explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3242: Aperiodic Table

2026-05-06T18:25:56Z

Solid Kalium: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 3242
| date = May 6, 2026
| title = Aperiodic Table
| image = aperiodic_table_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x464px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Scientists occasionally invent alternative periodic table layouts, which is usually a sign that they don't have enough enrichment in their enclosures.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The Aperiodic Table of the Elements

[Rectangles showing the atomic symbols and atomic numbers from H 1 through Og 118 are arranged in a serpentine chain. The color of each rectangle matches the the pattern of a standard periodic table. For example, the noble elements all have a red background.]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3242: Aperiodic Table

2026-05-06T18:22:43Z

Solid Kalium: /* Transcript */ add "the"

3242: Aperiodic Table

2026-05-06T18:21:43Z

Solid Kalium: /* Transcript */ basic transcript

{{comic
| number = 3242
| date = May 6, 2026
| title = Aperiodic Table
| image = aperiodic_table_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x464px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Scientists occasionally invent alternative periodic table layouts, which is usually a sign that they don't have enough enrichment in their enclosures.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

The Aperiodic Table of Elements

[Rectangles showing the atomic symbols and atomic numbers from H 1 through Og 118 are arranged in a serpentine chain]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

3241: Horizontal Stabilizers

2026-05-06T18:02:23Z

Solid Kalium: /* Explanation */ actuve -> active

{{comic
| number = 3241
| date = May 5, 2026
| title = Horizontal Stabilizers
| image = horizontal_stabilizers_2x.png
| imagesize = 436x341px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It started as a mistake that everyone was afraid to admit to, and then it stuck because removing it 'looks silly.'.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created HORIZONTALLY, so just make it BIGGER. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

A {{w|Stabilizer (aircraft)#Horizontal stabilizers|horizonal stabilizer}} (also often described as a {{w|tailplane}}) is part of an aircraft which typically provides extra longitudinal balance, with the tailplane maintaining balance and control of the aircraft. Although some alternate types of airframe work without them (e.g. by making use of more complex main wing control surfaces), most (and the most common) aircraft use {{w|Tailplane#Tailplane types|some version or other}} of a tailplane. The structure of aircraft varies based on what they {{What If|30|have to do}}.

This comic claims that horizontal stabilizers are a mistake in the design process, and not at all necessary. The original construction of some particular plane only had small wings and the mere stub of fusalage to which they were attached, but neither wings nor body were big enough to be useful. Rather than spending time and resources rebuilding from scratch, they just added more fuselage, with much bigger wings, and continued to use the original insufficient fuselage and 'wings' in the manner of a tailplane.

The title text takes this even further, stating that people deliberately ignored the superfluousness of this new part, and later, whenever they decided to remove the feature (perhaps to save weight, or just 'complexity') people were already so used to them being there that it "looked silly", so they put them back on to satisfy expectations. This may be referencing the use of 'spoilers' on everyday passenger cars, which are often included purely for cosmetic reasons, because it makes the vehicle look 'fast' or 'sporty' while having little or no effect in producing the desired downforce (for extreme cornering or acceleration), and may instead just add drag to the car to make it ultimately ''slower'' in a straight line speed-test.

There are some {{w|tailless aircraft}}, often designed as such precisely to minimise the latent drag from the tailplane surfaces (another possible reason being to create a {{w|Radar cross section|more 'stealthy' aircraft}}), and many people do consider them unusual-looking. Some aircraft, including the original {{w|Wright Flyer}}, have the horizontal stabilizers in the front rather than the tail section due to design assumptions made at the time (later superseded by the 'normal' and typically more stable configuration), with some more modern planes again using {{w|Canard (aeronautics)|canard}} 'forward control surfaces' instead of (or {{w|three-surface aircraft|in addition to}}) the rear-mounted ones using a more modern understanding of the active aerodynamic needs of a plane in flight.

The comic does not address the need for any {{w|vertical stabilizer}} and rudder, often integrated in some way with the (horizontal) tailplane or at least being rooted in the same section of fuselage. (Some may describe the {{w|empennage|whole assembly}} of horizontal and vertical rear surfaces (both static and actuated) as the "tailplane", due to it being all together in the same place.) The comic's original 'stabilizer only' plane ''also'' lacked any such vertical control surfaces. By the same logic, of course, a true 'tailless' aircraft like a Flying Wing ''can'' also fly without a tailfin-like structure, usually controlling its yaw through differential power and/or drag across its two remaining wings. Although 'half-tail' airframes exist that still use one ''or'' the other of horizontal and vertical control surfaces, where the main wing controls the other, and there are also tail designs that integrate both control and stabilization functions into {{w|V-tail|the same hybrid tail-structure}}.

At some point before the scene in the factory and the conversation about the airplane in flight, the evolving design seems to have gained the vertical stabiliser as well, for unstated in-comic reasons perhaps just as superfluous as that for which it has retained the horizontal version. But, then again, as well as gaining more fuselage (which may necessarily have completed the stated design expectation of it being 'bigger', by increasing its potential cargo capacity) it has also managed to gain such useful features as a cockpit/nosecone ''and also engines'', the ultimate superfluity of which is far less likely to (even reluctantly) justify.

