explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Shachar explain xkcd - User contributions [en] 2026-04-09T13:52:46Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.30.0 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1574:_Trouble_for_Science&diff=101302 1574: Trouble for Science 2015-09-07T14:29:15Z

<p>Shachar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1574<br /> | date = September 7, 2015<br /> | title = Trouble for Science<br /> | image = trouble_for_science.png<br /> | titletext = Careful mathematical analysis demonstrates small-scale irregularities in Gaussian distribution<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|More details in each artcile, espceially the one about antibodies and rodents.}}<br /> <br /> The title of five scientific articles are shown:<br /> <br /> ;Many commercial antibody-based immunoassays are unreliable<br /> This sentence is true. See Kebaneilwe Lebani, [http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:352531 Antibody Discovery for Development of a Serotyping Dengue Virus NS1 Capture Assay], 2014. In this PhD thesis, 11 references are given.<br /> <br /> ;Problems with the p-value as an indicator of significance<br /> p-value is the probability that an event is observed just by chance. If p-value is under a treshold level (''α'', usually <5%, or <1% for being more conservative) one can assume that the event observed "exists".<br /> The value used for ''α'' has been proposed by [http://web.lru.dk/sites/lru.dk/files/lru/docs/kap9/kapitel_9_126_On_the_origins.pdf Fisher] and is completely arbitrary.<br /> <br /> The use of p-values as a measure of statistical significance is frequently criticized, for example in [http://wiki.bio.dtu.dk/~agpe/papers/pval_notuseful.pdf Hubbard and Lindsay]. Randal has demonstrated this problem in the past in [[882: Significant]].<br /> ;Overfeeding of laboratory rodents compromises animal models<br /> <br /> [http://tpx.sagepub.com/content/24/6/757.full.pdf Keenan et al.] makes this case.<br /> <br /> ;Replication study fails to reproduce many published results<br /> A [https://explorable.com/replication-study Replication Study] is a study designed to replicate the results of a previous study by using the same methods for a different set of subjects and experimenters. It aims to recreate the results to gain confidence in the results of the previous study as well as ensuring that the findings of the previous study are transferable to other similar areas of study.<br /> <br /> Randall is probably referring to this recent study: http://www.nature.com/news/over-half-of-psychology-studies-fail-reproducibility-test-1.18248<br /> <br /> ;Controlled trials show Bunsen burners make things colder<br /> This is a joke. There is probably some methodological error if putting something under the Bunsen burner flame (which is between 1000K and 2000K) makes it colder. Unless of course that thing is already much hotter than the flame (more than 2000 Kelvin). <br /> <br /> Title text: <br /> <br /> ;Careful mathematical analysis demonstrates small-scale irregularities in Gaussian distribution<br /> <br /> This is another joke, as gaussian samples are only approximated by the gaussian distribution. The quality of the approximation grows with the size of the sample, but will never be exact, meaning it will show "irregularities" on a "small scale".<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :[Five panels, each with the top part of a scientific article, where only the title is readable. Below is the list of authors and subheading and text in unreadable wiggles.]<br /> <br /> :Many Commercial Antibody-Based Immunoassays Are Unreliable<br /> <br /> :Problems With the p-Value as an Indicator of Significance<br /> <br /> :Overfeeding of Laboratory Rodents Compromises Animal Models<br /> <br /> :Replication Study Fails to Reproduce Many Published Results<br /> <br /> :Controlled Trials Show Bunsen Burners Make Things Colder<br /> <br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Science]]<br /> [[Category:Biology]]<br /> [[Category:Chemistry]]<br /> [[Category:Math]]<br /> [[Category:Physics]]</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1531:_The_BDLPSWDKS_Effect&diff=94501 Talk:1531: The BDLPSWDKS Effect 2015-05-29T09:53:44Z

<p>Shachar: </p> <hr /> <div>Doesn't the reference to the "Doppler" effect refer to the fact that the Doppler effect may distort the meaning of words in a tonal language, thus making it harder to perceive the word being shouted out of the firetruck? [[User:A-jay|A-jay]] ([[User talk:A-jay|talk]]) 07:52, 29 May 2015 (UTC)<br /> <br /> I think it is a bit more complex than effect mentioned having an individual referent. It becomes complex because the language level, for example, interacts with the physics level. (I think this is the joke, that such random effects from different fields can actually interrelate in some bizarre scenario) A tonal language would be much more susceptible loss of meaning due to blue shift from the doppler effect than a nontonal language. Shouting red is also probably a reference to the 'red-shift' in the doppler effect, which, depending on the speed of the truck may distort the sound the shout or make it unintelligible. At sufficient speed, this would also distort the actual color of the firetruck, which is a topic Randall discussed in one of the What-If's about traffic lights and should probably be linked here. --[[User:MareCrisium|MareCrisium]] ([[User talk:MareCrisium|talk]]) 08:15, 29 May 2015 (UTC)<br /> <br /> : I thought of the red being a redshift as well, but what the heck is "GREEN" then (rather than "BLUE")? [[User:Odysseus654|Odysseus654]] ([[User talk:Odysseus654|talk]]) 09:05, 29 May 2015 (UTC)<br /> <br /> I wonder if the reference to whether the language has a word for "firetruck" is a Sapir Whorf reference? If there's no word for firetruck, the listener (victim?) is likely to be more confused by the situation than a listener who can at least recognize what kind of vehicle is about to kill him/her (Curses! There's no sexless personal pronoun in this language!) So the reaction time of the first person is likely to be longer than that of the second person.<br /> <br /> There's a whole class of psychology experiments (with both human and animal subjects) that uses reaction-time as a measure of degree of understanding in various situations. Is this effect named after a famous experimental psychologist? If so, Randall may have to issue an update to this cartoon... {{unsigned|Ribbit}}<br /> <br /> If you think English has no sexless personal pronoun you *clearly* haven't read comic 145. Ahem... --[[User:MareCrisium|MareCrisium]] ([[User talk:MareCrisium|talk]]) 08:49, 29 May 2015 (UTC)<br /> <br /> To the best of my knowledge, the Bernoulli effect is, in fact, responsible to the aerodynamic lift. While it is correct that most people trying to explain aerodynamic lift use an incorrect explanation, the incorrect part has nothing to do with Bernoulli, as implied by the explanation. [[User:Shachar|Shachar]] ([[User talk:Shachar|talk]]) 09:53, 29 May 2015 (UTC)</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1531:_The_BDLPSWDKS_Effect&diff=94500 1531: The BDLPSWDKS Effect 2015-05-29T09:50:21Z

<p>Shachar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1531<br /> | date = May 29, 2015<br /> | title = The BDLPSWDKS Effect<br /> | image = the bdlpswdks effect.png<br /> | titletext = This well-known effect has of course been replicated in countless experiments.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|New page}}<br /> BDLPSWDKS is an acronym for Bernoulli Doppler Leidenfrost Peltzman Sapir Whorf Dunning Kruger Stroop, as explained in the comics.<br /> <br /> The effect mentioned appears to be a mashup of seven scientific principles from different scientific fields, with elements from each principle appearing in the resulting description of the effect:<br /> <br /> {{w|Bernoulli's principle}} in fluid dynamics (also mentioned in [[803: Airfoil]]) states that an increase in the speed of a fluid with certain properties occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure or a decrease in the fluid's potential energy, often incorrectly used to explain how an airplane lifts off the ground. This is referenced by the firetruck lifting off.<br /> <br /> The {{w|Doppler effect}} in physics refers to the change in a wave's frequency for an observer moving relative to its source. The effect can be observed from the siren sounding in an approaching vehicle. This is referenced by the firetruck moving towards the observer and making noise.<br /> <br /> The {{w|Leidenfrost effect}} refers to how liquid will produce an insulating vapor layer when in near contact with an extremely hot surface, causing it to hover over said surface. This is referenced by the firetruck hovering on a layer of superheated gas.<br /> <br /> The {{w|Peltzman effect}} refers to how regulations intended to increase safety are ineffective or counterproductive. This is likely referenced by the observer responding to a dangerous situation after being warned.<br /> <br /> The {{w|Sapir–Whorf hypothesis}} states that a person's world view and cognitive processes are affected by the structure of the language the person speaks. This is referenced by how the observer reacts differently depending on the {{w|Tone (linguistics)|tonality}} of the language in which the warning is uttered and whether or not the language contains the word "firefighter."<br /> <br /> The {{w|Dunning–Kruger effect}} refers to unskilled people mistakenly perceive themselves as more skilled than they really are, while skilled people underestimate their own abilities. This is referenced by how observers react differently when they erroneously perceive themselves to be fluent in a language.<br /> <br /> The {{w|Stroop effect}} refers to the phenomenon in which it is easier to name the color of the ink in which a word is written when the word refers to the same color as the ink than when the word refers to a different color. If we assume the firetruck is red, this suggests that the driver shouting '''<span style="color:red">RED</span>''' would get a faster response than the driver shouting '''<span style="color:red">GREEN</span>'''.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> <br /> :Ponytail stands next to a screen displaying a firetruck hurtling toward Cueball on what appears to be a layer of gas.<br /> <br /> :Ponytail: The Bernoulli-Doppler-Leidenfrost-Peltzman-Sapir-Whorf-Dunning-Kruger-Stroop Effect states that if a speeding fire truck lifts off and hurtles towards you on a layer of superheated gas, you'll dive out of the way faster if the driver screams ''"RED!"'' in a '''''non'''''-tonal language that '''''has''''' a word for "firefighter" than if they scream ''"GREEN!"'' in a '''''tonal''''' language with '''''no''''' word for "firefighter" which you '''''think''''' you're fluent in but '''''aren't'''''.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br /> [[Category:Science]]</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1037:_Umwelt&diff=85376 1037: Umwelt 2015-02-28T17:35:39Z

