explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1658: Estimating Time

2016-03-22T09:23:08Z

Npsych: What Randall's been up to

Nice to see [[Danish]] so clearly back in action. It was also way too long since there have been any clear references to self reference although it of course doesn't reach the level of [[688: Self-Description]]. ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:00, 21 March 2016 (UTC)

Makes me wonder if Randall is working on another big comic, and how long those take him. - Dan - [[Special:Contributions/198.41.235.77|198.41.235.77]] 13:25, 21 March 2016 (UTC)

Why does it make you wonder if he is working on another big comic? I mean, that'd be cool, but why?

What am I missing?

ANSWER ME

[[1627: Woosh]]

Well, he's been up against a deadline for a while, I suspect: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/22/science/randall-munroe-xkcd-science-textbook.html?hpw&rref=science&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well He's written "The story of What's Inside Your Body" for high school students. "…stick figures and simplistic diagrams annotated with curiously nontechnical prose. A schematic of the human body, for instance, looks more like a subway map with various organs labeled as “air bag,” “blood pusher,” “thinking bag” and so on." [[User:Npsych|Npsych]] ([[User talk:Npsych|talk]]) 09:23, 22 March 2016 (UTC)

Why is this talking about adding doubling imaginary numbers? Time estimates are usually non-negative real numbers. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.165|162.158.91.165]] 15:01, 21 March 2016 (UTC)
: I was thinking the exact same thing until I realized that in this context, "imaginary" refers to "non-existent": The numbers being doubled only exist in Ponytail's head. I was very confused until I realized that he wasn't referring to complex numbers with a real component of zero. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.35|173.245.54.35]] 16:14, 21 March 2016 (UTC)
: lolol "Yes, yes, you're very smart. Now shut up." [[User:NotLock|NotLock]] ([[User talk:NotLock|talk]]) 16:21, 21 March 2016 (UTC)

This may be a reference to the rule of thumb that you double your estimate and raise to the next higher unit. E.g.if you think it will take two days, give an estimate of four weeks. There are of course many similar rules out there.
--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.133.144|162.158.133.144]] 15:58, 21 March 2016 (UTC)
This is only too real.[[User:International Space Station|International Space Station]] ([[User talk:International Space Station|talk]]) 17:48, 21 March 2016 (UTC)

What about the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference? ("Don't Panic") [[User:Arthulia|Arthulia]] ([[User talk:Arthulia|talk]]) 21:27, 21 March 2016 (UTC)
: No. It's not a reference. General rule of thumb- "If you have to ask 'Is this a reference?' then it almost certainly isn't." -Pennpenn. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.155|108.162.250.155]] 23:32, 21 March 2016 (UTC)
:: A reference must be explicit. It could be an allusion, but not a reference. Anyway, "If you have to ask 'Is this an allusion?' then it almost certainly isn't." [[Special:Contributions/141.101.103.219|141.101.103.219]] 00:12, 22 March 2016 (UTC)

[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1658:_Estimating_Time&diff=next&oldid=115357 This] is absurd. We shouldn't link [[Ponytail]] and [[Danish]] every time their names appear. I deleted 11 links. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.103.219|141.101.103.219]] 00:23, 22 March 2016 (UTC)

The way I read it, Danish isn't offering to help Ponytail estimate the amount of time needed, she's offering to help her panic: "Don't panic - there's a simple trick for that"; i.e. a simple trick for panicking.

Talk:1268: Alternate Universe

2016-03-03T13:06:21Z

Npsych:

This reminds me of that conspiracy theorist thing where a bunch of people thought that New Zealand was, like, to the west or north of Australia (I can't quite remember), only to check on a map and see it was definitely to the east... And as such convinced themselves that they somehow travelled to an alternate version of Earth were everything was basically the same except NZ was in a new place. Anyone else remember/know about those guys?
EDIT: Found one of 'em, so hopefully I sound less crazy (than them): [http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread543455/pg1 NZ conspiracy nut in action]
[[Special:Contributions/67.71.33.122|67.71.33.122]] 01:29, 24 September 2013 (UTC)

: I haven't heard of the NZ thing (I live in Australia and am a geologist, so it just sounds like the normal sorts of jokes we make about American's geographical ignorance...), but there is a bit of internet folklore/urban myth that many of us originate from a parallel universe in which The Berenstain Bears are called The Berenstein Bears. I know I am from this particular universe because IT WAS TOTALLY BERENSTEIN WHEN I WAS LITTLE. YOU'RE ALL LIVING A LIE!!! I CAN'T GET HOME!!!! *breaks down in tears* [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.155|108.162.249.155]] 02:20, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

