 12:04, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

Talk:1267: Mess

2023-01-16T14:30:06Z

L-Space Traveler:

I do this on purpose whenever people are likely to come over. I mostly clean my house except for a little thing and apologize for the mess. [[Special:Contributions/62.159.14.62|62.159.14.62]] 11:29, 20 September 2013 (UTC)
:Remind me never to come visit you.[[Special:Contributions/184.57.72.181|184.57.72.181]] 12:40, 20 September 2013 (UTC)
::Never come visit him/her. Is that enough of a reminder? --[[Special:Contributions/24.145.230.197|24.145.230.197]] 05:48, 22 September 2013 (UTC)
:: you haven't gone and visited him/her - right? we kinda fell down on this social contract, but here's one more reminder: never visit him/her! [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 18:09, 20 August 2015 (UTC)
::A reminder from 2017: never visit him/her!--[[Special:Contributions/172.68.133.30|172.68.133.30]] 22:05, 21 February 2017 (UTC)
::And from 2020 - never visit them![[User:Rereading xkcd|Rereading xkcd]] ([[User talk:Rereading xkcd|talk]]) 02:52, 7 April 2020 (UTC)
::Reminder from 2021: don't visit them [[Special:Contributions/141.101.69.185|141.101.69.185]] 15:53, 5 August 2021 (UTC)

"There is a common psychological phenomenon which causes people to mentally magnify their own flaws, while failing to notice the flaws of others." '''Tell that to my ex-wife!''' --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 15:03, 20 September 2013 (UTC)
:There is a common psychological phenomenon which causes future ex-wives to mentally magnify their spouse's flaws while failing to notice their own or the flaws of others. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.63|173.245.55.63]] 17:41, 15 July 2014 (UTC)

This comic wierdly mirrors (in contrast) a recently broadcast radio programme (which I doubt Randall will have heard, it being UK's BBC Radio 4 "Thinking Allowed", I think it was, with a segment regarding how normal people react to those not acting 'properly' to social norms) in which the phenomena was mentioned. A lady hostess who unselfconsciously apologises for "not having dusted" (despite dust being possibly shed skin cells and such, it's considered "clean mess"), for her visitor, is then utterly mortified when said visitor breaks the rules and also 'helpfully' points out a coffee-ring stain (considered "dirty mess", for some reason) upon a surface. Doubtless the traditional light and largely insignificant layering of dust possibly somehow prevents highlighting any ''geniuinely'' missed spots (if one had actually dusted ''most'' of the room), yet distinct stains and marks (and dust layers with obvious finger-marks in?) ought to have been cleaned or even prevented in the first place.

(For the record, my own home is a "working mess", much to the chagrin of my mother when she visits. It could definitely be tidier, and there's absolutly no way to convincingly apologise for its state. I consider the whole place to be my "shed", in the grand tradition of "shedology". Mind you, this attitude of mine arises out of the tendency for me to ''lose'' so many things when I deliberately tidy up/pack away "projects in progress" for such esteemed visitors. Better that I can find everything when I need to, IMO. This ''mostly'' works better than with the alternative, under a sometimes Holmesian 'stratified' surface-based filing system.) [[Special:Contributions/178.105.138.196|178.105.138.196]] 15:42, 20 September 2013 (UTC)

:tl;dr--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:09, 20 September 2013 (UTC)

I was reminded of..
http://www.theonion.com/articles/man-puts-glass-of-water-on-bedside-table-in-case-h,33751/ {{unsigned ip|173.14.162.93}}

People call a clean house messy as a way to seem superior to their guests. They clean it before the guest gets here then say that because they know the guest has not cleaned. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 17:37, 22 September 2013 (UTC)
:Maybe - sometimes. But also, I think it stems from the insecurity of possibly being judged by your guest: in this case, you're saying basically "if my cleanliness doesn't live up to your standards, it's not because my standards aren't as high as yours, it's just because I haven't finished cleaning." [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 14:30, 16 January 2023 (UTC)

"There is a common psychological phenomenon which causes people to mentally magnify their own flaws, while failing to notice the flaws of others." How is this phenomenon called? [[Special:Contributions/79.227.152.95|79.227.152.95]] 09:36, 23 September 2013 (UTC)
:false humility [[User:Grahame|Grahame]] ([[User talk:Grahame|talk]]) 05:44, 18 October 2013 (UTC)Grahame
:No, more like self doubt, which is the exact opposite. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.58|108.162.219.58]] 09:50, 4 February 2014 (UTC)
I think you mean "What is this called?" I don't know, I've been trying to research it for the last five minutes and it's never the first result on google. Must not exist. [[Special:Contributions/72.94.35.160|72.94.35.160]] 02:37, 25 September 2013 (UTC)

>>"In the title text, Cueball's anxiety in further amplified when he recalls that he left out a glass of water from the night before. "

I do not think this is right. I think it is the host who is apologizing about the glass of water as the apology is in quotes. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.178|108.162.241.178]] 01:34, 24 October 2017 (UTC)
I agree with the idea that it is the host apologizing for the water.

I just noticed, that the picture on the wall is the same motive as in [[1159: Countdown]] (where it even takes multiple lines and different speculations in the explanation), and possibly the one from [[4: Landscape (sketch)]]. Are there more comics containing this motive for a drawing/picture? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 11:48, 22 October 2019 (UTC)

Talk:1173: Steroids

2022-12-19T14:04:43Z

L-Space Traveler:

Does anyone know what that 'something' is? That's what I came here to find out... :/ --[[User:NeatNit|NeatNit]] ([[User talk:NeatNit|talk]]) 11:57, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

:I had a lot of ideas, but I don't know. It might be a molecule, some sort of portal transmitting sound, a star, a future life form.
:--[[User:Jaap-Jan|Jaap-Jan]] ([[User talk:Jaap-Jan|talk]]) 12:13, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

::My first instinct was that Megan was talking to the asterisk that gets put next to world records held by athletes who have been suspected of using steroids.
::[[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 17:08, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

:::It looks to me like the God from Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. Though that God would know all about the steroid scandal, presumably. [[Special:Contributions/98.234.113.134|98.234.113.134]] 00:19, 14 February 2013 (UTC)

::::It's the crystalline life-form from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Home Soil". When not killing red shirts, it keeps taunting humans that they're "ugly bags of mostly water".[[User:Columbus Admission|Columbus Admission]] ([[User talk:Columbus Admission|talk]]) 00:28, 14 February 2013 (UTC)

:::::My first association was this "entity of pure energy" from Futurama: http://theinfosphere.org/Energy_being [[Special:Contributions/94.126.74.17|94.126.74.17]] 10:10, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

::::::It reminded me of the white hole from Diane Duane's "So You Want to be Wizard".

:::::::It's not supposed to be anything. Just some non-human entity that can't grasp the whole steroid scandal in a human way. [[Special:Contributions/195.23.253.48|195.23.253.48]] 12:45, 20 February 2013 (UTC)

::::::::It does look a lot like [[Wikipedia:Chocky|Chocky]]. --Squiggle^4 {{unsigned ip|108.162.230.113}}

I think the "artificial boundary" isn't so artificial. There is a clear difference between food chemicals, which are healthy for us, vs steroid chemicals, which cause all sorts of health problems. Of course, then Megan would have to explain that we have limited lifespans and we greatly value our quality of life, and these steroids would decrease our quality of life. [[Special:Contributions/70.31.159.230|70.31.159.230]] 13:41, 13 February 2013 (UTC)
:So on the one side of this "clear boundary" you'd have something like Big Macs (food, good for us) and on the other you'd have vitamin supplements (non-food chemicals, bad)?

I have wheat allergy and gout. There are commonly available staples that cripple me. I would like to try marijuana oil but am law abiding. On several occasions I have been denied pain killers by arbitrarily chosen nincompoops who would rather believe I am a liar/would be drug abuser rather than suffering pain.

On two occasions I've suffered peritonitis. The last time the bowel blew a fuse through to the outside of my body. That was unpleasant.

Nobody should have the right to deny me what god designed to help me. Not quite on topic but by and large, pretty much the gist of the comic.

Back on topic, I am pleased to note I am not the only person who finds it incredible that grown men can get paid to chase a bladder.[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 12:56, 11 January 2015 (UTC)

::I think the theory is that things that improve athletic performance but hurt the body should not be allowed. That way, athletes who are willing to sacrifice their health in order to win do not have an advantage over those who are not willing to make such a sacrifice. If people want to eat Big Mac's they are welcome to because it doesn't give them any advantage. Basically, you can put bad stuff into yourself all you want, but not if it gives you a competitive advantage. [[Special:Contributions/74.92.219.153|74.92.219.153]] 17:36, 14 February 2013 (UTC)
:::Which is good theory except that we have hardly any idea what are long-term effect of most chemicals, not speaking about fact that any chemical which is beneficial in reasonable amount (which we often don't know and it may depend on individual or other condition) is dangerous if you take it too much. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C L-ascorbic acid] is particularly interresting example, as the official recomendation is 90mg per day, but depending on doctor and on situation (like illness or stress level) even 10,000mg may be considered healthy. Another good example is already mentioned [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testosterone testosterone], which IS actually steroid. Oh yes, and then there is the problem of DETECTING that the athlets are getting those "unnatural" chemicals. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:46, 15 February 2013 (UTC)
::::Your argument seems to suggest that just because we can't catch all criminals, or because we don't know the long term effects of people's actions, we should just release convicted murderers. No one ever said the system's perfect. I grant that there are many grey areas, and we can't come close to policing every athlete. I don't think we should stop athletes from taking vitamin C given our current amount of knowledge, but I do think we should try to stop the athletes that are detected to be using chemicals in quantities that are known to be unhealthy in order to gain a competitive advantage.[[Special:Contributions/70.31.159.230|70.31.159.230]] 21:45, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

70.31.159.230 21:45, 18 February 2013 You make a very clear argument for having all your posts reviewed with the idea of erasing them. Since all athletes take drugs except the ones that haven't been caught yet and won't admit it, we must allow all athletes to do as they like and follow them to their graves to see how dementia figures spike for old athletes and when such aberrant data first appeared.
Or does anyone believe that just because they are fit and healthy when young they are automagically stooooopid?[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 17:07, 11 January 2015 (UTC)

:Like trying to line up all the people in the world and draw a clear line to divide blacks from whites, it's too much of a gradual spectrum to be anything other than arbitrary. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 17:27, 13 February 2013 (UTC)
::I explained my point very poorly. "Good" performance enhancing chemicals (like healthy foods) tend to also make us more healthy while "bad" performance enhancing chemicals (like steroids) cause all sorts of health problems. Athletes are generally encouraged to take the "good" stuff while avoiding the "bad" stuff. Of course there's a huge grey area in between (including non-performance-enhancing Big Macs), but I think steroids clearly fall outside this grey area. [[Special:Contributions/70.31.159.230|70.31.159.230]] 19:58, 13 February 2013 (UTC)
:::|Um, you do realize that the human body itself creates "Steroids"? Which are also in found within the plants and animals that we eat. (Especially soybeans.) Testosterone is supposedly one of these "bad" steroids, which cause many problems for humans. [[Special:Contributions/69.181.140.191|69.181.140.191]] 12:28, 14 February 2013 (UTC)
::::I suppose my point requires further explanation; devil's advocates will never be satisfied. Testosterone isn't intrinsically "bad" for us (as you mentioned, it is an integral part of our chemistry), but taking significant amounts of it from external sources has been shown to damage our bodies' ability to produce it and/or regulate its levels, among other effects. Hence, taking steroids is bad for us. Compare that with healthy food, which is generally accepted to "increase" our athletic performance (compared with unhealthy food, or no food) without any serious avoidable side effects.
::::However, you do bring up the point of testosterone being present in some things we consider to count as "food". I guess there is a certain amount of testosterone you are allowed to ingest (for these contests) that cause a negligible effect. [[Special:Contributions/70.31.159.230|70.31.159.230]] 13:21, 14 February 2013 (UTC)
:::::So it should be permitted to take non-dangerous levels of steroids? Either way, blood doping is the practice of boosting the number of red blood cells in the bloodstream, seems like a difficult argument to make for that to be bad (unless you have too many, but until that point). [[Special:Contributions/67.87.171.116|67.87.171.116]] 07:11, 15 February 2013 (UTC)
::::::I guess by my logic, it should indeed be permitted to take steroids at a non-dangerous level. It sort of is the way things are; if I take 1 miligram of testosterone a day I don't think anyone would stop me because they couldn't catch me. At such a low level, I doubt it would have an effect on my blood testosterone levels. It gets a lot murkier when you get into the question of "what is the highest amount you should permit?"[[Special:Contributions/70.31.159.230|70.31.159.230]] 21:45, 18 February 2013 (UTC)
Blood doping is not the same as steroid use. {{unsigned|‎98.204.81.157}}
:EDIT: I think for the purposes of this discussion, blood doping does have its recognized risks. I guess it's another form of performance enhancement that is difficult to do properly, and can kill you or transmit dangerous diseases if done improperly. Check out the Wikipedia article for more information. I think it should be controlled in the same manner as steroids, not because it's inherently bad, but because it can be difficult to self-regulate for athletes. [[Special:Contributions/70.31.159.230|70.31.159.230]] 21:45, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

Does anyone else feel that the title text has a strong Douglas Adams flavour?
And if so, can we make that hard with a quote from one of his books?