<p>Shachar: Hebrew transcript</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1037<br /> | date = April 1, 2012<br /> | title = Umwelt<br /> | image = umwelt_the_void.jpg<br /> | titletext = Umwelt is the idea that because their senses pick up on different things, different animals in the same ecosystem actually live in very different worlds. Everything about you shapes the world you inhabit--from your ideology to your glasses prescription to your web browser.<br /> }}<br /> ==Explanation==<br /> An {{w|Umwelt}}, as the title text explains, is the idea that ones entire way of thinking is dependent on their surroundings. Thus, this {{w|April Fools}} comic changes based on the browser, location, or referrer. Thus, what the viewer is viewing the comic on, where they live, or where they came from determines which comic they actually see. As a result, there are actually multiple comics that went up on April Fools' Day, although only one is seen.<br /> <br /> Information about how the wide variety of data was collected and credit for the viewers who contributed can be found [http://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/rnst4/april_fools_xkcd_changing_comic/ here].<br /> <br /> ===The Void===<br /> [[File:umwelt the void.jpg]]<br /> <br /> If the device or browser you are using does not support Javascript, you will simply see a static image of a white swirl on a dark background.<br /> <br /> Possible reference to The Ring (http://imgur.com/wlGmm), as though to suggest that using an alternative browser is dismal and horrific.<br /> <br /> Davean (xkcd's sysadmin): "[This] comic isn't available everywhere and it can come up i[n] some situation[s] only for recognized browsers."<br /> <br /> Browser: Alternative Browser<br /> <br /> ===Aurora===<br /> [[File:umwelt aurora.png]]<br /> <br /> One could interpret that since Megan didn't go out and therefore missed seeing the Aurora, the main character lied. That way, she wouldn't have felt sad that she missed out.<br /> <br /> One might also believe that since xkcd is normally a black and white comic, Cueball is colorblind and didn't see anything of interest to him.<br /> <br /> This image changed based on the size of the browser window including different panels at different sizes.<br /> <br /> Locations: Canada, Boston, Maine, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Minnesota, Norway, Denmark<br /> <br /> ===Snake===<br /> [[File:umwelt snake composite 1024.png]]<br /> [[:File:umwelt snake composite.png|Full size]]<br /> <br /> The joke here is the extreme length of snakes. The world's longest snake is the python, the longest ever being 33 feet or approx. 10 meters. The red and blue circles refer to the hit game {{w|Portal}}.<br /> There is also a reference to the book "The Little Prince" in the second panel.<br /> <br /> Also, the number and content of the panels changes depending on the size of your browser window.<br /> <br /> This image changed based on the size of the browser window including different panels at different sizes.<br /> <br /> Specific AltText for this image: Umwelt is the idea that because their senses pick up on different things, different animals in the same ecosystem actually live in very different worlds. Everything about you shapes the world you inhabit -from your ideology to your glasses prescription to your browser window size.<br /> <br /> Location: Texas (on Chrome Version 33.0.1750.154 m), New Jersey, California (on Chrome Version 39.0.2171.95)<br /> <br /> ===Black Hat===<br /> [[File:umwelt tortoise 1024.png]]<br /> [[:File:umwelt tortoise.png|Full size]]<br /> <br /> An analyst attempts to psychoanalyze [[Black Hat|Black Hat's]] [[72: Classhole|classhole]] tendencies. The joke here is that the turtle has actually been turned over and neither sees helping it as a priority. It's a reference to the Voight-Kampff test used in the movie Blade Runner (1982) to identify replicants.<br /> <br /> Location: Seems to appear mostly in "other countries" — those without location-specific comics.<br /> <br /> ===Too Quiet===<br /> [[File:umwelt too quiet 1024.png]]<br /> [[:File:umwelt too quiet.png|Full size]]<br /> <br /> A reference to {{w|Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park}} which has been [[87: Velociraptors|constantly]] [[135: Substitute|referred]] [[1110: Click and Drag|to]] [[155: Search History|before]] [[758: Raptor Fences|in]] this comic.<br /> <br /> Also referencing the film {{w|2 Fast 2 Furious|2 Fast 2 Furious}}, an entertaining, yet intellectually unprovoking sequel in a popular film franchise, which is aimed at teenagers and young adults, prompting the blunt response from the stickman. The fact that Steve would use such a cliché {{w|2000s (decade)|noughties}} movie term in such an intense moment, and the subsequent curse, is the joke in this comic.<br /> <br /> Location: short version — iPhone 5c Safari browser in Texas, long version - Google Chrome browser in Indiana, Windows 8 Laptop<br /> <br /> ===Pond===<br /> [[File:umwelt pond mobile.png]][[File:umwelt pond wide.png]]<br /> <br /> Two different versions showed, the narrower version for mobile devices.<br /> <br /> Location: unknown<br /> <br /> ===Galaxies===<br /> [[File:umwelt galaxies 1024.jpg]]<br /> [[:File:umwelt galaxies.jpg|Full size]]<br /> <br /> Megan is distracted from her conversation with [[Cueball]] by realizing that the space behind his head, from her vantage point, contains millions of galaxies. This is similar to an [http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/image/astro/hst_deep_field.jpg incredible photograph] taken by the Hubble Telescope, in which a tiny dark area of space in fact contained numerous galaxies.<br /> <br /> The title text is an imaginative leap from this scenario: that the galaxies would be up to no good once Cueball is turned away from them. This is presumably a reference to [http://www.mariowiki.com/boo Boo], an enemy from certain Mario games who moves toward Mario only when Mario is facing away from Boo.<br /> <br /> This comic was only reported once... the intended environmental context is a mystery.<br /> <br /> Location: unknown<br /> <br /> ===xkcd Gold===<br /> [[File:umwelt xkcd gold.png]]<br /> <br /> This is probably a reference to the 4chan Gold Account, an implementation on 4chan that does not actually exist, and is usually used to trick newcomers into revealing their credit card numbers. The joke is that "Gold Account" users can supposedly block other users from viewing images they have posted. The fifth panel is probably a reference to Beecock, a notorious set of shocker images. 4chan's moderators have been known to give out "beecock bans" or "/z/ bans" to particularly annoying users, which redirect the user to a page containing beecock and the text "OH NO THE BOARD IS GONE".<br /> <br /> Referrer: 4chan<br /> <br /> ===Yo Mama===<br /> [[File:umwelt dog ballast.png]]<br /> <br /> Possible reference to Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s "{{w|Harrison Bergeron}}."<br /> <br /> Possibly a veiled criticism of Facebook. This could be slightly rewritten as: "This comic takes place in a dystopian future where the government is afraid of dissent, so it tracks everyone at all times, and some people privately doubt the government, but not enough to stop submitting information to Facebook. But that dystopian future is now."<br /> <br /> Referrer: Facebook<br /> <br /> ===Reddit===<br /> [[File:umwelt reddit.png]]<br /> <br /> Reference to referencing, because Reddit, as a referring site, likes references to its referencing in its references.<br /> <br /> This comic also features recursive imagery similar to [[688: Self-Description|Self Description]] where the second panel embeds the entire comic within itself.<br /> <br /> Referrer: Reddit<br /> <br /> ===Buns and Hot dogs===<br /> [[File:umwelt somethingawful.jpg]]<br /> <br /> This is a reference to the question "Why do hot dogs come in packages of 6 while buns come in packages of 8?"<br /> <br /> Referrer: SomethingAwful, Questionable Content, & MetaFilter<br /> <br /> ===Twitter===<br /> [[File:umwelt twitter.jpg]]<br /> <br /> A summary of the content "typically" found on Twitter.<br /> <br /> In the tweet feed, there are three tweets about some podcast on the top, followed by the tweet containing link they clicked on to get to the comic, tweets about Rob Delaney, unspecified passive-aggressive tweets, and a tweet from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_ebooks Horse Ebooks] retweeted by one of the users the reader follows.<br /> <br /> On the left, the topmost dialog, with profile information, shows that the user has posted 1,302 tweets, but only follows 171 people and has even fewer followers, at a measly 48. This is marked with a sad face, implying that the user wants more followers.<br /> <br /> Below that is the "who to follow" dialog, which is written up as consisting of "***".<br /> <br /> Below that is the "trending tags" dialog for the United States. It is full of tags about word games, tags about misogyny, and tags about Justin Bieber.<br /> <br /> Below that is an unidentified dialog full of "stuff your eyes automatically ignore". And finally, on the bottom is the background colour, which is "a really pleasant blue".<br /> <br /> Referrer: Twitter<br /> <br /> ===Wikipedia===<br /> [[File:umwelt wikipedia wide.jpg]]<br /> [[File:umwelt wikipedia mobile.png]]<br /> <br /> The term {{w|Mile High Club}} (or MHC) is a slang term applied collectively to individuals who have had sexual intercourse while on board of an aircraft. Randall says that reading the news articles on it has distracted him from making that comic.<br /> <br /> Two different versions shown, the narrower version for mobile devices.<br /> <br /> Referrer: Wikipedia<br /> <br /> ===Google Chrome===<br /> [[File:umwelt chrome1.jpg]]<br /> <br /> {{w|Sergey Brin}} (born August 21, 1973) is an American computer scientist and Internet entrepreneur who, with Larry Page, co-founded Google, one of the most profitable Internet companies. As of 2013, his personal wealth was estimated to be $24.4 billion. Randall makes the joke that as the founder of Google, Brin's permission would be needed to use Google Chrome. Because there are millions of people who use Google, it is likely that at least some of the time Brin would be asleep, thus he would need to be woken.<br /> <br /> Browser: Chrome<br /> <br /> ===Chrome/Firefox===<br /> [[File:umwelt chrome2.png]]<br /> <br /> Mozilla {{w|Firefox}} is a free and open-source web browser developed for Windows, OS X, and Linux, with a mobile version for Android, by the Mozilla Foundation and its subsidiary, the Mozilla Corporation. Cueball is complaining about {{w|Google Chrome}}, to which [[Ponytail]] replies that there is an {{w|add-on}} that fixes what he is complaining about. When questioned, she replies that the add-on is Firefox, which isn't an add-on at all and is instead a different browser.<br /> <br /> Browser: Chrome<br /> <br /> ===Google Chrome-2===<br /> [[File:umwelt chrome3.png]]<br /> <br /> This panel references Google Chrome's error screen, which shows a puzzle piece. The comic humorously implies that Chrome is looking for that piece. However, the piece in question cannot possibly line up with any corner.<br /> <br /> Browser: Chrome<br /> <br /> ===Mozilla Firefox Private Browsing===<br /> [[File:umwelt firefox incognito.png]]<br /> <br /> Another reference to crashing web browsers.<br /> <br /> Browser: Firefox (Incognito only?)<br /> <br /> ===Internet Explorer===<br /> [[File:umwelt ie.png]]<br /> <br /> Yet another reference to crashing web browsers<br /> <br /> Browser: Internet Explorer<br /> <br /> ===Maxthon===<br /> [[File:umwelt maxthon.png]]<br /> <br /> Browser: Maxthon<br /> <br /> ===Netscape Navigator===<br /> [[File:umwelt netscape womanoctopus.png]]<br /> <br /> [[File:umwelt netscape man.png]]<br /> <br /> {{w|Netscape Navigator}} was a web browser popular in the 1990s.<br /> <br /> Browser: Netscape<br /> <br /> ===Rockmelt===<br /> [[File:umwelt rockmelt.png]]<br /> <br /> {{w|Rockmelt}} is a social-media-based browser.<br /> <br /> Reference to the gospel song {{w|Longing for Old Virginia: Their Complete Victor Recordings (1934)|"There's no hiding place down here" by The Carter Family}}, later covered by Stephen Stills.<br /> <br /> :I run to the rock just to hide my face<br /> :And the rocks cried out, no hiding place<br /> :There's no hiding place down here<br /> <br /> It may additionally be a reference to the ''Babylon 5'' episode "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place," which featured the song.<br /> <br /> Browser: Rockmelt<br /> <br /> ===Plugin Disabled===<br /> [[File:umwelt plugin disabled.png]]<br /> <br /> When the Google Chrome web browser does not have the required software (called a plug-in) to display a web page's content, it displays a puzzle piece icon and an error message. In this case, Chrome informs the user that the content is impossible to display. <br /> <br /> Browser: Plugin (?) Disabled<br /> <br /> ===Corporate Networks===<br /> [[File:umwelt corporate general.png]]<br /> [[File:umwelt corporate amazon chrome.png]]<br /> [[File:umwelt corporate amazon firefox.png]]<br /> [[File:umwelt corporate amazon other.png]]<br /> [[File:umwelt corporate google chrome.png]]<br /> [[File:umwelt corporate microsoft chrome.png]]<br /> [[File:umwelt corporate microsoft firefox.png]]<br /> [[File:umwelt corporate microsoft other.png]]<br /> [[File:umwelt corporate nytimes chrome.png]]<br /> [[File:umwelt corporate nytimes other.png]]<br /> <br /> These error messages appear if the user is on a network owned by one of the corporations noted. The error message includes a warning against speaking on the company's behalf.<br /> <br /> ISP: Corporate networks of Amazon, Google, Microsoft, NY Times<br /> <br /> ===Military===<br /> [[File:umwelt military.png]]<br /> <br /> [[Cueball]] assumes that anyone using a military network has an important job like watching for incoming missiles. He includes a thank-you to the user for their military service.