explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1779: 2017

2016-12-30T18:43:15Z

Marcus4742: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1779
| date = December 30, 2016
| title = 2017
| image = 2017.png
| titletext = Things are looking good for the eclipse--Nate Silver says Earth will almost definitely still have a moon in August.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|First draft of an explanation, no mention of the title-text.}}

Randall shares some of his thoughts about 2016, a year that many people eagerly await the end of because of its increased turmoil (terrorist attacks, controversial political events in numerous countries, and, in the United States, the deaths of an unusually large number of well-known and beloved celebrities). It is also well-known that [[Randall]] is a {{w|Hillary Clinton}} supporter (as reference in the [[1756: I'm With Her]] comic so, the additional reading of that tile could be that we are headed into 2017 "without" a Hillary Clinton presidency.

Instead of simply condemning 2016 as a terrible year and expecting 2017 to be significantly better, Randall observes that much of what made 2016 bad is the effect that it will have upon future years rather than the actual events themselves (for instance, a divisive U.S. president's election caused significant controversy in 2016, but will actually take office and begin to affect the world - either for good or for bad - in 2017). However, Randall also offers a glimpse of hope in the last few panels by observing that, just as all of the bad things in 2016 were unexpected, good things in 2017 that are unexpected are equally likely to happen. As such, he argues that we should hold on to our hope even though things seem difficult right now.

The last panel may also serve as a reminder that the world continues to spin on despite all of the turmoil. This is true both literally, as the eclipse Randall is excited about is caused by the orbits of several celestial bodies lining up just right (the sun, Earth, and moon), but also figuratively, as he notes that prime-numbered years have typically been good ones and so illustrates the positive attitude that people can choose to take in order to see all that which is good and to spread a little bit more cheerfulness.

The title text is a reference to Nate Silver who is a well-known (in the United States) as an election predictor on Five Thirty Eight. His model allowed for a slightly higher chance that Donald Trump would win the presidency vs other similar models.

==Transcript==

[Cueball and Megan walking outdoors]

Cueball: Can't wait for this stupid year to be over.

[The two approach a fallen tree]

Megan: I can. This year made the future scarier. So much of why 2016 was bad was because of the things it sent us into 2017 without.

[Megan has hopped up onto the tree trunk and begins to walk along it]

Cueball: You gotta have hope, though.

Megan: You say that, but you also said all this awful stuff couldn't happen, and it did. You're as clueless as the rest of us.

[Cueball also walks along the tree trunk as Megan stops and turns to look at him]

Cueball: Well, if we're wrong about which bad things can happen, it's got to make us at least a ''little'' less sure about which good things can't.

[Closeup of Megan hopping down from the tree]

Megan: I guess.

[A distant shot of Megan and Cueball walking along again]

Cueball: Plus, 2017 has a cool eclipse in it.

Megan: Ooh, yeah!

Cueball: And it's prime. Prime years have always been good for me.

Megan: Sure, I'll take it.

Title text: Things are looking good for the eclipse--Nate Silver says Earth will almost definitely still have a moon in August.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:New Year]]

1779: 2017

2016-12-30T18:42:20Z

Marcus4742: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1779
| date = December 30, 2016
| title = 2017
| image = 2017.png
| titletext = Things are looking good for the eclipse--Nate Silver says Earth will almost definitely still have a moon in August.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|First draft of an explanation, no mention of the title-text.}}

Randall shares some of his thoughts about 2016, a year that many people eagerly await the end of because of its increased turmoil (terrorist attacks, controversial political events in numerous countries, and, in the United States, the deaths of an unusually large number of well-known and beloved celebrities). It is also well-known that [[Randall]] is a {{w|Hillary Clinton}} supporter (as reference in the [[1756: I'm With Her]] comic so, the additional reading of that tile could be that we are headed into 2017 "without" a Hillary Clinton presidency.

