explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3217: Home Remedies

2026-03-11T03:21:57Z

Yamaplos: signed...

Wow that came out late. I guess it is still technically Monday in California? Or at least was when it came up on explain xkcd half an hour ago? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:03, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
:Randall lives in Boston. I suppose that there's some lag between xkcd and the explain xkcd upload, as TheusafBOT takes some time to transfer it. [[User:42.book.addict|tori :3]][[User talk:42.book.addict|talk to me!]] 16:50, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

Very late comic [[User:Broseph|Broseph]] ([[User talk:Broseph|talk]]) 08:13, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
: Even later explanation. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 09:30, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

For anyone perhaps wondering how you get a skunk with a hangover, all you need to do is find one of them that is {{wiktionary|drunk as a skunk|famously inebriated}}, then wait. The chewing gum bit probably 'just happens' at some point during this whole process... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.231.180|82.132.231.180]] 10:40, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

Unrelated but I had a dream that I checked this website and it was Randall announcing he was going to quit, just text on a white panel as the final comic, not too dissimilar to Schultz quitting Peanuts. It felt shockingly realistic [[Special:Contributions/168.8.230.58|168.8.230.58]] 12:59, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
:Charles Schultz died on February 12, 2000, the day before his last Sunday strip was published. He might have realized his health was failing and decided to retire while he still had a choice in the matter. The weekday/Saturday edition of Peanuts had its last original strip on January 3, 2000.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_M._Schulz][https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanuts] [[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 18:29, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

The set-up with the competitor stations and the hidden 'ingredients' is very similar to the mystery challenge in the Great British Bake-off (though they seem to have drawers where the ovens would be) - not sure whether it's specific enough to include in the explanation though. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 15:35, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

It looks like White Hat's skunk either hasn't woken up yet or has a much less nasty hangover than the other two. [[Special:Contributions/2001:1C02:1A9D:9700:D9C6:625B:47D6:8BE3|2001:1C02:1A9D:9700:D9C6:625B:47D6:8BE3]] 15:50, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
: Or it has a much ''worse'' hangover, to the point where it can't contemplate moving. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 17:17, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
: Or something to do with gender/hormones as the other 2 skunks are agitated near females (coincidence in an XKCD strip? I don't think so.) OTOH a much more likely explanation in the context of XKCD is simply White Hat's natural unorthodox luck and/or behavior. [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 17:43, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

"[…], but that person must be ''a'' grandparent" does ''not'' imply the contestants may not call anyone else but ''their grandparents''. And since many people are grandparents, this means they may call any of them. [[Special:Contributions/2001:4C4E:1C05:F300:5825:EE15:4B0B:B964|2001:4C4E:1C05:F300:5825:EE15:4B0B:B964]] 17:39, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
: Yes, any grandparent will do. [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 21:23, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

We don't know the rules of the game, and the host did not state clear instructions on what's to do. Thus _my_ "home remedy" would simply be to take the box as-is and move it out of the premises, whereever that be (e.g. the game show place). Problem solved. [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 17:47, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
: I wouldn't even take the box. Just leave it there and step away. Not my problem. [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 21:22, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

:: Hmm. Maybe it is ''my'' unorthodox worldview, but I felt that the goal was to somehow pacify the hungover skunk additionally upset by the chewing gum. Finish with a photo-worthy stance of the contestant smiling at the camera, with the skunk under one arm. The idea of calling a grandparent felt like it was related to that species having life experience already in dealing with stinky, drunk, chewing-gum-affected badly-domesticated beings.[[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 03:21, 11 March 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3217: Home Remedies

2026-03-11T03:21:05Z

Yamaplos: deleted utterly irrelevant block

Talk:3217: Home Remedies

2026-03-11T03:20:18Z

Yamaplos:

Wow that came out late. I guess it is still technically Monday in California? Or at least was when it came up on explain xkcd half an hour ago? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:03, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
:Randall lives in Boston. I suppose that there's some lag between xkcd and the explain xkcd upload, as TheusafBOT takes some time to transfer it. [[User:42.book.addict|tori :3]][[User talk:42.book.addict|talk to me!]] 16:50, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

Very late comic [[User:Broseph|Broseph]] ([[User talk:Broseph|talk]]) 08:13, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
: Even later explanation. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 09:30, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

For anyone perhaps wondering how you get a skunk with a hangover, all you need to do is find one of them that is {{wiktionary|drunk as a skunk|famously inebriated}}, then wait. The chewing gum bit probably 'just happens' at some point during this whole process... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.231.180|82.132.231.180]] 10:40, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

Unrelated but I had a dream that I checked this website and it was Randall announcing he was going to quit, just text on a white panel as the final comic, not too dissimilar to Schultz quitting Peanuts. It felt shockingly realistic [[Special:Contributions/168.8.230.58|168.8.230.58]] 12:59, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
:Charles Schultz died on February 12, 2000, the day before his last Sunday strip was published. He might have realized his health was failing and decided to retire while he still had a choice in the matter. The weekday/Saturday edition of Peanuts had its last original strip on January 3, 2000.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_M._Schulz][https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanuts] [[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 18:29, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

The set-up with the competitor stations and the hidden 'ingredients' is very similar to the mystery challenge in the Great British Bake-off (though they seem to have drawers where the ovens would be) - not sure whether it's specific enough to include in the explanation though. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 15:35, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

It looks like White Hat's skunk either hasn't woken up yet or has a much less nasty hangover than the other two. [[Special:Contributions/2001:1C02:1A9D:9700:D9C6:625B:47D6:8BE3|2001:1C02:1A9D:9700:D9C6:625B:47D6:8BE3]] 15:50, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
: Or it has a much ''worse'' hangover, to the point where it can't contemplate moving. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 17:17, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
: Or something to do with gender/hormones as the other 2 skunks are agitated near females (coincidence in an XKCD strip? I don't think so.) OTOH a much more likely explanation in the context of XKCD is simply White Hat's natural unorthodox luck and/or behavior. [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 17:43, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

"[…], but that person must be ''a'' grandparent" does ''not'' imply the contestants may not call anyone else but ''their grandparents''. And since many people are grandparents, this means they may call any of them. [[Special:Contributions/2001:4C4E:1C05:F300:5825:EE15:4B0B:B964|2001:4C4E:1C05:F300:5825:EE15:4B0B:B964]] 17:39, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
: Yes, any grandparent will do. [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 21:23, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

We don't know the rules of the game, and the host did not state clear instructions on what's to do. Thus _my_ "home remedy" would simply be to take the box as-is and move it out of the premises, whereever that be (e.g. the game show place). Problem solved. [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 17:47, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
: I wouldn't even take the box. Just leave it there and step away. Not my problem. [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 21:22, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

:: Hmm. Maybe it is ''my'' unorthodox worldview, but I felt that the goal was to somehow pacify the hungover skunk additionally upset by the chewing gum. Finish with a photo-worthy stance of the contestant smiling at the camera, with the skunk under one arm. The idea of calling a grandparent felt like it was related to that species having life experience already in dealing with stinky, drunk, chewing-gum-affected badly-domesticated beings.

I need my things returned, so that it isn't just about resetting the property-churn. I also need privacy for communication, which I more or less had before without breaking the arrangement. I'll need other things after those.[[Special:Contributions/209.133.116.39|209.133.116.39]] 19:23, 10 March 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3008: Proterozoic Rocks

2024-11-08T16:56:59Z

Yamaplos: awww

So the last panel refers to the unseen birth of a rock? How are rocks even born? {{unsigned ip|172.71.148.124|06:44, 7 November 2024 (UTC)}}
:Farther - does is mean father back, or further ahead in time? If ahead it could mean Randall do not think there will be any eyes left to see in 500 million years time. Which is not unlikely. Earth will not stay inhabitable much longer than that (probably 800 million years, then the seas will have evaporated). --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:30, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
:A few ways. Fusion likely formed many elements, and neutron star death possibly the rest of the naturally occurring ones. When those started sticking together they would form rocks. The type likely being referred to here is probably sediment being compressed and former a cohesive stone, magma crystalizing, or compression of the latter two types of rocks into different types of rocks. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.124.222|172.71.124.222]] 06:52, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
:I think in this context it was by up welling magma and they are only rare because plate tectonics and erosion has recycled 99.9X% of them. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 07:58, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
:First the mommy rock and the daddy rock fall in love... [[Special:Contributions/172.71.175.16|172.71.175.16]] 15:19, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
::A stork with a very strong neck is involved.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.161|172.70.162.161]] 09:54, 8 November 2024 (UTC)
:::I think there's a cabbage patch involved somehow, but I'm not sure where it fits in. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.31.46|172.71.31.46]] 14:51, 8 November 2024 (UTC)

Makes me think of the manga ''Houseki No Kuni'' (''Land of the Lustrous'') and how effortlessly it depicts thousands and millions of years passing in a blink. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.228|162.158.159.228]] 08:00, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

Guess Randall didn't want to acknowledge the results. Can't say I blame him. [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 08:16, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
:Well it did end in an all black panel... Like his mood. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:30, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
:Maybe he thinks she can still win? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.31.39|172.71.31.39]] 13:05, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
:Oh, I think everything in this comic speaks that Randall is acutely aware of the results. Meditating on eon-old stones is a mental health exercise. I feel him. - and gave the explanation a try. [[User:Transgalactic|Transgalactic]] ([[User talk:Transgalactic|talk]]) 13:49, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

Oh, I ''like'' that title text. It has a poetic quality. (It refers to when various part of animal anatomy first evolved, but does so in a really nice way.) --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.24|162.158.74.24]] 08:47, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

I'd suggest that the explanation should at least include the other interpretation of "farther", namely "farther back in time". I think that's the more obvious one, personally: he's saying these rocks are a billion years old, eyes evolved 500 million years ago and that vast abyss of time "stretches back as far as the eye can see ... and then 500 million years farther" [back]. As in, these rocks existed for 500 million years in a world where there were no eyes. Right? I don't know how the future got involved, it seems to be pretty clearly about the past.[[User:ModelD|ModelD]] ([[User talk:ModelD|talk]]) 14:25, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
:Yeah, that description of 'farther back in time' really seems to make more sense here, since the comic talks about how the rocks were there for roughly that long before eyes existed, and it keeps with the poetic, reflective nature of the rest of the comic, while the future interpretation feels like a bit of a jump from one theme to another. [[User:UnbiasedBrigade|UnbiasedBrigade]] ([[User talk:UnbiasedBrigade|talk]]) 15:03, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
: I concur. This is the interpretation I had before coming to explainxkcd. I think that efforts to make the cartoon be about current events impose a meaning on it that the cartoonist is not yet ready to express. The cartoon appeared very late, and (speaking of imposing a meaning on a cartoon) I imagine Randall struggled mightily to come up with an idea that was not some variation on a fireball of wrath consuming the USA and everything in it. I would also remove the climate-change reference as an overreaching interpretation. For what it's worth, Randall's living depends on computer use by his audience, and computer use is a massive contributor to anthropogenic climate change. I have read repeatedly that, in order to persuade someone to adopt a desired behavior, the proponent has to model it. In this case, by massive reductions in personal energy usage ... which will simultaneously make your life miserable and put you out of the public eye, where no one can see the correct behavior you're modeling. How I learned to stop worrying and love carbon dioxide. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.42.96|162.158.42.96]] 15:13, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
::Possibly that was my own doomsday mindset. I see it's been edited to correct this. :-D (N.B.: Fwiw, Randall depending on computers does not mean he can't be worried about and active against climate change.) [[User:Transgalactic|Transgalactic]] ([[User talk:Transgalactic|talk]]) 17:21, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
::: Many (most? all?) of us (profess to) worry about topics such as climate change, and sell actions we (think we) have taken to promote "correct" policy and behavior. My point is that, if the actions we sell do not conform to our daily practices, we present ourselves as clueless at best, and deliberately, and self-servingly, hypocritical at worst. Speaking of last Tuesday ... A Doonesbury cartoon, some (egad) decades ago, which I wish I could find, forcefully made the point, by having a Black man respond to Michael D's pontifications about climate change, "You've [deleted] the world with your energy use, so now we don't get to have any?" Ultimately, we will say and do anything that makes us look good to our homies ... until it means me. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.150.179|172.71.150.179]] 18:31, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
::::Most of those ideas to promote "correct" policy are stupid. The POINT of prevent climate change is to ensure our civilization can continue. If we stop living, figuratively OR literally, who will we be preserving the climate for? I don't really care what shape we leave the Earth in for cockroaches, besides, they won't mind either, they can adapt. Therefore, we need to find a way how to make climate better (or not as bad as currently predicted) WITHOUT destroying ourselves. Most likely it means new technology, because new technology solved MUCH more problems in history than appeal to people's altruism and better self. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 20:19, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
::::: I invite consideration of where the energy, and the raw materials (both heretofore abundant, now no longer), for this miracle new tech are going to come from. Being mindful of this site's purpose, I write no more. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.23.82|172.68.23.82]] 15:30, 8 November 2024 (UTC)
: There's really no good reason for imaginging the "further" is "further forward" if you've just been talking of looking back. Imagine being given directions to go back towards where you noted a prior landmark and then go further, that wouldn't mean return to here and then go onward again. As such, I've reworded the "future extinction" bit entirely in the other direction (it might mean a different treatment of the "mood explanation" now in the Trivia, but meshes with the comic itself). I pondered adding that, even before 'eyes', there were different phases of light/illumination (and/or shadow) sensitivity that would have meant that day/night (or at least hot vs. cold rocks) and things such as looming predators or overhanging shelter would still have been 'sensed', so being "dark-blind" would have been not necessarily a thing, but instead I just alluded to the Sun still shining (or glowing lava still illuminating, as with the Moon and its pre-fragments whenever they were up above) to aid an actual visit to that era by a time-tourist, and that it's just a selective regression (or a limited degree of retro-posession of any contemporary entity) that leads to "having nothing to see with/by". But to properly expand these extended philosophies in the Explanation would probably clutter up the existing text too much. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.160.219|172.70.160.219]] 16:53, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

