explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1219: Reports

2013-06-30T03:22:05Z

MR:

Shouldn't it be 2000th St? --[[Special:Contributions/81.23.24.56|81.23.24.56]] 06:41, 31 May 2013 (UTC)

Shouldn't it be a 25,000 mi/h speed limit if multiplied by 1000? Afterall, I have never heard of a 2.5 mi/h speed limit... Think I could get a speeding ticket whilst walking with that limit. Definitely while jogging. [[Special:Contributions/99.195.243.220|99.195.243.220]] 07:04, 31 May 2013 (UTC) Aaron

:I've seen 5 kph (around 3 mph) speed limit. It was in parks and we were supposed to run timed laps. Interestingly, in order to get through the minimum, you had to break the speed limit.--[[User:Charlesisbozo|Charlesisbozo]] ([[User talk:Charlesisbozo|talk]]) 12:45, 2 June 2013 (UTC)

Lol exactly the first two comments I had in mind were made here. [[Special:Contributions/80.101.91.220|80.101.91.220]] 07:07, 31 May 2013 (UTC)
:Also beaten to the 25,000 comment. The lowest I've think I've ever seen indicated is 5mph (mostly in car parks) and except in one locale(1) that's wishful thinking at best, given that at this point you find that on an analogue standard speedo that potentially sweeps far further(2), it's definitely a crap-shoot as to whether you're able to hover the needle barely off of the zero-stop with any accuracy... Even assuming reasonable calibration at the higher speeds. I suspect that 5km/h (3.1-ish mph(3)) might be the minimum I've seen in metric-tied countries, making that just an arbitrary low figure.
:(1) A local bus station that has "Your speed is..." matrices to show a presumably calibrated digital measurement to the drivers of any said bus entering/exiting the site, and flashes in red if they exceed this. Not sure if there's a penalty accumulation, but I suspect there'd be the capability to link to the CCTV systems that also cover the site so that post-incident enquiries would record any driver errors should the worst come to the (painfully slow) worst.
:(2) 120mph on smaller cars, 240mph or more on anything that promises way-over-the-top performance for a country with a top-end national speed limit of 70mph in force. Not that anyone believes that, but even the unofficial publicly-used "I'll get away with it..." 80mph line is 1/3rd of 240. Of course they could go over to Germany to try out on the unlimited Autobahns, or burn rubber at a 'track day' somewhere, but still it irks me that people think like that...
:(3) I can never remember the 'standard' conversion factor. I just remember that it's 93 million miles to the Sun or 150 million kilometres and work it out from that. ;) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.255.57|178.98.255.57]] 08:14, 31 May 2013 (UTC)
:: national speed limit? The limit is 80 on I-10 in west Texas (posted), and 75 on many other state highways... [[User:MR|MR]] ([[User talk:MR|talk]]) 03:22, 30 June 2013 (UTC)MR

So, anyway, I put my hand to writing an explanation, making it impressively brief compared with what I usually write (see above). I've put some <nowiki></nowiki> in, especially next to the potentially disputed numbers, so that future editors can zero in on things that I think might need to be changed, or could be expanded upon. Or redo it all from scratch, as I probably won't notice anyway. ;) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.255.57|178.98.255.57]] 09:20, 31 May 2013 (UTC)

Looks like Randall corrected his title-text. So I completed the necessary edit (half done already, with the edit comment "(2500 / 100 = 25, not 2.5)", which I won't argue with...) and removed the related comments. Tempted to add an "in the original version..." addendum, but then anyone who's bothered with that sort of detail has read up to here in the Talk bit, right? ;) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.255.57|178.98.255.57]] 17:25, 31 May 2013 (UTC)

Talk:690: Semicontrolled Demolition

2013-05-04T02:19:14Z

MR:

Sorry haven't posted before so probably doing this in the wrong way. The description says there's no video footage of the first plane, but there's a video taken of firefighters checking man hole covers who caught it. It's on you tube, but I didn't think it was right to post the link.