<br /> <br /> ISP: Military networks<br /> <br /> ===T-Mobile===<br /> [[File:umwelt tmobile.png]]<br /> <br /> Reference to T-Mobile's distinguishing feature of weaker coverage, in relation to other major providers.<br /> <br /> ISP: T-Mobile<br /> <br /> ===Verizon and AT&T===<br /> [[File:umwelt verizon.png]]<br /> <br /> [[File:umwelt att.png]]<br /> <br /> Reference to Verizon and AT&T's scandals/controversy regarding implementation of bandwidth caps.<br /> <br /> ISP: Verizon and AT&T<br /> <br /> ===France===<br /> [[File:umwelt france.jpg]]<br /> <br /> A Google search of "French Military Victories" + 'I'm feeling lucky' used to direct to "did you mean: french military defeats" (due to a {{w|Google bomb}}), referencing a stereotype of the French:[http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.html][http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blpic-frenchmilitaryvictories.htm][http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/jokes/bljokefrenchmilitaryhistory.htm]<br /> <br /> Locations: France & Quebec<br /> <br /> ===Germany===<br /> [[File:umwelt germany.png]]<br /> <br /> This comic references the {{w|Berlin airlift#The start of the Berlin Airlift|Berlin Airlift}}, a relief measure for citizens in West Berlin (surrounded by East Germany) instituted by the Western Allies after World War II. In reality, the Western Allies flew a grand total of 500,000 tons of food over the Soviet blockade in planes. Randall puts a twist on this event by making it more fun: dropping supplies from a grand chairlift. The play on words is that "chairlift" rhymes with "airlift" and thus makes an easy substitution. The chair force is also a name that other service branches use to make fun of the air force.<br /> <br /> Location: Germany<br /> <br /> ===Israel===<br /> [[File:umwelt israel.png]]<br /> <br /> Transcript:<br /> <br /> בחורה: אמא, פגשתי בחור נהדר! אבל הוא לא יהודי.‏<br /> <br /> ...<br /> <br /> רגע, מה את אומרת, "גם אנחנו לא"?‏<br /> <br /> אני לגמרי מבולבלת.‏<br /> <br /> (Translation from Hebrew)<br /> <br /> Person: Mom, I met a great guy! But he's not Jewish. ...Wait, what do you mean "neither are we"? I'm completely confused.<br /> <br /> A reference to the multiple use of the word Jewish to denote both a religious group and a nationality.<br /> <br /> Location: Israel<br /> <br /> ===Carnot Cycle===<br /> [[File:umwelt japan.png]]<br /> <br /> A pun on "cycle"; a "{{w|Carnot cycle}}" is a thermodynamic cycle (e.g. refrigeration). Its efficiency depends on the temperature of the hot and cold 'reservoirs' in which it is operating.<br /> <br /> Location: Japan<br /> <br /> ===UK===<br /> [[File:umwelt uk.jpg]]<br /> <br /> He worded this as though to imply that the UK is a state of the U.S., and an unimportant one at that, which pokes fun at the UK, creating a paradox (sort of).<br /> <br /> Location: UK<br /> <br /> ===Blizzard===<br /> [[File:umwelt disasters blizzard.png]]<br /> <br /> This comic is aimed at the debate over whether earthquakes or blizzards are harsher conditions to live under.<br /> <br /> For each location this displayed in, the state name was substituted in the third panel.<br /> <br /> Locations: Alabama, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Georgia, Halifax, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, the Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ottawa, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Texas, Toronto, Tennessee, New York, Wisconsin<br /> <br /> ===Tornado===<br /> [[File:umwelt disasters tornado.png]]<br /> <br /> This comic is aimed at the debate over whether earthquakes or tornadoes are harsher conditions to live under.<br /> <br /> For each location this displayed in the state name was substituted in the third panel.<br /> <br /> Locations: Alabama, Dallas, Illinois, Georgia, The Midwest, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ottawa, Tennessee, Texas<br /> <br /> ===Hurricane===<br /> [[File:umwelt disasters hurricane.png]]<br /> <br /> This comic is aimed at the debate over whether earthquakes or hurricanes are harsher conditions to live under.<br /> <br /> For each location this displayed in the state name was substituted in the third panel.<br /> <br /> Locations: D.C, Florida, Houston, Miami, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virgina<br /> <br /> ===Lake Diver Killer===<br /> [[File:umwelt lake diver.png]]<br /> <br /> This comic shows a news reporter standing in front of a lake. She is reporting on a serial killer who targets divers. As more divers are sent in to investigate and/or search for bodies, more divers go missing and are presumably murdered. <br /> <br /> Locations: Bay Areas<br /> <br /> Location: Vermont showed an image specifically referencing Lake Champlain<br /> <br /> ===Lincoln Memorial===<br /> [[File:umwelt lincoln memorial.png]]<br /> <br /> Locations: Illinois & Washington D.C.<br /> <br /> ===Helicopter Hunting===<br /> [[File:umwelt helicoptor.png]]<br /> <br /> In Alaska, governments and individuals have {{w|Wolf hunting#North America 2|shot wolves en masse from helicopters}} in an attempt to artificially inflate populations of game, such as moose and caribou, to make hunting them easier. This is opposed by many, as the game populations are not endangered (thus, this threatens ecological balance); wolves are a small threat to livestock in North America; most of the wolf body —including meat and bones— goes wasted as they are sought mainly for their pelts.<br /> <br /> Location: Alaska<br /> <br /> ===Newspaper===<br /> [[File:umwelt life scientists.png]][[File:umwelt life rit.png]][[File:umwelt life umass.png]]<br /> <br /> Creating new life has long been a well understood process, in a lab or otherwise.<br /> <br /> Location: Various<br /> <br /> Specific versions appeared for RIT and UMass Amherst<br /> <br /> ===Robot Paul Revere===<br /> [[File:umwelt paul revere.png]]<br /> <br /> Combination of the legend of {{w|Paul Revere#"Midnight Ride"|Paul Revere}} and computer binary.<br /> <br /> Location: Boston<br /> <br /> ===Counting Cards===<br /> <br /> All four colleges in this series are in Massachusetts and, being similar, in pairs, rival each other to some extent (Harvard-MIT, and Smith-Wellesley). The comic contains a reference to the {{w|MIT Blackjack Team}}, which entered popular culture via the {{w|21 (2008 film)|film 21}}, and a possible reference to Orwell's book '1984' and/or {{w|Chain of Command (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|popular homage to it via Star Trek}}: "There are four lights."[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChYIm6MW39k]<br /> <br /> Bonus: The thought-gears in panel 3 are spinning against each other.<br /> <br /> Location: Harvard<br /> <br /> [[File:umwelt counting cards harvard.png]]<br /> <br /> Location: MIT<br /> <br /> [[File:umwelt counting cards mit.png]]<br /> <br /> "Course 15s" at MIT are the business major students, often mocked for taking a less-rigorous program.<br /> <br /> Location: Smith<br /> <br /> [[File:umwelt counting cards smith.png]]<br /> <br /> Location: Wellesley<br /> <br /> [[File:umwelt counting cards wellesley.png]]<br /> <br /> Wellesley is an all-girls college.<br /> <br /> ===Giant Box Trap===<br /> [[File:umwelt box trap.png]]<br /> <br /> Randall got his undergrad in Physics at the {{w|Christopher Newport University}}, and was scheduled to return shortly to give a talk.<br /> <br /> Location: Christopher Newport University<br /> <br /> ===Chemo Support===<br /> [[File:umwelt chemo.jpg]]<br /> <br /> Randall's now-wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, and apparently DFCI is where they've been spending much of their time.<br /> <br /> Location: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute<br /> <br /> ===Reviews===<br /> [[File:reviews.png]]<br /> <br /> The previous strip appears twice when using [[wikipedia:Tor (anonymity network)|TOR]].<br /> <br /> Browser: Any using TOR, and reports of seeing it on a Kindle Fire HD<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :[Note to courageous readers- The transcript has been reordered in the order in which the comics appear in the picture and appropriate names have been given.]<br /> <br /> :'''The Void'''<br /> :[An epic void with a bright light shining right on you.]<br /> <br /> :'''Aurora'''<br /> :[Cueball heading out past Megan comfortably sitting in front of a desk.]<br /> :Cueball: Apparently there's a solar flare that's causing some Great Aurorae. CBC says they may even be visible here! Wanna drive out to see?<br /> :Megan: Hockey's on.<br /> :Cueball: Ok. Later.<br /> <br /> :[An expansive, marvelous image of emerald green northern lights, floating down through the sky.]<br /> <br /> :Megan: See anything?<br /> :Cueball: No, just clouds.<br /> :Megan: Not surprised.<br /> <br /> :'''Aurora-US'''<br /> :[Cueball heading out past Megan comfortably sitting in front of a desk.]<br /> :Cueball: Apparently there's a solar storm causing northern lights over Canada. CNN say they might even be visible {Options: "As Far South As Us", "Here in Boston", "Maine", "Ohio", "Oregon", "New York"}! Wanna drive out to see?<br /> :Megan: It's cold out.<br /> :Cueball: Ok. Later.<br /> <br /> :[An expansive, marvelous image of emerald green northern lights, floating down through the sky.]<br /> <br /> :Megan: See anything?<br /> :Cueball: No, just clouds.<br /> :Megan: Not surprised.<br /> <br /> :'''Snake'''<br /> :[Two people standing next to each other. Megan is holding the head end of a snake. Depending on the width of your browser, the snake is: three frames, the third of which has a little bit of a bump; the first frame has a human-size bump, the second has a third person looking at the snake, and the third has the snake going though two Portals; a squirrel and the human-size bump in the first frame, a ring next to the third person in the second frame, and Beret Guy riding the snake in front of the portal; or The squirrel, a fourth person within the snake being coiled, and the human bump in the first frame, the ring, a fifth person in love, and the third person in the second frame, Beret Guy and the portal in the third frame, and the same two people in the fourth frame.]<br /> <br /> :Megan: I found a snake, but then I forgot to stop.<br /> <br /> :'''Black hat'''<br /> :[Two people sitting at a desk. One is Black Hat. The other is an analyst. Black Hat has a number of terminals attached to his head.]<br /> :Analyst: You come across a tortoise in the desert. You flip it over. It struggles to right itself. You watch. You're not helping. Why is that?<br /> <br /> :Black Hat: It '''knows''' what it did.<br /> <br /> :[View of the entire scene, with said turtle off in the distance on its back and trying to right itself.]<br /> <br /> :'''Too quiet'''<br /> :[A group of four scale down a wall into a field in the middle of the night. They walk off single-file.]<br /> :Person 1: It's quiet.<br /> <br /> :Person 3: Yeah - *Too* quiet.<br /> <br /> :[A Velociraptor is off in the distance, following the group.]<br /> :Person 4: Yeah - too *too* quiet.<br /> <br /> :Person 2: Yeah - 2quiet2furious.<br /> :Person 1: Fuck off, Steve.<br /> <br /> :'''Pond'''<br /> :[A landscape showing a pond, some reeds, and a set of mountains off in the distance.]<br /> <br /> :'''Galaxies'''<br /> :[A trio of galaxies.]<br /> :Galaxy 1: He's not looking!<br /> :Galaxy 3: Let's get him!<br /> :[Lines draw in illustrating the eye-line of one of a pair of people.]<br /> :Cueball: So he said he didn't get the text, but c'mon, he *never* misses texts. Right? ..hello?<br /> :Megan: I'm just staring at your head freaked out by the fact that there are millions of galaxies *directly behind it*.<br /> <br /> :'''xkcd Gold'''<br /> :[Cueball holding bat.]<br /> <br /> :Cueball: Sorry, but this comic<br /> <br /> :[Cueball starts to wind up.]<br /> <br /> :Cueball: requires<br /> <br /> :[Cueball prepares to strike with bat.]<br /> <br /> :Cueball: XKCD<br /> <br /> :[Cueball swings at a beehive.]<br /> :GOLD<br /> <br /> :[Penis Bees fly out of the beehive.]<br /> <br /> :'''Yo mamma'''<br /> :[Cueball yells at a friend.]<br /> :Cueball: Oh yeah? Well you mama's so ''cynical'', her only dog ballast is a ''leash''!<br /> :(This comic takes place in a dystopian future where the government is afraid dogs can hover, so it requires them to wear weights at all times, and some people privately doubt the government, but not enough to stop buying dog weights.)<br /> <br /> :'''Reddit'''<br /> :Five seconds ago:<br /> :[You sitting in front of a desk, reading a reddit thread.]<br /> :You: Oh, hey, reddit has a link to some XKCD april fools comic.<br /> <br /> :Now: [An image of the xkcd comic page.]<br /> :Five seconds from now:<br /> <br /> :You: ..hey<br /> <br /> :30 seconds from now:<br /> :[DANCE PARTY!]<br /> <br /> :'''Buns and Hot dogs'''<br /> :Cueball: What I wanna know is why do hot dogs come in packages of six while buns come in these huge sacks of ash and blood from which "Ave Maria" is faintly audible?<br /> :[Chanting sacks of gore in the background.]<br /> <br /> :'''Twitter'''<br /> :[A Twitter account page with the following: Many tweets, fewer following, even fewer followers, A bunch of assholes in the suggested follow box, trending topics partitioned into: Word Games, Misogyny, and Bieber, stuff your eyes automatically ignore, A really pleasant blue. and the timeline: Something about a podcast, Someone confused because the description doesn't match the link, The link you clicked on to get to this comic, Rob Delaney, Passive Aggression, and horse ebooks.]<br /> <br /> :'''Wikipedia'''<br /> :[There's no comic here because instead of drawing one, I spent the last hour reading every news story cited in the Wikipedia article on The Mile High Club.]