Instead of simply condemning 2016 as a terrible year and expecting 2017 to be significantly better, Randall observes that much of what made 2016 bad is the effect that it will have upon future years rather than the actual events themselves (for instance, a divisive U.S. president's election caused significant controversy in 2016, but will actually take office and begin to affect the world - either for good or for bad - in 2017). However, Randall also offers a glimpse of hope in the last few panels by observing that, just as all of the bad things in 2016 were unexpected, good things in 2017 that are unexpected are equally likely to happen. As such, he argues that we should hold on to our hope even though things seem difficult right now.

The last panel may also serve as a reminder that the world continues to spin on despite all of the turmoil. This is true both literally, as the eclipse Randall is excited about is caused by the orbits of several celestial bodies lining up just right (the sun, Earth, and moon), but also figuratively, as he notes that prime-numbered years have typically been good ones and so illustrates the positive attitude that people can choose to take in order to see all that which is good and to spread a little bit more cheerfulness.

The title text is a reference to Nate Silver who is a well-known (in the United States) as an election predictor on Five Thirty Eight. His model allowed for a slightly higher chance that Donald Trump would win the presidency vs other similar models.

==Transcript==
[Cueball and Megan walking outdoors]
Cueball: Can't wait for this stupid year to be over.
[The two approach a fallen tree]
Megan: I can. This year made the future scarier. So much of why 2016 was bad was because of the things it sent us into 2017 without.
[Megan has hopped up onto the tree trunk and begins to walk along it]
Cueball: You gotta have hope, though.
Megan: You say that, but you also said all this awful stuff couldn't happen, and it did. You're as clueless as the rest of us.
[Cueball also walks along the tree trunk as Megan stops and turns to look at him]
Cueball: Well, if we're wrong about which bad things can happen, it's got to make us at least a ''little'' less sure about which good things can't.
[Closeup of Megan hopping down from the tree]
Megan: I guess.
[A distant shot of Megan and Cueball walking along again]
Cueball: Plus, 2017 has a cool eclipse in it.
Megan: Ooh, yeah!
Cueball: And it's prime. Prime years have always been good for me.
Megan: Sure, I'll take it.

Title text: Things are looking good for the eclipse--Nate Silver says Earth will almost definitely still have a moon in August.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:New Year]]

1779: 2017

2016-12-30T18:33:27Z

Marcus4742: /* Explanation */

1779: 2017

2016-12-30T18:32:49Z

Marcus4742: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1779
| date = December 30, 2016
| title = 2017
| image = 2017.png
| titletext = Things are looking good for the eclipse--Nate Silver says Earth will almost definitely still have a moon in August.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}

Randall shares some of his thoughts about 2016, a year that many people anxiously await the end of because of its increased turmoil (terrorist attacks, controversial political events in numerous countries, and, in the United States, the deaths of an unusually large number of well-known and beloved celebrities).

Instead of simply condemning 2016 as a terrible year and expecting 2017 to be significantly better, Randall observes that much of what made 2016 bad is the effect that it will have upon future years rather than the actual events themselves (for instance, a divisive U.S. president's election caused significant controversy in 2016, but will actually take office and begin to affect the world - either for good or for bad - in 2017). However, Randall also offers a glimpse of hope in the last few panels by observing that, just as all of the bad things in 2016 were unexpected, good things in 2017 that are unexpected are equally likely to happen. As such, he argues that we should hold on to our hope even though things seem difficult right now.