I thought Earth Prime was a reference to Sliders... but Wikipedia says it's been used much more widely. [[User:Saibot84|Saibot84]] ([[User talk:Saibot84|talk]]) 04:40, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

Wait, wait ... only "some of you" change your clocks? In the universe I just came from, MOST of them changed their clocks at unsynchronized times for no good reason anyone has ever been able to demonstrate. Only the Third World along with Hawaii and Saskatchewan were holdouts where I came from.{{unsigned ip|72.68.9.56}}

Neither India nor China are having this obscure idea of occasionally changing their clocks for no obvious reasons. So even "most" might be a bit of a stretch. [[User:Pmakholm|Pmakholm]] ([[User talk:Pmakholm|talk]])

:Sure they do -- they're just more occasional about it than others! China last did it in '91, and India in '45.{{unsigned ip|72.68.9.56}}

:Neither does Indonesia. Apparently, according to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DaylightSaving-World-Subdivisions.png this map], neither does a good deal of the world (particularly those near equator) as well. [[User:Goldstein-Izayoi|Goldstein-Izayoi]] ([[User talk:Goldstein-Izayoi|talk]]) 13:57, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

Iceland (definitely NOT Third World) does not changes its clocks. It remains on GMT throughout the year, despite being way west of the Greenwich Meridian [[Special:Contributions/95.131.110.106|95.131.110.106]] 09:53, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

:In my universe, Iceland was a small, inbred fishing community -- prone to collapsing the world's economies with banking phishing scams {{unsigned ip|72.68.9.56}}

Yeah I think it's a Sliders reference. Randall says he was transported in the late 1990s and Sliders aired from 1995-2000. [[Special:Contributions/184.56.86.168|184.56.86.168]] 06:02, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

:Didn't we already had discussion about Earth Prime on [[1184:_Circumference_Formula]]? Hmmm ... should we prepare category for comics mentioning Earth Prime? :-) -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:02, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

They eat spiders in some parts of this world, e.g. Cambodia. [[User:Geevade|Geevade]] ([[User talk:Geevade|talk]]) 06:54, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

Reminds me a little bit of this Married to the Sea strip: http://www.marriedtothesea.com/index.php?date=111008 [[Special:Contributions/213.86.4.78|213.86.4.78]] 10:38, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

Reminds me of this bit from [http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/27/1680102/the-lobster-rebellion.html a Dave Barry column]: "I personally see no significant difference between a lobster and, say, a giant Madagascar hissing cockroach, which is a type of cockroach that grows to approximately the size of William Howard Taft (1857-1930). If a group of diners were sitting in a nice restaurant, and the waiter were to bring them each a freshly killed, steaming-hot Madagascar hissing cockroach, they would not put on silly bibs and eat it with butter. No, they would run, retching, directly from the restaurant to the All-Nite Drive-Thru Lawsuit Center." [[User:SteveMB|SteveMB]] ([[User talk:SteveMB|talk]]) 10:46, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

Has this guy never heard of Bear Grylls? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WVcSufp3Fw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJRpXYs1pQA (Just occasionally!) [[Special:Contributions/121.74.169.237|121.74.169.237]] 11:01, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

I wonder how amount of meat compares, and meat-to-shell ration, and taste of meat. BTW Wikipedia says that {{w|Spider#Benefits_to_humans|''Cooked tarantula spiders are considered a delicacy in Cambodia''}}. --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 11:56, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

Personally, I don't think spiders to lobsters is a good comparison. Spiders are carnivores, while lobsters are carrion eaters. Personally, I would never want to eat a carrion eater. (Of course, I would never want to eat a spider either, but that's different...) --[[User:Divad27182|Divad27182]] ([[User talk:Divad27182|talk]]) 13:53, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

I always compared Lobster to cockroaches. But, maybe calling them "The cockroaches of the sea" was just me. --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 16:22, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

So, this alternate universe has a restaurant chain called "Red Spider"? [[User:SteveMB|SteveMB]] ([[User talk:SteveMB|talk]]) 21:28, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