<br /> <br /> :'''Google Chrome'''<br /> :[A Chrome plugin error page.]<br /> :Chrome: This plugin requires Sergey Brin's permission to run. Please wait while he is woken.<br /> <br /> :'''Chrome/Firefox'''<br /> :[Two people; Cueball is sitting at a desk in front of a laptop.]<br /> :Cueball: Man, chrome's hardware acceleration really sucks.<br /> :Ponytail: Oh - Theres' a great add-on that fixes it.<br /> :Cueball: Oh? What's it called?<br /> :Ponytail: "Firefox".<br /> <br /> :'''Google Chrome-2'''<br /> :[A Chrome plugin error page with the characteristic jigsaw piece.]<br /> :Chrome: Chrome is looking for this piece. Have you seen it? Chrome thinks it links up with a corner.<br /> <br /> :'''Mozilla Firefox Private Browsing'''<br /> :[Firefox error page.]<br /> :Firefox: Well, this is embarrassing. You know how I'm not supposed to peek at your browsing in private mode? Firefox.. is sorry. Firefox will not blame you if you<br /> :[Button with text.]<br /> :Click here to report this incident.<br /> <br /> :'''Internet Explorer'''<br /> :[IE error page.]<br /> :IE: Error: Internet Explorer has given up.<br /> <br /> :'''Maxthon'''<br /> :Cueball: Maxthon? Hey, 2005 called. Didn't say anything. All I could hear was sobbing. This is getting harder. Anyway, yeah, Maxthon's still cool! Didn't know it was still around!<br /> <br /> :'''Netscape Navigator'''<br /> :[Two different versions exist: one with Cueball talking and one with Megan with tentacle arms talking.]<br /> :Person: Netscape Navigator? Hey, the nineties called - drunk as usual. I hung up without saying anything. This is getting harder. Anyway - it's cool that you'e got netscape running.<br /> <br /> :'''Rockmelt'''<br /> :[Cueball running to laptop.]<br /> :I ran to Rockmelt to hide my face<br /> <br /> :[Cueball sitting at laptop.]<br /> :But Rockmelt cried out -<br /> <br /> :[Laptop shouting.]<br /> :NO HIDING PLACE<br /> <br /> :[zoom out.]<br /> :NO HIDING PLACE DOWN HERE<br /> <br /> :'''Google Chrome-3'''<br /> :[A chrome plugin error page.]<br /> :Chrome: There does not exist --nor could there '''ever''' exist-- a plugin capable of displaying this content.<br /> <br /> :'''Microsoft/Amazon/The Times/Google - Chrome'''<br /> :[Chrome error page.]<br /> :Chrome: This plugin requires clearance from the corporate press office in order to run. Remember, Microsoft/Amazon/The Times/Google is a team; individual employees should ''never'' speak for the company without authorization.<br /> <br /> :'''Microsoft/Amazon - Firefox'''<br /> :[Firefox error page.]<br /> :Error: This plugin requires clearance from the corporate press office in order to run. Remember, Microsoft/Amazon is a team; individual employees should ''never'' speak for the company without authorization.<br /> <br /> :'''Microsoft/The Times'''<br /> :[Error page.]<br /> :Error: This plugin requires clearance from the corporate press office in order to run. Remember, Microsoft/The Times is a team; individual employees should ''never'' speak for the company without authorization.<br /> <br /> :'''Corporate - Generic'''<br /> :[Error page.]<br /> :Error: This plugin requires clearance from the corporate press office in order to run. Remember, we work as a team; individual employees should ''never'' speak for the company without authorization.<br /> <br /> :'''Military'''<br /> :[Person looking at two browser windows.]<br /> :Cueball: I know y'all know what you're doing. But if you're on a military machine and you're supposed to be watching for missiles or something, I hope you're keeping an eye on that in the background while you're reading comics. Also: Thanks.<br /> <br /> :'''T-Mobile'''<br /> :[Error page.]<br /> :Data Error: T-Mobile was unable to establish a connection<br /> <br /> :'''Verizon'''<br /> :[Error page]<br /> :Error: You have exceeded your Verizon monthly bandwidth cap. Mobile web browsing has been disabled.<br /> <br /> :'''France'''<br /> :[Two people; one of which is browsing using a laptop.]<br /> :Cueball: Hey, you're French, right? Ever see what happens when you type "French Military Victories" into Google?<br /> :French person: Does it take you to an article on Napoleon?<br /> <br /> :French person: ..no? Strange, given how he kicked everyone's asses up and down Europe for over a decade.<br /> <br /> :[Beat frame.]<br /> <br /> :Cueball: Touche.<br /> :French person: You know, that'd sound smarter if you didn't pronounce it like it rhymes with "douche".<br /> <br /> :'''Germany'''<br /> :[Cueball dropping food from an unorthodox high perch.]<br /> :June 1948: In response to the Soviet blockade of East Germany, the western allies construct the Berlin Chairlift.<br /> :Cueball on chairlift: Food!<br /> <br /> :'''Israel'''<br /> :[Person on phone.]<br /> :Person (Translation from Hebrew): Mom, I met a great guy! But he's not Jewish. ...Wait, what do you mean "neither are we"? I'm completely confused.<br /> <br /> :'''Carnot Cycle'''<br /> :[Ponytail on a motorcycle with a heat-entropy graph on the side.]<br /> :Ponytail: Check out my new Carnot Cycle!<br /> :Cueball: Neat - how fast does it go?<br /> :Ponytail: Depends how cold it is outside.<br /> <br /> :'''Great Britain'''<br /> :[Illustration of the Atlantic ocean.]<br /> :American person: Sorry I don't have a comic poking fun at the UK here. I only had time to get to the most ''important'' US states.<br /> :British person: Hey - At least we have free health care and real ale.<br /> <br /> :'''Earthquake-Blizzard'''<br /> :[Two people sitting at a desk, facing each other. The desk rattles.]<br /> :Cueball: Stop jiggling your leg.<br /> :Danish: I'm not ji-.. oh!<br /> :Cueball: What!<br /> :Danish: You'll get it..<br /> <br /> :[EVERYTHING RUMBLES.]<br /> :Cueball: ..HOLY CRAP IT'S AN EARTHQUAKE!<br /> :Danish: Just a little one. Happens all the time back in San Francisco.<br /> <br /> :Cueball: But this is {Options: "Alabama", "Boston", "Chicago", "Dallas", "Georgia", "Halifax", "Illinois", "Michigan", "Minnesota", "Missouri", "the Northeast", "Ohio", "Oklahoma", "Ottawa", 'Pennsylvania", "Philadelphia", "Texas", "Toronto", "Tennessee", "New York", "Wisconsin"}! That was huge!<br /> :Danish: Seriously? That's the worst this place can do? Wow. I guess we grow up tougher in California.<br /> :Cueball: Oh ''really''...<br /> <br /> :Six Months Later..<br /> :[Both people are trudging through a massive blizzard.]<br /> :Danish: In pictures, snow always looked so nice and sof - ''AAAA! MY NECK! How do people live here?!''<br /> :Cueball: Come on - it's only three more miles.<br /> <br /> :'''Earthquake-Tornado'''<br /> :[Two people sitting at a desk, facing each other. The desk rattles.]<br /> :Cueball: Stop jiggling your leg.<br /> :Danish: I'm not ji-.. oh!<br /> :Cueball: What!<br /> :Danish: You'll get it..<br /> <br /> :[EVERYTHING RUMBLES.]<br /> :Cueball: ..HOLY CRAP IT'S AN EARTHQUAKE!<br /> :Danish: Just a little one. Happens all the time back in San Francisco.<br /> <br /> :Cueball: But this is {Options: "Alabama", "Dallas", "Illinois", "The Midwest", "Missouri", "Ohio", "Oklahoma", "Ottawa", "Tennessee", "Texas"}!<br /> :Cueball: That was huge!<br /> :Danish: Seriously? That's the worst this place can do? Wow. I guess we grow up tougher in California.<br /> :Cueball: Oh ''really''...<br /> <br /> :Six Months Later..<br /> :[Both people are in a shelter in a prairie with a rapidly-approaching tornado.]<br /> :Danish: AAAA CLOSE THE SHELTER DOOR!<br /> :Cueball: Say the magic words...<br /> :Danish: THIS PLACE IS THE WORST!<br /> :Cueball: Thank you.<br /> <br /> :'''Earthquake-Hurricane'''<br /> :[Two people sitting at a desk, facing each other. The desk rattles.]<br /> :Cueball: Stop jiggling your leg.<br /> :Danish: I'm not ji-.. oh!<br /> :Cueball: What!<br /> :Danish: You'll get it..<br /> <br /> :[EVERYTHING RUMBLES.]<br /> :Cueball: ..HOLY CRAP IT'S AN EARTHQUAKE!<br /> :Danish: Just a little one. Happens all the time back in San Francisco.<br /> <br /> :Cueball: But this is {Options: "D.C", "Florida", "Houston", "Miami", "New Jersey", "North Carolina", "South Carolina", "Virgina"}! That was huge!<br /> :Cueball: That was huge!<br /> :Danish: Seriously? That's the worst this place can do? Wow. I guess we grow up tougher in California.<br /> :Cueball: Oh ''really''...<br /> <br /> :Six Months Later..<br /> <br /> :[Both are in the middle of a hurricane. Danish is grabbing onto a signpost to avoid being swept away.]<br /> :Danish: AAAAA WHAT THE SHIIIIT!<br /> :Cueball: Calm down - this is barely a category 2.<br /> <br /> :'''Lake Diver Killer'''<br /> :[TV Field Reporter in front of a cordoned-off lake.]<br /> :Reporter: Police divers searching the bay say they have recovered the body of another victim of the "Lake Diver Killer."<br /> :Reporter: During the search, three more divers were reported missing.<br /> <br /> :'''Washington'''<br /> :[The statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial.]<br /> :In this Marble Prison As in the nightmares of the nation they tried to devour<br /> :The nanobots that constituted Abraham Lincoln<br /> :Are entombed forever.<br /> <br /> :'''Alaska'''<br /> :[A person with a gun chasing a helicopter on the back of a wolf in a snowy Alaskan field.]<br /> :Some people hunt wolves from helicopters. I hunt helicopters from a wolf.<br /> <br /> :'''Life in lab'''<br /> :[Newspaper headline.]<br /> :Scientists/UMass Amherst students/RIT students create life in lab<br /> :[Caption under picture of scientists.]<br /> :"The trick was fuckin'"<br /> <br /> :'''American Revolution'''<br /> :Robot Paul Revere: Remember: Zero if by land, One if by sea.<br /> <br /> :'''MIT'''<br /> :[Two people in front of a group of students.]<br /> :Cueball: I've hired a team of MIT students to count cards for us.<br /> :Hairy: We'll be rich!<br /> <br /> :[Hairy deals some cards while the students watch.]<br /> <br /> :[The gears turn..]<br /> <br /> :Student: Five. There are five cards.<br /> :Cueball: I see their admission standards have been slipping.<br /> :Hairy: Yeah - there are actually four.<br /> <br /> :'''MIT Course 15c'''<br /> :[Two people in front of a group of students.]<br /> :Cueball: I've hired a team of MIT students to count cards for us.<br /> :Hairy: We'll be rich!<br /> <br /> :[Hairy deals some cards while the students watch.]<br /> <br /> :[The gears turn..]<br /> <br /> :Student: Five. There are five cards.<br /> :Cueball: I *knew* we shouldn't have picked course 15s.<br /> :Hairy: Yeah - there are actually four.<br /> <br /> :'''Smith/Wellesley'''<br /> :[Two people in front of a group of students.]<br /> :Cueball: I've hired a team of Smith/Wellesley students to count cards for us.<br /> :Hairy: We'll be rich!<br /> <br /> :[Hairy deals some cards while the students watch.]<br /> <br /> :[The gears turn..]<br /> <br /> :Student: Five. There are five cards.<br /> :Cueball: We should've gone with Wellesley/Smith.<br /> :Hairy: Yeah - there are actually four.<br /> <br /> :'''CNU'''<br /> :[Person unsuspectingly strolls under a giant box trap controlled by a Trible.]<br /> :I worry that CNU only invited me back as a ruse because they realized I never turned in my final paper and want my diploma back. But if it turns out it's for real, I'll see you Wednesday at the Ferguson!<br /> <br /> :'''Dana Farber'''<br /> :[Cueball, pointing towards head.]<br /> :Cueball: Check it out - In support of people going through chemo, I shaved my head.<br /> :Lots of love to everyone reading this at Dana Farber. Cancer sucks. If you are new to DCFI, there's a great little garden on the third floor of the yawkey if you need somewhere quiet to just sit for a little bit and breathe.<br /> <br /> :'''Reviews'''<br /> :Shopping before online reviews:<br /> :[Cueball and Megan stand in a store. Cueball points at a lamp on the table in front of him. There is another lamp on the table behind them.]<br /> :Cueball: This lamp is pretty.<br /> :Megan: And affordable.<br /> :Cueball: Let's get it.<br /> :Megan Ok! <br /> <br /> :Shopping now:<br /> :[Cueball points at a lamp on the table in front of him. Megan looks at her phone.]<br /> :Cueball: This lamp is pretty.<br /> :Megan: It's got 1 1/2 stars on Amazon. Reviews all say to avoid that brand.<br /> <br /> :[Cueball and Megan are now both looking at their phones.]<br /> :Cueball: This one has good reviews.<br /> :Megan: Wait, one guy says when he plugged it in, he got a metallic taste in his mouth and his cats went deaf.<br /> :Cueball: Eek. What about- ...no, review points out it resembles a uterus.<br /> <br /> :[Cueball is still looking at his phone, Megan has hers at her side.]<br /> :Cueball: Ok, I found a Swiss lampmaker with perfect reviews. Her lamps start at 1,300 Francs and she's only reachable by ski lift.<br /> :Megan: You know, our room looks fine in the dark.<br /> <br /> ==Trivia==<br /> *Reddit user [http://www.reddit.com/user/SomePostMan SomePostMan] created a [http://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/t6wmh/all_umwelt_1037_comics_in_two_imgur_albums/ post] that collected all of the Umwelt comics and added explanations. Much of his information is now included in this wiki.<br /> <br /> *The transcript section for this comic also included a note alluding to its extreme length:<br /> : [ [Two people...] ] ((..wait.. <scrolls through a listing of everything> oh goddammit Randall. Thanks a bunch, dude. I better get a raise for typing out all this)) <br /> : [Two people standing next to each other. One is holding the head end of a snake...<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Danish]]<br /> [[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br /> [[Category:Comics with color]]<br /> [[Category:Dynamic comics]]<br /> [[Category:April fool's comics]]<br /> [[Category:Philosophy]]<br /> [[Category:Penis]]<br /> [[Category:Video games]]<br /> [[Category:Velociraptors]]</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1453:_fMRI&diff=79863 1453: fMRI 2014-11-28T06:52:07Z