The last panel may also serve as a reminder that the world continues to spin on despite all of the turmoil. This is true both literally, as the eclipse Randall is excited about is caused by the orbits of several celestial bodies lining up just right (the sun, Earth, and moon), but also figuratively, as he notes that prime-numbered years have typically been good ones and so illustrates the positive attitude that people can choose to take in order to see all that which is good and to spread a little bit more cheerfulness.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:New Year]]

Talk:1716: Time Travel Thesis

2016-08-05T19:53:46Z

Marcus4742:

'''''-BZZZZT!-''
You can skip this comic and discussion page. It doesn't turn out to be important.''' {{unsigned|172.68.59.18}}

Any possibility that future Megan actually uses time travel to assist present Megan to exit? [[User:Plm-qaz snr|Plm-qaz snr]] ([[User talk:Plm-qaz snr|talk]]) 07:52, 5 August 2016 (UTC)
:Yes for sure --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:51, 5 August 2016 (UTC)

I don't feel like it's ''mainsplaining'' and I don't think ''not have a bad problem that will make it so she will not go to 1812 today.'' is relevant (maybe an joke, but nothing to do with the comic). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.230|162.158.114.230]] 08:18, 5 August 2016 (UTC)
:I have deleted that part. Someone deleted mansplaining before I started my edit, and then by the time I was ready there was edit conflicts and it was reentered. I have decided not to do anything about it. He may have a point. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:51, 5 August 2016 (UTC)

Did someone really decide ''mansplaining'' was the right word to use here? Not only is it entirely inappropriate, but it's not exactly a well-known term, so it's liable to confuse people. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.147|162.158.142.147]] 08:28, 5 August 2016 (UTC)
:Yeah. Cueball's just trying to have a conversation, not trying to act like he knows more than her. If anything, she's being rude by not letting him finish what he was saying. Sure, I know more about computers than my dad, but I let him tell me about his new discoveries. I'm a music major, so I know more about music than a lot of people, but I still let them talk. She not only keeps interrupting him, but goes back in time to avoid the "boring" conversation altogether--and says it all right in front of him. We're not supposed to think she's a decent [person], unlike when Randall stood up for people who happened to have not learned something. [[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 09:17, 5 August 2016 (UTC)
::Well she does try to let him know that he do not have to ask if she knows it, just begin talking about it. It is annoying when people assume that just because they just read something no one else has read about it. And even worse if he doesn't understand that she has used years of he life studying the subject. And if he actually understand but continues that's just bad... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:51, 5 August 2016 (UTC)
::I don't see why it has to be mansplaining - Cueball just learned about it and thinks its exciting, so he wants to tell others about it. And in most conversations between a noob and an expert, the noob usually needs a point reclarified (especially if the book they just read wasnt written by that expert.) FutureMegan knows this isnt the case though… [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.87|108.162.221.87]] 12:20, 5 August 2016 (UTC)

I don't think the title text mentions a TimeTravel to 2010. Rather there was a party themed 2010 in the future (Like there are 90's and 80's themed parties nowadays)
--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.83.198|162.158.83.198]] 10:41, 5 August 2016 (UTC)
:Agree that has been corrected. No one know when the glasses broke but in that future no one probably uses them anymore. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:51, 5 August 2016 (UTC)

How did future Megan know that the conversation wasn't important if she didn't attend it in her past (in fact, no-one did or would)? A grandfather paradox. At best, she remembered to tell her past self, in which case it's still a bootstrap paradox (and an impressive feat of human memory, though Novikov self-consistency principle might hav helped her "randomly" remember). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.95.99|141.101.95.99]] 10:57, 5 August 2016 (UTC)
:Tried to add some more about that paradox and in general. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:51, 5 August 2016 (UTC)
:I added a little bit explaining what I think is a way for the comic to not be a paradox. While it does seem like the grandfather paradox at first glance, so long as the cause interrupting the conversation is preserved in the effect of the interruption, there's no logical problem (at least, that I've been able to think of). So long as the Megan who didn't have the conversation knows that it doesn't go anywhere and travels back in time to tell her younger self and preserve the loop, it can be easily sustained. [[User:Marcus4742|Marcus4742]] ([[User talk:Marcus4742|talk]]) 19:53, 5 August 2016 (UTC)

Alright, anyone who is willing to make the claim that "Google Glass will probably become popular in the 2010's" is living in a fantasy world. I've edited it to make the far more accurate claim that it could be either because Glass became popular or because Glass was an esoteric piece of hardware that lived (and died) in the 2010's. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.122|172.68.34.122]] 15:21, 5 August 2016 (UTC)