: Brilliant. [[Special:Contributions/192.249.1.163|192.249.1.163]] 02:45, 9 October 2013 (UTC)
:eek! http://xkcd.com/8/ [[User:Orazor|Orazor]] ([[User talk:Orazor|talk]]) 13:48, 30 September 2014 (UTC)

On this one episode of Game Grumps on of the guys on that show mentioned some comedian or something making a comment along the lines of "Realizing you really are getting old is like seeing a teenager eat a spider like it's nothing. You can't explain to him why it's wrong, you just know it is, but his generation doesn't get why it isn't okay." That was the first thing I thought of when I saw read this, does anyone know who said this? [[Special:Contributions/74.110.143.25|74.110.143.25]] 21:42, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

I read: "where people occasionally ARE spiders"!
...and though Megan was about to kiss her spider boyfriend. [[Special:Contributions/205.151.118.100|205.151.118.100]] 00:41, 24 September 2013 (UTC)

Can someone explain why occasionally eating spiders is weird? The universe that I come from has people eating on average 8 spiders a year while sleeping, though I can't seem to find a source of that information on this universe's Internet. Spiders being not okay to eat occasionally and the Internet failing me must surely be signs I'm in a parallel universe. --[[Special:Contributions/68.97.21.122|68.97.21.122]] 03:32, 24 September 2013 (UTC)

:Somewhere I saw that the 8 spiders a year is probably low estimate :-). (Other sites insists its urban legend, but seriously, how would you prove this?) But no matter what you think about spiders opinion on mouth as possible home, I would say it only counts when you eat spider deliberately. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:28, 25 September 2013 (UTC)

::CP Grey tackles the spider myth in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCzXZfNIu3A {{unsigned|Rael}}

The 8 spiders a year is false. Here's a link: http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/spiders.asp
:Note that this only proves that the statistics is urban legend and doesn't say anything about how high the actual consumption is. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:06, 16 October 2013 (UTC)
::Sure it does. It says the actual consumption is zero, and explains why. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.180|199.27.130.180]] 15:10, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

Indeed "8 spiders" is probably a very low estimate of annual consumption. In the universe where I originally came from, insect parts (and presumably spiders) provide a nutritional boost to many industrially-processed foods. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Food_Defect_Action_Levels [[Special:Contributions/108.160.230.100|108.160.230.100]] 17:23, 30 September 2013 (UTC)

HaHaHa i'm from Israel and this comic is about us! according to jewish diatery rules, spiders and lobsters are both forbidden (only one Arthropod is allowd - Locust). We also had a mix-up with our clock because we changed the date without telling Apple and Google, so the smartphones had to be switched manually. {{unsigned ip|84.229.22.212}}

:Really? I'm not sure it's about Israel. I think it's about the ridiculousness of eating lobsters, as they are similar to spiders, and eating spiders is "disgusting", while eating lobsters is "normal". I'm a vegetarian, so I don't eat any arthropods. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.62|108.162.216.62]] 17:53, 15 January 2015 (UTC)

(CTU) 3102 rebmevoN 1 ,92:30 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.117|711.642.261.801]] ?sdrawkcab gnitirw lla uoy era yhW {{unsigned ip|108.162.246.117}}

I get why people might dislike eating lobster (and/or spiders) but I don't get why it would seem rational to consider it the same thing when they are quite physically distinct. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.205|108.162.249.205]] 00:55, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

I don't really get this comic... I get that eating lobster is weird, but spiders are delicious. It's hard to convice people that it ''isn't'' weird to eat spiders... {{unsigned ip|108.162.241.124}}

Howard Nemerov offers this take on lobsters awaiting purchase in a supermarket: "...the beauty of strangeness marks/These creatures, who move (when they do)/With a slow, vague wavering of claws... We inlanders, buying our needful food,/Pause over these slow, gigantic spiders/ That spin not. We pause and are bemused..." From the poem "Lobsters" in "The Collected Poems of Howard Nemerov."[[User:Npsych|Npsych]] ([[User talk:Npsych|talk]])

Talk:1268: Alternate Universe

2016-03-03T13:05:16Z

Npsych: A poetic take on lobsters as spiders

Talk:640: Tornado Hunter

2015-12-22T10:41:05Z

Npsych: Tornadoes and cacti can co-exist

I'm not sure if Randall knew this, but the "EF" in the Enhanced Fujita ratings is still pronounced the same as the letter F.--[[Special:Contributions/68.97.21.122|68.97.21.122]] 02:51, 8 July 2013 (UTC)