<p>Shachar: Initial explanation</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1453<br /> | date = November 28, 2014<br /> | title = fMRI<br /> | image = fmri.png<br /> | titletext = They also showed activation in the parts of the brain associated with exposure to dubious study methodology, concern about unremoved piercings, and exasperation with fMRI techs who won't stop talking about Warped Tour.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}<br /> <br /> fMRI (or Functional MRI) is a technique designed to show brain activity while performing tasks. Despite the elaborate name, this is, still, basically, an MRI test, i.e.: the subject is put into a relatively small cylinder inside a big, very loud, machine producing extremely strong magnetic fields.<br /> <br /> Thus, the memory areas described by Meg are those associated with taking a functional MRI scan, rather than those associated with the "test" supposedly being carried out.<br /> <br /> The title text continues with this theme, adding "dubious study methodology" to the list. As the test was, obviously, carried out without a proper control group to eliminate irrelevant factors, this seems appropriate.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript}}<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1438:_Houston&diff=77727 1438: Houston 2014-10-24T06:18:57Z

<p>Shachar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1438<br /> | date = October 24, 2014<br /> | title = Houston<br /> | image = houston.png<br /> | titletext = 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{w|Apollo 13}} was destined to be the third manned landing on the moon. On its way there, however, during a routine stirring of the hydrogen and oxygen tanks, an explosion occurred that resulted in a frantic effort by {{w|Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center}} (located in Houston), that resulted in the safe return of all three astronauts. The most memorable phrase, immortalized by the "Apollo 13" movie, is when astronaut James Lovell calls on Mission Control with the phrase "Houston, we have a problem".<br /> <br /> These are the same events, except with much less help from Misson Control (and somewhat anachronistic technology). In reality, Mission Control had to figure out thousands of little problems that popped out due to the explosion, from how to get the astronauts back, to how the astronauts can jury-rig CO<sub>2</sub> removal equipment (intended for the command module) to work with the lunar module (to which the astronauts had evacuated).<br /> <br /> At first glance, this comic appears to be an "alternate reality" view at what might have happened next, had the Houston ground crew not been as vigilant as they were. It is meant to contrast history with Cueball's (lack of) action. It leaves implicit the consequences of this inaction, for greater shock. However, Cueball's desk has a flat screen monitor, which had not been invented at the time of Apollo 13, when the screen would have been a CRT. This may be an error by Randall or it may indicate that the comic is depicting what would have happened if the incident happened today.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{Incomplete|Name for capsule? Also, descriptions need work.}}<br /> :[The lunar lander and module shown with debris near by in foreground, in space with the Earth in the background.]<br /> :Lovell: Houston, we have a problem <br /> :[Cueball sitting In front of two moniters wearing a headset.]<br /> :Cueball: Cool.<br /> :Lovell: ...What? Houston, we stirred our O<sub>2</sub> tank and it <em>exploded!</em><br /> :Cueball: Sounds like you suck at stirring.<br /> :[Capsule shown from a greater distance, with Earth beside it.]<br /> :Lovell: ...Houston? Are you-<br /> :Cueball: Listen, I've got another call.<br /> :Cueball: Good luck landing your airplane or whatever.<br /> : *click*<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1438:_Houston&diff=77723 Talk:1438: Houston 2014-10-24T06:02:59Z