Um. Pretty sure this comic has nothing to do with the 2024 election. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.174.23|162.158.174.23]] 15:14, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
: It seems at least mildly relevant. It's a huge, recent event; of a sort that Randall is known to care a lot about; and the meditative mood being evoked seems appropriate. I wouldn't call it an "election comic" or anything, but the trivial is certainly relevant. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.58.132|172.69.58.132]] 16:18, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
: I would not be surprised to see this sort of thing unrelated to the current events (it shares a viewpoint given in such as [[1198: Geologist]], which is <s>almost</s> worth an in-article back reference), but I also think that it's not unlikely that the "mood" of the piece (looking back into "the black", perhaps) is prompted by what we can assume Randall is feeling about current events. Not quite the old "Sad Comics" category, but reflective, and different from what we might have seen under more jubilant (for Randall, at least, but also for many others) times down the different trouser-leg of time. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.160.219|172.70.160.219]] 16:53, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

Oops, I read the 16:14 version https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3008:_Proterozoic_Rocks&oldid=356138 , decided to edit the article and didn't notice that it had already been changed. I don't know if I should remove my edit or merge the 2 edits? [[User:Rps|Rps]] ([[User talk:Rps|talk]]) 16:40, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
:If this was my edit (regarding the "Further back"), I might remerge (to my satisfaction) if you haven't already.
:I've noticed, recently, that there's ''occasionally'' an inadvertent way past Edit Conflicts without a warning (though I got one just here and just now, because of your edit just above!), which I'm sure used to be better handled. But could just be one of those things. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.160.219|172.70.160.219]] 16:53, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

I removed the climate change stuff from the Trivia section, since it seems so far removed from this comic. Tying the meditative mood of the comic to the presidential elections was a stretch, in my opinion, but I left that portion there, as I could see someone making that connection, especially given Randall's political opinions. {{unsigned ip|172.71.154.141|18:48, 7 November 2024 (UTC)}}

This comic shows how rocks are the second-coolest thing ever. (The coolest is obviously SPAAAAAACE) -[[User:Psychoticpotato|P?sych??otic?pot??at???o ]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 13:45, 8 November 2024 (UTC)

This is so poetic (and accurate, except for the numbers), that even a Young Earth Creationists cannot stop from saying, "awww." BTW, for those earliest times we repeat extremely ancient oral tradition, saying that "the Earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep." Totally consistent with this comic. [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 16:56, 8 November 2024 (UTC)

Talk:3006: Demons

2024-11-03T00:54:24Z

Yamaplos: /* New category: Classical Thought Experiments */

Instead of an iron pitchfork, he probably uses a silver hammer! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.26.54|172.71.26.54]] 16:34, 1 November 2024 (UTC)

🤓☝ moment [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]])
20:03, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:Why are his hands backwards??? What did you do to him?! [[User:Psychoticpotato|P?sych??otic?pot??at???o ]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 21:36, 1 November 2024 (UTC)

Note that while boiling souls in oil or casting them into flame pit is traditional, multiple authors already made the observation that it's not really that effective and that modern devils would likely go for psychological torture instead. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 01:15, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
:That's what I thought... it's a beautiful meta-comment that the comic makes this transition to modern torture coincide with the transition to modern physics, as it is embodied by Maxwell, who explained "large-scale effects" and "distant effects" microscopically resp. infinitesimally. [[User:Transgalactic|Transgalactic]] ([[User talk:Transgalactic|talk]]) 03:06, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
:As discussed in Pratchett's {{w|Eric (novel)|<s>Faust</s> Eric}}, both damned ''and'' demons might actually prefer traditional physical punishment to a more tedious psychological regime. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.36|172.70.162.36]] 03:28, 2 November 2024 (UTC)

The evolution of life (entropy-reversing agents) disproves the second law of thermodynamics, which is rooted in short-term statistics of large systems rather than systems where the duration of time greatly exceeds the number of particles. Maxwell’s Demon could be seen as a simplification of this —- that taking action to counter probability does indeed do so, and is indeed probable eventually. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.3.96|172.68.3.96]] 14:10, 2 November 2024 (UTC)

==New category: Infernal Strips==
What do you think about a new Infernal category for strips with demons or in hell? There are quite a few. [[501]], [[533]]... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.47.10|172.70.47.10]] 17:56, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:I agree. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 18:04, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:: I just tagged a half-dozen strips, but a site admin will have to create the category page itself. It turns out there was some overlap with a "Religion" category, whodathunkit. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.46.243|172.70.46.243]] 19:01, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:::They were tagged inconsistently (at least two different forms of the category). And as they were all redlinked I undid them all anyway.
:::The proper process is more like:
:::# Say something like ''Hey, I think we need a "Category:<Foo>"'',
:::#* To justify it, identify a handful of comics (or all of them, if you're being thorough). Unless perhaps the comic is called "SOMETHING SOMETHING NUMBER 1" and it very much looks like it's going to be the start of a series, although still might be best to wait for "SOMETHING SOMETHING NUMBER 2".
:::# Get comments (e.g. ''Yes, a good general idea, but it should probably be "Category:<Bar>" to be consistent/accurate/properly-inclusive/etc'') and additions (''Yeah, and comic in #1234 would fit too!'')
:::# When someone who can (e.g. 42, there) decides it's been successfully argued to an agreement (YMMV), they use the final list (and the agreed upon name) to create the category and at least start the process of adding the category memberships.
:::To be honest, though I agree about the relevence of the created [[:Category:Rockets]], as just done, I also think that one was done far too quickly. I'd at least wait a few days after the last "Good idea!", just in case someone who checks in regularly but not frequently (e.g. once a week) has any wise words to add. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.49|162.158.74.49]] 22:14, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:I agree it would be nice with a list of possible comics, and maybe a better title. Is it to do with demons of hell. Could religion be used, just added that here as the other demons are typical Christian like demons. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:44, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
:Names for this category: Category:Demons, Category:Infernal, Category:Hell. Did I miss any? [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 18:11, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
Me again. Sorry about the IP address. Thanks for the suggestions. Does this wiki maybe have a page where we could discuss projects, or do we have to do all of the discussions in various strip entries? I'd love to have a page about Thought Experiments where we could list the various strips and all of the relevant experiments. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.46.178|172.70.46.178]] 23:08, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
:Yes, there is [[explain xkcd:Community_portal/Proposals]]. Should I move this conversation there? [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 23:59, 2 November 2024 (UTC)

==New category: Classical Thought Experiments==
While I'm at it, I'd also suggest a new category for Classical Thought Experiments, everything from Maxwell's Demon to Schroedinger's Cat to the Trolley Problem. Readers may be familiar with some, but not all of the classical references, and it would be nice to have them all accessible from the same page. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.46.243|172.70.46.243]] 19:01, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:I can see something like this being useful. Not ''entirely'' sure of the name, but maybe, and I'm not sure what a better one would be. (To start off the discussion, as described above.) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.58.21|172.70.58.21]] 22:17, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
:Second that, for whatever it's worth [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 00:54, 3 November 2024 (UTC)

There's some [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_(thought_experiment) other demons] made famous by thought experiments. I wonder how Maxwell's Demon would get along with the Evil Demon that tricks people into thinking they're 17th century philosophers. And I'm sure Laplace's Demon already knows how they'd get along. [[User:DanielLC|DanielLC]] ([[User talk:DanielLC|talk]]) 23:36, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
: Ah bother, ninjaed. Laplaces Demon was the first that came to my mind after reading the strip. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.160.115|172.71.160.115]]+

Talk:2983: Monocaster

2024-09-11T17:15:32Z

Yamaplos: 30cm multi-wheel

Unicycles aren't (or at least aren't usually) chain-driven. I might try to fix that if my phone stops being so slow that it feels like I'm using a 90s PC to do this. Maybe a restart will help. Rebooting in 10, 9, 8... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.76|172.70.91.76]] 07:46, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
:I just went in and Actual Citation Needed it (seeing lower comment, when editor reloaded this page for me, forcing me to rewrite, that may have changed now).
:*It doesn't look like a chain-drive. Could be hub-geared, but not the same thing.
:*Chain-drive to raise the rider (most of the mass) up higher will ''raise'' the CoG.
:*'Underslung' chain-drive (see 1880s example, [[1673: Timeline of Bicycle Design|here]]?) has problems. Pedals hitting the ground would be one of them, unless your wheel was indeed significantly larger...
:*...and if it is (perhaps for better off-roading?), this intrinsically pushes up the CoG. Perhaps you are trying to lower it slightly, again, then. But you can't bring the saddle (and crotch!) lower than the now higher top of the wheel. ("Timeline of Bicycles" version excepted, assumed assymetric? In [https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-4b7d-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99 some manner]?)
:Add to that a few niggles about the bicycle. Not sure if intended to be a Moulton-style one (wheels maybe the classic 17", frame totally wrong) or a roadbike-style-ish one (frame relatively Ok, as drawn by someone not fully adhering to the design, maybe confused by some MTB variations, but clearly not in the ~27" wheel range, give or take). Of course, wheels are neither concentric nor circular, so depends a bit on which bits of the 'circles' are right for the intended arc and which bits ended up more casually doodled. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.99|172.70.91.99]] 08:51, 10 September 2024 (UTC)

Hmm, Randall missed an opportunity to put a Penny-Farthing in there... though I'm not sure how that would have categorised given that it has two wheels of different sizes. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.205.178|172.68.205.178]] 08:19, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
:He has a "Big Wheel Trike" (child's low-rider style thing) in there. On the logarithmic scale, and imprecise reference point (bottom/middle(/CoG,where different)/top of wheel/vehicle/rider/whole?), both the big front wheel and the small trailing wheels colpd be in the right place-ish, although having it slightly inclined could put them in the (place Tandall considers to be) ''exactly'' right place. ((Note also where the 10(?)-wheeler truck-and-trailer is placed horizontally vs the possibly relevent "number of wheels".))
:You could do something similar with the Old Ordinary (i.e. "Penny-Farthing"), either make it roughly right or depict going up a ''marginally'' steeper hill. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.142|172.69.194.142]] 09:04, 10 September 2024 (UTC)