I'm Australian, but I have been given to believe tornados don't normally occur in areas where cacti grow? {{unsigned ip|108.162.250.223}}

Tornadoes are not as common in places such as Arizona and New Mexico (examples of states where cacti grow) as they are further East, but they do occur. "In the Southwestern United States, New Mexico reported 485 tornadoes during the 1950 to 2006 period (NCDC figures), California reported 355, Arizona reported 209, and Nevada reported 75.[15] New Mexico borders the notoriously tornado prone states of Texas and Oklahoma, hence the noticeably higher figures. Most of the tornadoes here happen in the very eastern part of the state. New Mexico's region and the desert landscape of the state help prevent the amount of twisters that happen in Oklahoma and Texas. [15] Arizona and New Mexico experience regular summer thunderstorms during their monsoon season. These are sometimes tornadic but rarely produce violent tornadoes." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornadoes_in_the_United_States#West_and_Southwest)

Talk:634: Date

2015-12-22T10:29:03Z

Npsych: Colorblind kids' potential appreciation for their red hair and green eyes

I think Randall was after a kind of double-take: While Megan is exclaiming happily at the possibility of red hair for one of their potential kids, and Cueball is mentioning green eyes, at first glance the possibility of the kids being colorblind means they would be unable to appreciate their own attractiveness, since red-green colorblindness is (I believe) the most common variety. Only when the viewer sits back and reflects on the intricacies of genetics does this irony fade.

Talk:603: Idiocracy

2015-12-02T10:20:03Z

Npsych: The average IQ can and does change

This explanation seems to be incorrect. The key point was that White Hat actually was wrong! The average education has gone up, and the average IQ ''cannot'' sink! By allowing Cueball to agree with clearly false laments, he baits him into revealing his stupidity. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 19:58, 20 August 2013 (UTC)
:The title text pretty much spells out that, in Randall's mind, White Hat is correct. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.66|199.27.128.66]] 06:14, 10 November 2013 (UTC)

I propose that the hatted figure is not in fact [[White_Hat|White Hat]], as neither the hat shape nor the personality are consistent with other appearances. ([[:Category:Comics featuring White Hat‏‎]]) The real White Hat, when he speaks, is generally a bit of a wet blanket or well-meaning buffoon. This one, whom I'll dub [[White_Derby|White Derby]], is speaking counter-buffoonery, what we may reasonably guess to be the actual thoughts of the author. Usually Cueball fills this role (eg [[258:_Conspiracy_Theories]]), and in fact if the roles here were reversed I'd tend to ignore the misshapen hat. But two and two, together, well... --[[Special:Contributions/66.114.70.139|66.114.70.139]] 18:39, 28 October 2013 (UTC)
:Eh. He hasn't appeared in any other strips, and it's not too harmful to put him under the umbrella of the real White Hat. I see your point; White Hat is no longer a generic character like [[Hairy]], but an actual recurring one.
:Also, have Black Hat and White Hat ever appeared in the same comic? (Click and Drag doesn't count.) [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 09:08, 11 November 2013 (UTC)

So, does this page qualify for Complete now? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.66|199.27.128.66]] 05:36, 12 November 2013 (UTC)

Sorry Randall. You're wrong here. IQ can change. Just because there is a mean for the IQ of the current population, doesn't mean that average can't shift over time. And if we used to be cavemen then either the IQ did shift, or we've always been this smart, which means we couldn't have evolved.

In this case, IQ is exactly the same as morality. Both shift ever so slightly over time, such that the mean is always the acceptable "norm". You can't feel this shift unless you study it. The difference is that morality exhibits locality, so morality shifts slower or faster depending on the subsection of society. Thus you have people who believe they are more right than others, but no one believes they are outright wrong (as a culture). Proof in the pudding is doing a poll on the population as to how smart they think they are. They always rate themselves such that the mean is shifted 1 or 2 deviations up. Same thing with morality. People all espouse a morality that they think is 1 or 2 deviations greater than the standard, whether they are a religious sect or secularists.