:It's a biblical reference, Genesis 3:19, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return", King James version.[[User:Jasqm|Jasqm]] ([[User talk:Jasqm|talk]]) 14:03, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

:D.N.A. has been known to reference the bible:
:-"In the beginning, the universe was created. This made a lot of people unhappy and has been widely regarded as a bad move."
:-"And then one day, nearly two thousand years after one man was nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be if people were nice to each other for a change..."
:[[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 17:08, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

:You're probably thinking of his quotes that reference digital watches and what a big mistake it was to leave the oceans (combined with the scene from the show where the guy walks back into the ocean).[[User:CityZen|CityZen]] ([[User talk:CityZen|talk]]) 21:30, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

:"...questions including, 'Why are are people born?' 'Why do do people die?' and 'Why do they spend so much of the time in between wearing digital watches?'"

:"Most of the people were pretty much unhappy for pretty much most of the time; many solutions have been suggested for this problem, but they mostly involve the movement of small green pieces of paper, which is odd, because on the whole, it wasn't the small green pieces of paper which were unhappy."

Ive said that Douglas Adams write for XKCD for years now...Notice if you change all the letters to their corresponding number (A=1, B=2, etc) and add them, you get 42 ;) [[Special:Contributions/90.205.199.80|90.205.199.80]] 12:49, 13 February 2013 (UTC)
:Yeah, I'm pretty sure we all know that was a coincidence; Randall said so.
:I wrote a quick program to check for four-letter combinations and add their value. I'm assuming (hoping) that I coded correctly and got accurate results (I was using a library that I am unfamiliar with). Of the 26^4 possible letter combinations, 8840 (roughly 2%) will result in a total of 42 (order matters). This comes to 449 different sets of letters (in whatever order) that total 42. The numbers change if we assume Randall would only choose a letter once to be in the title. I'd rewrite the program to count up all combinations that total 4 to 104 for comparison (with and without repetition), but it's after 5am now. [[Special:Contributions/76.122.5.96|76.122.5.96]] 10:25, 15 February 2013 (UTC)

Not just a Biblical reference, the comic is published on (western christian) Ash Wednesday... [[User:Patmiller|Patmiller]] ([[User talk:Patmiller|talk]]) 14:58, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

I didn't think of Douglas Adams when I read it, I thought of Paul Erdos' definition of a mathematician as a device for turning coffee into theorems. [[User:MGK|MGK]] ([[User talk:MGK|talk]]) 15:16, 15 February 2013 (UTC)

:That quote was was actually due to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfr%C3%A9d_R%C3%A9nyi Alfréd Rényi]. [[Special:Contributions/203.6.77.2|203.6.77.2]] 07:16, 5 June 2013 (UTC)

::I've never heard this quote before - thank you both, I love it! ([https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1053:_Ten_Thousand 10,000 Day . . . ]) [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 14:04, 19 December 2022 (UTC)

That was exactly the thing that crossed my mind when I read it... Spot on! {{unsigned ip|193.105.85.4}}

I've learned that Mr Armstrong is a future hero (Thank you Mr. XKCD). We will need to help out evolution to make us stronger and faster when we need it (sorry Jet pilots of today, you will need to continue enduring those coughing fits until we figure something out). Considering we need to do so by choice, drugs are the only way we know how at this time. Mr. Armstrong was trying to teach us a lesson that if you practice moderation and have will power to put in the work as well (drugs are no pathway toward the easy life), you can overcome any limitation (such as getting over cancer) to become one of the greatest human athletes we have ever known (and yes, I do believe you are both are still as awesome as ever Mr. Armstrong and our teacher Mr. XKCD). -e-inspired [[Special:Contributions/24.51.197.187|24.51.197.187]] 19:25, 27 February 2013 (UTC)

''The Sphere baffled asks if that is so bad, to which Megan states that this is awful.'' That's not what the sphere said AT ALL. But [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 17:56, 3 May 2017 (UTC)

My problem with the “controversy” section is that it says that a reason for banning chemical is in cases that they cause harm to the athletes, but wouldn’t that also be a reason to ban most sports entirely? Just look at all the (potentially debilitating) injuries athletes often get (especially football players). [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 14:05, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1172: Workflow

2022-12-19T13:30:29Z

L-Space Traveler:

It's not a bug, it's a feature! '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 05:42, 11 February 2013 (UTC)

What? The explanation makes no sense. Where did the user reconfiguring his CPU to overheat upon pressing control come from?[[Special:Contributions/67.5.239.109|67.5.239.109]] 06:27, 11 February 2013 (UTC) Edit: I was referring to the actual explanation which has since been edited, not the comic itself. I understood that, but the explanation was quoting stuff that wasn't in the comic.[[Special:Contributions/70.199.230.162|70.199.230.162]] 18:35, 12 February 2013 (UTC)
:It's not 'from' anything. It's just an extreme and humorously far-fetched example of how a user might put a bug to use. He used the bug so he wouldn't have to reach for his actual control button, a 'horrifying' hack which works for him. [[Special:Contributions/24.105.141.150|24.105.141.150]] 17:21, 12 February 2013 (UTC)

No idea where this coming from, but reminds me [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=656433 this bug] and [http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/firefox/firefox-problems.htm#fx7 this reaction to it]. Firefox is good example in general: about:config was obviously CREATED to make much more settings available that is sane to put in configuration windows. On the other hand, this problem is old, so the comix is probably about some other, more recent problem, possibly in completely different software. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:39, 11 February 2013 (UTC)

I'm constantly running stuff like Folding@Home, but I usually underclock my components to conserve power and lengthen the lifespan. However, I created a macro that overclocks my GPU at the press of a button, and I use it to act as a heater for my room whenever I get cold. It works. Those children could follow my example. [[Special:Contributions/70.31.159.230|70.31.159.230]] 15:05, 11 February 2013 (UTC)

I think this is a jab at Windows 8, only an upside-down one - since the comic is about a lone protester as opposed to the general dissatisfaction with Tile World. Also: Let's wire the computer components (and a heat sink) into an office chair. Would sell like crazy in the North.

I think it would be nice to include in the explanation, for people unfamiliar with Emacs, that most macros require you to type Control something. It's common to remap Ctrl to the Caps Lock position so that it's easier and faster to reach. [[Special:Contributions/189.123.138.144|189.123.138.144]] 17:32, 15 February 2013 (UTC)

I've learned long ago to never assume that my personal expectations will help everybody. To never ignore feedback from your core users (who else would stick around and use such a buggy system?). And that if you taking other's choice away to save them from themselves, try to give a quick alternative, such as a hint on how to modify the script to look for prolonged space-bar commands and engage control button (perhaps that user is disabled?) - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 23:53, 27 February 2013 (UTC)

It's quite possible that this is a reference to [https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=30475 this], which is a relatively famous bug that got an incredibly angry reaction. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.230|199.27.128.230]] 19:29, 3 March 2015 (UTC)

Perfect example: [https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20071214-00/?p=24163 The compatibility constraints of your side effects: Beeping] [[User:Solomon|Solomon]] ([[User talk:Solomon|talk]]) 03:53, 19 December 2021 (UTC)

;Horrifying

Doesn't the admin rather mean, that it's horrifying that the user's workaround does not work anymore, and not, that he considers the workaround itself horrible?
--[[Special:Contributions/188.109.179.0|188.109.179.0]] 10:43, 13 August 2013 (UTC)
:No for sure he finds it horrifying that some user would use an error that could overheat the system as a way to "press" ctrl key. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:33, 29 April 2015 (UTC)

"std::cin no longer overheats the CPU when you hold down spacebar" [http://blogs.msdn.com/b/vcblog/archive/2013/06/28/c-11-14-stl-features-fixes-and-breaking-changes-in-vs-2013.aspx from here]. I chuckled when I was reading this. Maybe there are references buried in the comments, too. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.128|108.162.254.128]] 21:11, 25 May 2015 (UTC)
:It does. A user called JB said "Although please can you implement an option to reinstate the cpu heating when space bar is pressed feature though, as I have code that relies on this feature."
even better one of the MS devs replied "JB: That's horrifying." about half way through one of their replies {{unsigned ip|108.162.250.158}}

==Tone==
Current revision says this: "A similar effect may be caused by other improvements, particularly those which involve changes in the user interface."

However, the changes in question are precisely those ''not'' universally agreed to be improvements. While some cases like the one in the comic are ridiculous, others are emphatically not and are in fact near-universally agreed to be dumb. As such, referring to the general case as "improvements" is not really viable.

I'd have edited to "changes" myself, but that'd create a repeated word so it's kind of clunky. Does anyone have any suggestions for more neutral terms? [[User:Magic9mushroom|Magic9mushroom]] ([[User talk:Magic9mushroom|talk]]) 13:02, 18 August 2020 (UTC)
:Done. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 13:30, 19 December 2022 (UTC)

1172: Workflow

2022-12-19T13:30:03Z

L-Space Traveler: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1172
| date = February 11, 2013
| title = Workflow
| image = workflow.png
| titletext = There are probably children out there holding down spacebar to stay warm in the winter! YOUR UPDATE MURDERS CHILDREN.
}}

==Explanation==
Users will often try to work around bugs in software, and are sometimes able to get used to having the bugs around. Some bugs are even interpreted as features and users complain when the software authors fix them. This phenomenon has been named [https://www.hyrumslaw.com/ Hyrum's law]: the law states that whatever the official feature list actually says, if a program has enough users, eventually every feature (whether intentional, unintentional, or a bug) will be relied upon by someone. A similar effect may be caused by other changes, particularly those which involve alterations of the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1770 user interface].

This comic shows a somewhat extreme example. An unnamed application had a bug causing the CPU to overheat whenever the spacebar was held down too long. In version 10.17, this bug was fixed. Soon, LongtimeUser4 complained that they relied on the fact that the CPU overheats if the spacebar is held down. They had stumbled across this "feature" (which is, again, weirder than usual) and took advantage of it to streamline their workflow, and they wanted an option to re-enable it.

{{w|Emacs}} (name originally derived from ''E''ditor ''MAC''ro''S'') is a text editor originally written at MIT in 1976 and adopted into the GNU project in 1984. The control key sees extensive use in Emacs, and since it's hard to reach, users often remap it to Caps Lock or some other key. LongtimeUser4 fixed the problem very clumsily ("horrifying," as the admin puts it) and is annoyed that their {{w|kludge}} no longer works. The moral of the story is that you can't please everyone.

Examples of real life changes in software which, though often acclaimed by critics, caused great annoyance among the existing user base include ribbons introduced in Microsoft Office 2007 and the Start screens of both Windows 8 and Unity desktop manager bundled with Ubuntu from versions 11.10 through 17.04. In the latter case, developers included an option to use the older interface; for the rest, applications emulating old behavior were developed by third parties.

The title text makes a hyperbole to humorous effect; children will freeze to death during the winter because they won't be warmed by a rather unconventional heater. Making (or creating an illusion of) a connection between one's opinion and {{tvtropes|ThinkOfTheChildren|care for children's welfare}} is a common method of gaining public support, as such arguments are hard to deflect without sounding cruel and uncaring. "holding down spacebar to stay warm" could also be a reference to {{w|space heater}}s.

==Transcript==
:[Changelog for version 10.17 of a piece of software.]
:One change listed: "The CPU no longer overheats when you hold down the spacebar"
:Comments: LongtimeUser4 writes: This update broke my workflow! My control key is hard to reach, so I hold spacebar instead, and I configured Emacs to interpret a rapid temperature rise as "control".
:Admin writes: That's horrifying.
:LongtimeUser4 writes: Look, my setup works for me. Just add an option to reenable spacebar heating.