Re: unicycles, the COG thing doesn't look right either, but I was distracted by a (thankfully) now-deleted troll comment before and actually fixing the description is beyond my skills, especially on so little sleep.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.43.184|172.69.43.184]] 08:35, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
:i had good intentions, we need to call randall out --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.122|172.69.194.122]] 09:44, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
:::If you mean your calling out the ''other'' point, that has been deleted anyway: Randall doesn't read this site (that we know; and, if I had a site such as this made for my works, I'd think it wisest to stay clear), so he probably won't get your 'message'. This particular comic doesn't even have the slightest connection to that subject, so not even the page to say anything about it. And the point made (even if it was a valid one... it presupposes that there are no nuances and compromises, that one cannot have a complex set of opinions that neither wholly match nor wholly mismatch ''your'' opinions) was also absurd, when you consider how the ''other'' party involved has proven to be even more so. I won't dignify this issue further by putting names and places here, it really isn't the forum for it. But please realise (if you don't already) that your irrelevent point is out of place here. And most places on this site that you/others like you may have tried such messaging on before. Go to /pol/, or your favourite forum's dedicated boards/threads. Ok? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.19|172.70.85.19]] 12:26, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
::Call him out for *what* exactly? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.70.135|172.68.70.135]] 12:05, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
:::As I dare to hint, just above, someone thinks Randall has a wrong personal opinion on some current issue. Which has nothing to do with this comic. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.19|172.70.85.19]] 12:26, 10 September 2024 (UTC)

As a unicyclist myself, I don't think the unicycle is easier to balance because of a lower center of mass and a chain drive. As a few others have mentioned, they don't normally have a chain drive, although there are a few specialist ones that do. Normally, the cranks are just attached to the hub so you can directly control the speed of the wheel at a 1 to 1 ratio, which makes it easier to balance on. The other thing that would make the unicycle easier than the monocaster is that you can control what direction the wheel is pointing by turning the seat with your thighs. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.186.128|172.68.186.128]] 09:22, 10 September 2024 (UTC)

Love the log-log scale. Now let's see the zoomed-out version, with orders of magnitude more wheels and orders of magnitude larger diameters. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.166.230|172.71.166.230]] 13:59, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
:The scale if off either way. Or Randall wrote centimeters while he meant inches... At least for some cases. Examples: he placed the skatebord at 2cm while skateboord wheels are at ca 5cm - which are approx. 2 inches. Scooter wheels are approx 8.5 inches, not 8.5 cm... The car is mostly fine, albeit it would be a rather small car at ~50cm (a 19 inch (50cm) wheel designates the size of the rims, not the wheel) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 15:18, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
::out of all people i would think Randall would be the last one to use a non-SI unit to measure distance. --[[User:Markifi|Markifi]] ([[User talk:Markifi|talk]]) 17:45, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
:::He usually prefers SI units, yes. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 10:03, 11 September 2024 (UTC)

I have NEVER heard anyone call inline skates "three wheel skates". [[Special:Contributions/141.101.109.193|141.101.109.193]] 19:04, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
:As a quad skater through most of my youth, the depicted "three-wheel skate" was only called "inline" skates. Not sure where this 3-wheel designation came from! [[User:RandalSchwartz|RandalSchwartz]] ([[User talk:RandalSchwartz|talk]]) 21:59, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
::I too thought the term “three-wheel skate” seemed odd, and thought “inline skates” might be more appropriate. Then I remembered that in fact, most inline skates have four wheels… a memory that a quick Google image search seemed to support. So I guess a three-wheel skate is a special case of inline skate, rather than the default implementation. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.160.137|172.70.160.137]] 06:56, 11 September 2024 (UTC)
:Both variants exist and the three-wheeled version has generally bigger wheels - so the relative depiction of both variants in the diagram is correct. But their position regarding to wheel size is not. See my comment above [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 10:03, 11 September 2024 (UTC)

title text sounds like beret guy ngl--[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 23:38, 10 September 2024 (UTC)

Not a single mention of Pollux? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_and_Pollux Wikipedia] [[Special:Contributions/172.68.70.122|172.68.70.122]] 11:53, 11 September 2024 (UTC)

Disconcerting that this explanation does not describe any of the vehicles, instead entirely making one-sided arguments regarding the title text. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.175.16|172.71.175.16]] 15:53, 11 September 2024 (UTC)
:I was considering a tabular list of all subjects, when I had time, at least to the Preview stage. Very brief: 'Vehicle' (wikilinked, as appropriate)/№ of wheels/typical size of wheel(s)/Typical use. No long paragraphs intended. Might need a range in the size column (possibly some in the # of wheels column). If someone gets there before me, though, I wouldn't mind. :p
:...and I just discovered that the # 'key', in the numbers 'screen' of this touchscreen keyboard has ”№” as a long-press alternative! How long have I been using this and hadn't realised? (Four years. That's how long.) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.137|172.70.90.137]] 16:43, 11 September 2024 (UTC)

[[User:DougM|DougM]] ([[User talk:DougM|talk]]) 16:35, 11 September 2024 (UTC)Missed opportunity to bring in the Letourneau l2350 loader, which I think has the largest production tires in the world at 4m, outshining those monster trucks (Bigfoot I think never had tires bigger than 3m).

I notice also a hole regarding ~30cm, multi-wheel. I say that space is filled by those amusement-park little trains. Yesss, they're "separate wagons," however, as it's several attached wagons operating together as a unit, for practical purposes, I say those trains constitute "one single" vehicle. Some have a very ingenious directional drive system, so wagons follow each other in the same path instead of a cathenary, for example in Disney; I was fascinated.[[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 17:15, 11 September 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2933: Elementary Physics Paths

2024-05-19T01:06:37Z

Yamaplos:

First comment, heh. [[User:Psychoticpotato|Psychoticpotato]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 20:27, 15 May 2024 (UTC)
:See also [[1258: First]]. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.7|162.158.159.7]] 23:21, 15 May 2024 (UTC)
::Let me have my first "first" moment, man. [[User:Psychoticpotato|Psychoticpotato]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 12:46, 16 May 2024 (UTC)
:::Could this be the last first? Or just the first of the last firsts. [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 14:16, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

I assume the cosmology comment from the alt text is related to the speculative nature of dark matter and dark energy, but I am too ignorant of of cosmology to know if there is something more specific being referenced.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.23.203|172.69.23.203]] 22:27, 15 May 2024 (UTC)
:I think its more jokinly questioning the knowlege of the cosmos, saying "space is big, so are we 100% that EVERYTHING is made of these complicated little things, or just the parts we can see?" [[User:Apollo11|Apollo11]] ([[User talk:Apollo11|talk]]) 00:26, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

::I thought it was a reference to the incompatibility of the leading cosmological theory (Relativity) with Quantum theory. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.210.117|172.68.210.117]] 02:49, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Am I the only one where it seems like the explanation was written by an AI? It seems like obvious things are left out, like the presence of dark matter in astronomy, or saying “quantum physics” instead of “quantum field theory”. It’s like in some areas it could be convincingly explaining without knowing, a little like chatgpt does. However, I’m thinking a lot of the explanations are like that and I’ve probably participated in it myself … [[Special:Contributions/172.68.23.215|172.68.23.215]] 00:46, 16 May 2024 (UTC)
:The reason we're using "Quantum Theory" (at least my reason) is because thats what the comic used [[User:Apollo11|Apollo11]] ([[User talk:Apollo11|talk]]) 00:59, 16 May 2024 (UTC)
:The initial explanations are indeed generated using automation, so that each day's initial visitors aren't greeted by no explanation at all; visitors with a ''better'' explanation, should feel welcome to contribute. Visitors should not be ''overwriting'' existing explanations with autogenerated content, though; that's a mistake.
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 17:05, 18 May 2024 (UTC)
::I believe the point was that 'AI' was used (with or without generous human tweaking to the input to the 'algorithm' and/or post-output selectivity and editing), and this is different from the 'automation' of TheusafBOT/etc which is just a fairly limited (and entirely hand-crafted) "poll, scrape, limited-parse and post" process. As well as going the 'lazy' way of disregarding (or excessively diluting) the initial work in favour of a (mostly?) uncritical adoption of what a hallucination-vulnerable black box process spews out after being trained to just "make something that ''look like'' what a human might write" without every any hope of applying true understanding to the process. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.38.191|162.158.38.191]] 18:56, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

According to the Copenhagen Interpretation, it's not determined whether a physicist studies Condensed Matter or Quantum Field Theory until we open his box. [[User:Doctorhook|Doctorhook]] ([[User talk:Doctorhook|talk]]) 02:45, 16 May 2024 (UTC)
: According to the Communist Russia Interpretation, the Universe studies physicists.[[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.172|172.71.178.172]] 08:22, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

you guys really need to solve your chatgpt problem
--[[Special:Contributions/172.70.143.28|172.70.143.28]] 03:59, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Schrodinger's 'cat box thought experiment' is more complex than even Schrodinger realised, since for the duration of the experiment the cat assumes EVERY possible quantum state, including 'not actually in the box' and 'suddenly not being a cat any more'.
[[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.231|172.70.91.231]] 05:09, 16 May 2024 (UTC)
:At the conclusion of this test, there will be cake.
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 17:01, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Schrodinger did not argue against QM; he argued against a certain interpretation of it. Specifically, he argued that QM does not tell us how things really are; at most, it tells us what we can detect about those things. His cat in a box idea aims to make clear that we do not know what happens between observations and that using QM to describe this leads to nonsense.
[[Special:Contributions/172.70.46.13|172.70.46.13]] 06:44, 16 May 2024 (UTC)
:I removed the "further examples" and the mentioning of Schrödinger. Interesting for sure, but not relevant for the explanation of the comic. Schrödinger isn't even mentioned in the comic... [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:26, 16 May 2024 (UTC)
::Specifically, he used the cat in a box analogy to show why we can (with an ever-increasing confidence) say that the Copenhagen interpretation is baloney.
::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 16:59, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

It feels like Randall has gone down the same Wikipedia rabbit hole that I have (spurred on by another comic). The universe is full of extremely weird things on every level. Even the Copenhagen Interpretation of QM isn't actually one interpretation. Everyone has different ideas because it's all so weird. I remember my physics teacher telling me about the time before QM was discovered when it seemed like we had figured out most of physics and now it seems like we barely know anything. [[User:Brycemw|Brycemw]] ([[User talk:Brycemw|talk]]) 13:31, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

It seems like there should be a third branch for chemistry, leading to biology. Just putting a bunch of atoms together gives a bunch of new, unrelated properties in the new molecules compared to their constituent atoms. When you look at organic chemistry, especially the self-perpetuating version (life), then the level of complexity is ''huge''. {unsigned|Nutster|16:04, 17 May 2024}}

I was reading it, and as 172.68.23.215 said, it looks like Kyrodes put in multiple overriding edits which directly erased the original explaination in lieu of a ChatGPT version (analysis courtesy of gptzero). I'd personally prefer there being more human-made stuff here, and some of the writing isn't exactly coherent... But this isn't up to me to decide, eh? [[User:Eelitee|Eelitee]] ([[User talk:Eelitee|talk]]) 21:25, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Yesterday I was trying to read a journal article that was trying to model the way water moves through a soil column and has some of its impurities removed. They were using a system of 12 simultaneous partial differential equations, had dramatically run out of letters for naming variables, constants, and functions, and were nesting equations three deep to try to make the PDEs readable. And this was AFTER they made a large number of simplifying assumptions. To top it off, the results aren't even perfectly accurate for already highly purified water running through a column in a super controlled environment. Reality is complicated, y'all.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.2.100|172.68.2.100]] 14:56, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Should we be concerned that reality is complicated only to those with too much knowledge (like ourselves, natch) ?
Reality is simple enough to the simple of mind, i.e. writers of school books, teachers relying on those, and those who believe what teachers say. Understanding of reality by the masses (99.9%, maybe more) has not improved any since the Middle Ages, it's faith and trust in the authority of the speaker. Even when "alternate," more "up to date" explanations come around, like string theory, even black holes, it tends to sound not much different from Daniken and his visitors from space, is most often presented as clickbait, etc. [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 01:06, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