Edit: on second look I see a link has been put to second impact, so no reason not to post link to first:

[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g6V8KZE3GA]]

[[Special:Contributions/86.150.177.79|86.150.177.79]] 09:58, 5 April 2013 (UTC) Bob

: Thanks for your input, and you're right! I corrected that in the explanation.
: You only "did this in the wrong way" in that you should have edited directly the explanation [[File:Face-wink.svg|20px]]. As on most wikis, the general motto here is ''[[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Be bold|Be bold]]'': don't hesitate, just do it!
: Thanks again - [[User:Cos|Cos]] ([[User talk:Cos|talk]]) 10:30, 5 April 2013 (UTC)

----
Is it just me or is the bottom part of it blanked out for everyone? http://xkcd.com/690/
[[Special:Contributions/203.104.11.12|203.104.11.12]] 12:26, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

:It seems as if it is censored. [[Special:Contributions/203.104.11.11|203.104.11.11]] 05:52, 9 April 2013 (UTC)

: Just you! [[User:MR|MR]] ([[User talk:MR|talk]]) 02:19, 4 May 2013 (UTC)MR

Talk:1182: Rembrandt Photo

2013-04-05T01:17:47Z

MR:

I don't get it. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 07:57, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

It is a pun. Artist's conception can either mean an artist's description of an event where no real photo is available; or the artist's biological conception, meaning the sex that led to his birth. [[Special:Contributions/84.199.78.189|84.199.78.189]] 08:02, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

:Ohhh and Artist's conception, I get it! [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 08:15, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

::Example of an 'Incredibly Lame Pun' actually being hilarious. --[[User:Dangerkeith3000|Dangerkeith3000]] ([[User talk:Dangerkeith3000|talk]]) 17:07, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

I don't get the "whistler" reference in the title text... anyone? [[Special:Contributions/84.197.94.196|84.197.94.196]] 09:21, 6 March 2013 (UTC)
:[[wikipedia:Whistler's Mother|"Whistler's Mother"]] is a famous American painting by [[wikipedia:James McNeill Whistler|James McNeill Whistler]] of his own mother. --[[User:Aaron of Mpls|Aaron of Mpls]] ([[User talk:Aaron of Mpls|talk]]) 11:39, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

Insert heartfelt groan here: -----> [. Groan! ][[Special:Contributions/24.79.11.46|24.79.11.46]] 12:15, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

I was too busy being grossed out by the prospect that it was the artist who conceived the image of his own conception. Be it Rembrandt or Whistler. Unresolved Oedipus complex, anyone? [[Special:Contributions/220.224.246.97|220.224.246.97]] 13:05, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

Incidentally there is a great reference to Whistler's Mother in the movie "Sneakers". Dan Akroyd's character makes the reference regarding his blind colleage ("Whistler"). Great movie.
:In which scene? --[[User:DaB.|DaB.]] ([[User talk:DaB.|talk]]) 18:06, 6 March 2013 (UTC)
:: Dan Akroyd's character is called "Mother"; I don't think there is any more reference than that: two characters, Whistler and Mother. "Whistler", incidentally, is a reference to being able to whistle the tone needed on old pay phones to get it to give you a free call -- Whistler is a phreaker. {{unsigned|72.68.11.22}}