But the short of it, a population mean doesn't imply the mean never changes.[[User:Cflare|Cflare]] ([[User talk:Cflare|talk]]) 21:12, 4 August 2014 (UTC)

:While IQ can change, the way you're explaining it is not the way the Cueball or "White Hat" is explaining it. In fact, "White Hat" never explicitly states that IQ doesn't evolve at all; just not to the depressing trend Cueball here thinks it does. Anonymous 23:04, 20 August 2014 (UTC)

In fact average IQ cannot change. The average IQ of humanity is always 100, because that is the definition of the IQ scale.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.129|108.162.216.129]] 01:15, 15 March 2015 (UTC)

"IQ" per se is simply what IQ tests measure. There's no law that says any specific test that purports to be the best measure of IQ is the gold standard. In the US and many (perhaps most) other English-speaking countries, the Wechsler and Stanford-Binet scales are the most popular. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale is the IQ test most commonly used (for adults) by neuropsychologists. It's re-normed every few years (e.g., WAIS-III becomes WAIS-IV, then WAIS-V, etc.). In "re-norming" each question is studied and perhaps refined, some are dropped, and new questions--sometimes entirely new subtests--are added. The method of calculating the IQ is often tweaked as well. Re-norming involves administering versions of the test to thousands of people and using statistics to determine the one to keep. Obviously the same pool of test-takers is not used every time in a process that goes on decade after decade. It's not unusual for test questions to become more difficult and what's considered to be an average score to be a bit higher in the new edition than in the old. This has been interpreted to mean that people are getting more intelligent, but that's not the only possible explanation. (Also, the test is not normed on "humanity" but on a tiny subset of earth's humans.) Oh, and your IQ is not a number carved in stone, so to speak, but a best-guess that falls within the range of scores you'd be expected to earn if (theoretically) you took the same test multiple times.[[User:Npsych|Npsych]] ([[User talk:Npsych|talk]]) 10:20, 2 December 2015 (UTC)

If there is reason for climate change it is almost certainly due to the destruction of trees. Any ridiculous assertions about carbon dioxide can not be confirmed or denied and the political machinations about carbon dioxide stem from Margaret Thatcher's war on the coal miners in Britain.

It would be a simple matter to replant forests. All we would have to do is pay for that in higher latitudes and send in drones to deal with illegal loggers in lower latitudes. 20 years or so should sort out most of the problems.

[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 17:03, 29 January 2015 (UTC)

: I see what you did there... This is the bit where you go "Everything I just said was wrong" --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 17:26, 29 January 2015 (UTC)

Elitism is an eminently more desirable trait than stupidity to breed into one's offspring. An elitist might be hated, but he will be *competent*; he will *accomplish things*, while a stupid person will harm themselves and others through their stupidity, often remaining well-liked in spite of being cancerous and toxic to everything nearby. Elitism is the bitter taste of medicine which will make you better; stupidity is the delicious candy to which you will become hopelessly addicted at a formative age, leading to a miserable lifetime of diabetes and an early death by heart failure. I only wish I intended to reproduce, so that I could practice what I preach on this regard. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.52|173.245.54.52]] 19:28, 30 October 2015 (UTC)

Talk:526: Converting to Metric

2015-11-16T11:05:46Z

Npsych: Uck!

Why is 3L a two-liter bottle?[[Special:Contributions/75.69.96.225|75.69.96.225]] 21:16, 28 April 2013 (UTC)

:Because this is America and we supersize our sodas! {{unsigned ip|72.68.9.56}}

:It is the volume of the bottle itself. I have added this explanation. [[User:Sten|Sten]] ([[User talk:Sten|talk]]) 22:39, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

:A 2L bottle doesn't take 3L of space, not even close. I also think it's a reference to overly large drinks in the US. But even if it isn't, the current explanation is wrong. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.34|108.162.229.34]] 22:28, 12 December 2013 (UTC)

: I suspect he's just messing with us, because the approximate volume of a two-liter bottle should be obvious. Many beverages sold in the US are already labeled in metric. Soda is routinely sold in one and two liter bottles, with three-liter bottles common in some markets. Bottled water is often sold in liters and half-liters. Liquor and wine are sold in 375 and 750 mL bottles. Also, since 1 quart = 946 mL, an approximate (+/- 5%) mental conversion from quarts to liters is already quite easy. [[User:Fryhole|Fryhole]] ([[User talk:Fryhole|talk]]) 01:35, 25 January 2014 (UTC)

My names River, that is all --[[Special:Contributions/139.216.242.254|139.216.242.254]] 02:52, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