Talk:1238: Enlightenment

2020-07-01T14:20:11Z

Yamaplos: /* OVerComplete? */

I can't help but feel he toadaly missed out on "herd"!
Should this make me feel icky? Please help!
Monteletourneau [[User:Monteletourneau|Monteletourneau]] ([[User talk:Monteletourneau|talk]]) 05:13, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

Did anyone else notice the (most likely intentional) typos in that sentence they told her to type? "... and THEIR DEFINATELY good" (they're definitely) {{unsigned ip|‎115.30.33.36}}
:http://imgur.com/3Gpey 13:21, 6 April 2016 (UTC)~

Didn't you notice "you're" and "idea's" as well. I would assume it is highly improbable that these were not intentional. [[Special:Contributions/74.125.16.2|74.125.16.2]] 04:51, 15 July 2013 (UTC)GusGold

Of course those were intentional. That was the joke. The exercise for INTERNET enlightenment and getting rid of insecurities is to make typos and grammatical errors freely. You may also notice them saying on the last panel "wasnt" and "its", instead of "wasn't" and "it's".
Megan just wasn't able to do this task of making intentional mistakes, which would result in people online thinking she's dumb (insecurities), so she broke the laptop and left. [[Special:Contributions/95.35.58.179|95.35.58.179]] 05:20, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
:Why do we think she broke the laptop and left? What's the circle on the ground for? (Looks like a StarTrek Transporter pad. And the pedestal just appeared as needed, must be virtual. Rather, I think she got UN-enlightened and zapped away into nothing-ness. [[Special:Contributions/12.234.99.131|12.234.99.131]] 16:41, 16 July 2013 (UTC) Zake

There's a huge difference between accepting others' misspellings and repeating them yourself...not commenting on someone typing "definately" is completely different than being told to spell it that way yourself. [[User:Wotpsycho|Wotpsycho]] ([[User talk:Wotpsycho|talk]])

I read you're explanation's and their definately helpful! --[[Special:Contributions/129.187.90.96|129.187.90.96]] 09:07, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Having your ideas "approved" by someone who can't even spell might feel much worse than having them simply shot down.{{unsigned ip|89.31.118.161}}

Does anyone else think Ponytail appears to be levitating? --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 16:07, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Someone deleted my edit, so I'm bringing it up here on the discussion page. The sentence contains more than just common misspellings; it also contains a common grammatical error. "I read your ideas and they're definitely good" is a run-on sentence. Joining two independent clauses requires BOTH a comma and a coordinating conjunction ("I read your ideas, and they're definitely good"). The sentence omits the comma. While certain style guides allow the comma to be left out when the two clauses are short enough, Megan's obstinate grammar-nazism is the entire point of the comic. It is unlikely she would let it slide. [[Special:Contributions/193.67.17.36|193.67.17.36]] 16:49, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
:"they're" refers to "ideas", the sentences are not independent.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 17:59, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
::That's not what an independent clause means. Can they be separated into two sentences? "I read your ideas. They're definitely good." Yes - it still makes sense as two sentences, thus the two clauses are independent. (An example of a dependent clause would be "I read your ideas while I was driving home." "While I was driving home" cannot stand on its own as a sentence, so it is not an independent clause.)[[Special:Contributions/193.67.17.36|193.67.17.36]] 18:17, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
:::I'm not a native English speaker, and I have learned only British English at school. But your statement makes sense. My first sentence is correct?--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:59, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
::::Yep, your first sentence is fine. I'm going to add the note about run-on sentences back into the Explanation; I hope nobody has any more objections. [[Special:Contributions/193.67.17.36|193.67.17.36]] 19:35, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
:::"...''whilst'' I was driving home"? ;) (And bear in mind as well that "while" can more commonly mean "until", instead of "during", in certain English-speaking dialects. Ok, I'm being picky, now.) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.50.23|178.98.50.23]] 05:40, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
::::Gr8 example of Internet forum tangental one-upmanship! [[Special:Contributions/12.234.99.131|12.234.99.131]] 16:41, 16 July 2013 (UTC) Zake
:This explanation makes a lot of sense. It helped me to stop being angry at the sentence they wanted her to type, and to pay attention to the bigger picture, especially when combined with the alt-text. Randall, I heard you're idea's and their definately good. (Also, I'm assuming that Internet Enlightenment allows me to be disgusted with myself for writing that, as long as I was willing to do so.) [[Special:Contributions/68.231.138.149|68.231.138.149]] 04:49, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
::It is perfectly correct to join two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction and no comma. In fact it is often considered bad style (if not actually incorrect) to include both a comma and a conjunction when joining only two clauses.[[Special:Contributions/129.22.117.158|129.22.117.158]] 17:50, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
:::I'm not native English, as I explained before, but please give some more background information and not only a statement of your mind. And consider: This is American English, there are some odd commas. I'm still not sure what's correct.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:24, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
::::I'm not native either. What I've found on several sites [http://pages.uoregon.edu/munno/Writing/ClausesandCommas.html], [http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/writing/comma?09] is ''two independent clauses connected by "and" or "but" are separated by a comma''—basically, because you would make a little pause at that point when used in speech. Contradicting this on {{w|simple:Run-on sentence}} I currently see ''"I looked over the hill and I saw the bear." is a complete sentence.'' (not two independent clauses—although grammatically possible), so simple-wikipedia could be wrong, or there is some tolerance, when two clauses are actually connected. In the end, I'd say this comma is not really worth that discussion, and I would suggest making some kind of neutral statement, e.g. ''and there might be a {{w|Run-on sentence|comma}} missing''. --[[User:Chtz|Chtz]] ([[User talk:Chtz|talk]]) 22:52, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
:::It is not perfectly correct to omit the comma. Chtz cited two sources above, here are a few more: [http://www.towson.edu/ows/conjunctions.htm], [http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm], [http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/020204WhenCommaBfAnd.htm]. There is a little leeway for stylistic reasons, but as I mentioned above, the entire point of the comic is that Megan does not give leeway when it comes to grammar nazism. The corrected sentence in the explanation should be actually correct, not mostly-correct-but-given-a-little-stylistic-leeway.[[Special:Contributions/193.67.17.36|193.67.17.36]] 18:37, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
::::I (poster from 129.22.117.158 above) have looked into things more and stand corrected. I heard all you're ideas, and their definately good.[[Special:Contributions/209.152.196.210|209.152.196.210]] 13:04, 19 July 2013 (UTC)

I wonder if there's an additional level of meaning here. To me, the most striking thing about the sentence Megan won't type is not the bad spelling, but the fact that it involves agreeing with someone. On the Internet, people are always arguing with other (as in, for example, http://xkcd.com/386/). Maybe what Megan had to do to become "enlightened" was not just to ignore the rules of spelling, but actually to agree with someone for a change?{{unsigned ip|134.226.254.178}}
:Well, that's why I wrote the third paragraph, about how important agreement can be. Do you have any suggestions as to how we could emphasize this point more? [[User:PinkAmpersand|PinkAmpersand]] ([[User talk:PinkAmpersand|talk]]) 22:03, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

Be associated with bad grammar, Yoda would not. [[User:Alcatraz ii|Alcatraz ii]] ([[User talk:Alcatraz ii|talk]]) 08:22, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
;Incomplete or not?
I did add the tag again because there are too many edits at this page and also the discussion is still not clear. I would like to see the grammar issue solved by more explain, even when it's not easy.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:16, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

I'm not sure if it's worth mentioning any more comparisons, but I'd put it don't here at least: It reminds me of Schindler's List when Schindler tries to convince Amon Goeth, a commander of a Nazi concentration camp, that true power is when you have the power (and justification) to kill someone, but you spare them. This is an attempt to change the behaviour of Amon, who has a habit of killing random camp internees (and _believes_ he has the right to do so).{{unsigned ip|Svend}}
:Hey, you compared something to the Nazis! I invoke Godwin's Law! http://xkcd.com/261/{{unsigned ip|134.226.254.178}}

Note I have removed a misguided rant from Dgbrt regarding Svend's thoughtful post. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.88|199.27.128.88]] 09:06, 27 December 2013 (UTC)

This xkcd is all about how hard it is not to be a grammar nazi. --[[Special:Contributions/84.60.134.161|84.60.134.161]] 02:12, 24 July 2013 (UTC)

:Ah! So sweet and succinct! That line should be in the explanation. Perhaps with the words "for some people" added, but yeah. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.225.134|108.162.225.134]] 05:29, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

I strongly disagree with Randall and this comic, that making grammar errors and appearing uneducated is OK, and anyone who doesn't want to make themselves sound stupid is insecure (no, I want to communicate clearly and present ideas using proper and consistent language conventions). [[User:Jimbo1qaz|Jimbo1qaz]] ([[User talk:Jimbo1qaz|talk]]) 08:50, 28 February 2018 (UTC)

== OVerComplete? ==

Not 2 happy with There is also a double meaning - not writing anything at all is in fact "saying nothing". 
While "good enough" Zen, this reading is a bit beyond the obvious' of the rest. 
BTW, I would hold that, to subvert the comic, we need to keep the discussion going and correct each other in a most pedantic but loving way. Moreso, I intend to use this comic widely as I go around correcting the internet. [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 14:19, 1 July 2020 (UTC)

Talk:1238: Enlightenment

2020-07-01T14:19:23Z

Yamaplos: /* OVerComplete? */ new section

I can't help but feel he toadaly missed out on "herd"!
Should this make me feel icky? Please help!
Monteletourneau [[User:Monteletourneau|Monteletourneau]] ([[User talk:Monteletourneau|talk]]) 05:13, 1 August 2013 (UTC)

Did anyone else notice the (most likely intentional) typos in that sentence they told her to type? "... and THEIR DEFINATELY good" (they're definitely) {{unsigned ip|‎115.30.33.36}}
:http://imgur.com/3Gpey 13:21, 6 April 2016 (UTC)~

Didn't you notice "you're" and "idea's" as well. I would assume it is highly improbable that these were not intentional. [[Special:Contributions/74.125.16.2|74.125.16.2]] 04:51, 15 July 2013 (UTC)GusGold

Of course those were intentional. That was the joke. The exercise for INTERNET enlightenment and getting rid of insecurities is to make typos and grammatical errors freely. You may also notice them saying on the last panel "wasnt" and "its", instead of "wasn't" and "it's".
Megan just wasn't able to do this task of making intentional mistakes, which would result in people online thinking she's dumb (insecurities), so she broke the laptop and left. [[Special:Contributions/95.35.58.179|95.35.58.179]] 05:20, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
:Why do we think she broke the laptop and left? What's the circle on the ground for? (Looks like a StarTrek Transporter pad. And the pedestal just appeared as needed, must be virtual. Rather, I think she got UN-enlightened and zapped away into nothing-ness. [[Special:Contributions/12.234.99.131|12.234.99.131]] 16:41, 16 July 2013 (UTC) Zake

There's a huge difference between accepting others' misspellings and repeating them yourself...not commenting on someone typing "definately" is completely different than being told to spell it that way yourself. [[User:Wotpsycho|Wotpsycho]] ([[User talk:Wotpsycho|talk]])

I read you're explanation's and their definately helpful! --[[Special:Contributions/129.187.90.96|129.187.90.96]] 09:07, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Having your ideas "approved" by someone who can't even spell might feel much worse than having them simply shot down.{{unsigned ip|89.31.118.161}}