Anyone know what "click" refers to in the title text? [[User:Trek7553|Trek7553]] ([[User talk:Trek7553|talk]]) 15:15, 6 March 2013 (UTC)
: the "click" because of Cueball working on the PC and not listening to Megan any more. [[Special:Contributions/80.76.68.155|80.76.68.155]] 15:38, 6 March 2013 (UTC)
:: That does not make sense...[[User:Trek7553|Trek7553]] ([[User talk:Trek7553|talk]]) 17:42, 7 March 2013 (UTC)
:: Actually it's Megan switching to the next picture (that of Whistler's mother) on her laptop. {{unsigned|212.149.48.43}}
::: This is the best answer so far, I think you're right. [[User:Trek7553|Trek7553]] ([[User talk:Trek7553|talk]]) 17:42, 7 March 2013 (UTC)
:: It's Cueball closing the door as he leaves the room. [[User:Schmammel|Schmammel]] ([[User talk:Schmammel|talk]]) 14:40, 7 March 2013 (UTC)
::: I think you're right - otherwise "come back" doesn't make sense. [[User:MR|MR]] ([[User talk:MR|talk]]) 01:17, 5 April 2013 (UTC)MR

Does that mean that a painting of an artist painting a picture of Rembrandt's parents having sex would be an artist's conception of an artist's conception of an artist's conception? [[User:MrBigDog2U|MrBigDog2U]] ([[User talk:MrBigDog2U|talk]]) 15:30, 7 March 2013 (UTC)
: Whoa, that sounds like it would be an artist's Inception! [[User:Mr. I|Mr. I]] ([[User talk:Mr. I|talk]]) 01:41, 14 March 2013 (UTC)

Talk:792: Password Reuse

2013-04-04T18:23:31Z

MR: Created page with "What happened in March of 1997? ~~~~MR"

What happened in March of 1997? [[User:MR|MR]] ([[User talk:MR|talk]]) 18:23, 4 April 2013 (UTC)MR

394: Kilobyte

2013-03-12T02:58:08Z

MR: /* Explanation */ typo correction

{{comic
| number = 394
| date = March 10, 2008
| title = Kilobyte
| image = kilobyte.png
| titletext = I would take 'kibibyte' more seriously if it didn't sound so much like 'Kibbles N Bits'.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic takes advantage of the confusion over the definition of a kilobyte. Some interpret the prefix literally, meaning a kilobyte is 1000 bytes. Others, however, define it as 2<sup>10</sup>, or 1024, bytes because it is computationally easier to deal with.

The first row of the table is simply mocking this discrepancy.

The second row is Randall's interpretation on how {{w|Stan Kelly-Bootle}} would approach this problem. Kelly-Bootle is known for writing ''The Computer Contradictionary'' which satirizes the jargon and language of the computer industry. Kelly-Bootle was likely motivated to write this work after working for several years at IBM, a company infamous for its excessive use of acronyms in the work place. Averaging the two definitions together to get 1012 bytes is simply a humorous approach that Kelly-Bootle would likely have taken.

The [[wikipedia:Imaginary number|imaginary]] kilobyte simply plays on the fact that complex analysis is required in quantum computing in relation to quantum mechanics. The imaginary number is represented as ''i'' and has a value of the square root of -1. This is a pun on the fact that KiB is used for the "binary kilobyte" (occasionally "{{w|Binary_prefix|kibibyte}}") which is standardized at 1024 bytes.

The Intel kilobyte mocks the Pentium floating point unit which, in 1994, was notorious for having a {{w|Pentium FDIV bug|major flaw}} in its floating point division algorithm that gave slightly erroneous results. (For the non-computer folk, a floating point number is a real number like 4.0 or -13.387.)

The smaller, drivemaker's kilobyte mocks a business model for handling higher prices that keeps prices constant but reduces quantity. The food industry has been notorious for decreasing quantity of food and keeping prices the same instead of increasing prices and keeping quantity the same. Randall is suggesting that if the computer industry tried to do this with hard drives, it could have humorous results such as smaller number of bytes in a kilobyte. In this analogy, food price is to number of kilobytes as food quantity is to bytes in a kilobyte. A value of 908 indicates that drivemakers have been decreasing the value for 23 years (if they started with 1000) or 29 years (if they started with 1024), which means a starting year of either 1985 or 1979. Continuing this trend would cause the drivemaker's kilobyte to become zero in the year 2235.