:Tick tock, goes the clock, 'till River kills the Doctor

Earth's hottest is 70,7 °C... [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.29|199.27.128.29]] 03:06, 24 February 2014 (UTC)

:The world record as per wikipedia (and Guiness) is "only" 56.7. See corrected explanation above. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:03, 6 March 2014 (UTC)

There was an incomplete asking for checking all measures and also for making sure that the references to serenity and velociraptors was mentioned. I did this, the last two by assigning the categories (firefly), and then also creating a new [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Your_Mom category:Your Mom]. I now consider this explanation complete. Although if someone will speculate two whom the remaining two from the Serenity crew tower then please do so ;-) [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:03, 6 March 2014 (UTC)

:Simon and Kaylee is my guess. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.85|173.245.55.85]] 22:17, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

The speed of rapors given here is very different from [[135: Substitute]]. [[User:B jonas|B jonas]] ([[User talk:B jonas|talk]]) 14:58, 25 March 2014 (UTC)

This sentence in the 'Mass' section has a [small] error: 'This is a common theme in XKCD.'-- it should be 'xkcd', not 'XKCD'. See the website for Randall's personal opinion on this. Anyways, it's small, but kinda stands out if your a reeallyy hardcore fan. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.73|173.245.55.73]] 05:39, 9 April 2014 (UTC)
:Thanks for your hint, an update is done. But please add your comments here at the bottom. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:26, 9 April 2014 (UTC)

-40 degrees centigrade is also -40 degrees Fahrenheit! The only such temperature.--DrMath 07:51, 7 July 2014 (UTC)

This is tagged with "Featuring real people" -- I don't see any real people in here, should we removethat tag? [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 02:21, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

: It refers to Shaq, Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich, Summer Glau, your mom... --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 08:18, 29 September 2014 (UTC)

Ron Paul is not a republican though. [[User:YourLifeisaLie|Yourlifeisalie]] ([[User talk:YourLifeisaLie|talk]]) 16:33, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

kph got me confused, because "km/h" is the usual way of displaying kilometers per hour. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.212|162.158.90.212]]

As a Maine resident I concur with this sentiment: "at -30°, the user is incapable of closing their mouth after starting the first "fuck", and so extends it into one long one." However, try uttering the word "fuck" without closing your mouth... uck-uck-uck...

Talk:1012: Wrong Superhero

2015-11-07T10:16:59Z

Npsych: Answering a commenter's question about title text.

Maybe they wanted to know what the plural form of mantis is, if more were to show up? Looks like a job for etymology man. [[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]][[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>(talk)</tt>]] 14:30, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

So what is the title text referring too? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.98|108.162.221.98]] 14:54, 6 April 2015 (UTC)

The title text is referring to Genesis 2:20: "And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field." In Biblical terms, this verse explains how all names of creatures (including praying mantises) came to be. Apparently Etymology-Man has studied this.

adam-ology make more sense than the other guesses[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.65|173.245.56.65]] 07:48, 1 November 2015 (UTC)

Talk:910: Permanence

2015-10-24T08:23:30Z

Npsych: epidurals don't make you stoned

I would marry a girl called epidural. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 01:40, 17 April 2013 (UTC)

Server or not, I know myself the feeling of wanting a super-duper high-school-level name. At least I have a system of naming my computers, gaming devices, and (future?) servers.[[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 17:49, 13 February 2014 (UTC)

I usually use some kind of encoded date (related to when the computer was acquired or setup) in the name, probably prefixed by something signify the model or vendor of the computer. Permanency of relevance is guaranteed and it is easier than try to think what the name will means years from now. [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 20:13, 30 October 2014 (UTC)

This appears to be the Debian installer. It's also missing the "<Continue>" button.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.119|108.162.216.119]] 02:38, 1 March 2015 (UTC)

Use a name that reminds you which computer it is. In a network this can be very important. It should be descriptive but not silly or generic. Trust me on this. [[User:Jakee308|Jakee308]] ([[User talk:Jakee308|talk]]) 03:21, 15 June 2015 (UTC)

I've still called my servers planet names. Even 'Pluto', my build server, works just fine without Pluto being a real planet. -[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.190|162.158.91.190]] 23:06, 23 October 2015 (UTC)

Epidural anesthetics don't make one feel or act "drugged" in the sense of stoned. They can cause hypotension (low blood pressure), which can cause lightheadedness, but that would rarely produce a similar effect to, say, marijuana or LSD. Other side effects can include nausea, backache, and headache (http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Epidural-anaesthesia/Pages/Sideeffects.aspx), none of which would make one want to name one's baby after their cause.