==Trivia==
*This is a rare [[:Category:Tuesday comics|Tuesday comic]]. There was no [[:Category:Monday comics|Monday comic]] this week. However, the archive states the publication date as 2026-5-4 (the previous Monday), so the comic was likely intended to be a Monday comic.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Cueball and Ponytail are standing, looking up at an airplane in the sky. Cueball is pointing at the airplane.]
:Cueball: What's with the little wings on the tails of the airplanes? Do they really need them?
:Ponytail: They're horizontal stabilizers. They serve a crucial aerodynamic role.

:[Hairy, another Cueball, and Megan are standing in a room, with Hairy on the left of a small fuselage segment with small wings attached to the sides of it, while Cueball and Megan are standing on the right of it. Hairy has his arms raised. There is a caption in a box at the top of the panel.]
:Caption: Previously, at the airplane factory...
:Hairy: These wings you made are way too small! The plane is supposed to be much bigger!
:Other Cueball: Sorry! We'll start over.
:Hairy: No, there's no time. Just make it longer and put the bigger wings on the new section.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Aviation]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

3239: Simple Machines

2026-04-29T18:18:21Z

Solid Kalium: /* Transcript */ improve description of spatial layout

{{comic
| number = 3239
| date = April 29, 2026
| title = Simple Machines
| image = simple_machines_2x.png
| imagesize = 250x255px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It's hard to decide which simple machine system to invest in. DeWalt makes a great lever and inclined plane, but I hear Milwaukee's wheel-and-axles are really good.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was recently purchased from DeWalt, and we're still reading the manual. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
There are a lot of simple tools used to give a mechanical advantage in various things. The 6 most common ones are a {{w|lever}}, {{w|wheel and axle}}, {{w|pulley}}, {{w|inclined plane}}, {{w|wedge}} & {{w|Screw (simple machine)|screw}}. Additionally, often for various purposes all-in-one implements are made with all the features - a notable example being the classic {{w|Swiss Army Knife}}. This comic combines them, suggesting the existence of an all-in-one instrument with all 6 simple tools - Although, artistically enough, the tool shown combines the lever & inclined plane into one rod, so it's actually only 5 of the tools - which is a concept not existing in real life{{citation needed}}.

Having one of these "all-in-one" devices does not mean it does everything you can do with different combinations -- the choice of components and how they interact is important for the function of a particular device.

There are obvious drawbacks to having this 'all-in-one' tool. The tools all have varying uses, some very different from one other, & you would find it unlikely to find many devices in need of all the tools together in a spot. So such a tool would be largely useless compared to its singular variants. As well as that, the tools come in many different sizes as well, meaning unless it has special adjustable sizes (which could well be impossible, to account for all the different sizes{{citation needed}}) the tool would be unlikely to be the right size to fit many features!

The title text is a joke about what brands to choose. {{w|Milwaukee}} and {{w|DeWalt}} are two common tool companies. The text points out that as both companies have advantages in certain simple tools, then deciding which to use for an all-in-one tool would be difficult.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}[A rod with a square cross-section is shown sloping from top-left to bottom-right. At the bottom-right, it has a wedge tip. At the top-left, it is threaded and has a long nut on it. The nut has an eyelet where a rope is connected. The rope travels taut around a wheel on an axle connected near the wedge-end and then lies loose with a hook on the free end.]

[Caption below comic:]
I can finally stop buying simple machines now that I got an all-in-one tool with all six of them.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

Talk:3056: RNA

2025-02-26T15:57:25Z

Solid Kalium: ...I should have finished my sentence

I really hate that feeling when you need an explanation for at least a couple frames but you're too early to read it and too dumb to write it. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.3.27|172.68.3.27]] 14:34, 26 February 2025 (UTC)
:I know, I really wish I knew about RNA so I could just kinda do it. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 15:48, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

The 2040's guess in the title text is wild, and would be SO cool if we were able to discover that in 20 years.

oh God [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:09, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

1960s: central dogma of molecular biology; 1980s: discovery of catalytic self-splicing RNA; 2000s: genomic sequencing and discovery of diverse array of non-coding RNAs; 2040s: extrapolation of RNA hypothesis, with aside to notion that life may have arisen multiple times (earlier instances extinguished by large impacts)

Should the transcript point out the changes in the poster in each frame? Maybe in the later frames those are RNA rather than DNA. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 15:40, 26 February 2025 (UTC)
:It's unlikely to be RNA, since RNA is usually single stranded. According to a quick search, it can sometimes be double stranded as a secondary structure or in some viruses. [[User:Solid Kalium|Solid Kalium]] ([[User talk:Solid Kalium|talk]]) 15:55, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

Talk:3056: RNA

2025-02-26T15:56:17Z

Solid Kalium: Fixing my reply's indentation

I really hate that feeling when you need an explanation for at least a couple frames but you're too early to read it and too dumb to write it. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.3.27|172.68.3.27]] 14:34, 26 February 2025 (UTC)
:I know, I really wish I knew about RNA so I could just kinda do it. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 15:48, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