<p>Shachar: </p> <hr /> <div>A commentary on the nature of outsourced helpdesks, perhaps? Although, IME, the problems are more due to 'sticking to a script' (which would have given an entirely different exchange) rather than an unknowledgable and casually uninterested 'service'-person. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.247|141.101.98.247]] 05:15, 24 October 2014 (UTC)<br /> <br /> What is going on is this strip? Usually it's a reference to something or a commentary, but I don't get it at all. [[User:Cheeselover724|Cheeselover724]] ([[User talk:Cheeselover724|talk]]) 05:32, 24 October 2014 (UTC)<br /> <br /> I think I figured out enough of it to remove the "incomplete" tag. This is definitely one of the weird ones. [[User:Shachar|Shachar]] ([[User talk:Shachar|talk]]) 06:02, 24 October 2014 (UTC)</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1438:_Houston&diff=77722 1438: Houston 2014-10-24T06:00:53Z

<p>Shachar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1438<br /> | date = October 24, 2014<br /> | title = Houston<br /> | image = houston.png<br /> | titletext = 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{w|Apollo 13}} was destined to be the third manned landing on the moon. On its way there, however, during a routine stirring of the hydrogen and oxygen tanks, an explosion occurred that resulted in a frantic effort by {{w|Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center}} (located in Huston), that resulted in the safe return of all three astronauts. The most memorable phrase, immortalized by the "Apollo 13" movie, is when astronaut James Lovell calls on Huston with the phrase "Huston, we have a problem".<br /> <br /> These are the same events, except with much less help from Misson Control. In reality, Mission Control had to figure out thousands of little problems that popped out due to the explosion, from how to get the astronauts back, to how the astronauts can jury-rig CO<sub>2</sub> removal equipment (intended for the command module) to work with the lunar module (where the astronauts had evacuated to).<br /> <br /> This comics is an "alternate reality" view at what might have happened next, had the Huston ground crew not been as vigilant as they were. It is meant to contrast history with Cueball's (lack of) action. It leaves implicit the consequences of this inaction, for greater shock.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> Lovell: Houston, we have a problem <br /><br /> Cueball: Cool.<br /> <br /> Lovell: ...What? Houston, we stirred our O<sub>2</sub> tank and it exploded! <br /><br /> Cueball: Sounds like you suck at stirring.<br /> <br /> Lovell: ...Houston? Are you- <br /><br /> Cueball: Listen, I've got another call. Good luck landing your airplane or whatever.<br /> <br /> >click<<br /> <br /> Title: 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1438:_Houston&diff=77721 1438: Houston 2014-10-24T06:00:01Z