Does anyone else think Ponytail appears to be levitating? --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 16:07, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Someone deleted my edit, so I'm bringing it up here on the discussion page. The sentence contains more than just common misspellings; it also contains a common grammatical error. "I read your ideas and they're definitely good" is a run-on sentence. Joining two independent clauses requires BOTH a comma and a coordinating conjunction ("I read your ideas, and they're definitely good"). The sentence omits the comma. While certain style guides allow the comma to be left out when the two clauses are short enough, Megan's obstinate grammar-nazism is the entire point of the comic. It is unlikely she would let it slide. [[Special:Contributions/193.67.17.36|193.67.17.36]] 16:49, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
:"they're" refers to "ideas", the sentences are not independent.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 17:59, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
::That's not what an independent clause means. Can they be separated into two sentences? "I read your ideas. They're definitely good." Yes - it still makes sense as two sentences, thus the two clauses are independent. (An example of a dependent clause would be "I read your ideas while I was driving home." "While I was driving home" cannot stand on its own as a sentence, so it is not an independent clause.)[[Special:Contributions/193.67.17.36|193.67.17.36]] 18:17, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
:::I'm not a native English speaker, and I have learned only British English at school. But your statement makes sense. My first sentence is correct?--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:59, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
::::Yep, your first sentence is fine. I'm going to add the note about run-on sentences back into the Explanation; I hope nobody has any more objections. [[Special:Contributions/193.67.17.36|193.67.17.36]] 19:35, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
:::"...''whilst'' I was driving home"? ;) (And bear in mind as well that "while" can more commonly mean "until", instead of "during", in certain English-speaking dialects. Ok, I'm being picky, now.) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.50.23|178.98.50.23]] 05:40, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
::::Gr8 example of Internet forum tangental one-upmanship! [[Special:Contributions/12.234.99.131|12.234.99.131]] 16:41, 16 July 2013 (UTC) Zake
:This explanation makes a lot of sense. It helped me to stop being angry at the sentence they wanted her to type, and to pay attention to the bigger picture, especially when combined with the alt-text. Randall, I heard you're idea's and their definately good. (Also, I'm assuming that Internet Enlightenment allows me to be disgusted with myself for writing that, as long as I was willing to do so.) [[Special:Contributions/68.231.138.149|68.231.138.149]] 04:49, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
::It is perfectly correct to join two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction and no comma. In fact it is often considered bad style (if not actually incorrect) to include both a comma and a conjunction when joining only two clauses.[[Special:Contributions/129.22.117.158|129.22.117.158]] 17:50, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
:::I'm not native English, as I explained before, but please give some more background information and not only a statement of your mind. And consider: This is American English, there are some odd commas. I'm still not sure what's correct.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:24, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
::::I'm not native either. What I've found on several sites [http://pages.uoregon.edu/munno/Writing/ClausesandCommas.html], [http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/writing/comma?09] is ''two independent clauses connected by "and" or "but" are separated by a comma''—basically, because you would make a little pause at that point when used in speech. Contradicting this on {{w|simple:Run-on sentence}} I currently see ''"I looked over the hill and I saw the bear." is a complete sentence.'' (not two independent clauses—although grammatically possible), so simple-wikipedia could be wrong, or there is some tolerance, when two clauses are actually connected. In the end, I'd say this comma is not really worth that discussion, and I would suggest making some kind of neutral statement, e.g. ''and there might be a {{w|Run-on sentence|comma}} missing''. --[[User:Chtz|Chtz]] ([[User talk:Chtz|talk]]) 22:52, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
:::It is not perfectly correct to omit the comma. Chtz cited two sources above, here are a few more: [http://www.towson.edu/ows/conjunctions.htm], [http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm], [http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/020204WhenCommaBfAnd.htm]. There is a little leeway for stylistic reasons, but as I mentioned above, the entire point of the comic is that Megan does not give leeway when it comes to grammar nazism. The corrected sentence in the explanation should be actually correct, not mostly-correct-but-given-a-little-stylistic-leeway.[[Special:Contributions/193.67.17.36|193.67.17.36]] 18:37, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
::::I (poster from 129.22.117.158 above) have looked into things more and stand corrected. I heard all you're ideas, and their definately good.[[Special:Contributions/209.152.196.210|209.152.196.210]] 13:04, 19 July 2013 (UTC)

I wonder if there's an additional level of meaning here. To me, the most striking thing about the sentence Megan won't type is not the bad spelling, but the fact that it involves agreeing with someone. On the Internet, people are always arguing with other (as in, for example, http://xkcd.com/386/). Maybe what Megan had to do to become "enlightened" was not just to ignore the rules of spelling, but actually to agree with someone for a change?{{unsigned ip|134.226.254.178}}
:Well, that's why I wrote the third paragraph, about how important agreement can be. Do you have any suggestions as to how we could emphasize this point more? [[User:PinkAmpersand|PinkAmpersand]] ([[User talk:PinkAmpersand|talk]]) 22:03, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

Be associated with bad grammar, Yoda would not. [[User:Alcatraz ii|Alcatraz ii]] ([[User talk:Alcatraz ii|talk]]) 08:22, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
;Incomplete or not?
I did add the tag again because there are too many edits at this page and also the discussion is still not clear. I would like to see the grammar issue solved by more explain, even when it's not easy.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:16, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

I'm not sure if it's worth mentioning any more comparisons, but I'd put it don't here at least: It reminds me of Schindler's List when Schindler tries to convince Amon Goeth, a commander of a Nazi concentration camp, that true power is when you have the power (and justification) to kill someone, but you spare them. This is an attempt to change the behaviour of Amon, who has a habit of killing random camp internees (and _believes_ he has the right to do so).{{unsigned ip|Svend}}
:Hey, you compared something to the Nazis! I invoke Godwin's Law! http://xkcd.com/261/{{unsigned ip|134.226.254.178}}

Note I have removed a misguided rant from Dgbrt regarding Svend's thoughtful post. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.88|199.27.128.88]] 09:06, 27 December 2013 (UTC)

This xkcd is all about how hard it is not to be a grammar nazi. --[[Special:Contributions/84.60.134.161|84.60.134.161]] 02:12, 24 July 2013 (UTC)

:Ah! So sweet and succinct! That line should be in the explanation. Perhaps with the words "for some people" added, but yeah. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.225.134|108.162.225.134]] 05:29, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

I strongly disagree with Randall and this comic, that making grammar errors and appearing uneducated is OK, and anyone who doesn't want to make themselves sound stupid is insecure (no, I want to communicate clearly and present ideas using proper and consistent language conventions). [[User:Jimbo1qaz|Jimbo1qaz]] ([[User talk:Jimbo1qaz|talk]]) 08:50, 28 February 2018 (UTC)

== OVerComplete? ==

Not 2 happy with There is also a double meaning - not writing anything at all is in fact "saying nothing". 
While "good enough" Zen, this reading is a bit beyond the obvious' of the rest. 
BTW, I would hold that, to subvert the comic, we need to keep the discussion comic and correct each other. Moreso, I intend to use this comic widely as I go around correcting the internet. [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 14:19, 1 July 2020 (UTC)

Talk:1170: Bridge

2020-07-01T00:06:41Z

Yamaplos: cookies?

I am ''definitely'' going to do this to someone!
~tartilc

Ahhh it's been a while since the last classic. This one is instant.
-Adam

Note that the Cueball's argument doesn't really defeat the idea behind the phrase. Jumping off the bridge JUST because your friends did is still bad idea. What you should do is analyse situation. In best case, FIND the logical reason why your friends jumped, although it's true that spending too much time analysing can be dangerous. Also, look WHERE are your friends jumping too and if they landed alive. In many catastrophic scenarios, panic can kill more people that the catastrophe. That said, statistically speaking, if all your friends jumped off the bridge, there probably IS reason why they did it and you WILL probably do the same - not because they jumped, but for the same reason they jumped. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:01, 6 February 2013 (UTC)
:But cueball didn't go for reasonably check why they jumped before making the decision. From what I understood, his argument, even if not the best idea, is to trust the friends judgement and jump too. Jump first, ask questions later. [[Special:Contributions/189.123.129.34|189.123.129.34]] 18:11, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

In Hong Kong, Moms use "jump off the building" instead of bridge. (Too many skyscrapers, tall apartments right here, only really rich people live in houses). Ok, next time I will argue with her with this when I am going to do something stupid LOL [[Special:Contributions/123.202.19.132|123.202.19.132]] 09:08, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

I probably one of the people who will not jump right away, at least think and looking around first. Yes it need some time and may cost me, but that's me. [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 21:37, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

Cueball's argument assumes that each of his friends made independent decisions to jump off a bridge. However, if his other friends were reasoning in a similar fashion to Cueball, they may have come to the conclusion that the bridge was on fire after only a single person jumped. This herd behaviour is exactly what the adage is to remind one of. --[[Special:Contributions/128.135.70.143|128.135.70.143]] 21:56, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

I always was of the opinion that if '''all''' my friends DID jump off a bridge, I would probably jump off too, because I'd be far too depressed at the thought of all my friends being dead. Can you imagine living with that trauma? And who exactly is going to console you through it? All the likely candidates are dead! - [[User:KeithTyler|KeithTyler]] ([[User talk:KeithTyler|talk]]) 21:58, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, did a comic similar to this one in 1999: [http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1999-11-21/ Young Dilbert] --[[Special:Contributions/24.145.230.202|24.145.230.202]] 01:10, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

I think the point is that if you choose your friends wisely you can trust their logic. If they ALL jumped, ther must be a reason, unless you hang out with morons.
-Adam
:Or they have been all influenced by some gas or radiation, so cannot reason logically. :-) [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 17:16, 8 February 2013 (UTC)
:Or, you know, blood control or something. Except I'm the A positive...maybe they'd have the sense not to let me jump. --Prairie

I can't help but notice: We've all heard this, right? So basically, a lot of persons repeat saying that after having heard another say it. Should it make them question their logic? Not really. Saying this adage is kind of a fine example where doing something just because so many others did it, is rather stupid.
-thelvin

I wonder what Cueball and his friends were going to do? On the face of it, it didn't appear to be anything all that dangerous. His mother, if she was using this argument out of reflex, probably just got her comeuppance for applying it in an inappropriate context. Poor mom. She probably already has too much on her hands, working for a living and raising a very intelligent kid, and now she has the extra chore of checking her metaphors carefully before use. This should push her right to that old favorite, "Because!"[[Special:Contributions/24.79.11.46|24.79.11.46]] 20:42, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

So Mom, got her comeuppance? Isn't this exactly what she wanted her son to do, examine what was going on and make a logical decision based on it... the fact that he said "their must be a reason", means she failed of course and must retrain him. So now she just has to say..."Ok, you can go as long as you can demonstrate to me the value of you attending (said function) and those that will be denied to you by not attending and doing something more socially responsible!18:24, 11 February 2013 (UTC) MI Ranger 11 Feb 2013

I want to do this! Except that it requires having friends...
Wait... All my friends are doing it is still a valid argument, since any expression of the form 'All X are Y' is always true whenever X (my friends) is an empty set! (vacuously true)[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.244|141.101.98.244]] 21:57, 3 November 2013 (UTC)
Much simpler... Up until the parent asks about bridge jumping, everything is the same: then cueball says "yeah. We're going bungee jumping." {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.35}}

If I ever have children, and the situation comes where I'll have to say "If all your friends...", I'll say it and see how they answer.
:If they give up on doing what they were going to do, I'll tell them they're wrong and then expose the idea of this comic.
:If, instead, they respond with the idea of this comic, then I raised them well.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.18|108.162.212.18]] 01:37, 17 February 2014 (UTC)

Wait a second.... If the bridge is on fire, then you're probably a wolf. So your friends would jump off WITHOUT the bridge being on fire, simply because they see a wolf.
[[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.141|173.245.50.141]] 20:29, 29 April 2015 (UTC)

According to my mom, I was such a smartass as a kid that she knew not to say this to me... But when she tried it on my sister, I butted in with, "that's probably the best time every to jump, with all those friends to cushion her fall". [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.180|199.27.130.180]] 02:02, 19 September 2015 (UTC)

:You read the TV Tropes article, didn't you. [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 09:08, 6 April 2018 (UTC)

* weak explanation, sorry. What about those cookies? [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 00:06, 1 July 2020 (UTC)

Talk:1167: Star Trek into Darkness

2020-06-30T23:41:31Z

Yamaplos:

There has been a considerable amount of debate as to whether the title of this movie should have a colon in it, which would have appeared as "Star Trek: Into Darkness." They eventually decided against the colon, and I wonder if this comic is poking fun at that debate.[[Special:Contributions/169.234.40.187|169.234.40.187]] 00:49, 31 January 2013 (UTC)

I suspect an allusion to movie title spellings that can be seen on moviez sites, torrent sites etc. -- [[Special:Contributions/193.174.118.70|193.174.118.70]] 08:20, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

The Associated Press style manual says to capitalize all prepositions that are four letters or more in titles, e.g. Into, Through, etc. --[[User:Prooffreader|Prooffreader]] ([[User talk:Prooffreader|talk]]) 09:54, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

This could also have to do with WP's MOS of capitalizing "The first word in a compound preposition (e.g. "Time Out of Mind", "Get Off of My Cloud")".