:Every change breaks someone's workflow.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Emacs]]

Talk:1093: Forget

2022-12-06T13:49:09Z

L-Space Traveler:

I remember Pluto but nothing before or after that.
Also this is a terrible comment system --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.16|172.68.54.16]] 16:04, 27 April 2017 (UTC)
: I know our IP friend is long gone, but for the record: this is not a comment system. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 16:00, 10 October 2021 (UTC)

How far off the top of that list is the death of JFK? [[User:SteveBell|SteveB]] ([[User talk:SteveBell|talk]]) 10:55, 10 August 2012‎ (UTC)
: Looking at the time table, my guess would be around 2000. ~[[User:Jjhuddle|JJ]] ([[User talk:Jjhuddle|talk]]) 11:01, 10 August 2012‎ (UTC)
: Assuming that the median age growed monotonically in the past, that was around '98/'99. [[Special:Contributions/178.15.226.170|178.15.226.170]] 13:05, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

Ah, the seventies. Bell Bottoms. The Bicentennial. The Munich Olympics. The original Star Wars movie. Except for Star Wars, I suppose much of that ''could'' be forgotten. Especially [[1072|Bell Bottoms]].-- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 13:50, 10 August 2012 (UTC)

Lorena Bobbitt is misspelled in the comic. It should have two "t's." Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500185_162-4207517.html [Goingtotryscience, 10 Aug 2012] --[[User:Goingtotryscience|Goingtotryscience]] ([[User talk:Goingtotryscience|talk]]) 14:59, 10 August 2012 (UTC)
Uploaded corrected version. Both still available if you click on the image and view upload history.--[[User:Bpothier|B. P.]] ([[User talk:Bpothier|talk]]) 15:46, 17 August 2012 (UTC)

The cold war was after World War II, not World War I. --[[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 16:18, 10 August 2012 (UTC)

: He didn't say the cold war was after World War I, he said the Soviet Union began after World War I and was the advesary of the United States during the cold war. --[[User:Enginesoul|Enginesoul]] ([[User talk:Enginesoul|talk]]) 18:10, 10 August 2012 (UTC)

Let's not forget 2035 when the majority of people will not remember a world berift of XKCD! [[User:Loeb|Loeb]] ([[User talk:Loeb|talk]]) 17:17, 10 August 2012 (UTC)

When Coca-Cola change the formula to New Coke, they kept the name "Coca-Cola" for the reformulated beverage, and discontinued the old formula. Because of the backlash, they reintroduced the old formula as "Coca-Cola Classic" and kept the new formula as "Coca-Cola". After a while, with "Coca-Cola Classic" being by far the biggest seller, the new formula was rebranded "Coke II", and eventually discontinued (I believe). The can I have in front of me is marked simply "Coca-Cola", so I guess "Coca-Cola Classic" was eventually rebranded back to the original name. --[[User:Blaisepascal|Blaise Pascal]] ([[User talk:Blaisepascal|talk]]) 17:55, 10 August 2012 (UTC)
:Coke II was produced and distributed in some Midwestern markets as late as 2002. Supposedly it's still available in the Marshall Islands, or somewhere like that. [[User:Daniel Case|Daniel Case]] ([[User talk:Daniel Case|talk]]) 21:22, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

Am I the only one who thinks that there are some other things needing explaining here? I have no idea what "Forgot About Dre" or "Baby Got Back" are about. (Well, not without a little googling.) And Pluto still exists, even if it's not currently classified as a planet (last I heard, they were considering classifying it and Charon as a twin planet system) so people are unlikely to forget about the name.--[[User:Joe Green|Joe Green]] ([[User talk:Joe Green|talk]]) 07:26, 11 August 2012 (UTC)
:Actually, Pluto is still a planet. To say Pluto is not a planet is the same thing as saying little people aren't people, which is incredibly bigoted against little people. Only a true sociopath would say that Pluto isn't a planet. "Dwarf planet" has planet right in the name. Of COURSE a dwarf planet is a planet.[[Special:Contributions/76.29.225.28|76.29.225.28]] 15:07, 18 June 2013 (UTC)
::By that logic, "candy corn" is still corn because it has the word corn right in the name. Call me a sociopath if you want to, but I say Pluto is not (and never was) a planet. There was a brief time in history when we mistakenly THOUGHT it was a planet, until we corrected our mistake. The same thing happened with Ceres. It was initially announced to be a planet, until further measurements showed it to be much smaller than we thought, so we reclassified it as an "asteroid". Nowadays, we correctly recognize that Ceres and Pluto belong in the same category as each other. Both of them are rocks floating in a band of other rocks, albeit unusually large examples of such rocks. This comic refers to the fact that we look back with nostalgia on the time when lists of "the planets" included Pluto. Now, the list does not include Pluto.[[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.121|199.27.133.121]] 15:42, 21 February 2015 (UTC)

::Highly recommend this book for the fascinating inside account of how Pluto became a not-planet. ("Planetoid" would be a much better descriptor, but Pluto's "demotion" was so upsetting, they used "dwarf planet" to soften the blow!): {{w|How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming}} [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 13:49, 6 December 2022 (UTC)

Oh and if Chernobyl is considered worthy of explanation, surely so is Challenger? Columbine too. Jeff's initial selection seems a little arbitrary, and while he justifiably never claims to provide a comprehensive explanation, we usually fill in the gaps.--[[User:Joe Green|Joe Green]] ([[User talk:Joe Green|talk]]) 07:34, 11 August 2012 (UTC)

:Gaps: Filled. By the way, none of the explanation was actually Jeff's. It's the collaboration of multiple users (feel free to pitch in). For example, I made the {{diff|6133|first revision}} of the article, with a basic explanation, [[Special:Contributions/Jjhuddle|Jjhuddle]] {{diff|6157|added}} information about the title text (which I skipped over, as I wasn't sure about it), [[Special:Contributions/Jilkscom56|Jilkscom56]] {{diff|6190|added}} the bit about Eyjafjallajökull, [[Special:Contributions/IronyChef|IronyChef]] {{diff|6199|added}} eight more years, [[Special:Contributions/MrFlibble|MrFlibble]] {{diff|6218|fixed}} an error in one of the dates, [[Special:Contributions/AHT|AHT]] {{diff|6253|expanded}} the Berlin Wall section, and I {{diff|6256|filled in the rest of the blanks}}. {{User:Omega/sig}} 08:18, 11 August 2012 (UTC)

The Berlin Wall was constructed by East Germany, not the USSR and it preceded the reunification of Germany. I've sort of fixed it, but it could do with more work. [[User:Jeremyp|Jeremyp]] ([[User talk:Jeremyp|talk]]) 10:35, 13 August 2012 (UTC)
: Good. I was just writing a comment about exactly these two points. Although the role of the soviets is not entirely clear, it was the Eastern German (aka German Democratic Republic) Government that decided and (mostly) Eastern German soldiers who built the Wall. And while the "Fall of the Wall" usually refers to the day where suddenly after a very confusing press conference, people could cross the border from east to west, the November 9, 1989, the reunification was a political and formal act in 1990, almost a year later. [[Special:Contributions/178.15.226.170|178.15.226.170]] 10:51, 13 August 2012 (UTC)
: Also, the wall was technically not torn down by anyone and especially not from both sides. After a series of weekly demonstrations in Eastern Germany (by a lot of courageous people in different cities), the Government made a decision to lift the travel restrictions, effectively allowing travelling to the West. On November 9, 1989, they made this official in a press conference which did not even receive a lot of attention at first. In this conference, someone raised the question when these new regulation would take effect, and seemingly unprepared, the speaker said "as far as I can see, it's effective immediately". Although there were so many people up that night in both East and West, and although maybe the mass of people prevented a shooting by the unprepared soldiers at the checkpoint, the revolution was not a spontaneous tearing of the wall, it was the demonstrations in the preceeding weeks by the Eastern German People. [[Special:Contributions/178.15.226.170|178.15.226.170]] 11:30, 13 August 2012 (UTC)

It seems whoever wrote the explanation for 9/11 has already forgotten the other two planes that crashed that day: one into the Pentagon, and one in a field outside of Shanksville, PA (Presumably on its way to crashing into the Capitol Building)
:Well go change it then!

Actually I found the most crucial part, the math, was done poorly: Why do we have a 32 years gap today and a 35 years gap in the future, when the current median age is "around 35"?. I fixed it, but I'm not a native speaker, so I'd be happy if someone could go over the first paragraph (again). [[User:BKA|BKA]] ([[User talk:BKA|talk]]) 13:40, 13 August 2012 (UTC)

"''He lost all popularity after he controversially boycotted the 1980 Olympics, in Moscow''" Well, this just proves the point of the comic. Anyone old enough to remember the Carter administration would not have written this. The Olympic boycott was actually supported by most of the American people at the time, albeit a little grudgingly. It was, in fact, one of the few things Carter did at that point that ''was'' popular.The explanation would be more accurate if it read "''He lost popularity due to continual high inflation during his administration, failure to resolve the {{w|Iran hostage crisis}}, a {{w|Malaise speech|speech that was interpreted as blaming the American people for his administration's failings}}, and a growing perception that he was in over his head.''" [[User:Daniel Case|Daniel Case]] ([[User talk:Daniel Case|talk]]) 21:19, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

:I've rewritten that section to include more information. Wikipedia does say that the Olympic boycott was controversial, and my memory concurs. The real error about the boycott was that it wasn't generally a cold-war issue, but rather a direct response to the Afghanistan invasion. Which is why it was so controversial, as such a boycott was purely political when the spirit of the games was intended to overcome such political differences. [[User:Blaisepascal|Blaisepascal]] ([[User talk:Blaisepascal|talk]]) 21:51, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

This comic makes me feel young. The first event I actually remember is 9/11, and I only remember it because it was my first day of kindergarten. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.7|108.162.219.7]] 04:21, 14 March 2014 (UTC)

I have extremely vague memories of 9/11 which happened when I was 4, mainly through a dream I had where I built two Lego towers and had them fall on me. I have a few memories of a time before facebook, but I do remember Katrina. I feel so young. Also like. Pokemon's TV show came out when I was born, and I unashamedly still watch it now and then. Literally can't get a show I've watched for a longer period of time than Pokemon haha xD so xkcd makes me feel old and young simultaneously. [[User:International Space Station|International Space Station]] ([[User talk:International Space Station|talk]]) 15:41, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

Seems like that Chernobyl thing isn't quite right after all. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.165|173.245.52.165]] 15:12, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

Talk:993: Brand Identity

2022-11-19T22:02:54Z

L-Space Traveler:

The Swedish company Konsum had a line of products called "Blåvitt"(blue and white) which had a minimalistic approch. [https://www.google.com/search?q=konsum+bl%C3%A5vitt&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj3noPk7JzpAhWQB3cKHXELAMYQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=konsum+bl%C3%A5vitt&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzICCAAyBggAEAgQHjoGCAAQBxAeOggIABAIEAcQHlCTIFjzKWD8LWgAcAB4AIABW4gB1QOSAQE3mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img&ei=72yxXrfrO5CP3APxloCwDA&bih=960&biw=1692 Some examples] [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.18|162.158.134.18]] 13:51, 5 May 2020 (UTC)

Notice that the sugar is inverted? Weird.
--Classhole 23:22, 24 January 2013 (UTC)
:Weird, the hot sauce is also inverted [[User:BlueRoll18|BlueRoll18]] ([[User talk:BlueRoll18|talk]]) 02:38, 7 February 2013 (UTC)
:::While the sugar and hot sauce are unusual in that you can easily read the packaging, I don't think they are supposed to be in the same product range. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 16:25, 8 December 2014 (UTC)
:Possibly a reference to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_sugar_syrup inverted sugar syrup]. [[User:Liyang|Liyang]] ([[User talk:Liyang|talk]]) 05:44, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

NONAME in Canada uses yellow boxes with black text but basically the same idea.
--Pundawg 18:56, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

I didn't get this joke because I grew up eating "Slim Price" food branded exactly this way. -lolo {{unsigned ip|99.120.200.86}}

There's a brand called "Ja!" from the Rewe group in Germany that uses this exact concept somewhat, but nowadays, the packages contain pictures and illustrations of all kinds, and aren't as white, simple and plain as they used to be in the past. See: http://www.rewe.de/besser-einkaufen/ja/produkte-und-infos.html
--Rolfhub 23:25, 14 September 2013

:Here is some old image of the designs: [https://web.archive.org/web/20040503194438im_/http://www.rewe-ja.de/nxMODULES/nxCONTENTER/content/1_425Bild1.jpg]. It's not as simple as in the comic, but it's certainly the same idea. -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.39|108.162.219.39]] 20:25, 24 April 2014 (UTC)

:Ah, dear old "Ja!"... it saved my life back when I was a broke student. Anyway, also the M-Budget line from Swiss Migros recently started adding pictures to its product, but before that it was all green packaging with black writing. Wonerful --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.31|108.162.229.31]] 13:36, 26 May 2014 (UTC)
::"Ja!" is a very successful brand sold in Germany (and more countries) offered by {{w|REWE}}. The products are presented in a white cover, just showing the word "Ja!" ("Yes!" in English) and much smaller the content of the product. Maybe this could also be mentioned at the trivia section. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:55, 26 May 2014 (UTC)

I think the lack of URL is just to troll the consumers. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.63.180|173.245.63.180]] 00:33, 13 November 2013 (UTC)

Actually several brands in the Netherlands did this before the comic was posted. They switched to a red/white two-colour scheme with the product in large letters in English. The problem was, that multiple brands did this, which made them look very similar. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.95|141.101.75.95]] 16:09, 8 December 2014 (UTC)
Hey, something seems wrong with the IP logging. The logged IP is not mine. -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.95|141.101.75.95]] 16:11, 8 December 2014 (UTC)
: About multiple brands looking the same. Contrary to "tragedy of the commons", "prisoners dilemma", or "what if everyone act like that" https://xkcd.com/958/ , this is not a problem. It would actually be approaching utopia. When people look for distinguishing features, they would have to, like, read the nutrition on the back, or look for comparison prices. I.e. relevant info, instead of "oh shiny". /David A [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.33|141.101.80.33]] 05:36, 24 August 2016 (UTC)

For a couple of decades this exact thing existed: http://www.google.com/search?q=black+on+white+generic+brand+products In fact I'm certain that that is the joke.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.156|108.162.215.156]] 07:38, 11 March 2015 (UTC)

I believe this may be a reference to the film Repo Man. {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.170}}

I don't know how common [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muji Muji] stores are in the US (where I imagine most readers reside), but this is basically what they've been doing since the 1980s. [[User:Liyang|Liyang]] ([[User talk:Liyang|talk]]) 05:33, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

Soylent 2.0 is doing this exact thing: https://soylent-production-herokuapp-com.global.ssl.fastly.net/static/images/drink_secondary_messaging_block1.3571d250b954.jpg Interestingly, that image is very similar to this comic.03:36, 7 February 2016 (UTC)

I was at walmart the other day and noticed a brand doing this, without even a brand name. [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 20:31, 23 March 2016 (UTC)