The 2040's guess in the title text is wild, and would be SO cool if we were able to discover that in 20 years.

oh God [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:09, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

1960s: central dogma of molecular biology; 1980s: discovery of catalytic self-splicing RNA; 2000s: genomic sequencing and discovery of diverse array of non-coding RNAs; 2040s: extrapolation of RNA hypothesis, with aside to notion that life may have arisen multiple times (earlier instances extinguished by large impacts)

Should the transcript point out the changes in the poster in each frame? Maybe in the later frames those are RNA rather than DNA. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 15:40, 26 February 2025 (UTC)
:It's unlikely to be RNA, since RNA is usually single stranded. It can sometimes be [[User:Solid Kalium|Solid Kalium]] ([[User talk:Solid Kalium|talk]]) 15:55, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

Talk:3056: RNA

2025-02-26T15:55:14Z

Solid Kalium:

I really hate that feeling when you need an explanation for at least a couple frames but you're too early to read it and too dumb to write it. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.3.27|172.68.3.27]] 14:34, 26 February 2025 (UTC)
:I know, I really wish I knew about RNA so I could just kinda do it. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 15:48, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

The 2040's guess in the title text is wild, and would be SO cool if we were able to discover that in 20 years.

oh God [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:09, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

1960s: central dogma of molecular biology; 1980s: discovery of catalytic self-splicing RNA; 2000s: genomic sequencing and discovery of diverse array of non-coding RNAs; 2040s: extrapolation of RNA hypothesis, with aside to notion that life may have arisen multiple times (earlier instances extinguished by large impacts)

Should the transcript point out the changes in the poster in each frame? Maybe in the later frames those are RNA rather than DNA. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 15:40, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

It's unlikely to be RNA, since RNA is usually single stranded. It can sometimes be [[User:Solid Kalium|Solid Kalium]] ([[User talk:Solid Kalium|talk]]) 15:55, 26 February 2025 (UTC)

3024: METAR

2024-12-13T20:55:03Z

Solid Kalium: /* Transcript */ Fix formatting

{{comic
| number = 3024
| date = December 13, 2024
| title = METAR
| image = metar_2x.png
| imagesize = 640x360px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = In the aviation world, they don't use AM/PM times. Instead, all times are assumed to be AM unless they're labeled NOTAM.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an A380 - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In aviation, the METAR report is used to give pilots a brief overview of the current meteorological conditions at the airport.
The METAR follows a specific structure and makes heavy usage of abbreviations, which makes it hard to read for anyone not familiar with it.
The comic makes fun of that by assuming meaning of the words based on what non-aviation people might think the different elements of the METAR report may represent.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Code !! Real Meaning !! According to the comic
|-
| METAR
| Type: METAR Meteorological Aerodrome Report
| The comic assumes that this is just a spelling error and it should be "meter"
|-
| KNYC
| Station ID: 4 character ICAO airport identifier; in this instance the general area code for New York City (not an actual airport, but a weather station for general observations in the New York area)
| Radio station, likely parodying WNYC radio. US radio stations West of the Mississippi River usually start with K and those East of it usually start with W. Some early call signs for radio stations in the East used an initial K. For example, KDKA in Pittsburgh was one of the first commercially licensed radio stations. Airport, weather, and radio station call signs share a common heritage.
|-
| 251600Z
| Time of observation: 25th day of the month at 4 PM UTC. Z is not part of the time, but simply shorthand for GMT or "Zulu" time.
| Misreading the "Z" as a 2, resulting in a nonsensical time. Hours greater than 24 are sometimes used to indicate a time after midnight, e.g. in Japan 17~25h means from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M. the following day.
|-
| 18035G45KT
| Wind Direction and Speed: Wind Direction: 180° (directly from the south, degrees based on magnetic north) Speed: 35 knots, Gusts: 45 knots
| Instead of interpreting the first 5 digits as direction and speed, it is assumed that it is one big number and the G45 stands for the time span in which this was observed with "G" standing for "good". 18,035 knots is an unrealistically high wind speed; the {{w|jet stream}} typically contains the highest winds on Earth, and may reach about 250 knots.
|-
| 6SM
| In weather reports related to aviaion, "6SM" stands for 6 Statute Miles, meaning that objects can be seen clearly up to 6 miles away.<ref>https://weather.cod.edu/notes/metar.html#:~:text=6SM%2DVisibility,SM)%20up%20to%2010%20SM.</ref> It typically indicates clear weather.
| The comic interprets "6SM" to humorously mean a "Size '''6 Sm'''all".
|-
| VCFCFZVA
| In the vicinity(VC) Funnel cloud(FC) Freezing(FZ) Volcanic ash(VA)
| A riff on the repeated letters which give off the impression the string is constructed by typing randomly on the keyboard. All the letters are near each other at the lower left of the keyboard (S, D, and X are somehow avoided).
|-
| +BLUP
| Heavy(+) Blowing(BL) Unknown precipitation(UP)
| Riffing on how it looks like a onomatopoetic word
|-
| NOSIG
| No significant change is expected to the reported conditions within the next 2 hours
| The comic assumes that the transmitter of the METAR report wants the receivers to know that they do not have a significant other, which the comic finds sad. The observer could be trying to abuse the METAR report as a dating platform.
|-
| LTG OHD
| Lightning Overhead
| OHD is interpreted as "Overheard" instead of "overhead", indicating that they did not observe it themselves, instead they just overheard people talking about it.
|-
| A3808
| Altimeter setting: (calculated) air pressure at {{w|Mean_sea_level|Mean Sea Level}} at the airport is 38.08 {{w|Inch_of_mercury|inches of mercury}}. This is used to adjust the altimeter in the aircraft to the local air pressure, instead of using the standard setting used in higher air spaces.
| The comic says that the observer saw an {{w|Airbus_A380|Airbus A380-800}} (note: the {{w|List_of_ICAO_aircraft_type_designators|ICAO aircraft type code}} for the Airbus A380-800 is A388 and not A3808)
|-
| RMK
| Beginning of the section with Remarks
| Remarkable. Might be a comment about the A380.
|-
| AO2
| The weather station is automated (A) and has a precipitation discriminator (O2)
| Reference to the fanfic site [https://archiveofourown.org/ Archive of Our Own], often abbreviated as AO3
|-
| SLP130=
| {{w|Sea_level_pressure|Sea-Level Pressure}} is 1013.0 hPa (approx. 29.91 inHg). The equal sign signifies the end of the METAR.
| "SLP" interpreted as abbreviation for "'''sl'''ee'''p'''y", the numbers as a time and the = sign as "around" (maybe confused with ≈)
|-
| NOTAM (title text)
| Not part of a METAR report, but instead another aviation abbreviation. It stands for {{w|NOTAM|Notice to Air Missions}} (previously Notice to Airmen).
| Parsed as "not A.M.", indicating that a given time is to be interpreted as P.M. While AM and PM are indeed not used in aviation, as the comic says, they use a 24-hour clock system, not an "A.M.-by-default" 12-hour clock system.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Decoding a METAR Report:

[A METAR report is shown with annotations. The report is:]

<code>
METAR KNYC 251600Z 18035G45KT 6SM VCFCFZVA +BLUP NOSIG LTG OHD A3808 RMK A02 SPL130=
</code>

[The annotations are:]

* <code>METAR</code> "METER" (Usually misspelled)
* <code>KNYC</code> Station ID
* <code>251600Z</code> Time (25:16:002)
* <code>18035G45KT</code> Wind speed has been 18,035 knots for a good 45 minutes now
* <code>6SM</code> Observer is a size 6 small
* <code>VCFCFZVA</code> Sorry, the station cat walked on the keyboard
* <code>+BLUP</code> Weird noise the sky made earlier
* <code>NOSIG</code> Observer has no significant other :(
* <code>LTG OHD</code> We overheard someone saying there was lightning
* <code>A3808</code> Hey look, an Airbus A380-800!
* <code>RMK</code> Remarkable!
* <code>A02</code> Fanfic Archive equipped with a precipitation sensor
* <code>SPL130=</code> Observer got sleepy around 1:30

==References==
{{reflist}}
[https://e6bx.com/metar-decoder/ Metar Decoder]
{{comic discussion}}

3024: METAR

2024-12-13T20:53:34Z

Solid Kalium: /* Transcript */ Add annotations

{{comic
| number = 3024
| date = December 13, 2024
| title = METAR
| image = metar_2x.png
| imagesize = 640x360px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = In the aviation world, they don't use AM/PM times. Instead, all times are assumed to be AM unless they're labeled NOTAM.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an A380 - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In aviation, the METAR report is used to give pilots a brief overview of the current meteorological conditions at the airport.
The METAR follows a specific structure and makes heavy usage of abbreviations, which makes it hard to read for anyone not familiar with it.
The comic makes fun of that by assuming meaning of the words based on what non-aviation people might think the different elements of the METAR report may represent.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Code !! Real Meaning !! According to the comic
|-
| METAR
| Type: METAR Meteorological Aerodrome Report
| The comic assumes that this is just a spelling error and it should be "meter"
|-
| KNYC
| Station ID: 4 character ICAO airport identifier; in this instance the general area code for New York City (not an actual airport, but a weather station for general observations in the New York area)
| Radio station, likely parodying WNYC radio. US radio stations West of the Mississippi River usually start with K and those East of it usually start with W. Some early call signs for radio stations in the East used an initial K. For example, KDKA in Pittsburgh was one of the first commercially licensed radio stations. Airport, weather, and radio station call signs share a common heritage.
|-
| 251600Z
| Time of observation: 25th day of the month at 4 PM UTC. Z is not part of the time, but simply shorthand for GMT or "Zulu" time.
| Misreading the "Z" as a 2, resulting in a nonsensical time. Hours greater than 24 are sometimes used to indicate a time after midnight, e.g. in Japan 17~25h means from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M. the following day.
|-
| 18035G45KT
| Wind Direction and Speed: Wind Direction: 180° (directly from the south, degrees based on magnetic north) Speed: 35 knots, Gusts: 45 knots
| Instead of interpreting the first 5 digits as direction and speed, it is assumed that it is one big number and the G45 stands for the time span in which this was observed with "G" standing for "good". 18,035 knots is an unrealistically high wind speed; the {{w|jet stream}} typically contains the highest winds on Earth, and may reach about 250 knots.
|-
| 6SM