However, you cannot simply change the title of a page on WP. This requires actually moving the whole page. [[Special:Contributions/84.208.51.23|84.208.51.23]] 14:02, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

I think there is a capitalization error in the comic. The second to last 's' should be capitalized in order to match the rest of the pattern in "xX_StAr TrEk InTo DaRkNess_Xx". Unless the author is trying to subtly troll us into arguing about that capitalization... [[User:Sayno2quat|Sayno2quat]] ([[User talk:Sayno2quat|talk]]) 14:31, 30 January 2013 (UTC)
:Non-sense, double consonants should never be capitalized! Unless of course you want to use them for structural purposes, like spacing or framing, obviously.--[[User:Pnariyoshi|Pnariyoshi]] ([[User talk:Pnariyoshi|talk]]) 15:05, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

I believe Cueball's comment, "I have a new favorite edit war," is refering to the title text in this comic http://xkcd.com/878 about the great debate of HO vs. H0. [[Special:Contributions/206.39.12.245|206.39.12.245]] 15:23, 30 January 2013 (UTC)Pat

"Magnificient"?

The actual [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Star_Trek_into_Darkness#xkcd_Mention Talk Page] of the Wikipedia article in question has an item about this comic. --[[User:Prooffreader|Prooffreader]] ([[User talk:Prooffreader|talk]]) 16:32, 30 January 2013 (UTC)
:Oh sweet mother of god. Between that and the spam on this wiki, I think I'll take the spam. '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 11:33, 31 January 2013 (UTC)

I spent a good portion of last night reading through Wikipedia's talk pages for that. Worth a good laugh. [[Special:Contributions/76.122.5.96|76.122.5.96]] 16:56, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

Well it obviously should be capitalized. --[[User:Shine|Shine]] ([[User talk:Shine|talk]]) 17:43, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

:I tried to make a point on wikipedia that Wikipedia itself went out of its way to create a "lowercase first letter" template so that iPod and things of that nature could be capitalized the way the producer styled it, but there's really nowhere to point it as all discussions have closed and been ground to a halt. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 19:50, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

But is it really an edit war? Have they been moving the page bach and forth? --[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 00:18, 31 January 2013 (UTC)

I still feel the most retarded of discussions on Wikipedia is for the Hentai article, where a disturbing majority demand pornography. --[[Special:Contributions/59.167.191.93|59.167.191.93]] 08:05, 31 January 2013 (UTC)

Just a minor matter of correctness... but shouldn't this page be entitled "1167: Star Trek Into Darkness", with a capital I, you know, since that's the way the movie studio is writing it, even though it doesn't follow MOS? I think someone needs to fix it RIGHT NOW! --boB
:Hey boB, you should fix your username! :P I'm kidding. I think the wiki just follows what is on the xkcd website, which has the lower case "i".--[[User:Pnariyoshi|Pnariyoshi]] ([[User talk:Pnariyoshi|talk]]) 22:45, 31 January 2013 (UTC)

I wish the Super Bowl Halftime Show could be that talk page being presented in a dramatic on stage performance. wow. Do you think Ian McKellen is available?--[[User:Shine|Shine]] ([[User talk:Shine|talk]]) 19:29, 31 January 2013 (UTC)

It looks like it's been moved to the capital I. I'd say that it's definitely because xkcd mentioned it. [[Special:Contributions/76.122.5.96|76.122.5.96]]

: https://twitter.com/wikisignpost/statuses/297188486421831680 :-) --[[User:Mormegil|Mormegil]] ([[User talk:Mormegil|talk]]) 07:56, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

I wanna be the guy who has to watch the xkcd website for new Wikipedia-related comics and lock the related article as quickly as possible... [[User:Ilinamorato|Ilinamorato]] ([[User talk:Ilinamorato|talk]]) 15:44, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

Perhaps it is worth noting that the argument over whether to include a section about the debate and the following xkcd mention is now growing on the talk page and already has a couple thousand words of debate. {{unsigned|24.114.22.89}}

:That reminds me of the time that I was reading my Encyclopedia Britannica and happened across the section on the Titmouse and it mentioned the debate the editors were having on whether to include a joke about {{w|Tufted_Titmouse|Titmice}} and {{w|tit_(bird)|tits}} being cousins of sorts. Oh Wait.... --[[User:Shine|Shine]] ([[User talk:Shine|talk]]) 23:06, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

Maybe someone who has seen Contact wants to add some comment about the meaning of the quote or why it is relevant/funny? –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 18:45, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

This may be obvious to others, but I don't know why the ~*~ symbol is used for the alternate capitalization. Can someone explain what the meaning of those characters is? [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 19:06, 22 May 2015 (UTC)
:I think it is making fun of old AIM profiles and similar username choices, usually with 'random' capitalization and xX or ~*~* , examples: [1] http://img.ifcdn.com/images/60a97877d77df653f3c29a9f78f342958c00b864d68eda6a6324cafda44ffc69_1.jpg , http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/katy-t3h-pengu1n-of-d00m , https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2015-07/1/16/enhanced/webdr04/enhanced-20005-1435781306-7.jpg --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.91|108.162.221.91]] 19:29, 12 June 2016 (UTC)

I don't know if the title text was changed from what it was originally, but on xkcd.com it says "factions sprang up..." not "crackers..." -[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.174|108.162.246.174]] 20:18, 27 May 2015 (UTC)

Must be the capital "I". That's final! Everything else is plainly stupid! If you like your franchise, then let the movies have beautiful titles. If you use lower-case "i", it's ugly. Btw I'm not a fan of Star Trek. And I don't want to join the war(s). I'm gone. Bye! {{unsigned ip|162.158.85.117}}

Seems there was an edit war about the page title before there was even a film title. Anyway the [Ii]nto debate starts from the first talk archive and it keeps going: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Star_Trek_Into_Darkness/Archive_1#Title_redux --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.16|162.158.75.16]] 21:14, 22 May 2018 (UTC)

It’s still happening. The edit war still rages. [[User:Netherin5|“That Guy from the Netherlands”]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 13:07, 13 November 2019 (UTC)

May I suggest: Star Trek |nto Darkness

::after looking at this, I spent the next three hours editing Wikipedia. Sigh. Grin [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 23:41, 30 June 2020 (UTC)

Talk:1167: Star Trek into Darkness

2020-06-30T23:40:49Z

Yamaplos:

Talk:1103: Nine

2020-06-24T14:12:55Z

Yamaplos:

I really find that the hover-over text applies to me more often than not, unless I'm not in mixed company. This reminds me of a time that I was staying with a friend and she walked in on me changing the time on her microwave. When I explained to her that her microwave, stove, and coffee pot were all set to different times and it was bugging me, she just looked at me like I was crazy. --[[User:Grate314|"grate314"]] ([[User talk:Grate314|talk]]) 16:47, 3 September 2012 (UTC)
:I don't think that is what the title text meant. Also, anybody who reads an xkcd comic and remembers that they did that ''is'' crazy. --[[Special:Contributions/98.221.139.80|98.221.139.80]]
:I agree with grate314. I have to fix this every time the power goes out in my house because the stove, microwave, and radio all treat power outages differently. Between different rooms, though, it doesn't bother me. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 19:04, 3 September 2012 (UTC)
::I know that that isn't specifically what the hover-over text was talking about, but I was thinking of it in a more general way. I've just found that whenever someone asks me what I'm thinking about, it's best to say 'nothing'. What I meant by 'mixed company' is a general social gathering, like a wedding or birthday party. I'm an EE student, so when someone asks me that question at school, I answer honestly. The answer is usually 'soldering'. I think about soldering a lot. Thanks, DanB, the clocks were all on top of each other, btw, I'm not sure how she lived in that chaos.--[[User:Grate314|grate314]] ([[User talk:Grate314|talk]]) 21:27, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

Did anybody try doing what the title text is saying? Just wondering. --[[Special:Contributions/98.221.139.80|98.221.139.80]]

When I'm not following written instructions, I tend to use multiples of 1:11, out of laziness. So, if I figure something should take about 2-3 minutes, I'll nuke it for 2:22. That way, I can press one button 3 times without having to move my finger. [[User:MGK|MGK]] ([[User talk:MGK|talk]]) 17:23, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

If your microwave is connected to your home network you should accept that GCHQ have probably broken all your codes.[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 20:03, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

I'm lazy and like to use repeated digits rather than have to move my finger along to find the next one - thus 33, 55, 66 get used a lot. I also find that for most items, longer time at lower power settings is more effective at even heating, so I do a lot of 66 at 50% rather than 33 at 100%. Our current oven only has 10 power settings, unlike a previous one that had two digit power settings resulting in 66 sec at 55% being a fairly commonly used setup. Interestingly, the logic of every microwave oven I have encountered treats 99 entered in the seconds display the same as if one were to have entered 1minute and 33 seconds. Thus 99:99 would be 100 minutes and 33 seconds. [[User:J-beda|J-beda]] ([[User talk:J-beda|talk]]) 17:31, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

Oddly (apparently) my microwave has only 3 buttons (10 minutes, 1 minute, 10 seconds), though I do feel sorry for the 10 minute button.
:Maybe it would make more sense to change the 10 minutes button to a 6 minutes button [[Special:Contributions/212.23.140.110|212.23.140.110]] 16:39, 5 September 2012 (UTC)

I usually just push the "add 30 seconds" button until I reach the desired time (6 pushes for three minutes, 3 for 1:30, etc.). [[User:Erenan|Erenan]] ([[User talk:Erenan|talk]]) 16:06, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

:mine only has a single analogue dial that jumps up in increasingly large steps, and for some reason is numbered to skip over some sensible times, such as six minutes. however, no buttons, so problem solved. [[Special:Contributions/86.15.83.223|86.15.83.223]] 22:00, 29 December 2012 (UTC)

The 9 and 0 button are near each other so I do a lot of 90 (meaning 1 minute, 30 seconds). Sometimes, I'll get lazy<strike>er</strike> and press 99.

'''Quasar '''unit offers the additional accuracy/simplicity/utility of min 10, 1 and sec 10, 1 There are no other numbers on the control face, which has 14 buttons total. hmm, Minimum number of buttons required to accomplish nuking?--[[User:Idkrash|Idkrash]] ([[User talk:Idkrash|talk]]) 01:28, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
:For simplicity I would be in favor of 2 dials and 2 buttons. The dials could serve for power and time, which could output to digital displays. The buttons then could serve as start and stop. Pressing start and stop simultaneously would toggle the clock set function and you could use the dials to set the min and hour.----[[User:Shine|Shine]] ([[User talk:Shine|talk]]) 10:47, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
::I suspect that sooner or later they'll all just have a power button and a touchscreen. [[User:Erenan|Erenan]] ([[User talk:Erenan|talk]]) 15:15, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
::Agreed that the touchscreen is likely but you could get away with just the two dials by having the time dial start the oven when it is pulled out and stop when pushed in. (#Analog) --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 19:18, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
::: My microwave already has a touch screen... we use the 30 second button on it a lot... --[[User:Tustin2121|Tustin2121]] ([[User talk:Tustin2121|talk]]) 16:36, 9 September 2012 (UTC)
:::The pushable dial isn't even necessary, have the machine start when the dial is twisted, which then ticks back to zero, and stop when the door is opened [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.65|141.101.99.65]] 14:13, 21 July 2017 (UTC)

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benford's_law Benfords law] pops to mind.