1716: Time Travel Thesis

2016-08-05T19:47:45Z

Marcus4742: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1716
| date = August 5, 2016
| title = Time Travel Thesis
| image = time_travel_thesis.png
| titletext = 'Hey, what are those futuristic goggles for, anyway?' 'Oh, this is just a broken Google Glass. It was 2010's night at the club.'
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] has apparently been reading about {{w|time travel}}. He tells [[Megan]] about this, and Megan excitedly remarks that she did her college thesis on time travel which basically means that she is supposed to know a lot more about time travel than a guy who has just been "reading" about it.

Cueball, however, continues to ask her if she knows basic facts about time travel, like he is investigating if he has discovered facets about it that she would have overlooked while writing a thesis about it, in what could be described as a typical male (non-scientist) behavior against female scientists. Megan keeps trying to say that since she wrote a '''Time Travel Thesis''', (hence the title of the comic), she already knows all of this and much, much more, and she is obviously getting frustrated by Cueball's attempts to impress her with his "knowledge".

At this point Megan's future-self arrives with a ''Bzzzzt'', having used time travel to arrive at this exact moment in time. It seem she has continued her research and has successfully managed to make a time machine (maybe in a collaboration with others, but with the ability to use it to her own end and needs.)

The reason she arrives is only to tell her younger self that this conversation with Cueball doesn't go anywhere and isn't important, and so present-Megan can leave and not waste her time anymore. Up till then, Megan was presumably reluctant to break off a conversation on the topic of time travel, since the conversation could potentially have improved, or maybe she was even at first attracted to Cueball and interested because he at least had read about time travel. But once the conversation began to run off track, it came as a relief to know that she could quit without the risk of missing out on anything important.

And then she just walks away with her future-self leaving Cueball hanging in the last panel, having invented a completely new way to get out of useless/boring conversations.

Alternatively, future-Megan just makes an excuse to haul present-Megan off in order to prevent the latter from disclosing some details of time travel science to Cueball, which could have unintended consequences. However using very advanced technology, or even violating physics law, for ''very mundane'' ends is a very common in xkcd, so using time travel to prevent useless conversation is not surprising from Megan.

In either case if future-Megan did not finish the conversation she would not know it was unimportant, thus indicating that she actually did. So by coming back she now changes her own (and Cueball's) future. But maybe she knows this will not change anything, just save her self from wasting time. Of course the general implications of being able to travel like this are enormous, and the {{w|Grandfather paradox|paradoxes arising}} from such a possibility endless. For instance the future Megan could now describe to the present Megan how to make the time machine. But why not have gone even further back making it possible to travel in time even earlier etc. (And of course the whole going back and killing one of parents before they even meet, like the idea in {{w|The Terminator}} movie). Generally time travel is a [[:Category:Time travel|recurring theme]] in xkcd. It is worth noting, however, that the comic does not inherently cause a paradox. Were Megan to actually finish the conversation originally and then travel back in time to interrupt it, so long as the Megan who ''didn't'' finish the conversation stills travels back in time with the ''knowledge'' that the conversation didn't actually go anywhere and still saves her younger self from wasting her time, a time loop can be logically sustained.

It is possible that [[Randall]] may have had some conversations like this, where after having spend a lot of time getting nothing out of it himself, would have wished his future self had come back to tell him to just leave the conversation now.

In the title text present-Megan asks future-Megan about her futuristic googles and what they are for, presumably assuming they are needed for the time travel (maybe it is the backpack?) However it turns out it's just some old and broken {{w|Google Glass}}. The only reason future Megan wears these is that she attended a party at the club that had a 2010's night theme.