| In weather reports related to aviaion, "6SM" stands for 6 Statute Miles, meaning that objects can be seen clearly up to 6 miles away.<ref>https://weather.cod.edu/notes/metar.html#:~:text=6SM%2DVisibility,SM)%20up%20to%2010%20SM.</ref> It typically indicates clear weather.
| The comic interprets "6SM" to humorously mean a "Size '''6 Sm'''all".
|-
| VCFCFZVA
| In the vicinity(VC) Funnel cloud(FC) Freezing(FZ) Volcanic ash(VA)
| A riff on the repeated letters which give off the impression the string is constructed by typing randomly on the keyboard. All the letters are near each other at the lower left of the keyboard (S, D, and X are somehow avoided).
|-
| +BLUP
| Heavy(+) Blowing(BL) Unknown precipitation(UP)
| Riffing on how it looks like a onomatopoetic word
|-
| NOSIG
| No significant change is expected to the reported conditions within the next 2 hours
| The comic assumes that the transmitter of the METAR report wants the receivers to know that they do not have a significant other, which the comic finds sad. The observer could be trying to abuse the METAR report as a dating platform.
|-
| LTG OHD
| Lightning Overhead
| OHD is interpreted as "Overheard" instead of "overhead", indicating that they did not observe it themselves, instead they just overheard people talking about it.
|-
| A3808
| Altimeter setting: (calculated) air pressure at {{w|Mean_sea_level|Mean Sea Level}} at the airport is 38.08 {{w|Inch_of_mercury|inches of mercury}}. This is used to adjust the altimeter in the aircraft to the local air pressure, instead of using the standard setting used in higher air spaces.
| The comic says that the observer saw an {{w|Airbus_A380|Airbus A380-800}} (note: the {{w|List_of_ICAO_aircraft_type_designators|ICAO aircraft type code}} for the Airbus A380-800 is A388 and not A3808)
|-
| RMK
| Beginning of the section with Remarks
| Remarkable. Might be a comment about the A380.
|-
| AO2
| The weather station is automated (A) and has a precipitation discriminator (O2)
| Reference to the fanfic site [https://archiveofourown.org/ Archive of Our Own], often abbreviated as AO3
|-
| SLP130=
| {{w|Sea_level_pressure|Sea-Level Pressure}} is 1013.0 hPa (approx. 29.91 inHg). The equal sign signifies the end of the METAR.
| "SLP" interpreted as abbreviation for "'''sl'''ee'''p'''y", the numbers as a time and the = sign as "around" (maybe confused with ≈)
|-
| NOTAM (title text)
| Not part of a METAR report, but instead another aviation abbreviation. It stands for {{w|NOTAM|Notice to Air Missions}} (previously Notice to Airmen).
| Parsed as "not A.M.", indicating that a given time is to be interpreted as P.M. While AM and PM are indeed not used in aviation, as the comic says, they use a 24-hour clock system, not an "A.M.-by-default" 12-hour clock system.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Decoding a METAR Report:

[A METAR report is shown with annotations. The report is:]
<code>
METAR KNYC 251600Z 18035G45KT 6SM VCFCFZVA +BLUP NOSIG LTG OHD A3808 RMK A02 SPL130=
</code>

[The annotations are:]

- METAR: "METER" (Usually misspelled)
- KNYC: Station ID
- 251600Z: Time (25:16:002)
- 18035G45KT: Wind speed has been 18,035 knots for a good 45 minutes now
- 6SM: Observer is a size 6 small
- VCFCFZVA: Sorry, the station cat walked on the keyboard
- +BLUP: Weird noise the sky made earlier
- NOSIG: Observer has no significant other :(
- LTG OHD: We overheard someone saying there was lightning
- A3808: Hey look, an Airbus A380-800!
- RMK: Remarkable!
- A02: Fanfic Archive equipped with a precipitation sensor
- SPL130=: Observer got sleepy around 1:30

==References==
{{reflist}}
[https://e6bx.com/metar-decoder/ Metar Decoder]
{{comic discussion}}