I don't use 20, 30 ,40, because find it easier to just click twice same button: 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, 99 and anything beyond 99 seconds - well, 200 {{unsigned ip|82.71.241.138|17:25, 6 December 2012‎ (UTC)}}

As a datum-point, my microwave has a (linear, clockwork, with mechanical bell-ding) dial, which is imprecise enough. Also it's a ''really'' old one (20 years old? 25? 30?) with a lower power than is common to see mentioned, so I look at the packaging recommendations, see perhaps 650W, 750W and 850W times, or 700W and 800W ones, and then add half again onto the lower rate's required time, and then perhaps a little more for good luck, as the amount I (roughly) twist the dial. I rarely use anything other than 'full'-power, out of the five settings. And I still sometimes need to renuke after testing. I really ought to get a new one. Probably would be more efficient, as well as accurate. ;) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.141.216|178.98.141.216]] 13:07, 31 March 2013 (UTC)

Shockingly, no one has mentioned Cirno from Touhou Project.--[[Special:Contributions/67.78.126.46|67.78.126.46]] 12:41, 14 October 2013 (UTC)

Shockingly, noone has mentioned that 159 seconds is closer to 3 minutes that it is to 2. [[User:Marklark|Marklark]] ([[User talk:Marklark|talk]]) 23:03, 29 December 2015 (UTC)
: I think it's a reasonable assumption that a the 1 gets bumped into the minutes column, otherwise all times would have to be entered in seconds or some other untidy interface would be necessary [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.65|141.101.99.65]] 14:13, 21 July 2017 (UTC)

::{{ping:Marklark}} has the right assumption, however ''141.'' turns out to be right in fcats, at least in my machine. My microwave will accept an entry like '99', which is seen as 1 minute 39 seconds, but the first digit of a series of three, as in '159' will be interpreted as being minutes, not hundreds of seconds.[[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 14:09, 24 June 2020 (UTC)

:::that being said, I can't approach the microwave without thinking of this so-called comic. Rather a tragic, if you ask me. Likewise, the Roomba is not a pet, but a creature of the wild captured. sigh [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 14:09, 24 June 2020 (UTC)

::::'''besides the fact that the assumption in this comic is wrong.''' Because being used to max out certain options, multiple comments in this thread confirm that, '9' is not the least used digit in a touch button microwave interface, "7' or '8' are, '1' to '6' being options to ''express cook'' and ''reheat'', thus used more often. My microwave key pad is actually worn from "1" to "4". This fact, because of the previous comment, requires eternal vigilance so proper non-discriminatory, fair allocation of keypresses are the norm in this household. Fair we is, fair we stay, yay! [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 14:09, 24 June 2020 (UTC)

Am I the only one that uses "99" whenever the instructions say something close to "1 minute 30 seconds"? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.49|108.162.216.49]] 15:11, 26 February 2016 (UTC)BenDanTomJack
:If the instructions say 1:30, wouldn't 88 be a better choice than 99? A variance of 2 seconds under vs. a variance of 9 seconds over. {{unsigned ip|173.245.48.105}}

* Shockingly, no one has mentioned Pluto. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.10.172|172.68.10.172]] 18:12, 21 July 2019 (UTC)

Who doesn’t use 90 fairly often? A lot of things need to be cooked for 90 seconds. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.82|162.158.214.82]] 13:58, 25 November 2019 (UTC)

From a scientific standpoint, we moved into a new house last year which has a well-used (probably 20+ years) Amana Radar-range, so lots of button pushes. The buttons for 1, 2, 3, 5, and 0 are WELL worn with the rest nearly untouched. [[User:Cosumel|Cosumel]] ([[User talk:Cosumel|talk]]) 07:27, 12 May 2020 (UTC)

Talk:1103: Nine

2020-06-24T14:09:43Z

Yamaplos: 9 is not the least used key

I really find that the hover-over text applies to me more often than not, unless I'm not in mixed company. This reminds me of a time that I was staying with a friend and she walked in on me changing the time on her microwave. When I explained to her that her microwave, stove, and coffee pot were all set to different times and it was bugging me, she just looked at me like I was crazy. --[[User:Grate314|"grate314"]] ([[User talk:Grate314|talk]]) 16:47, 3 September 2012 (UTC)
:I don't think that is what the title text meant. Also, anybody who reads an xkcd comic and remembers that they did that ''is'' crazy. --[[Special:Contributions/98.221.139.80|98.221.139.80]]
:I agree with grate314. I have to fix this every time the power goes out in my house because the stove, microwave, and radio all treat power outages differently. Between different rooms, though, it doesn't bother me. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 19:04, 3 September 2012 (UTC)
::I know that that isn't specifically what the hover-over text was talking about, but I was thinking of it in a more general way. I've just found that whenever someone asks me what I'm thinking about, it's best to say 'nothing'. What I meant by 'mixed company' is a general social gathering, like a wedding or birthday party. I'm an EE student, so when someone asks me that question at school, I answer honestly. The answer is usually 'soldering'. I think about soldering a lot. Thanks, DanB, the clocks were all on top of each other, btw, I'm not sure how she lived in that chaos.--[[User:Grate314|grate314]] ([[User talk:Grate314|talk]]) 21:27, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

Did anybody try doing what the title text is saying? Just wondering. --[[Special:Contributions/98.221.139.80|98.221.139.80]]

When I'm not following written instructions, I tend to use multiples of 1:11, out of laziness. So, if I figure something should take about 2-3 minutes, I'll nuke it for 2:22. That way, I can press one button 3 times without having to move my finger. [[User:MGK|MGK]] ([[User talk:MGK|talk]]) 17:23, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

If your microwave is connected to your home network you should accept that GCHQ have probably broken all your codes.[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 20:03, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

I'm lazy and like to use repeated digits rather than have to move my finger along to find the next one - thus 33, 55, 66 get used a lot. I also find that for most items, longer time at lower power settings is more effective at even heating, so I do a lot of 66 at 50% rather than 33 at 100%. Our current oven only has 10 power settings, unlike a previous one that had two digit power settings resulting in 66 sec at 55% being a fairly commonly used setup. Interestingly, the logic of every microwave oven I have encountered treats 99 entered in the seconds display the same as if one were to have entered 1minute and 33 seconds. Thus 99:99 would be 100 minutes and 33 seconds. [[User:J-beda|J-beda]] ([[User talk:J-beda|talk]]) 17:31, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

Oddly (apparently) my microwave has only 3 buttons (10 minutes, 1 minute, 10 seconds), though I do feel sorry for the 10 minute button.
:Maybe it would make more sense to change the 10 minutes button to a 6 minutes button [[Special:Contributions/212.23.140.110|212.23.140.110]] 16:39, 5 September 2012 (UTC)

I usually just push the "add 30 seconds" button until I reach the desired time (6 pushes for three minutes, 3 for 1:30, etc.). [[User:Erenan|Erenan]] ([[User talk:Erenan|talk]]) 16:06, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

:mine only has a single analogue dial that jumps up in increasingly large steps, and for some reason is numbered to skip over some sensible times, such as six minutes. however, no buttons, so problem solved. [[Special:Contributions/86.15.83.223|86.15.83.223]] 22:00, 29 December 2012 (UTC)

The 9 and 0 button are near each other so I do a lot of 90 (meaning 1 minute, 30 seconds). Sometimes, I'll get lazy<strike>er</strike> and press 99.

'''Quasar '''unit offers the additional accuracy/simplicity/utility of min 10, 1 and sec 10, 1 There are no other numbers on the control face, which has 14 buttons total. hmm, Minimum number of buttons required to accomplish nuking?--[[User:Idkrash|Idkrash]] ([[User talk:Idkrash|talk]]) 01:28, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
:For simplicity I would be in favor of 2 dials and 2 buttons. The dials could serve for power and time, which could output to digital displays. The buttons then could serve as start and stop. Pressing start and stop simultaneously would toggle the clock set function and you could use the dials to set the min and hour.----[[User:Shine|Shine]] ([[User talk:Shine|talk]]) 10:47, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
::I suspect that sooner or later they'll all just have a power button and a touchscreen. [[User:Erenan|Erenan]] ([[User talk:Erenan|talk]]) 15:15, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
::Agreed that the touchscreen is likely but you could get away with just the two dials by having the time dial start the oven when it is pulled out and stop when pushed in. (#Analog) --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 19:18, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
::: My microwave already has a touch screen... we use the 30 second button on it a lot... --[[User:Tustin2121|Tustin2121]] ([[User talk:Tustin2121|talk]]) 16:36, 9 September 2012 (UTC)
:::The pushable dial isn't even necessary, have the machine start when the dial is twisted, which then ticks back to zero, and stop when the door is opened [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.65|141.101.99.65]] 14:13, 21 July 2017 (UTC)

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benford's_law Benfords law] pops to mind.

I don't use 20, 30 ,40, because find it easier to just click twice same button: 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, 99 and anything beyond 99 seconds - well, 200 {{unsigned ip|82.71.241.138|17:25, 6 December 2012‎ (UTC)}}

As a datum-point, my microwave has a (linear, clockwork, with mechanical bell-ding) dial, which is imprecise enough. Also it's a ''really'' old one (20 years old? 25? 30?) with a lower power than is common to see mentioned, so I look at the packaging recommendations, see perhaps 650W, 750W and 850W times, or 700W and 800W ones, and then add half again onto the lower rate's required time, and then perhaps a little more for good luck, as the amount I (roughly) twist the dial. I rarely use anything other than 'full'-power, out of the five settings. And I still sometimes need to renuke after testing. I really ought to get a new one. Probably would be more efficient, as well as accurate. ;) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.141.216|178.98.141.216]] 13:07, 31 March 2013 (UTC)

Shockingly, no one has mentioned Cirno from Touhou Project.--[[Special:Contributions/67.78.126.46|67.78.126.46]] 12:41, 14 October 2013 (UTC)

Shockingly, noone has mentioned that 159 seconds is closer to 3 minutes that it is to 2. [[User:Marklark|Marklark]] ([[User talk:Marklark|talk]]) 23:03, 29 December 2015 (UTC)
: I think it's a reasonable assumption that a the 1 gets bumped into the minutes column, otherwise all times would have to be entered in seconds or some other untidy interface would be necessary [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.65|141.101.99.65]] 14:13, 21 July 2017 (UTC)

::{{ping:Marklark}} has the right assumption, however ''141.'' turns out to be right in fcats, at least in my machine. My microwave will accept an entry like '99', which is seen as 1 minute 39 seconds, but the first digit of a series of three, as in '159' will be interpreted as being minutes, not hundreds of seconds.[[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 14:09, 24 June 2020 (UTC)

:::that being said, I can't approach the microwave without thinking of this so-called comic. Rather a tragic, if you ask me. Likewise, the Roomba is not a pet, but a creature of the wild captured. sigh [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 14:09, 24 June 2020 (UTC)

;:::besides the fact that the assumption in this comic is wrong. Because being used to max out certain options, '9' is not the least used digit in a touch button microwave interface, "7' or '8' are, '1' to '6' being options to ''reheat''. This fact, because of the previous comment, requires eternal vigilance so proper non-discriminatory, fair allocation of keypresses are the norm in this household. Fair we is, fair we stay, yay! [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 14:09, 24 June 2020 (UTC)

Am I the only one that uses "99" whenever the instructions say something close to "1 minute 30 seconds"? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.49|108.162.216.49]] 15:11, 26 February 2016 (UTC)BenDanTomJack
:If the instructions say 1:30, wouldn't 88 be a better choice than 99? A variance of 2 seconds under vs. a variance of 9 seconds over. {{unsigned ip|173.245.48.105}}

* Shockingly, no one has mentioned Pluto. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.10.172|172.68.10.172]] 18:12, 21 July 2019 (UTC)

Who doesn’t use 90 fairly often? A lot of things need to be cooked for 90 seconds. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.82|162.158.214.82]] 13:58, 25 November 2019 (UTC)

From a scientific standpoint, we moved into a new house last year which has a well-used (probably 20+ years) Amana Radar-range, so lots of button pushes. The buttons for 1, 2, 3, 5, and 0 are WELL worn with the rest nearly untouched. [[User:Cosumel|Cosumel]] ([[User talk:Cosumel|talk]]) 07:27, 12 May 2020 (UTC)

1525: Emojic 8 Ball

2020-06-20T00:50:02Z

Yamaplos: original link broken - added archive.org one

{{comic
| number = 1525
| date = May 15, 2015
| title = Emojic 8 Ball
| image = emojic 8 ball.png
}}
{{TOC}}
*To experience the interactivity, visit the {{xkcd|1525|original comic}}.
*To see an example of what the comic looks like after you ask a question see this [[media:emojic 8 ball with answer.png|answer]].