This is an indication of how far from the future she has traveled, as Google Glass was first released in the 2010's. It is not clear whether she is wearing Google Glass because it became popular in the 2010's or because it was an esoteric piece of hardware that people would readily associate with the 2010's. Also a 90s party may be thrown today, but not a 2000's party. So it is safe to assume that Megan is at least from the 2030's. Also people attending retro dress-up parties frequently make mistakes and do not dress up exactly in-style, creating some anachronisms, especially if they dress up like they did many years ago.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is facing Megan, talking to her.]
:Cueball: I've been reading about time travel.
:Megan: Cool! I did my thesis on time travel!

:[Cueball is now gesturing toward Megan. An electrical charge of some sort is shown occurring outside the panel in the bottom right corner behind Megan.]
:Cueball: Nice! So you know about closed timelike curves?
:Megan: Yup. Thesis.
:Cueball: Apparently wormholes can use exotic matter to–
:Megan: I know. Like I said–
:Charge: <big>''Bzzzt!''</big>

:[Megan has turned away from Cueball to the right. Megan from the future, wearing sunglasses, a headset and a machine strapped to her back has entered the frame from the right where the charge appeared.]
:Future-Megan: You can skip this conversation. It doesn't turn out to be important.
:Megan: Oh, thank God.

:[Cueball is standing alone, the two Megans have left the panel.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Time travel]]

1716: Time Travel Thesis

2016-08-05T19:47:01Z

Marcus4742: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1716
| date = August 5, 2016
| title = Time Travel Thesis
| image = time_travel_thesis.png
| titletext = 'Hey, what are those futuristic goggles for, anyway?' 'Oh, this is just a broken Google Glass. It was 2010's night at the club.'
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] has apparently been reading about {{w|time travel}}. He tells [[Megan]] about this, and Megan excitedly remarks that she did her college thesis on time travel which basically means that she is supposed to know a lot more about time travel than a guy who has just been "reading" about it.

Cueball, however, continues to ask her if she knows basic facts about time travel, like he is investigating if he has discovered facets about it that she would have overlooked while writing a thesis about it, in what could be described as a typical male (non-scientist) behavior against female scientists. Megan keeps trying to say that since she wrote a '''Time Travel Thesis''', (hence the title of the comic), she already knows all of this and much, much more, and she is obviously getting frustrated by Cueball's attempts to impress her with his "knowledge".

At this point Megan's future-self arrives with a ''Bzzzzt'', having used time travel to arrive at this exact moment in time. It seem she has continued her research and has successfully managed to make a time machine (maybe in a collaboration with others, but with the ability to use it to her own end and needs.)

The reason she arrives is only to tell her younger self that this conversation with Cueball doesn't go anywhere and isn't important, and so present-Megan can leave and not waste her time anymore. Up till then, Megan was presumably reluctant to break off a conversation on the topic of time travel, since the conversation could potentially have improved, or maybe she was even at first attracted to Cueball and interested because he at least had read about time travel. But once the conversation began to run off track, it came as a relief to know that she could quit without the risk of missing out on anything important.

And then she just walks away with her future-self leaving Cueball hanging in the last panel, having invented a completely new way to get out of useless/boring conversations.

Alternatively, future-Megan just makes an excuse to haul present-Megan off in order to prevent the latter from disclosing some details of time travel science to Cueball, which could have unintended consequences. However using very advanced technology, or even violating physics law, for ''very mundane'' ends is a very common in xkcd, so using time travel to prevent useless conversation is not surprising from Megan.

In either case if future-Megan did not finish the conversation she would not know it was unimportant, thus indicating that she actually did. So by coming back she now changes her own (and Cueball's) future. But maybe she knows this will not change anything, just save her self from wasting time. Of course the general implications of being able to travel like this are enormous, and the {{w|Grandfather paradox|paradoxes arising}} from such a possibility endless. For instance the future Megan could now describe to the present Megan how to make the time machine. But why not have gone even further back making it possible to travel in time even earlier etc. (And of course the whole going back and killing one of parents before they even meet, like the idea in {{w|The Terminator}} movie). Generally time travel is a [[:Category:Time travel|recurring theme]] in xkcd. It is worth noting, however, that the comic does not inherently cause a paradox. Were Megan to actually finish the conversation originally and then travel back in time to interrupt it, so long as the Megan who ''didn't'' finish the conversation stills travels back in time with the "knowledge" that the conversation didn't actually go anywhere and still saves her younger self from wasting her time, a time loop can be logically sustained.