3024: METAR

2024-12-13T20:45:44Z

Solid Kalium: /* Explanation */ typo

{{comic
| number = 3024
| date = December 13, 2024
| title = METAR
| image = metar_2x.png
| imagesize = 640x360px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = In the aviation world, they don't use AM/PM times. Instead, all times are assumed to be AM unless they're labeled NOTAM.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an A380 - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In aviation, the METAR report is used to give pilots a brief overview of the current meteorological conditions at the airport.
The METAR follows a specific structure and makes heavy usage of abbreviations, which makes it hard to read for anyone not familiar with it.
The comic makes fun of that by assuming meaning of the words based on what non-aviation people might think the different elements of the METAR report may represent.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Code !! Real Meaning !! According to the comic
|-
| METAR
| Type: METAR Meteorological Aerodrome Report
| The comic assumes that this is just a spelling error and it should be "meter"
|-
| KNYC
| Station ID: 4 character ICAO airport identifier; in this instance the general area code for New York City (not an actual airport, but a weather station for general observations in the New York area)
| Radio station, likely parodying WNYC radio. US radio stations West of the Mississippi River usually start with K and those East of it usually start with W. Some early call signs for radio stations in the East used an initial K. For example, KDKA in Pittsburgh was one of the first commercially licensed radio stations. Airport, weather, and radio station call signs share a common heritage.
|-
| 251600Z
| Time of observation: 25th day of the month at 4 PM UTC. Z is not part of the time, but simply shorthand for GMT or "Zulu" time.
| Misreading the "Z" as a 2, resulting in a nonsensical time. Hours greater than 24 are sometimes used to indicate a time after midnight, e.g. in Japan 17~25h means from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M. the following day.
|-
| 18035G45KT
| Wind Direction and Speed: Wind Direction: 180 Speed: 35KT, Gusts: 45KT
| Instead of interpreting the first 5 digits as direction and speed, it is assumed that it is one big number and the G45 stands for the time span in which this was observed with "G" standing for "good". 18,035 knots is an unrealistically high wind speed; the {{w|jet stream}} typically contains the highest winds on Earth, and may reach about 250 knots.
|-
| 6SM
| In weather reports related to aviaion, "6SM" stands for 6 Statute Miles, meaning that objects can be seen clearly up to 6 miles away.<ref>https://weather.cod.edu/notes/metar.html#:~:text=6SM%2DVisibility,SM)%20up%20to%2010%20SM.</ref> It typically indicates clear weather.
| The comic interprets "6SM" to humorously mean a "Size '''6 Sm'''all".
|-
| VCFCFZVA
| In the vicinity(VC) Funnel cloud(FC) Freezing(FZ) Volcanic ash(VA)
| A riff on the repeated letters which give off the impression the string is constructed by typing randomly on the keyboard. All the letters are near each other at the lower left of the keyboard (S, D, and X are somehow avoided).
|-
| +BLUP
| Heavy(+) Blowing(BL) Unknown precipitation(UP)
| Riffing on how it looks like a onomatopoetic word
|-
| NOSIG
| No significant change is expected to the reported conditions within the next 2 hours
| The comic assumes that the transmitter of the METAR report wants the receivers to know that they do not have a significant other, which the comic finds sad. The observer could be trying to abuse the METAR report as a dating platform.
|-
| LTG OHD
| Lightning Overhead
| OHD is interpreted as "Overheard" instead of "overhead", indicating that they did not observe it themselves, instead they just overheard people talking about it.
|-
| A3808
| Altimeter setting: (calculated) air pressure at {{w|Mean_sea_level|Mean Sea Level}} at the airport is 38.08 {{w|Inch_of_mercury|inches of mercury}}. This is used to adjust the altimeter in the aircraft to the local air pressure, instead of using the standard setting used in higher air spaces.
| The comic says that the observer saw an {{w|Airbus_A380|Airbus A380-800}} (note: the {{w|List_of_ICAO_aircraft_type_designators|ICAO aircraft type code}} for the Airbus A380-800 is A388 and not A3808)
|-
| RMK
| Beginning of the section with Remarks
| Remarkable. Might be a comment about the A380.
|-
| AO2
| The weather station is automated (A) and has a precipitation discriminator (O2)
| Reference to the fanfic site [https://archiveofourown.org/ Archive of Our Own], often abbreviated as AO3
|-
| SLP130=
| {{w|Sea_level_pressure|Sea-Level Pressure}} is 1013.0 hPa (approx. 29.91 inHg). The equal sign signifies the end of the METAR.
| "SLP" interpreted as abbreviation for "'''sl'''ee'''p'''y", the numbers as a time and the = sign as "around" (maybe confused with ≈)
|-
| NOTAM (title text)
| Not part of a METAR report, but instead another aviation abbreviation. It stands for {{w|NOTAM|Notice to Air Missions}}.
| Parsed as "not A.M.", indicating that a given time is to be interpreted as P.M. While AM and PM are indeed not used in aviation, as the comic says, they use a 24-hour clock system, not an "A.M.-by-default" 12-hour clock system.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

<code>
METAR KNYC 251600Z 18035G45KT 6SM VCFCFZVA +BLUP NOSIG LTG OHD A3808 RMK A02 SPL130=
</code>

==References==
{{reflist}}
[https://e6bx.com/metar-decoder/ Metar Decoder]
{{comic discussion}}