;/* Trivia */

Randall made a mistake as the ketchup is labeled "kerhup" {{unsigned ip|108.162.245.118}}
:No, if you zoom in it'sthe letters 'TC', which overlap slightly because of the cramped bottle. {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.133 }}

Why is the tea box green except for inside the A?[[User:Bbrk24|Bbrk24]] ([[User talk:Bbrk24|talk]]) 00:23, 4 May 2016 (UTC)
:It's actually yellow; you may wish to check to see if you are colorblind. There are many errors in filling in spaces that should be colored, though. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.244.79|108.162.244.79]] 01:33, 9 July 2016 (UTC)

This comics have spawned a thread on reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/nkytu/brand_identity/ . It appears there was a '''no-brand car''' i Japan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muji#History /David A [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.33|141.101.80.33]] 05:02, 24 August 2016 (UTC)

The generic milk is in a plain glass or plastic container on the shelves of the grocery section of this store, not in the refrigerated cooler. Milk stocked in this location will spoil rapidly. Only aseptically packaged milk can sit on a warm shelf for extended periods without spoiling. [[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]])

What product is [18]? If this contains, as I read, {{w|Cervical cap}}s it makes no sense to sell them in a bulk pack as a cervical cap is a reusable contraceptive device. Or does it refer to [https://www.amazon.com/Gynotex-Dry-Sponge-Tampons-Pack/dp/B00U1K7DH2/ref=lp_12588685011_1_1_a_it?srs=12588685011&ie=UTF8&qid=1487934169&sr=8-1 soft tampons] as menstrual management device? The latter would fit better to the picture, but not to the text... As I am from Germany, I am not familiar with the common products offered in a supermarket. Perhaps anyone can help? --[[User:LaVe|LaVe]] ([[User talk:LaVe|talk]]) 10:59, 24 February 2017 (UTC)
:I agree - that *really* looks like it says "cervical caps". Perhaps he meant menstrual cups? They are similar in appearance, but for capturing blood flow, not for contraception. Some of them are intended for wash & re-use, but others are disposable from month-to-month, justifying the multi-pack. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 22:02, 19 November 2022 (UTC)

Why would 6 and 7 be errors when many brands of crackers have multiple flavors with the packaging just changing to show the flavor difference. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.231|162.158.62.231]] 13:31, 24 August 2017 (UTC)

I would buy clearly labeled "shampoo", "conditioner" etc. The ones sold in the stores where I live list the brand, the product effect, some slogans, what it contains or smells like, some more slogans, bottle volume etc. And in a tiny font somewhere between the lines, the actual product type. :( [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.178|108.162.241.178]] 23:56, 24 October 2017 (UTC)

Apparently, the Pathmark supermarket chain used to employ exactly this strategy: https://www.retroist.com/2018/01/30/no-frills-products-pathmark/ [[Special:Contributions/172.69.54.69|172.69.54.69]] 20:41, 14 March 2018 (UTC)

Why are there so many unreadable ones? There could be Lays and stuff. Maybe Kleenex. But at least put more real brands. Or don't. [[User:StillNotOriginal|StillNot]][[User talk:StillNotOriginal|Original]] 21:01, 20 May 2018 (UTC)

[http://www.publicgoods.com Public Goods] seems to be the most recent high-profile company to adopt this kind of simplified black-on-white, one-choice-per-product labeling. Clearly this idea is as old as the hills. In fact, every single commodity product found on shelves in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux Lascaux Caves] is labeled just like this. [[User:Dvgrn|Dvgrn]] ([[User talk:Dvgrn|talk]]) 18:02, 30 August 2019 (UTC)

At the end of 00's, every major chain of convinience stores adopted the idea of "own brand", distinguishable as "outstandingly plain white box" (as seen in Moscow). It all started after Auchat got in Russia, offering "ridiculously" cheap stuff in white boxes with small illustrations and big black text on it. ''Merci beacoup, monseur Auchan''.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.244.55|172.68.244.55]] 12:20, 31 December 2021 (UTC)
* Speaking of Auchan, their "kazhdy den" ("every day" in English) line looks especially bland: [https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EA558itYNw8/maxresdefault.jpg]

Talk:959: Caroling

2022-11-17T02:34:30Z

L-Space Traveler:

9 months until I can start pulling this out on carolers again. Gaaaah, the waaait. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:33, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

I removed the section about Wenceslas being posthomously named king; the reference that is used to support this claim in the Wikipedia article does not, in fact, do so. The claim is not repeated anywhere else that I can see. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.223|108.162.219.223]] 21:16, 21 January 2014 (UTC)

I have removed the trivia section arguing that Wenceslas might not have been such a great guy after all. There is no proof offered, and the comment is really only speculation, and not actual trivia. If whoever added this section can offer some concrete evidence, then maybe it would be merited. [[User:Orazor|Orazor]] ([[User talk:Orazor|talk]]) 07:50, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

maybe randall knows [[User:Overlord of oddities|Overlord of oddities]] ([[User talk:Overlord of oddities|talk]]) 00:35, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

Caroling comics title - three references in it?

1) Christmas carols
2) deliberate miss-spelilng of the verb carolling (singing carols)
3) Reference to the Carolingian dynasty of East Frankish/HRE/... rulers (of Charlemagne fame), Duchy of Bohemia was their tributary for a while under Wenceslaus's father (and partly under him as well I think?). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.52|141.101.98.52]] 20:16, 17 October 2020 (UTC)
:Both spellings are acceptable; "caroling" is correct in American English. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 02:34, 17 November 2022 (UTC)

Talk:944: Hurricane Names

2022-11-15T12:18:05Z

L-Space Traveler:

Actually, "Abel and Steve" is a play on the phrase "Adam and Steve"[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Steve]

Also, a hurricane spins around destructively like an eggbeater. [[Special:Contributions/24.41.66.114|24.41.66.114]] 04:52, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Marik Ishtar's Millenium Rod can control men and women named "Steve" I wonder if it can control storms named "steve"?[[Special:Contributions/99.102.154.28|99.102.154.28]] 01:47, 6 August 2013 (UTC)

There's only a matter of time when this happens and a there's a "Hurricane Hurricane". [[User:Malamanteau314|Malamanteau314]] ([[User talk:Malamanteau314|talk]]) 04:39, 12 December 2015 (UTC)

Why not name them after the polar coordinates that they formed at? [[User:Wwei23|Wwei23]] ([[User talk:Wwei23|talk]]) 02:35, 17 December 2016 (UTC)

Interesting Fact: You cannot have hurricanes all over the surface of the earth, as there has to be two points with no wind. For a mathematical proff you can check the Hairy Ball theorem. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hairy_ball_theorem]
[[Special:Contributions/188.114.111.35|188.114.111.35]] 11:05, 28 July 2017 (UTC) Julio 13:00 28 Jul 2017

[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1532:_New_Horizons Dammit, Steve...] [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 21:10, 6 May 2018 (UTC)
:I think Steve may not be very good at [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/809:_Los_Alamos his job.] [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 12:18, 15 November 2022 (UTC)

"Your forecast for tomorrow is Steve. Good luck." sounds really ominous to me. Kind of along the lines of "May the odds be ever in your favour". [[Special:Contributions/172.69.234.132|172.69.234.132]] 01:38, 24 July 2019 (UTC) Cye

Talk:870: Advertising

2022-11-06T14:26:14Z

L-Space Traveler:

Am I confused, or is the the third graph wrong with the independent and dependent variables. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.95|172.68.132.95]] 21:06, 5 November 2017 (UTC)
But the Geico commercial doesn't say up to, it says 15% or more... ~Jfreund
:That may depend on your region. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.30|108.162.216.30]] 03:24, 30 November 2013 (UTC)
:Saying that something "could save you 15% or more" and saying it "could save you ''up to'' 15% or more" are the same thing. Both statements take into account the very real possibility that some percentage less than 15 could be saved.[[User:Orazor|Orazor]] ([[User talk:Orazor|talk]]) 13:37, 21 July 2014 (UTC)

Not to mention that Geico says "'''Could''' save you..." (In combination with "up to", the "could" should be "will".) [[User:Z|Z]] ([[User talk:Z|talk]]) 03:09, 18 June 2014 (UTC)

A justification for "The more you buy, the more you save" is that the more discounted products you buy, the more money you save as opposed to buying them at list price. For things we will buy anyway (e.g. food), it may be true. --[[User:Troy0|Troy0]] ([[User talk:Troy0|talk]]) 20:01, 6 July 2014 (UTC)
:Added to the article. --[[User:Troy0|Troy0]] ([[User talk:Troy0|talk]]) 04:10, 25 July 2014 (UTC)
::It doesn't work when the items can expire. [[User:Cflare|Cflare]] ([[User talk:Cflare|talk]]) 14:38, 14 August 2014 (UTC)
:::it does to a certain point- my family can eat a lot of food before it expires, especially if it's something we like. {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.163}}
:It's true if calculated in price-per-unit-bought. A 100-pack of something often costs less than 10 packs of 10 each. Still, without the "per item" qualifier, it's not really a true statement.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.55.16|172.70.55.16]] 16:18, 19 July 2022 (UTC)

Brilliant comic Randall. I wonder what your next one is about.

[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 00:20, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

Doesn't the title text imply that Randall realised nothing is truly free and concluded that Santa wanted something from him, prompting his parents to reveal the big secret? (I conclude this based on Randall claiming that these two events are related) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.49|141.101.104.49]] 21:16, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

Given that "up to x or more" must necessarily be true, how can it be "construed as false advertising?" Meaningless advertising, yes; false, no.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.174|173.245.50.174]] 04:22, 4 September 2015 (UTC)

I just spent 2% of my life looking for the fine print to that FREE* drink
(* given during time of kidney-harvesting scam test. Limit one per customer. No purchase necessary to win. Please see rules to apply.)[[User:Beastachu|Beastachu]] ([[User talk:Beastachu|talk]]) 10:33, 13 September 2015 (UTC)

Shouldn't the expression in panel 2 be (x+1)/n, not x/(n+1)? If we define Y as how much each person pays, then the company would earn $YN. YN > X ---> YN = X + 1 ---> Y = (X + 1)/N.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.144|162.158.255.144]] 03:26, 18 October 2015 (UTC)
:Randall defines N as the number of people ''other than you'' who read the flier. Therefore the total number of people who got the flier is N+1. The advertiser spent $X to produce the flier and assuming that it wants to make a profit on the advertisement, it needs to make at least X/(N+1) on average for each person that gets the flier. Given this your equation should be $Y(N+1) > X not $YN > X because the total number of people is N+1. Obviously Y(N+1) > X ---> Y > X/(N+1), which is exactly what we already found out. I'm not really clear on how you get the transformation YN > X ---> YN = X + 1.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.60.11|162.158.60.11]] 15:19, 11 November 2015 (UTC)
::I just came across this comic and noticed, that the 2nd one is not necessarily true, as the add can also have influence on other people who not read it (e.g. me telling my brother to come with me to the great place offering free oranges), and also they do not care if it is money moving in from me or other places. If they e.g. just harvest my data, the money flows from a company buying my data to them.--[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 15:26, 12 December 2019 (UTC)

I've always been "mathematically annoyed" by 'X% off' signs (like "40% off"). OFF from what? From the price they asked for beforehand? But they couldn't sell this particular unit for that price; maybe they didn't even sell any unit at that price (and, even if they did, they clearly got more units to sell than available buyers at that price). So, the X% off is from a meaningless seller-wishful-thinking number, not anything resembling a fair market value (where willing sellers and willing buyers meet). [[User:Danshoham|Mountain Hikes]] ([[User talk:Danshoham|talk]]) 03:32, 6 January 2016 (UTC)
:You forget, that the fair market value is usually found in a process, in which the buyer goes in with a low price and the seller with a high price, until they find the "fair" price, somewhere in between. Part of this process can be to advertise, as a seller, that you are now willing to try finding the sweet spot x% below what was originally asked. So this is very much in line with the usual concept of supply and demand. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 08:23, 22 October 2019 (UTC)
:At least one local art supplier offers 40% off list price for custom frames. All the time. (Except when they run a 60% off sale.) It's % off of list price, not necessarily what it would actually be sold for. Unfortunately the same is true of some medical billing in the US - most basic blood tests are "billed" for $200+, but the insurance discount brings it down to <$20, before the insurance company pays anything.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.55.16|172.70.55.16]] 16:18, 19 July 2022 (UTC)
:You could also have a "[https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/lossleader.asp loss leader]" kind of situation, where the reduced price does represent a loss to the seller, as an attempt to attract customers who may also purchase other, more profitable items. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 14:26, 6 November 2022 (UTC)

The one that annoys me is "save x% off Y!" You would SAVE x% ON something, or GET x% OFF something - not SAVE x% OFF! [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 14:26, 6 November 2022 (UTC)

Talk:825: Guest Week: Jeffrey Rowland (Overcompensating)

2022-11-05T12:23:09Z

L-Space Traveler:

The Turkey Voluntary Extinction Movement has to be a riff on the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (www.vhemt.org [I'm not sure what the "t" is doing there] ). Alas, their primary purpose seems to be selling TShirts (their site concludes with the FAQ Question: How do I order stickers, T-shirts, and stuff?)[[User:Traveller|Traveller]] ([[User talk:Traveller|talk]]) 23:06, 23 October 2013 (UTC)
: The "t" is probably there so the acronym can be pronounced [http://www.vhemt.org/aboutvhemt.htm#vhemt "vehement"]. And the lack of organization is probably because it ''is'' no organization but a movement, i.e. just some people advertising an ideology. Their primary purpose is to convince you not to have kids. [[User:Mumiemonstret|Mumiemonstret]] ([[User talk:Mumiemonstret|talk]]) 14:11, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

The Globe shrinks noticeably between the first and last panels. --[[User:ParadoX|ParadoX]] ([[User talk:ParadoX|talk]]) 01:00, 4 April 2014 (UTC)

I believe that was intentional. {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.51}}

Removed the bit about supposed turkey stupidity. There's no evidence (aside from "everybody knows/says" type arguments) to support it, and plenty to discredit the assertion. See, for example: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/release/2003/11/osu-animal-scientist-debunks-dumb-turkey-myth [[User:Orazor|Orazor]] ([[User talk:Orazor|talk]]) 10:33, 17 July 2014 (UTC)

Perhaps the dark matter/consciousness correlation is a reference to Dust in Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials"?