Talk:589: Designated Drivers

2015-10-09T09:52:28Z

Npsych: Double meaning of "non-trivial"

I think I read a reference to the goat/wolf puzzle in an older comic. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.196|108.162.212.196]] 18:08, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

Why no explanation of the third panel? Is it because it doesn't make sense? That seems unlike Randall, so I'll have a go.

Proposed Order of Events:
* On the diagram, we see three figures entering the bar, and three lines entering dinner (probably Paul, and Emily and Julie). That makes six people altogether.
* Of the three at the bar, two go to dinner and one goes straight to the party
* All five people leave the dinner and go to the party, joining the sixth.
* Two of the six leave the party together (Julie and Emily at 10pm)
* One of the six leaves the party and goes back to the dinner venue, and from there goes home.
* One of the six leaves the party and goes back to the bar
* The last two leave the party and on their way home, appear to join up with the one who went back to the bar

Because there are no times or identities assigned to the paths, other interpretations are possible.

Notes:
* The diagram as a whole has six entries and six exits, as does each venue. There are definitely six people who all enter from the outside, and eventually leave.
* Why are there four people visible in the first panel, but only three people start at the bar? That part makes no sense. To match the diagram to the comic, we have to pretend that there are only three people in the first panel.
* Who is Tom? He must be one of the people visible in the first panel, even though he is spoken about as though he wasn't there.

Ignoring the goat for now, how many drivers do we need?
* Most cars can take five people at a pinch, so sheer numbers don't seem to be the issue.
* You need two drivers (and two cars) if people were leaving at different times, or heading in entirely different directions.
* Presumably, Julie and Emily arrive in their own car and also leave in it. Ignore them for now..
* Someone drives back from the party to the dinner, and then home. This must be one of the people from the first panel, and they must have their own car.

Proposal:
* There are only three people at the bar, Tom, Megan and (I'll say) David. They each have their own car.
* David drives to the party. Tom and Megan drive separately to the dinner, one of them collecting Paul on the way.
* Tom and Megan drive from the dinner to the party; Paul rides with one of them.
* Megan later drives back to the dinner venue, then home.
* Paul later drives Tom's car back to the bar, and proceeds to get drunk.
* David drives Tom a ride to the bar, to collect his car and drive Paul home.

Note that this scenario implies that everybody who is initially at the bar has to be a designated driver.

And I have still not considered the goat.

Any other interpretations would be welcome! I am not really satisfied with this but got tired of thinking about it.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.58|108.162.219.58]] 18:52, 7 February 2014 (UTC)

:tl;dr or {{w|Wikipedia:Too long; didn't read}}. Please calm down just to the essentials. And please try to keep an explain just straight forward. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:08, 7 February 2014 (UTC)

<sigh> everyone forgets the cabbage... [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 15:12, 27 February 2014 (UTC)

- For those unfamiliar, the goat/wolf reference is an old logic puzzle. You have a goat, wolf and head of cabbage. Using a rowboat, how can you get them all safely across a lake? Sometimes the assumptions are given: Goat eats cabbage, Wolf eats goat. Sometimes only 1 item at a time in rowboat, sometimes two. Solve. (Goat, empty, ...)

- BTW, I think the diagram description above is ok, shows how lots of interpretations possible. If it is inaccurate, well, has the artist already been to the bar? Arranging outings with friends, sometimes it's just a hassle, eh? And people will try to solve problems with the tools they know, hence a flow-diagram from the head XKCD geek. Just needs a state table with optimizations to make it complete! (-: [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.114|199.27.128.114]] 18:25, 9 June 2014 (UTC)

I like the double meaning of "non-trivial" in the comic. There's the math sense of the term and also the human sense. To fully appreciate the human sense it helps to be old enough to know that, say, 35 years ago, drunk driving was commonly regarded as a trivial problem. MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), founded in 1980, helped change this, as did increasingly drastic penalties and public shaming of people who drove drunk. When I was growing up (1960s) and a young adult (1970s) there was no concept of Designated Driver. [[User:Npsych|Npsych]] ([[User talk:Npsych|talk]]) 09:52, 9 October 2015 (UTC)