3024: METAR

2024-12-13T20:44:54Z

Solid Kalium: /* Explanation */ More detail on K and W call sign prefixes

{{comic
| number = 3024
| date = December 13, 2024
| title = METAR
| image = metar_2x.png
| imagesize = 640x360px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = In the aviation world, they don't use AM/PM times. Instead, all times are assumed to be AM unless they're labeled NOTAM.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an A380 - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In aviation, the METAR report is used to give pilots a brief overview of the current meteorological conditions at the airport.
The METAR follows a specific structure and makes heavy usage of abbreviations, which makes it hard to read for anyone not familiar with it.
The comic makes fun of that by assuming meaning of the words based on what non-aviation people might think the different elements of the METAR report may represent.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Code !! Real Meaning !! According to the comic
|-
| METAR
| Type: METAR Meteorological Aerodrome Report
| The comic assumes that this is just a spelling error and it should be "meter"
|-
| KNYC
| Station ID: 4 character ICAO airport identifier; in this instance the general area code for New York City (not an actual airport, but a weather station for general observations in the New York area)
| Radio station, likely parodying WNYC radio. US radio stations West of the Mississippi River usually start with K and those East of it usually start with W. Some early call sign for radio stations in the East used an initial K. For example, KDKA in Pittsburgh was one of the first commercially licensed radio stations. Airport, weather, and radio station call signs share a common heritage.
|-
| 251600Z
| Time of observation: 25th day of the month at 4 PM UTC. Z is not part of the time, but simply shorthand for GMT or "Zulu" time.
| Misreading the "Z" as a 2, resulting in a nonsensical time. Hours greater than 24 are sometimes used to indicate a time after midnight, e.g. in Japan 17~25h means from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M. the following day.
|-
| 18035G45KT
| Wind Direction and Speed: Wind Direction: 180 Speed: 35KT, Gusts: 45KT
| Instead of interpreting the first 5 digits as direction and speed, it is assumed that it is one big number and the G45 stands for the time span in which this was observed with "G" standing for "good". 18,035 knots is an unrealistically high wind speed; the {{w|jet stream}} typically contains the highest winds on Earth, and may reach about 250 knots.
|-
| 6SM
| In weather reports related to aviaion, "6SM" stands for 6 Statute Miles, meaning that objects can be seen clearly up to 6 miles away.<ref>https://weather.cod.edu/notes/metar.html#:~:text=6SM%2DVisibility,SM)%20up%20to%2010%20SM.</ref> It typically indicates clear weather.
| The comic interprets "6SM" to humorously mean a "Size '''6 Sm'''all".
|-
| VCFCFZVA
| In the vicinity(VC) Funnel cloud(FC) Freezing(FZ) Volcanic ash(VA)
| A riff on the repeated letters which give off the impression the string is constructed by typing randomly on the keyboard. All the letters are near each other at the lower left of the keyboard (S, D, and X are somehow avoided).
|-
| +BLUP
| Heavy(+) Blowing(BL) Unknown precipitation(UP)
| Riffing on how it looks like a onomatopoetic word
|-
| NOSIG
| No significant change is expected to the reported conditions within the next 2 hours
| The comic assumes that the transmitter of the METAR report wants the receivers to know that they do not have a significant other, which the comic finds sad. The observer could be trying to abuse the METAR report as a dating platform.
|-
| LTG OHD
| Lightning Overhead
| OHD is interpreted as "Overheard" instead of "overhead", indicating that they did not observe it themselves, instead they just overheard people talking about it.
|-
| A3808
| Altimeter setting: (calculated) air pressure at {{w|Mean_sea_level|Mean Sea Level}} at the airport is 38.08 {{w|Inch_of_mercury|inches of mercury}}. This is used to adjust the altimeter in the aircraft to the local air pressure, instead of using the standard setting used in higher air spaces.
| The comic says that the observer saw an {{w|Airbus_A380|Airbus A380-800}} (note: the {{w|List_of_ICAO_aircraft_type_designators|ICAO aircraft type code}} for the Airbus A380-800 is A388 and not A3808)
|-
| RMK
| Beginning of the section with Remarks
| Remarkable. Might be a comment about the A380.
|-
| AO2
| The weather station is automated (A) and has a precipitation discriminator (O2)
| Reference to the fanfic site [https://archiveofourown.org/ Archive of Our Own], often abbreviated as AO3
|-
| SLP130=
| {{w|Sea_level_pressure|Sea-Level Pressure}} is 1013.0 hPa (approx. 29.91 inHg). The equal sign signifies the end of the METAR.
| "SLP" interpreted as abbreviation for "'''sl'''ee'''p'''y", the numbers as a time and the = sign as "around" (maybe confused with ≈)
|-
| NOTAM (title text)
| Not part of a METAR report, but instead another aviation abbreviation. It stands for {{w|NOTAM|Notice to Air Missions}}.
| Parsed as "not A.M.", indicating that a given time is to be interpreted as P.M. While AM and PM are indeed not used in aviation, as the comic says, they use a 24-hour clock system, not an "A.M.-by-default" 12-hour clock system.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

<code>
METAR KNYC 251600Z 18035G45KT 6SM VCFCFZVA +BLUP NOSIG LTG OHD A3808 RMK A02 SPL130=
</code>

==References==
{{reflist}}
[https://e6bx.com/metar-decoder/ Metar Decoder]
{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2496: Mine Captcha

2021-07-31T00:30:29Z

Solid Kalium: Added description of how to solve the puzzle

Mines at:

+----+
| |
|** |
| * *|
| |
+----+

[[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 14:42, 30 July 2021 (UTC)

:+1234
:A2 1
:B??3
:C3? ?
:D 1 1
:concur.

AKA

. . . .
* * . .
. * . *
. . . .