I don't know anything specifically about Jeffrey Rowland's necrosis, but as a general point, I'm going to stand up for the brown recluses here: https://spiders.ucr.edu/myth-brown-recluse-fact-fear-and-loathing [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 12:23, 5 November 2022 (UTC)

Talk:820: Five-Minute Comics: Part 2

2022-11-05T12:09:04Z

L-Space Traveler:

I don't know. I think the buckets in the Bailout comic are full of money. That's what ''I'' saw anyway. I think it's a political reference to throwing money at problems, which is also colloquially referred to as a "Bailout."[[Special:Contributions/76.29.225.28|76.29.225.28]] 15:26, 27 July 2013 (UTC)
:Not everything is a political jab. Also money wouldn't be represented (even in this stylised case) as circular globs of randoms sizes. So yeah, it's probably water or some other fluid.[[User:Pennpenn|Pennpenn]] ([[User talk:Pennpenn|talk]]) 04:53, 30 January 2014 (UTC)
The whole "Dirty Robes" could also be a play on a masturbation joke as semen and other fluids will become visible under a blacklight. {{unsigned|Para}}
:I think that is almost certainly the intended meaning. The phrase 'really dirty' would have a double meaning (unclean and/or rude), and the pause is the character either:
:* Realising mid-sentence what the 'dirt' is
:* Trying to decide whether to mention the 'dirt'
:* Trying to find the politest way of pointing it out.
:Anyone disagree? --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 16:03, 18 November 2014 (UTC)

Episcopalians don't generally go for curses and hexes either.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.16|108.162.221.16]] 02:34, 3 September 2015 (UTC)

Also, it should be noted that the commander's characterization of Wicca as an "ancient" religion is in error as Wicca dates back only 100 years to the 1920's

Wicca precedes Xtianity, so no. [[User:The Cat Lady|-- The Cat Lady]] ([[User talk:The Cat Lady|talk]]) 15:19, 20 August 2021 (UTC)
:Witchcraft traditions pre-date Christianity, but Wicca does not: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wicca [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 12:09, 5 November 2022 (UTC)

Talk:830: Genetic Analysis

2022-11-04T20:47:02Z

L-Space Traveler:

I guess it's what they say. Sex is genetic. If your parents never had it, you probably won't either. :) [[User:TheMightyGunns|TheMightyGunns]] ([[User talk:TheMightyGunns|talk]]) 23:37, 21 May 2014 (UTC)

The title text may imply that his mother was pregnant in college, rather than being attractive. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.26|162.158.155.26]] 15:03, 19 February 2018 (UTC)
:Makes sense. Added. [[User:Beanie|Beanie]] ([[User talk:Beanie|talk]]) 13:55, 26 April 2021 (UTC)
::Or potentially referencing suggestive comments left in her yearbook (perhaps she was "popular"). [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 20:47, 4 November 2022 (UTC)

Talk:743: Infrastructures

2022-10-29T11:55:08Z

L-Space Traveler:

The link inside "arrogance that crowds out perspective" is merely an example of a situation in which someone with the same ideology that Cueball has can declare that proponents of free software have arrogance instead of perspective. [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 14:23, 12 February 2013 (UTC)

How do we know that professor is going to do anything with the document other than read it? I remember electronic submission back in the Word 6 era (and probably earlier) as a direct replacement to handing over pieces of paper. Doesn't affect the joke, but is rather an unsubstantiated and unnecessary part of the explanation. [[Special:Contributions/178.98.192.132|178.98.192.132]] 00:02, 5 May 2013 (UTC)

This could use some serious style editing. I have a bad habit of using parentheses, and find that forcing myself not to use them can actually improve my writing (kowabunga! - oh shit). Whoever put in the large parenthetical expressions here may need to learn that as well. Or learn LISP, where they'll realize that parentheses are not always your friends. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 02:13, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

This seems a bit painted to me, sure its a comic in favor of open source but the explanation doesn't have to sound like it was written by a snob. --[[User:Lackadaisical|Lackadaisical]] ([[User talk:Lackadaisical|talk]]) 23:22, 5 November 2013 (UTC)

;Diaspora seed: a personal web server that stores all of your information and shares it with your friends

"Seed" is not used in the torrent sense (of a running client, seeding a file to other clients), but as a "personal web server that stores all of your information and shares it with your friends" via the http protocol. See [https://wiki.diasporafoundation.org/Federation_protocol_overview] and [http://p2pfoundation.net/Diaspora].
Here is the text I replaced:

:The "seed" to which the fellow mentioned is a reference to the {{w|BitTorrent}} protocol, an infrastructure that allows users to share files for others to download directly from them (rather than from a server). Essentially, the user packs a description of the files in a torrent file, then "seeds" the torrent file using a program made for torrenting (for example, {{w|μTorrent}}). People who want to download the files would first download the corresponding torrent file, and open it in a torrenting program to "leech" (download) the original files. After the files referred by the torrent file are downloaded, the "leechers" can "seed" them too, so that more people can download the files from them in turn. Since the user is in control of the upload and download, torrenting is an option of choice for those in support of free software.

[[User:Nealmcb|Nealmcb]] ([[User talk:Nealmcb|talk]]) 16:46, 5 July 2014 (UTC)

Since when does most of the open source word processors not save in .DOC as well, just because it is saved in that format does not mean it had to be made with MS Word. Most of the time unless I am sending a .PDF I save a copy of what I am working on in .DOC just to be sure the receiver can open it as most programs can. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.166|108.162.216.166]] 13:44, 4 August 2017 (UTC)

Still relevant lol --[[User:DPS2004|DPS2004'); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:DPS2004|talk]]) 18:20, 18 June 2018 (UTC)

No autist in over 5 years has pointed out that the bearded guy is Richard Stallman, for shame. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.94.88|172.68.94.88]] 20:39, 4 December 2018 (UTC)

Why is playing "the world's tiniest open-source violin" described as "dubious"? Cueball has, in spite of warnings, engaged in and encouraged the spread of the use of an infrastructure which will have the inevitable effect of handing control of all his data to psychopathic corporations. The Bearded One surely has a right to have no pity, and in effect say "Told you so". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.38.94|162.158.38.94]] 09:18, 25 January 2019 (UTC)

'Let me press F on the world's smallest keyboard.' [[User:Beanie|Beanie]] ([[User talk:Beanie|talk]]) 14:29, 22 April 2021 (UTC)

Removed statement that the bearded man is actually holding a physical tiny violin: I see no basis for this interpretation, and the [https://xkcd.com/743/info.0.json official xkcd transcript] refutes it: it states that "the bearded fellow rubs his index and middle fingers against his thumb" - which is the typical gesture to accompany this quip. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 11:12, 28 October 2022 (UTC)
:Did not see this when I decided to unremove it. But I also don't believe this no-violin version. (Actually "playing the smallest violin" is done with two hands under the chin, IME, the 'official' version sounds more a "show me the money" gesture than anything violin-related.) Fingers are exceedingly rare in xkcd figures, but the pen-strokes would excellently fit an upraised palm with a small object (violin) sat upon it, at this resolution (pity there's no _2x version?). Given that, I say we should at least acknowledge the possible presence. Perhaps note how the official version (seemingly) indicates otherwise, but not clearing it out altogether. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.10|172.70.86.10]] 11:54, 28 October 2022 (UTC)
::I've never seen the under-the-chin version you mention in-person - maybe there are regional variations? In any case, I still don't see it, but I won't argue. I guess if they were all obvious, we wouldn't need the "explain". :) [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 12:07, 28 October 2022 (UTC)
:::Just from my own experience: Imagine you're miming playing a violin, one hand supporting the neck, the other bowing a bow, the whole thing being tucked into ''your'' neck. Now imagine the violin has vastly shrunk and pull your necking/bowing hands proportionately closer in accordingly (and, optionally, shortening the bowing into smaller, quicker movements, but you can try to use a full-sized bow - it's just ''really close'' to you now). I know of no other way to reliably indicate a violin (and, by the latter, a really tiny one), and none with just one hand. The above fingers/thumbs description presumably means bowing the fingers across the 'violin' thumb, which would at ''least'' look more like playing a cello. Of course there are regional variations to most things, but I would have thought I'd have seen this on American media.
:::It indeed reads more like the 'universal' gesture demanding cash, insofar as I can try to replicate the gesture, with either hand, but I don't know what the remaining two fingers are supposed to be doing, or how to stop the thumb wriggling notably). [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.5|172.70.162.5]] 14:26, 28 October 2022 (UTC)
::::A understand this analysis, but I've reliably seen this gesture portrayed in real-life the same way that the original transcript describes. I always interpreted it to mean that because it is such a tiny violin, it requires only two fingers - or, there is no room for more fingers - to play it. Thinking about it, I think I've always seen the "money" gesture done with all the finger tips, and facing straight up, where I've always seen "violin" with just the thumb and first finger, and always facing sideways. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 11:55, 29 October 2022 (UTC)

== Thingiverse entry ==

this comic says it was uploaded may 21, 2010, but the thingiverse open source violin was uploaded may 20! how???[[Special:Contributions/172.70.135.122|172.70.135.122]] 00:18, 26 October 2022 (UTC)Bumpf

743: Infrastructures

2022-10-28T12:14:26Z

L-Space Traveler: /Edited to add that diaspora is now available!/

{{comic
| number = 743
| date = May 21, 2010
| title = Infrastructures
| image = infrastructures.png
| titletext = The heartfelt tune it plays is CC licensed, and you can get it from my seed on JoinDiaspora.net whenever that project gets going.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] has sent an essay to his bearded friend (possibly a caricature of {{w|Richard Stallman}}) who is an advocate of free and open-source software. While the essay itself was good, his friend was worried because the essay was in the {{w|Doc (computing)|.doc}} format, the {{w|Proprietary Software|proprietary format}} that old versions of {{w|Microsoft Word}} used. The friend advises Cueball to use a format based on an open standard, possibly a format like ODF, ODT, ODS, ODP, or OpenOffice XML.

Cueball, who does not appreciate his friend criticizing the file format over the actual contents of the file, accuses his friend of pedantically stirring up trouble instead of simply caring that the software works (which is what most regular users would be concerned about). Given that it can be a challenge to move from a familiar proprietary application to an open-source rival which may lack compatibility, features, support and popularity, Cueball's stance is not entirely unjustified.

The bearded guy tries to explain that he is just concerned about the current proprietary software infrastructure that forces users to use software in a specific way, penalizing them for sharing the software or even preventing looking at the source code in order to learn what the program actually does or how it works. Cueball, however, isn't buying it, and accuses his friend of having [http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html an arrogance that crowds out his perspective], while also claiming that he is {{w|Autism|autistic}} — an ableist epithet often aimed, particularly by denizens of online forums and imageboards, at people who have an intense fixation on seemingly trivial things.

Seven years later, Cueball runs to the friend, having become alarmed at Facebook's immense control and dubious policies about the personal information it collects. Since this is exactly the kind of situation the bearded guy was warning against, he sarcastically retorts by producing "the world's tiniest open-source violin". This is a twist on "{{tvtropes|WorldsSmallestViolin|playing the world's smallest violin}}", a gesture used to convey sarcastic pity at someone else's misfortune. Interestingly, the guy does actually appear to possess the physical instrument itself, which is uncommon; usually it's just a quip or gesture. This implies that the bearded guy has been carrying around the violin for this eventuality (not unlike what [[Black Hat]] does in [[757: Toot]]), or perhaps he uses this sarcastic expression often enough to warrant it.

The title text references the following pieces of infrastructure that are compatible with the "free software" ideology:
* [http://www.creativecommons.org Creative Commons licenses] (CC licensed) use existing copyright law to permit someone to share a creative work anywhere so long as the sharer attributes credit to the creator of the work. The particular CC license chosen may also allow for modification, derivative works, and/or commercial usage. The fellow's phrase "you can get it" in the title text is ambiguous: is he offering to share the code for the violin, or the tune that the violin plays? But since CC licenses are not used for software, we can assume "it" refers to the tune: either an audio recording of it, or perhaps source material from which to make modified versions.
* [https://diasporafoundation.org diasporafoundation.org] (formerly joindiaspora.net, and then joindiaspora.com) is the central host of {{w|Diaspora (social network)| Diaspora*}}, an open-source alternative to Facebook which puts the user in control of how their information is used. Of course this sort of use of Diaspora would eliminate Cueball's concern over how Facebook handled his information. Few months after this comic released, a consumer alpha version of Diaspora* was released. An officially launched version is still not available as of 2020, so "whenever that project gets going" seems to be a pretty real view regarding the platform
**It's available now (2022)!
* a Diaspora "seed" is a personal web server that interacts in a Diaspora "pod" of servers. It stores all of your information (such as the tune in this case) and shares it with your friends, in a way that respects your preferences around privacy, etc.