The baker's kilobyte is a play on the [[wikipedia:Dozen#Baking|baker's dozen]], which is 13 instead of 12. A baker's byte with 9 bits to the byte would result in a total of 9216 bits in a 1024 byte kilobyte. Converting this into "normal" bytes (with 8 bits), we divide 9216 bits by 8 bits per byte to get 1152 8-bit bytes to the baker's kilobyte.

==Transcript==
:There's been a lot of confusion over 1024 vs 1000,
:kbyte vs kbit, and the capitalization for each.
:Here, at last, is a single, definitive standard:
:[table of various kinds of kilobytes]
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="wikitable" style="width: 50%; text-align: left;"
|-
|SYMBOL
|NAME
|SIZE
|NOTES
|-
|kB
|Kilobyte
|1024 bytes OR 1000 bytes
|1000 bytes during leap years, 1024 otherwise
|-
|KB
|Kelly-Bootle standard unit
|1012 bytes
|compromise between 1000 and 1024 bytes
|-
|KiB
|Imaginary kilobyte
|1024 √-1 bytes
|used in quantum computing
|-
|kb
|Intel kilobyte
|1023.937528 bytes
|calculated on Pentium F.P.U.
|-
|Kb
|Drivemaker's kilobyte
|currently 908 bytes
|shrinks by 4 bytes each year for marketing reasons
|-
|KBa
|Baker's kilobyte
|1152 bytes
|9 bits to the byte since you're such a good customer
|}
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Computers]]

Talk:398: Tap That Ass

2013-03-05T22:27:45Z

MR: Created page with "no, "tap" in the first frame means "pick," as in, "today the mayor tapped Mike Smith to be interim head of the planning department." No idea where you got the borrowing money..."

no, "tap" in the first frame means "pick," as in, "today the mayor tapped Mike Smith to be interim head of the planning department." No idea where you got the borrowing money bit from. [[User:MR|MR]] ([[User talk:MR|talk]]) 22:27, 5 March 2013 (UTC)MR

Talk:348: Close to You

2013-03-01T22:58:24Z

MR: Created page with "Don't think that's Danish - limbs are all squiggly, hair is different... Perhaps just unnamed zombie girl? ~~~~MR"

Don't think that's Danish - limbs are all squiggly, hair is different... Perhaps just unnamed zombie girl? [[User:MR|MR]] ([[User talk:MR|talk]]) 22:58, 1 March 2013 (UTC)MR

User:MR

2013-03-01T03:51:13Z

MR: Created page with " hello world."

hello world.

Talk:677: Asshole

2013-03-01T03:50:33Z

MR: forgot to sign

Hybrids aren't generally plug-in - they run on gas and battery, which recharges itself through braking.[[User:MR|MR]] ([[User talk:MR|talk]]) 03:50, 1 March 2013 (UTC)MR

Talk:677: Asshole

2013-03-01T03:48:17Z

MR: Created page with "Hybrids aren't generally plug-in - they run on gas and battery, which recharges itself through braking."

Hybrids aren't generally plug-in - they run on gas and battery, which recharges itself through braking.

164: Playing Devil's Advocate to Win

2013-03-01T02:58:49Z

MR: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number =164
| date =September 29, 2006
| title =Playing Devil's Advocate to Win
| image =global_warming.png
| titletext =There are so many well-meaning conservatives around here who just assume global warming is only presented as a moral issue for political reasons.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Global warming}} is the rise of the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century and its projected continuation. Scientists are more than 90% sure that it's caused by an increase in greenhouse gases caused by humanity's industrialization and activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. Losses of human food security and habitat, melting of glaciers leading to a rise in sea temperatures, and more frequent heat waves, droughts and species extinctions are just some of the many likely effects of global warming.