Should be mentioned that it's most probably easier to run a script that solves this puzzle that to explain minesweeper to the majority of people, so this captcha seems pretty useless
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.72|162.158.92.72]] 15:56, 30 July 2021 (UTC)
: Writing a script to solve Minesweeper is a great exercise and helps to build a guaranteed-solvable game (which, IMO, is a good thing), but it won't usually start with image recognition. I'm not sure how hard it would be to write an image solver, especially if - unlike in this example - you'd need to dig some cells to finish solving it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.59|108.162.250.59]] 16:20, 30 July 2021 (UTC)

I think that it would be better to explain why there is mine in B3 and D3 (due to the ones) because you then have the full solution. I think that the curent explanation isn't complete enough for someone who don't know minesweeper to understand the solution
Maybe it is only me but I think that it would be less confusing to have column marked with letter and line with number. i don't know if there is any standard for that. I am used to excel way of doing it [[Special:Contributions/162.158.50.27|162.158.50.27]] 16:10, 30 July 2021 (UTC)

I am soooo disappointed that the cursed minesweeper game is not playable. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.79|108.162.221.79]] 16:13, 30 July 2021 (UTC)

Is something supposedto happen when I click on a box? I tried this in Chrome, IE, and Firefox, and nothing happens. --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.110.170|172.70.110.170]] 16:18, 30 July 2021 (UTC)

Hello. I have edited the image to include flags or bombs to mark the places. But as a new user I am not allowed to upload images.
If somebody is willing to receive them I could email them. [[User:Rps|Rps]] ([[User talk:Rps|talk]]) 17:10, 30 July 2021 (UTC)

The title is eerily similar to Mein Kampf

The explanation repeats "this is hard because in Minesweeper you're supposed to press the buttons without mines" a lot.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.108|172.70.130.108]] 18:23, 30 July 2021 (UTC)
:As a native German speaker I do not think the title sounds similar. The German Mein is a bit more open than the English Mine which is spoken a bit longer. Kampf has one syllable and ends with a triple consonant, captcha has two syllables and ends with a vocal. In Mein Kampf the emphasis is on Kampf, in Mine Captcha it is on Mine. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.128|162.158.89.128]] 22:26, 30 July 2021 (UTC)

I think that explanation misses the fact that images in captcha are in randomized order and do not match with actual position on real board and are actually, which can be deducted from fact it's using different colors and font, from multiple separate games. Therefore 'solving' it gives no actual information.
[[User:Kalumniatoris|Kalumniatoris]] ([[User talk:Kalumniatoris|talk]]) 20:39, 30 July 2021 (UTC)

Using the Excel numbering, here’s one verbose way of solving it:
If someone is confused, it may be helpful to draw a diagram and follow along, step by step.

Fact 1: C1 indicates that 1 of its 4 open neighbors is a mine.
Fact 2: A1 indicates that 2 of its 3 open neighbors are mines.
Conclusion 1: Looking at B1 and B2, Fact 1 says at most 1 is a mine and Fact 2 says at least 1 is a mine. Therefore exactly 1 is a mine.
Conclusion 2: Looking at the three open cells around A1, we now know from Conclusion 1 that B1 and B2 account for exactly one mine next to A1, so the other mine adjacent to A1 must be in A2.
Conclusion 3: Looking at C1, from Conclusion 1 we know that B1 and B2 account for the 1 mine next to C1, so there can be no mine in D1 or D2.

Fact 3: A3 indicates that 3 of its 4 originally open neighbors are mines.
Fact 4: B4 indicates that 1 of its 4 open neighbors is a mine.
Conclusion 4: Looking at A4 and B3, Fact 3 indicates that at most 1 is empty (or equivalently, that at least one is a mine) and Fact 4 indicates that at most one is a mine. Since these two contain at least 1 mine and at most 1 mine, they must contain exactly 1 mine.
Conclusion 5: Looking at Fact 4, we know that A4 and B3 account for the 1 mine adjacent to B4, so C3 and C4 must be empty.

Fact 5: D4 indicates that 1 of the 3 originally open neighbors must be a mine.
Conclusion 6: Looking at fact 5, we see that Conclusion 5 ruled out 2 of the 3 neighbors, so D3 must be the mine.

(We’ve now determined the state of all cells in columns C and D, as well as A2. We’ve also identified two pairs (B1+B2 and A4+B3) that each contain exactly one mine.)

Fact 6: C2 indicates that exactly 3 of its 5 originally empty neighbors contain mines.
Conclusion 7: From Conclusion 1 we know that exactly 1 of B1 and B2 is a mine, from Conclusion we know C3 is empty, and from Conclusion 6 D3 is a mine. Having accounted for 4 of the 5 neighbors, and 2 of 3 mines, we know that the remaining cell, B3, must be a mine.
Conclusion 8: Based on Conclusion 5 and Fact 3, we can see that exactly one of A4+B3 is a mine and therefore the other two cells adjacent to A3 must account for its other two mines. Therefore B2 is a mine.
[[User:Solid Kalium|Solid Kalium]] ([[User talk:Solid Kalium|talk]]) 00:30, 31 July 2021 (UTC)