The problem with the lack of open source and Facebook is also the subject of [[1390: Research Ethics]].

==Transcript==
:2003:
:[Cueball approaches a bearded fellow.]
:Cueball: Did you get my essay?
:Bearded Fellow: Yeah, it was good! But it was a .doc; You should really use a more open-
:Cueball: Give it a ''rest'' already. Maybe we just want to live our lives and use software that ''works'', not get wrapped up in your stupid nerd turf wars.

:Bearded Fellow: I just want people to care about the infrastructures we're building and who-
:Cueball: No, you just want to feel smugly superior. You have no sense of perspective and are probably autistic.

:2010:
:Cueball: Oh my God! We handed control of our social world to Facebook and they're ''DOING EVIL STUFF!''

:Bearded Fellow: Do you see this?

:[Inset, the bearded fellow rubs his index and middle fingers against his thumb.]
:Bearded Fellow: ''It's the world's tiniest open-source violin.''

==Trivia==
* In response to this comic, a [http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3193 3D model for a tiny violin] was released as open source files.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Richard Stallman]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Social networking]]

Talk:743: Infrastructures

2022-10-28T12:07:43Z

L-Space Traveler:

The link inside "arrogance that crowds out perspective" is merely an example of a situation in which someone with the same ideology that Cueball has can declare that proponents of free software have arrogance instead of perspective. [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 14:23, 12 February 2013 (UTC)

How do we know that professor is going to do anything with the document other than read it? I remember electronic submission back in the Word 6 era (and probably earlier) as a direct replacement to handing over pieces of paper. Doesn't affect the joke, but is rather an unsubstantiated and unnecessary part of the explanation. [[Special:Contributions/178.98.192.132|178.98.192.132]] 00:02, 5 May 2013 (UTC)

This could use some serious style editing. I have a bad habit of using parentheses, and find that forcing myself not to use them can actually improve my writing (kowabunga! - oh shit). Whoever put in the large parenthetical expressions here may need to learn that as well. Or learn LISP, where they'll realize that parentheses are not always your friends. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 02:13, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

This seems a bit painted to me, sure its a comic in favor of open source but the explanation doesn't have to sound like it was written by a snob. --[[User:Lackadaisical|Lackadaisical]] ([[User talk:Lackadaisical|talk]]) 23:22, 5 November 2013 (UTC)

;Diaspora seed: a personal web server that stores all of your information and shares it with your friends

"Seed" is not used in the torrent sense (of a running client, seeding a file to other clients), but as a "personal web server that stores all of your information and shares it with your friends" via the http protocol. See [https://wiki.diasporafoundation.org/Federation_protocol_overview] and [http://p2pfoundation.net/Diaspora].
Here is the text I replaced:

:The "seed" to which the fellow mentioned is a reference to the {{w|BitTorrent}} protocol, an infrastructure that allows users to share files for others to download directly from them (rather than from a server). Essentially, the user packs a description of the files in a torrent file, then "seeds" the torrent file using a program made for torrenting (for example, {{w|μTorrent}}). People who want to download the files would first download the corresponding torrent file, and open it in a torrenting program to "leech" (download) the original files. After the files referred by the torrent file are downloaded, the "leechers" can "seed" them too, so that more people can download the files from them in turn. Since the user is in control of the upload and download, torrenting is an option of choice for those in support of free software.

[[User:Nealmcb|Nealmcb]] ([[User talk:Nealmcb|talk]]) 16:46, 5 July 2014 (UTC)

Since when does most of the open source word processors not save in .DOC as well, just because it is saved in that format does not mean it had to be made with MS Word. Most of the time unless I am sending a .PDF I save a copy of what I am working on in .DOC just to be sure the receiver can open it as most programs can. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.166|108.162.216.166]] 13:44, 4 August 2017 (UTC)

Still relevant lol --[[User:DPS2004|DPS2004'); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:DPS2004|talk]]) 18:20, 18 June 2018 (UTC)

No autist in over 5 years has pointed out that the bearded guy is Richard Stallman, for shame. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.94.88|172.68.94.88]] 20:39, 4 December 2018 (UTC)

Why is playing "the world's tiniest open-source violin" described as "dubious"? Cueball has, in spite of warnings, engaged in and encouraged the spread of the use of an infrastructure which will have the inevitable effect of handing control of all his data to psychopathic corporations. The Bearded One surely has a right to have no pity, and in effect say "Told you so". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.38.94|162.158.38.94]] 09:18, 25 January 2019 (UTC)

'Let me press F on the world's smallest keyboard.' [[User:Beanie|Beanie]] ([[User talk:Beanie|talk]]) 14:29, 22 April 2021 (UTC)

Removed statement that the bearded man is actually holding a physical tiny violin: I see no basis for this interpretation, and the [https://xkcd.com/743/info.0.json official xkcd transcript] refutes it: it states that "the bearded fellow rubs his index and middle fingers against his thumb" - which is the typical gesture to accompany this quip. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 11:12, 28 October 2022 (UTC)
:Did not see this when I decided to unremove it. But I also don't believe this no-violin version. (Actually "playing the smallest violin" is done with two hands under the chin, IME, the 'official' version sounds more a "show me the money" gesture than anything violin-related.) Fingers are exceedingly rare in xkcd figures, but the pen-strokes would excellently fit an upraised palm with a small object (violin) sat upon it, at this resolution (pity there's no _2x version?). Given that, I say we should at least acknowledge the possible presence. Perhaps note how the official version (seemingly) indicates otherwise, but not clearing it out altogether. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.10|172.70.86.10]] 11:54, 28 October 2022 (UTC)
::I've never seen the under-the-chin version you mention in-person - maybe there are regional variations? In any case, I still don't see it, but I won't argue. I guess if they were all obvious, we wouldn't need the "explain". :) [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 12:07, 28 October 2022 (UTC)

== Thingiverse entry ==

this comic says it was uploaded may 21, 2010, but the thingiverse open source violin was uploaded may 20! how???[[Special:Contributions/172.70.135.122|172.70.135.122]] 00:18, 26 October 2022 (UTC)Bumpf

Talk:743: Infrastructures

2022-10-28T11:12:19Z

L-Space Traveler:

743: Infrastructures

2022-10-28T11:12:17Z

L-Space Traveler: / Removed statement that the bearded man is actually holding a physical tiny violin /

{{comic
| number = 743
| date = May 21, 2010
| title = Infrastructures
| image = infrastructures.png
| titletext = The heartfelt tune it plays is CC licensed, and you can get it from my seed on JoinDiaspora.net whenever that project gets going.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] has sent an essay to his bearded friend (possibly a caricature of {{w|Richard Stallman}}) who is an advocate of free and open-source software. While the essay itself was good, his friend was worried because the essay was in the {{w|Doc (computing)|.doc}} format, the {{w|Proprietary Software|proprietary format}} that old versions of {{w|Microsoft Word}} used. The friend advises Cueball to use a format based on an open standard, possibly a format like ODF, ODT, ODS, ODP, or OpenOffice XML.

Cueball, who does not appreciate his friend criticizing the file format over the actual contents of the file, accuses his friend of pedantically stirring up trouble instead of simply caring that the software works (which is what most regular users would be concerned about). Given that it can be a challenge to move from a familiar proprietary application to an open-source rival which may lack compatibility, features, support and popularity, Cueball's stance is not entirely unjustified.

The bearded guy tries to explain that he is just concerned about the current proprietary software infrastructure that forces users to use software in a specific way, penalizing them for sharing the software or even preventing looking at the source code in order to learn what the program actually does or how it works. Cueball, however, isn't buying it, and accuses his friend of having [http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html an arrogance that crowds out his perspective], while also claiming that he is {{w|Autism|autistic}} — an ableist epithet often aimed, particularly by denizens of online forums and imageboards, at people who have an intense fixation on seemingly trivial things.

Seven years later, Cueball runs to the friend, having become alarmed at Facebook's immense control and dubious policies about the personal information it collects. Since this is exactly the kind of situation the bearded guy was warning against, he sarcastically retorts by producing "the world's tiniest open-source violin". This is a twist on "{{tvtropes|WorldsSmallestViolin|playing the world's smallest violin}}", a gesture used to convey sarcastic pity at someone else's misfortune.

The title text references the following pieces of infrastructure that are compatible with the "free software" ideology:
* [http://www.creativecommons.org Creative Commons licenses] (CC licensed) use existing copyright law to permit someone to share a creative work anywhere so long as the sharer attributes credit to the creator of the work. The particular CC license chosen may also allow for modification, derivative works, and/or commercial usage. The fellow's phrase "you can get it" in the title text is ambiguous: is he offering to share the code for the violin, or the tune that the violin plays? But since CC licenses are not used for software, we can assume "it" refers to the tune: either an audio recording of it, or perhaps source material from which to make modified versions.
* [https://diasporafoundation.org diasporafoundation.org] (formerly joindiaspora.net, and then joindiaspora.com) is the central host of {{w|Diaspora (social network)| Diaspora*}}, an open-source alternative to Facebook which puts the user in control of how their information is used. Of course this sort of use of Diaspora would eliminate Cueball's concern over how Facebook handled his information. Few months after this comic released, a consumer alpha version of Diaspora* was released. An officially launched version is still not available as of 2020, so "whenever that project gets going" seems to be a pretty real view regarding the platform
* a Diaspora "seed" is a personal web server that interacts in a Diaspora "pod" of servers. It stores all of your information (such as the tune in this case) and shares it with your friends, in a way that respects your preferences around privacy, etc.

The problem with the lack of open source and Facebook is also the subject of [[1390: Research Ethics]].

==Transcript==
:2003:
:[Cueball approaches a bearded fellow.]
:Cueball: Did you get my essay?
:Bearded Fellow: Yeah, it was good! But it was a .doc; You should really use a more open-
:Cueball: Give it a ''rest'' already. Maybe we just want to live our lives and use software that ''works'', not get wrapped up in your stupid nerd turf wars.

:Bearded Fellow: I just want people to care about the infrastructures we're building and who-
:Cueball: No, you just want to feel smugly superior. You have no sense of perspective and are probably autistic.

:2010:
:Cueball: Oh my God! We handed control of our social world to Facebook and they're ''DOING EVIL STUFF!''

:Bearded Fellow: Do you see this?

:[Inset, the bearded fellow rubs his index and middle fingers against his thumb.]
:Bearded Fellow: ''It's the world's tiniest open-source violin.''

==Trivia==
* In response to this comic, a [http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3193 3D model for a tiny violin] was released as open source files.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Richard Stallman]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Social networking]]

Talk:731: Desert Island

2022-10-26T21:00:13Z

L-Space Traveler:

There's a shark, a manta ray, giant jellyfish, and a giant squid in the water. It's totally safe. And what the heck are those worms at the ocean bed? '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:27, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

:Those worms are ''extremophiles'' feeding off of the nutrients emitted by the volcanic column... and from what I understand, they're completely harmless. Their entire ecology centers around the extreme heat and alternative chemical sources of energy provided by the center of the earth (vs sun-based photosynthetic life.) Oh, and I think Randall left off the "not to scale" attribute of the map, otherwise the ocean floor would only be a few hundred feet deep... -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 15:50, 18 February 2013 (UTC)
::I don't think they are, 'cause they don't look quite right, but I *really* want them to be [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/22/discovered-in-the-deep-the-worm-that-eats-bones-osedax bone-eating snot flower worms].[[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 21:00, 26 October 2022 (UTC)

The title text seems to be alluding to a song. No idea what it could be. --[[User:Qwach|Qwach]] ([[User talk:Qwach|talk]]) 18:27, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

In my mind, I hear the alt-text as lyrics to the Can-Can song, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0WRJES4cyw "Infernal Gallop"]. See if you agree! {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.12}}

I'm pretty sure it's meant to go with the Major-General's song from the Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. The meter and rhyme works out, and Randall based comic 1052 (Every Major's Terrible) on it, showing that he knows and likes the song. {{unsigned ip |141.101.88.208}}

Also the title text is a poem since no one mentions it: 
''Telescopes and bathyscapes 
''and sonar probes of Scottish lakes, 
''Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse 
''explained with abstract phase-space maps, 
''some x-ray slides, a music score, 
''Minard's Napoleonic war: 
''the most exciting new frontier 
''is charting what's already here. 
--[[User:7buergen|7buergen]] ([[User talk:7buergen|talk]]) 09:32, 13 February 2014 (UTC)

I think the point of the commentary is "there's more than meets the eye". [[Special:Contributions/141.101.81.216|141.101.81.216]] 13:47, 21 February 2014 (UTC)

It's to the tune of "We Didn't Start the Fire"... {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.116}}
:I agree. It lines up perfectly, arguably better than Major General. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.57|108.162.221.57]] 05:34, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