It is possible that [[Randall]] may have had some conversations like this, where after having spend a lot of time getting nothing out of it himself, would have wished his future self had come back to tell him to just leave the conversation now.

In the title text present-Megan asks future-Megan about her futuristic googles and what they are for, presumably assuming they are needed for the time travel (maybe it is the backpack?) However it turns out it's just some old and broken {{w|Google Glass}}. The only reason future Megan wears these is that she attended a party at the club that had a 2010's night theme.

This is an indication of how far from the future she has traveled, as Google Glass was first released in the 2010's. It is not clear whether she is wearing Google Glass because it became popular in the 2010's or because it was an esoteric piece of hardware that people would readily associate with the 2010's. Also a 90s party may be thrown today, but not a 2000's party. So it is safe to assume that Megan is at least from the 2030's. Also people attending retro dress-up parties frequently make mistakes and do not dress up exactly in-style, creating some anachronisms, especially if they dress up like they did many years ago.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is facing Megan, talking to her.]
:Cueball: I've been reading about time travel.
:Megan: Cool! I did my thesis on time travel!

:[Cueball is now gesturing toward Megan. An electrical charge of some sort is shown occurring outside the panel in the bottom right corner behind Megan.]
:Cueball: Nice! So you know about closed timelike curves?
:Megan: Yup. Thesis.
:Cueball: Apparently wormholes can use exotic matter to–
:Megan: I know. Like I said–
:Charge: <big>''Bzzzt!''</big>

:[Megan has turned away from Cueball to the right. Megan from the future, wearing sunglasses, a headset and a machine strapped to her back has entered the frame from the right where the charge appeared.]
:Future-Megan: You can skip this conversation. It doesn't turn out to be important.
:Megan: Oh, thank God.

:[Cueball is standing alone, the two Megans have left the panel.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Time travel]]

1701: Speed and Danger

2016-07-01T16:19:12Z

Marcus4742: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1701
| date = July 1, 2016
| title = Speed and Danger
| image = speed_and_danger.png
| titletext = NASCAR removed the passenger seats because drivers hated how astronauts kept riding along with them and loudly announcing "Ahh, what a nice and relaxing drive."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Very early explanation. Please elaborate further.}}

Here, Randall makes the observation that the danger of a crash is greatly influenced by its speed {{Citation needed}} and highlights the difference between what we perceive as 'fast' (i.e., racing cars) and what's actually quite fast (i.e., a rocket during takeoff). A rocket may appear to ascend slowly, but it is moving very quickly and any sort of failure is highly fatal. Racing cars are crashed much more often and so have been designed to be as safe as possible, resulting in a much lower mortality rate despite the apparent danger {{Citation needed}}.

The titletext serves to further emphasize the point, as an astronaut (used to the several G's of acceleration during takeoff and overall much higher speeds) would likely find a nascar car moving at ~200mph paltry compared to what they're acclimated to and has supposedly aggravated nascar drivers by making a point of saying so.

This comic is notable for containing the fewest samples of any plot-point graph featured on xkcd.{{Citation needed}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

A two-axis diagram.

Toward the top says "Crashes are safe". Toward the bottom says "Crashes are dangerous".

Toward the left says "Slow". Toward the right says "Fast".

In the upper left corner ("crashes are safe", "slow"), lists "Normal sports", "NASCAR" and "Formula One" with each getting slightly faster and slightly more dangerous.

In the lower right corner ("crashes are dangerous", "fast"), lists "Rocket launches".

{{comic discussion}}