<p>Shachar: /* Explanation */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1438<br /> | date = October 24, 2014<br /> | title = Houston<br /> | image = houston.png<br /> | titletext = 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{w|Apollo 13}} was destined to be the third manned landing on the moon. On its way there, however, during a routine stirring of the hydrogen and oxygen tanks, an explosion occurred that resulted in a frantic effort by {{w|Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center}} (located in Huston), that resulted in the safe return of all three astronauts. The most memorable phrase, immortalized by the "Apollo 13" movie, is when astronaut James Lovell calls on Huston with the phrase "Huston, we have a problem".<br /> <br /> These are the same events, except with much less help from Misson Control. In reality, Mission Control had to figure out thousands of little problems that popped out due to the explosion, from how to get the astronauts back, to how the astronauts can jury-rig CO<sub>2</sub> removal equipment (intended for the command module) to work with the lunar module (where the astronauts had evacuated to).<br /> <br /> This comics is an "alternate reality" view at what might have happened next, had the Huston ground crew not been as vigilant as they were. It is meant to contrast history with Cueball's (lack of) action. It leaves implicit the consequences of this inaction, for greater shock.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> Lovell: Houston, we have a problem <br /><br /> Cueball: Cool.<br /> <br /> Lovell: ...What? Houston, we stirred our O2 tank and it exploded! <br /><br /> Cueball: Sounds like you suck at stirring.<br /> <br /> Lovell: ...Houston? Are you- <br /><br /> Cueball: Listen, I've got another call. Good luck landing your airplane or whatever.<br /> <br /> >click<<br /> <br /> Title: 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1438:_Houston&diff=77716 1438: Houston 2014-10-24T05:39:42Z