If "We Didn't Start the Fire" had been the original intended tune, then the "some" and "a" in line 5 should not be there; they are superfluous and do not fit the rhythm of "We Didn't Start the Fire". The most plausible conclusion is that those words were added or retained to make the text fit the meter of a different song. To my ear, "Infernal Gallop", as noted above, seems quite plausible, although it doesn't exactly account for "some". Being (to my shame) unfamiliar with Gilbert and Sullivan, I can't comment on the Modern Major-General theory. --[[User:5parrowhawk|5parrowhawk]] ([[User talk:5parrowhawk|talk]]) 10:18, 8 March 2016 (UTC)
Feels like it has something to do with those I Spy books idk {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.116}}

The white/blue colored things on the left could be scrap metal from the game subnautica[[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.184|162.158.134.184]] 06:19, 16 July 2019 (UTC)
: ...which was released mere 8 years after this comic... --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:09, 16 July 2019 (UTC)

The title text can be sung to the tune of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire". I found this out because someone pointed it out [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/remarks.php?trope=Main.WeDidntStartTheBillyJoelParodies#comment-80250 here]

When I read the title text I immediately heard the Gilbert & Sullivan music from Pirates of Penzance in my head. I'm voting for that rather than Billy Joel. [[User:The Cat Lady|-- The Cat Lady]] ([[User talk:The Cat Lady|talk]]) 14:38, 19 August 2021 (UTC)

The poem is in iambic tetrameter, a quite-common meter in English poetry and music. Examples include Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud", Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love", Byron's "She Walks in Beauty", and Tolkien's "Song of Eärendil". "We Didn't Start the Fire" doesn't fit (its feet are trochees, not iambs - long-short vs. short-long - and every fourth line leaves the last trochee blank); "Infernal Gallop" and "Modern Major-General" come ''very'' close to fitting, but there are subtle differences in each (for example, "Modern Major-General"'s first line starts with a full iamb (coincidentally, "I am") while Randall's skips the initial short beat of the first iamb). Of these, I think "Major-General" is the most likely match; Randall's poem has the same meter and flow, and matches G&S's rhyme scheme (where "Infernal Gallop" doesn't have lyrics ''to'' rhyme!). [[User:Noëlle|Noëlle]] ([[User talk:Noëlle|talk]]) 19:01, 13 November 2021 (UTC)

I'm adding my vote for "Major-General". [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 21:00, 26 October 2022 (UTC)

o, no, it is definitely "We Didn't Start the Fire". Songs often slur less important words and the last verse of "We Didn't Start the Fire" fits perfectly.

720: Recipes

2022-10-25T14:20:53Z

L-Space Traveler: /* changed "cheese-covered" to "cheese-flavored" for Doritos */

{{comic
| number = 720
| date = March 29, 2010
| title = Recipes
| image = recipes.png
| titletext = To be fair, the braised and confused newt on a bed of crushed Doritos turned out to be delicious.
}}

==Explanation==
A {{w|genetic algorithm}} starts with a set of candidates and evaluates them. The best candidates are combined and randomly mutated to form the candidates for the next generation. After being allowed to proceed for an extended period, a genetic algorithm can often produce remarkable results. If the initial candidates are randomly-generated (as appears to be the case here), the initial generations are usually horrible.

In the comic, the computer science (CS) department is the host of a dinner party. They choose to create a {{w|genetic algorithm}} to generate their recipes. Based on the remarks of the second diner, this is probably not the first generation, and the results are still horrible. {{w|Vermouth}} is a type of {{w|fortified wine}}, usually served alone or in cocktails. It seems unlikely that {{w|cheerios}} would complement the flavor of it. {{w|Quail eggs}} are a delicacy in many countries, as opposed to {{w|whipped cream}}, which is usually served on desserts. It was topped off with {{w|Monosodium Glutamate|MSG, or Monosodium Glutamate}}, which is a non-essential {{w|amino acid}} used to enhance the flavor of savory foods. The last person has {{w|Skittles_(confectionery)|skittles}}, a brand of candy with a hard outer shell and a inside composed of {{w|corn syrup}} and {{w|Palm kernel oil|hydrogenated palm kernel oil}}. {{w|Deep-frying}} is usually done to savory starches and meats, not sweet confectioneries. The host of the party is so enamored of the promise of the genetic algorithm that he fails to take into account that it will be several years before the recipes become remotely good.

The title text could make reference to the fact that genetic algorithms will sometimes return results which are highly abnormal and vastly deviate from what we would think to be "selected for," but nonetheless can be quite successful, albeit unorthodox. Braising is a cooking practice involving both searing on an open pan and boiling in a pot with liquid; newts are small lizard-resembling amphibians that are not commonly eaten in America, and Doritos are a cheese-flavored tortilla chip. None of these are elements that a sane chef would use together when preparing dinner, but the title text concedes that it did taste good despite the abnormality. It also showcases that the algorithm has stumbled upon a recipe that engages in wordplay with the movie and common phrase "Dazed and Confused".

==Transcript==
:[Three people sit along a table with dishes and drinks in front of them. Cueball is walking in, a plate with food on it in one hand, a laptop in the other.]

:[Blondie looks down at her bowl. She has a cup with what appears to be a lump of coal in it.]
:Blondie: I've got... Cheerios with a shot of vermouth.
:[Cueball 1 has a plate with some kind of cubic food on it. He has a cup of what appears to be two lovebirds in it.]
:Cueball 1: At least it's better than the quail eggs in whipped cream and MSG from last time.
:[Cueball 2 has a plate with a several lumps of some form of white stuff on it. They have a cup of what appears to be some kind of superfluid flowing out of it.]
:Cueball 2: Are these Skittles ''deep-fried''?

:Cueball 3: C'mon, guys, be patient. In a few hundred more meals, the genetic algorithm should catch up to existing recipes and start to optimize.
:We've decided to drop the CS department from our weekly dinner party hosting rotation.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]

Talk:702: Snow Tracking

2022-10-25T09:09:09Z

L-Space Traveler:

The title-text could also be a reference to Bugs Bunny, many episodes had such play-on-words as title.
("A witch's tangled hare", "A Feather in his Hare", "Compressed Hare", many more...) {{unsigned|‎Gegueure}}

It could be mentioned that the Higgs signature shown is probably a Higgs->top anti-top/bottom anti-bottom->jet-jet signature, and most certainly not the clearest observed channel right now of Higgs->gamma gamma (as there is no neutral signature, which would be a track appearing some from the center, and there are clearly two jets to be seen). This is a difficult channel to observe, and is much more important in higher Higgs mass regions than the now observed, where b-bbar is present, but gamma gamma is much easyer to observe.[[Special:Contributions/85.164.251.29|85.164.251.29]] 13:11, 24 August 2013 (UTC)

Velociraptors are suspiciously missing from this comic... [[User:SuperSupermario24|Just some random derp]] 19:18, 27 June 2015 (UTC)

I first thought of the Beverly Cleary mouse books too, but Ralph S. Mouse rode a motorcycle, not a bicycle. {{unsigned ip|162.158.74.106}}
: Could it be a reference to Biker Mice From Mars? --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.31|141.101.105.31]] 08:05, 9 December 2016 (UTC)

I don't understand the knight tracks. They appear to move the same distance forward as they do to the side. Knights can't move like that.
:The knight didn't have much to orientate with, so his mental checkerboard could easily have overspun.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.232|141.101.77.232]] 17:31, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
The Knight Tracks panel represents a series of knight hops, rather than a single move.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.121|162.158.107.121]] 21:29, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

The Higgs Boson frame is significantly different from all the others because it represents an image from a cloud chamber not tracks in snow. [[User:Brenda|Brenda]] ([[User talk:Brenda|talk]]) 09:15, 16 June 2018 (UTC)

Which was is the bicycle going? There is a way to figure it out. Someone help 23:27, 3 December 2018 (UTC)

The Prius isn't a reference to dodgy pedals, but the drivers being horrible themselves. As you can see here, the car VEERS off the road. It does not brake, nor speed up.
:Maybe. But one of the issues with the sticking pedals was that the brakes wouldn't slow the car down. I think the timing of this suggests the brake pedal explanation. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 09:09, 25 October 2022 (UTC)

Talk:664: Academia vs. Business

2022-10-23T19:37:32Z

L-Space Traveler:

I'm not convinced the problem solved in the comic panels is the fast inverse square root in the title text, as the academia panel implies that it impacts queuing theory, and I'm not sure what fast inv sqrt has to do with queuing theory. {{unsigned|204.89.186.1}}
:Agreed. Fast inv sqrt is clearly referenced in the title text, but the problem in the comic is something else. [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 01:18, 2 March 2013 (UTC)
::I think the example of fast inverse square is more about the bizarrely elegant simplicity of the solution, rather than something related to the solved problem in the comic. (If the above comments are about text that has since been changed, my apologies.)[[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 20:57, 3 July 2013 (UTC)
::: Actually 0x5f3759df is the mnagic number used in the fast inverse square root. Ref [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_inverse_square_root#The_.22magic_number.22 Wikipedia] [[User:edokan|edokan]] 15:54, 23.08.2013 GMT+2

If this ever happened to me, I would quietly release the solution under the GNU license. My getting fired (possibly) is totally worth the public technological progress highly into the future. [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 13:29, 14 March 2013 (UTC)

The explanation is an interesting contrast to my interpretation. The meaning I got was that in academia, this discovery, like any new discovery, is interesting; but in business, this discovery has little practical application (apart from finishing what he was doing) so his boss didn't think twice about it. Maybe I'm too cynical.--[[Special:Contributions/18.215.1.155|18.215.1.155]] 01:23, 13 May 2013 (UTC)
: Weird, my interpretation was different from both the one in the explanation and this one: Academia is too focused on authoring papers and making a name for oneself and therefore makes a much bigger deal about problem-solving than business, where solving difficult problems is just a regular part of the job. Which interpretation is correct? It likely depends on one's viewpoint! [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 03:00, 18 June 2019 (UTC)

Seeing the presence of cans... possibly alcoholic. Might it be possible that the Ballmer Peak was successfully invoked to reach his solution? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.96|108.162.219.96]] 15:46, 1 December 2016 (UTC)

:They look too small: this, plus the 48-hour time-frame, suggests to me that they're energy drinks. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 19:37, 23 October 2022 (UTC)

Derailing the topic entirely, the old woman in the "Academia" panel seems to be a somewhat recurring character, complete with a semi-consistent personality. I propose "Bunhead" for future references. Anonymous17:39, 4 December 2013 (UTC)
:I counter-propose 'MsBun'. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.223|108.162.219.223]] 00:49, 7 January 2014 (UTC)

Oh, my goodness, "TruthInTelevision"? This isn't TvTropes![[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.120|108.162.237.120]] 20:53, 19 January 2014 (UTC)

Can anyone remember an episode of Click (or any BBC computer programme) ever giving such in depth explanation of the graphics problem?
I recall one showing the difference in game presentations then and "now" from around about the time the article claims information hit the mainstream but it was no more than 'advertising without naming names' a la Beeb.[[User:Weatherlawyer|Weatherlawyer]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 07:59, 4 January 2015 (UTC)

There was a recent paper claiming to have solved P!=NP

I ''believe'' that the title text refers to a famous quote by Stephen Jay Gould: “I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.” — it's not a 100% match but I think that was what he was going for. It certainly fits the concept that capitalism and business eat up the intellect of great people and leave nothing to show for it, in contract to the purity of science/academia. I will edit in a comment to that effect. [[User:AmbroseChapel|AmbroseChapel]] ([[User talk:AmbroseChapel|talk]]) 01:28, 21 September 2017 (UTC)
:The big difference is, that the people from your quote were truly wasted talents, as they were doing mere manual labor. Meanwhile the title text talks about talents that are used, but never became popular.--[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 14:35, 17 October 2018 (UTC)
::How is that difference meaningful? The point is that if some talent wasn't brought out to shine at its brightest, it was lost. What else exactly was done with it doesn't matter.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.250.67|172.70.250.67]] 23:01, 29 July 2022 (UTC)

Where does Gould specify that originally in that quote he was referring to racism and not capitalism?
[[Special:Contributions/172.70.250.67|172.70.250.67]] 23:01, 29 July 2022 (UTC)

Talk:659: Lego

2022-10-23T18:56:44Z

L-Space Traveler:

This is one of my favorite xkcd strips, and one that I happily point to in any discussion involving organ donation. [[User:Ekedolphin|Ekedolphin]] ([[User talk:Ekedolphin|talk]]) 08:05, 28 January 2013 (UTC)

Hmmm... Where did the philote of the house go though? The pattern may be gone, but was the philote called back to outside?
Yes, I'm one of the seven fans of xenocide. 04:08, 21 November 2013 (UTC)
:+1 [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.61|173.245.50.61]] 21:22, 18 December 2015 (UTC)
:7+1/∞, thank you very much. [[User:SilverMagpie|SilverMagpie]] ([[User talk:SilverMagpie|talk]]) 03:53, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
:Well the individual philotes of the individual lego molecules are obviously in the box. And the inanimate, not living house probably wasn't sentient for an Aiúa to emerge (actually now that I think about it I have no way of knowing, and i don't know if its mentioned in Enderverse lore). The real question is "Does this lego house have enough house-ness and collectivity to form a philotic web, a sort of primitive non-conscious Aiúa?"--[[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.20|172.69.34.20]] 06:24, 13 December 2019 (UTC)