Yet despite the unequivocal nature of climate change, it's a hot-button political topic in the United States, with many conservatives denying its existence, arguing that it has natural causes, or claiming that global warming could be a good thing. Liberals counter by saying that conservatives are claiming these things because they're in bed with the oil companies, and by denying the existence of global warming, they're saved from having to do anything about it. It's such a controversial topic in the U.S. that, in this comic, [[Cueball]] says he's decided to keep his mouth shut about the whole thing. He's withdrawn from the debate because it doesn't ''matter'' if he wins the debate or not-- science doesn't care about who got the last word. If humanity reaches the tipping point and one day can't do anything to stop global warming, Cueball will find it interesting to watch exactly what happens. And if it turns out the scientists are wrong, he won't feel embarrassed that he's been making a big deal about it this whole time.

In the title text, he touches on the political side of global warming, saying that there are many well-meaning conservatives out here who honestly believe that global warming doesn't happen, and that liberals only bring it up to have a moral issue to attack conservatives with.

==Transcript==
Cueball: Yes, from the evidence it looks pretty likely to me that we're causing global warming on a horrific scale. But with science you don't need to argue. It doesn't matter who wins the debate -- it's about reality. By just waiting a little longer, we'll get to SEE who was right. It feels unethical but I find myself wanting to keep quiet about the science just to know for sure. As terrible as it sounds, the state of the world isn't really my responsibility. I'm just thrilled to get to watch. If the scientists are right -- and if we keep people from understanding just a little longer -- we'll enjoy quite a ride. And pragmatically, on the outside chance that they're all wrong, I get saved the embarrassment of having spoken up.

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

307: Excessive Quotation

2013-02-28T02:34:29Z

MR: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number =307
| date =August 24, 2007
| title =Excessive Quotation
| image =excessive_quotation.png
| titletext =Unfortunately for her, real Star Wars fans are attracted to a gal with a good force choke.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] just wants to have a normal conversation about the moon, but [[Cueball]] replies with a quote from {{w|Star Wars Episode IV|Star Wars}}, when Ben Kenobi said, "That's no moon, that's a space station." Megan cuts him off in the manner of another ''Star Wars'' character, villain Darth Vader, and showing a glimmer of the character's abilities, proceeds to choke him with "The Force" while modifying another phrase from the same film. (The original quote was, "I find your lack of faith disturbing.")

''Star Wars'' fans are a weird bunch, however, and the title text states that if a male ''Star Wars'' fan met a girl who could do this in real life, it'd only serve to turn him on even more.

==Transcript==
:[Outside, under a crescent moon.]
:Megan: It's strange to stare at the moon and think about people walking on it.
:Cueball: That's no moon, it's a—''gack''
:[She holds him up in the air by his neck à la Darth Vader using the force.]
:Megan: I find your lack of original conversation disturbing.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]

236: Collecting Double-Takes

2013-02-28T02:31:55Z

MR: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number =236
| date =March 16, 2007
| title =Collecting Double Takes
| image =collecting_double_takes.png
| titletext =Fun Game: find a combination of two items that most freaks out the cashier. Winner: pregnancy test and single coat hanger.
}}

==Explanation==
By standing in a produce aisle with a tube of {{w|K-Y Jelly}} in his hand and considering what produce to buy (between bananas, apples, oranges and zuchinis, and doubtless many more offscreen), Cueball is allowing other people to believe he plans to use that produce item to pleasure himself via anal sex. K-Y Jelly is most commonly used as a sexual lubricant.

Cueball is probably not actually planning on doing this, but he loves to see the look on people's faces; hence, he's collecting double-takes.

In the title text, he says he likes to play a game of "freak out the cashier using two items". Coat hangers are stereotypically used to perform do-it-yourself abortions.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is standing in the middle of the produce aisle in a supermarket, holding a tube of K-Y Jelly in one hand, the other on his chin. The signs read "Bananas" "Apples" "Oranges" and "Zucchini" from left to right.]
:MY HOBBY: Standing in the supermarket's produce section holding a tube of K-Y Jelly, looking contemplative.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:My Hobby]]