<p>Shachar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1438<br /> | date = October 24, 2014<br /> | title = Houston<br /> | image = houston.png<br /> | titletext = 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> Lovell: Huston, we have a problem <br /><br /> Cueball: Cool.<br /> <br /> Lovell: ...What? Huston, we started our O2 tank and it exploded! <br /><br /> Cueball: Souds like you suck at stirring.<br /> <br /> Lovell: ...Huoston? Are you- <br /><br /> Cueball: Listen, I've got another call. Good luck landing your airplane or whatever.<br /> <br /> >click<<br /> <br /> Title: 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1438:_Houston&diff=77715 1438: Houston 2014-10-24T05:38:52Z

<p>Shachar: /* Transcript */</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1438<br /> | date = October 24, 2014<br /> | title = Houston<br /> | image = houston.png<br /> | titletext = 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> Lovell: Huston, we have a problem <br /><br /> Cueball: Cool.<br /> <br /> Lovell: ...What? Huston, we started our O2 tank ant exploded! <br /><br /> Cueball: Souds like you suck at stirring.<br /> <br /> Lovell: ...Huoston? Are you- <br /><br /> Cueball: Listen, I've got another call. Good luck landing your airplane or whatever.<br /> <br /> >click<<br /> <br /> Title: 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1438:_Houston&diff=77714 1438: Houston 2014-10-24T05:36:32Z

<p>Shachar: Transcript</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1438<br /> | date = October 24, 2014<br /> | title = Houston<br /> | image = houston.png<br /> | titletext = 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> Astronaut: Huston, we have a problem<br /> <br /> Cueball: Cool.<br /> <br /> <br /> Astronaut: ...What? Huston, we started our O2 tank ant exploded!<br /> <br /> Cueball: Souds like you suck at stirring.<br /> <br /> <br /> Astronaut: ...Huoston? Are you-<br /> <br /> Cueball: Listen, I've got another call. Good luck landing your airplane or whatever.<br /> <br /> >click<<br /> <br /> <br /> Title: 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1266:_Halting_Problem&diff=49147 1266: Halting Problem 2013-09-18T08:15:20Z

<p>Shachar: Consolidate the explanation to a single, hopefully coherent, phrasing.</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1266<br /> | date = September 18, 2013<br /> | title = Halting Problem<br /> | image = halting_problem.png<br /> | titletext = I found a counterexample to the claim that all things must someday die, but I don't know how to show it to anyone.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|1266: Halting Problem}}<br /> In 1936 {{w|Alan Turing}} proved that it's not possible to decide whether an arbitrary program will eventually halt, or run forever. This was later called the {{w|Halting problem}} by {{w|Martin Davis}}. The official definition of the problem is to write a program (actually, a {{w|Turing Machine}}) that accepts as parameters a program and its parameters. That program needs to decide, in finite time, whether that program will ever halt running these parameters.<br /> <br /> The halting problem is a cornerstone problem in computer science. It is used mainly as a way to prove a given task is impossible, by showing that solving that task will allow one to solve the halting problem.<br /> <br /> [[Randall]], however, is providing a simpler solution. He implements his own code for the question ''"Does it halt?"'' which always returns a positive answer, directing us to look at the bigger picture.<br /> <br /> For all '''practical''' purposes, this is the correct solution. Given enough time, any program will halt. This is due to factors external to the actual program. Sooner or later, electricity will give out, or the memory containing the program will get corrupted by cosmic rays, or corrosion will eat away the silicon in the CPU. Nothing lasts forever, and this includes a running program.<br /> <br /> The title text further relates to this issue by claiming to have found a case where something need not die, but Randall does not know how to actually show it to anyone.<br /> <br /> It should be noted that Randall's solution does not, in fact, solve the halting problem. The halting problem requires two parameters (a program and its parameters), while Randall's function only accepts one. His solution does not match the interface required by the problem.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> '''Define''' DoesItHalt(program):<br /> {<br /> '''return''' true;<br /> }<br /> :The big picture solution to the halting problem.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> [[Category:Computers‏‎]]</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1266:_Halting_Problem&diff=49146 1266: Halting Problem 2013-09-18T07:58:40Z

<p>Shachar: Fix the incomplete template to point to the correct page</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1266<br /> | date = September 18, 2013<br /> | title = Halting Problem<br /> | image = halting_problem.png<br /> | titletext = I found a counterexample to the claim that all things must someday die, but I don't know how to show it to anyone.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|1266: Halting Problem}}<br /> In 1936 {{w|Alan Turing}} proved that it's not possible to decide whether an arbitrary program will eventually halt, or run forever. This was later called the {{w|Halting problem}} by {{w|Martin Davis}}.<br /> <br /> The halting problem is a cornerstone problem in computer science. The task is to get a program and its parameters, and decide, in a finite time, whether that program will ever halt running these parameters. There is a fairly simple proof showing that it is impossible to write such a program.<br /> <br /> For all '''practical''' purposes, such a program is, in fact, possible to write. Given enough time, any program will halt. This is due to factors external to the actual program. Sooner or later, electricity will give out, or the memory containing the program will get corrupted by cosmic rays, or corrosion will eat away the silicon in the CPU. Nothing lasts forever, and this includes a running program.<br /> <br /> The solution by [[Randall]] is simple, he implements his own {{w|Turing machine}} for the question ''"Does it halt?"'' which always returns a positive answer.<br /> <br /> The title text further relates to this issue by claiming to have found a case where something need not die, but Randall does not know how to actually show it to anyone.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> '''Define''' DoesItHalt(program):<br /> {<br /> '''return''' true;<br /> }<br /> :The big picture solution to the halting problem.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> [[Category:Computers‏‎]]</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1266:_Halting_Problem&diff=49143 Talk:1266: Halting Problem 2013-09-18T07:52:50Z

<p>Shachar: Created page with "I wrote an explanation for the body of the comics, but I believe there are aspects of the title I'm still missing, so I left the incomplete tag in place. ~~~~"</p> <hr /> <div>I wrote an explanation for the body of the comics, but I believe there are aspects of the title I'm still missing, so I left the incomplete tag in place. [[User:Shachar|Shachar]] ([[User talk:Shachar|talk]]) 07:52, 18 September 2013 (UTC)</div>

Shachar https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1266:_Halting_Problem&diff=49142 1266: Halting Problem 2013-09-18T07:50:36Z

<p>Shachar: </p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1266<br /> | date = September 18, 2013<br /> | title = Halting Problem<br /> | image = halting_problem.png<br /> | titletext = I found a counterexample to the claim that all things must someday die, but I don't know how to show it to anyone.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> The halting problem is a cornerstone problem in computer science. The task is to get a program and its parameters, and decide, in a finite time, whether that program will ever halt running these parameters. There is a fairly simple proof showing that it is impossible to write such a program.<br /> <br /> This comics claims that for all '''practical''' purposes, such a program is, in fact, possible to write. Given enough time, any program will halt. This is due to factors external to the actual program. Sooner or later, electricity will give out, or the memory containing the program will get corrupted by cosmic rays, or corrosion will eat away the silicon in the CPU. Nothing lasts forever, and this includes a running program.<br /> <br /> The title text further relates to this issue by claiming to have found a case where something need not die, but Randal does not know how to actually show it to anyone.<br /> {{incomplete}}<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> '''Define''' DoesItHalt(program):<br /> {<br /> '''return''' true;<br /> }<br /> :The big picture solution to the halting problem.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> [[Category:Computers‏‎]]</div>

Shachar