Anyone interested in the issues raised in this comic would do well to look up the problem of the Ship of Theseus.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.53|108.162.216.53]] 17:03, 29 November 2013 (UTC)

For me, once you accept the fact of evolution, and therefore that all life on earth emerged from a common ancestor, it is patently obvious that the relevance of religion to what happens to my "composition" (self) after death is ... zero. To wit: "If you want to know what happens when you die, go look at some dead stuff." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.223|108.162.219.223]] 01:22, 7 January 2014 (UTC)
:Well I agree with you, but the main thing is what happens, to your consciousness (your [Aiúa|https://https://enderverse.fandom.com/wiki/Ai%C3%BAa] (i agree nothing), for us we wont even know, the more I think about that the more I get scared, but also I recognize, I dont need to be scared. I won't know I'm dead, for all I know my Aiúa dies every time I sleep, and I dont even know. That makes me think that consciousness is temporary, and there is an illusion of continuity because of my memories. I think this is also a decent resolution of the Ship of Theseus; yes at most of the ship (my body) is different, but my memories conect the string that is my life. {{unsigned ip|172.68.211.52}}
:I know, that the comment I am replying to is from an IP-Contributor and over 6 years old. But how does evolution imply, that all life on earth emerged from a common ancestor? Why is it outruled that life emerged twice or more often, independently? Who says that there is not a group of cells somewhere in the ocean, that is offspring from one cell, created by the same chance as the "common ancestor"? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 11:02, 4 March 2020 (UTC)
::Allow me, then, to reply to your 18-month-old comment: evolution does not imply that there could not be multiple origins of life. It's just that we have found no evidence for it, and excellent evidence that all known life forms do in fact share a common ancestor. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 00:14, 1 September 2021 (UTC)

The point of this comic is excellent, but it is dampened for me by the fact that Lego doesn't sell general-purpose blocks any more, it's all precision kit crap. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 21:30, 23 January 2014 (UTC)
:[http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3498752&mr:keyword=&mr:trackingCode=A0545167-7315-E311-A497-90E2BA285E75&mr:match=&mr:adType=pla&mr:filter=56911854646&cagpspn=plat_5739898&mr:referralID=NA&mr:ad=35201231326&mr:device=c&camp=PLAPPC-_-PID5739898&KPID=5739898 Hi.] '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 22:38, 23 January 2014 (UTC)
::For the same price, you could equip yourself with the makings of a Meccano set. Something well out of the reach of most hobbyists way back when. Odd how the more we have the less we do with it.

[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 04:11, 28 January 2015 (UTC)
:Although I haven't seen them in any other stores for many years, as of right now, you can still get boxes of bulk bricks (non-sets) from the Lego Stores. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 18:50, 23 October 2022 (UTC)

The first time I read this strip, I immediately thought back to one of my all-time favorite books. The basis of ''Unwind'' by Neal Shusterman is essentially the idea behind this strip, except from an opposite point of view. --[[User:Hammy2211|Hammy2211]] ([[User talk:Hammy2211|talk]]) 21:34, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

: The premise of ''Unwind'' is that the future American culture has decided to believe that if a person's tissues are all transported into new people, the donor is then still alive, and therefore it is ok to "unwind" unwanted teenagers, since they are still "alive," just in another state of life. Obviously, the teenagers chosen to be unwound aren't ok with this view. Dystopian novels are fun. This is one you won't forget quickly. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.135|108.162.245.135]] 19:51, 12 December 2015 (UTC)

I disagree with this interpretation of the comic. I think ponytail is marking the box with a combination between a checkmark and an X mark, which in a test (where I live at least) means 'partially correct'. It is usually drawn as a check mark with the LONGER arm being one of the two lines of the X, but here, the SHORTER arm and PART of the longer arm seem to form the top half of the X. This makes me not sure that this was the actual intention, but I still think it was.
Now, I think ponytail in part wants to help others with her parts just like the current explanation says, but I also think she's afraid of making herself disappear while doing so. If she isn't an organ donor, she will stay complete and will continue to exist, but if she is a donor, then the arrangement will be gone and SHE will be gone forever. --[[User:NeatNit|NeatNit]] ([[User talk:NeatNit|talk]]) 15:12, 14 July 2014 (UTC)

:I interpreted the unsual check mark as either a tick which had been turned to a cross, or a mix between a cross and tick. I also read the title text as a suspicious child questioning whether Grandpa has been taken apart or something similar. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 09:02, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

:I agree. It seems awfully strange that after being told that she's 'disappear' she'd go and disassemble herself... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.252|141.101.98.252]] 10:08, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

::Then again, organ donation only occurs after death (well, legally) so she's going to end up "disassembled" no matter what she picks there if she's dead (by decay or incineration or whatever). In fact, you could say that as soon as you die your body begins to disassemble. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.155|108.162.250.155]] 04:42, 11 February 2015 (UTC)

:::Technically your body is "disassembling" all the time. The molecules constantly move around, break apart, and do a bunch of other things... But I see your point. [[User:Random xkcd Fan|Random xkcd Fan]] ([[User talk:Random xkcd Fan|talk]]) 00:09, 1 January 2017 (UTC)

:I thought she was crossing out the box, indicating that she would like to exist for as long as possible, and would not like to her "organization" through organ donation. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.20|173.245.54.20]] 20:13, 7 November 2015 (UTC)

:It's a bureaucracy. If there's only one checkbox, you generally leave it empty if you don't want to do it, or fill it in (with a checkmark or an X) if you want to do it. If I saw a box like that with a checkmark in it, I would interpret it exactly the same as I would a box with an X in it. No-one at DEQ actually would expect people in general to be able to follow directions as complex as 'checkmark to say yes, X to say no.' Not only are there people who don't have very good English skills, there are a bunch of people who don't actually bother to read directions at all, so they are smart to keep it simple. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.135|108.162.245.135]] 19:42, 12 December 2015 (UTC)

:"combination . . . 'partially correct'" - I've never heard of this - is this common? [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 18:56, 23 October 2022 (UTC)

France's opt-out system sounds a ''lot'' better than our opt-in. [[User:SilverMagpie|SilverMagpie]] ([[User talk:SilverMagpie|talk]]) 03:53, 4 May 2018 (UTC)

Talk:659: Lego

2022-10-23T18:50:09Z

L-Space Traveler:

This is one of my favorite xkcd strips, and one that I happily point to in any discussion involving organ donation. [[User:Ekedolphin|Ekedolphin]] ([[User talk:Ekedolphin|talk]]) 08:05, 28 January 2013 (UTC)

Hmmm... Where did the philote of the house go though? The pattern may be gone, but was the philote called back to outside?
Yes, I'm one of the seven fans of xenocide. 04:08, 21 November 2013 (UTC)
:+1 [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.61|173.245.50.61]] 21:22, 18 December 2015 (UTC)
:7+1/∞, thank you very much. [[User:SilverMagpie|SilverMagpie]] ([[User talk:SilverMagpie|talk]]) 03:53, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
:Well the individual philotes of the individual lego molecules are obviously in the box. And the inanimate, not living house probably wasn't sentient for an Aiúa to emerge (actually now that I think about it I have no way of knowing, and i don't know if its mentioned in Enderverse lore). The real question is "Does this lego house have enough house-ness and collectivity to form a philotic web, a sort of primitive non-conscious Aiúa?"--[[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.20|172.69.34.20]] 06:24, 13 December 2019 (UTC)

Anyone interested in the issues raised in this comic would do well to look up the problem of the Ship of Theseus.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.53|108.162.216.53]] 17:03, 29 November 2013 (UTC)

For me, once you accept the fact of evolution, and therefore that all life on earth emerged from a common ancestor, it is patently obvious that the relevance of religion to what happens to my "composition" (self) after death is ... zero. To wit: "If you want to know what happens when you die, go look at some dead stuff." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.223|108.162.219.223]] 01:22, 7 January 2014 (UTC)
:Well I agree with you, but the main thing is what happens, to your consciousness (your [Aiúa|https://https://enderverse.fandom.com/wiki/Ai%C3%BAa] (i agree nothing), for us we wont even know, the more I think about that the more I get scared, but also I recognize, I dont need to be scared. I won't know I'm dead, for all I know my Aiúa dies every time I sleep, and I dont even know. That makes me think that consciousness is temporary, and there is an illusion of continuity because of my memories. I think this is also a decent resolution of the Ship of Theseus; yes at most of the ship (my body) is different, but my memories conect the string that is my life. {{unsigned ip|172.68.211.52}}
:I know, that the comment I am replying to is from an IP-Contributor and over 6 years old. But how does evolution imply, that all life on earth emerged from a common ancestor? Why is it outruled that life emerged twice or more often, independently? Who says that there is not a group of cells somewhere in the ocean, that is offspring from one cell, created by the same chance as the "common ancestor"? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 11:02, 4 March 2020 (UTC)
::Allow me, then, to reply to your 18-month-old comment: evolution does not imply that there could not be multiple origins of life. It's just that we have found no evidence for it, and excellent evidence that all known life forms do in fact share a common ancestor. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 00:14, 1 September 2021 (UTC)

The point of this comic is excellent, but it is dampened for me by the fact that Lego doesn't sell general-purpose blocks any more, it's all precision kit crap. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 21:30, 23 January 2014 (UTC)
:[http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3498752&mr:keyword=&mr:trackingCode=A0545167-7315-E311-A497-90E2BA285E75&mr:match=&mr:adType=pla&mr:filter=56911854646&cagpspn=plat_5739898&mr:referralID=NA&mr:ad=35201231326&mr:device=c&camp=PLAPPC-_-PID5739898&KPID=5739898 Hi.] '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 22:38, 23 January 2014 (UTC)
::For the same price, you could equip yourself with the makings of a Meccano set. Something well out of the reach of most hobbyists way back when. Odd how the more we have the less we do with it.

[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 04:11, 28 January 2015 (UTC)
:Although I haven't seen them in any other stores for many years, as of right now, you can still get boxes of bulk bricks (non-sets) from the Lego Stores. [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 18:50, 23 October 2022 (UTC)

The first time I read this strip, I immediately thought back to one of my all-time favorite books. The basis of ''Unwind'' by Neal Shusterman is essentially the idea behind this strip, except from an opposite point of view. --[[User:Hammy2211|Hammy2211]] ([[User talk:Hammy2211|talk]]) 21:34, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

: The premise of ''Unwind'' is that the future American culture has decided to believe that if a person's tissues are all transported into new people, the donor is then still alive, and therefore it is ok to "unwind" unwanted teenagers, since they are still "alive," just in another state of life. Obviously, the teenagers chosen to be unwound aren't ok with this view. Dystopian novels are fun. This is one you won't forget quickly. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.135|108.162.245.135]] 19:51, 12 December 2015 (UTC)

I disagree with this interpretation of the comic. I think ponytail is marking the box with a combination between a checkmark and an X mark, which in a test (where I live at least) means 'partially correct'. It is usually drawn as a check mark with the LONGER arm being one of the two lines of the X, but here, the SHORTER arm and PART of the longer arm seem to form the top half of the X. This makes me not sure that this was the actual intention, but I still think it was.
Now, I think ponytail in part wants to help others with her parts just like the current explanation says, but I also think she's afraid of making herself disappear while doing so. If she isn't an organ donor, she will stay complete and will continue to exist, but if she is a donor, then the arrangement will be gone and SHE will be gone forever. --[[User:NeatNit|NeatNit]] ([[User talk:NeatNit|talk]]) 15:12, 14 July 2014 (UTC)

:I interpreted the unsual check mark as either a tick which had been turned to a cross, or a mix between a cross and tick. I also read the title text as a suspicious child questioning whether Grandpa has been taken apart or something similar. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 09:02, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

:I agree. It seems awfully strange that after being told that she's 'disappear' she'd go and disassemble herself... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.252|141.101.98.252]] 10:08, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

::Then again, organ donation only occurs after death (well, legally) so she's going to end up "disassembled" no matter what she picks there if she's dead (by decay or incineration or whatever). In fact, you could say that as soon as you die your body begins to disassemble. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.155|108.162.250.155]] 04:42, 11 February 2015 (UTC)

:::Technically your body is "disassembling" all the time. The molecules constantly move around, break apart, and do a bunch of other things... But I see your point. [[User:Random xkcd Fan|Random xkcd Fan]] ([[User talk:Random xkcd Fan|talk]]) 00:09, 1 January 2017 (UTC)

:I thought she was crossing out the box, indicating that she would like to exist for as long as possible, and would not like to her "organization" through organ donation. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.20|173.245.54.20]] 20:13, 7 November 2015 (UTC)

:It's a bureaucracy. If there's only one checkbox, you generally leave it empty if you don't want to do it, or fill it in (with a checkmark or an X) if you want to do it. If I saw a box like that with a checkmark in it, I would interpret it exactly the same as I would a box with an X in it. No-one at DEQ actually would expect people in general to be able to follow directions as complex as 'checkmark to say yes, X to say no.' Not only are there people who don't have very good English skills, there are a bunch of people who don't actually bother to read directions at all, so they are smart to keep it simple. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.135|108.162.245.135]] 19:42, 12 December 2015 (UTC)

France's opt-out system sounds a ''lot'' better than our opt-in. [[User:SilverMagpie|SilverMagpie]] ([[User talk:SilverMagpie|talk]]) 03:53, 4 May 2018 (UTC)