==Explanation==
Emojic 8 Ball is a parody of the {{w|Magic 8-Ball}} using {{w|emoji}} instead of words. "Emojic" is a portmanteau of "emoji" and "magic".

A real Magic 8 Ball is a toy designed to visually resemble a real {{w|billiard_ball#International_pool|pool ball}}, which responds to questions (posed as yes-or-no questions) asked of it, ostensibly by magic. The responses are provided through a window on one face that displays text phrases printed on a triangular shape as depicted in this comic. Vintage balls contained a die with multiple triangular facets suspended in a dark fluid, while modern balls feature an electronic screen.

The ball in this comic provides responses in the form of graphical {{w|Unicode}} "text" (which this comic is suggesting are {{w|emoji}}).

It is possible that this may be commentary on the inclusion of such "meaningless" symbols into Unicode. Ask a question and get a meaningless reply, even more meaningless than the answers given by a Magic 8 Ball.

It could also be commentary about the ambiguous nature of advice from fortune tellers, horoscopes, etc. Each emoji has an ambiguous meaning (for example, depending on context, the cow symbol 🐄 could refer to beef or farming). The interpretation has more to do with the person receiving the fortune than anything given by the so-called fortune reader.

With the default question being "How will I die?", this may also be partially a reference to "{{w|Machine of Death}}". This book from 2010 is a collection of short stories edited by amongst other {{w|Ryan North}} (of {{w|Dinosaur Comics}}) mentioned here since the idea was based on one of [http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=675 his comics]. Since [[Randall Munroe]] wrote one of the stories the reference is very likely. All the stories are based around a device, the "Machine of Death", that can predict, with 100% accuracy though generally with extreme ambiguity, how people die from a drop of their blood. In many of the stories very unusual deaths are predicted, often in a very literal way, but not so you know when or where you will die. From the [http://machineofdeath.net/ official home page] the entire book can be downloaded for free as a [https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4648190/MachineofDeath_FINAL_SPREADS.pdf PDF file](broken) [https://web.archive.org/web/20170423012915/https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4648190/MachineofDeath_FINAL_SPREADS.pdf 2020/06 archive.org copy]. (Randall's story begins on page 421 - or page 218 of the two sided PDF file. It is simply called "?"). The "Machine of Death" may also have been referenced in the fourth panel of [[1341: Types of Editors]].

Emoji were previously referenced in [[1513: Code Quality]]. Emoji has since then become a [[:Category:Emoji|recurrent theme]] on xkcd. But this is the first one with Emoji in the title.

===Permalink===
*After the first time you ask a question a permalink will appear below the panel in gray letters.
*The "permalink" is an actual link of the type that is called a "'''{{w|permalink}}'''", a portmanteau of "permanent-link".
*If you wish to "save" any given question and combination of emojis for future reference (for instance one where you think the combo makes sense to your question) you can do so by copying down this link.
*The last two years [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comics, [[1350: Lorenz]] and [[1506: xkcloud]] also used the [[1350: Lorenz#Permalink|concept of a permalink]].
*The permalink option did not appear in the comic when it was first posted. This has been seen before.
*Here a three examples with one, two and three emojis in the reply
**[http://xkcd.com/1525/#eyJxIjoiV2h5IGFtIEkgc28gc2FkPyIsImEiOlsiJiN4MjY3RjsiXX0= permalink with 1 emoji].
***Question: ''Why am I so sad?''.
***The answer is one emoji [♿ (Wheelchair symbol)] (A reply that actually makes sense as to why you might feel sad)
**[https://xkcd.com/1525/#eyJxIjoiV2hhdCBzaG91bGQgSSB3ZWFyIHRvbW9ycm93PyIsImEiOlsiJiN4MUYzRTY7IiwiJiN4MUYzNTY7Il19 permalink with 2 emojis].
***Question: ''What should I wear tomorrow?''.
***The answer is two emoji [🏦 (bank) and 🍖 (meat on bone)]
**[https://xkcd.com/1525/#eyJxIjoiV2hlcmUgd2lsbCBJIGJlIGFmdGVyIHRvbW9ycm93PyIsImEiOlsiJiN4MUYzRUY7IiwiJiN4MUYzQTk7IiwiJiN4MUY0MjE7Il19 permalink with 3 emojis].
***Question: ''Where will I be after tomorrow?''.
***The answer is three emoji [🏯 (Japanese castle), 🎩 ‎(top hat) and 🐡 ‎(blowfish)].
***This is also available as a [[media:emojic 8 ball with answer.png|picture]] - it is the picture linked to above the explanation.

===Bugs===
Note: if you see mostly squares (possibly with six numbers/letters inside) in the 8 Ball instead of actual symbols or pictures, it means your system doesn't have fonts that support the Emoji unicode characters. Scroll down to [[#Discussion|the discussion section]] below for suggestions on how to get and install the right font for your system, as well as to see a list of emoji characters so you can easily see if they're working or not.

==Transcript==
:[An image of a shiny black ball with a white circle forming a black window at its center. Above the image is a title where the number 8 is written in a black circle, making it look like an 8-ball.]
:'''Emojic 8 Ball'''

:[Below the title is an input field with a placeholder text in grayed out text:]
:How will I die?

:[Below is a gray submit button.]
:Ask

:[The Emojic 8 Ball is below the ask button. The text in the input field can be changed by the user before pressing the ask button. After the submit button is pressed, 1 to 3 emoji symbols appear in the black window, framed inside a light blue equilateral triangle with one end pointing straight up. Once this has been done once, then a link appears below the panel with this text: Permalink].

==Trivia==
*The 8-ball randomly returns between one and three emoji characters. The source code reveals there is 42.1% chance of getting one character, 52.6% chance of getting two characters, and 5.3% chance of getting three.
*The source code contains 507 different emoji characters. For a full list of the supported characters, see [[1525: Emojic 8 Ball/List of emoji|List of emoji]].
*This is the second official comic with [[:Category:No title text|no title text]]. The first was [[1506: xkcloud]].
*The [http://xkcd.com/1525/info.0.json official transcript] of the comic [http://web.archive.org/web/20150515133138/http://xkcd.com/1525/ originally] said:
**"Sorry blind people. There is no title text, even. Just a text box, an \"ask\" button, and a graphic that changes to a random emojii.\n\nThis one doesn't seem to be for you."

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:No title text]]
[[Category:Emoji]]

Talk:1520: Degree-Off

2020-06-19T23:34:08Z

Yamaplos: covid-19 has doubled infectious disease deaths, BUT is just a small percentage of total. Which one should we care about?

Isn't this the debut of the dark hair-bun girl? Is this trivia section worthy? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.88|173.245.50.88]] 22:49, 4 May 2015 (UTC)BK201
:The hair bun girl has [[:Category:Comics featuring Hair Bun Girl|appeared a few times]] since it's inception in [[378: Real Programmers]]. --{{User:17jiangz1/signature|01:05, 05 May 2015}}
::But this one has bangs, and visibly darker hair. Isn't it possible it's a different character? Or am I [http://media1.giphy.com/media/v9rfTQBNqdsSA/giphy.gif splitting hairs]? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.88|173.245.50.88]] 20:23, 5 May 2015 (UTC)BK201
:::Yes your are splitting hair. Because in xkcd most characters are just generic and can be any person they need to be. The characteristic of the hair bun has been used only a few times, 8 with this one. Sometimes the figure even represents a real person. I agree that she is drawn a little different, but in the page for Hair Bun Girl it is mentioned that she also sometimes have glasses. It is though interesting that he has used her several times sine passing comic 1500. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:43, 7 May 2015 (UTC)
::::After having spotted the recurrence of [[Science Girl]] for whom I just made a category I realized that the hair bun Bio "girl" here is just her as a (young) adult woman. I have included her and revised the explanation accordingly. So I disagree with my own comment above now ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 18:47, 22 July 2016 (UTC)

I assume "''Your'' field gathered in the desert to create a new one." refers to the Manhattan Project? {{unsigned ip|173.245.50.74}}
:Yes [[User:Jachra|Jachra]] ([[User talk:Jachra|talk]]) 06:52, 4 May 2015 (UTC)

So, no one has really brought up the topic of biological WMD. There are manmade plagues out there far more horrible than any natural disease and arguably more terrible than a nuclear bomb.

Chem wants absolutely no part of this conversation. [[User:Jachra|Jachra]] ([[User talk:Jachra|talk]]) 06:52, 4 May 2015 (UTC)

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are: Conquest, War, Famine, and Death. Is she claiming that her heros have conquered death? [[User:Capncanuck|Capncanuck]] ([[User talk:Capncanuck|talk]]) 06:58, 4 May 2015 (UTC)
: Yeah I didn't get that either. The description as it stands now seems to be implying one of the four horsemen is pestilence, but that's not what my Google search turned up… --[[User:Zagorath|Zagorath]] ([[User talk:Zagorath|talk]]) 15:15, 4 May 2015 (UTC)
::Pestilence [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.176|173.245.56.176]] 07:10, 4 May 2015 (UTC)
:::In Terry Pratchett's book the fourth horsemen is Pestilence. See also {{w|Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse#As_infectious_disease|Pestilence}}. It was new to me that it was originally Conquest instead of Pestilence which can be read on wiki: {{w|Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse}}. Since Randall is a big fan of Terry Pratchett it is very likely that he refers to "his" version of the four Horsemen. (It is not Terry's invention, but he made it popular amongst people like Randall). As I disagree with the Death version of the title text, I'm not sure that Terry is directly refereed to in this comic, but I'm sure the Bilologist refers to them killing of pestilence (or plauge). --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:23, 4 May 2015 (UTC)
::::There are no humanities on stage, so I think bio can get away with this one.--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.23|108.162.218.23]] 17:50, 4 May 2015 (UTC)
::::Maybe it referred to famine. Though that'd be a bit odd. [[User:Halfhat|Halfhat]] ([[User talk:Halfhat|talk]]) 19:05, 4 May 2015 (UTC)
:::::Perhaps the reason why pestilence isn't a real Horseman is because its death by biology retroactively altered the prophecy ("Yes, you've had it for ages. But did you have it for ages 30 minutes ago?" - Rincewind, The Last Continent).```` {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.144}}
::::::If we're assuming that the comic is using Pratchett's version of the Horsemen, and that Bio has killed Pestilence... then we know that Pestilence was replaced with Pollution. So it might be a reference to the atomic waste and fallout of the testing itself. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.29|173.245.56.29]] 00:43, 27 August 2016 (UTC)

also a possible reference to: https://xkcd.com/435/ ? {{unsigned ip|141.101.75.101}}

The stamp collecting quote is from Ernest Rutherford, not Richard Feynman. {{unsigned ip|141.101.70.43}}

1052 also compares degrees --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.12|141.101.104.12]] 08:36, 4 May 2015 (UTC)

My assumption was that Cueball was giving a long and possibly rambling talk about physics starting with an anecdote about Feynman and ending with one about Rutherford. I didn't consider the quote to be wrongly attributed therefore. {{unsigned ip|141.101.99.71}}

Please be aware that the proper way to link to wikipedia is to use [[Template:w]].--{{User:17jiangz1/signature|10:01, 04 May 2015}}

This may be Randall's indirect way of saying what he thinks of the anti-vaxxers. --[[User:RenniePet|RenniePet]] ([[User talk:RenniePet|talk]]) 10:49, 4 May 2015 (UTC)

Does the "killing Pestilence" thing also refer to ''Good Omens'' (co-authored by Pratchett), where Pestilence retired in 1936 "mumbling something about penicillin"? Homusubi

Isn't the comment about vaccines kinda reaching? I don't really see any evidence, even implied, that this comic is referencing the anti-vaccine movement in any way. --[[User:Zagorath|Zagorath]] ([[User talk:Zagorath|talk]]) 13:23, 4 May 2015 (UTC)
:I agree that the anti-vaxer comments are out of place. I don't think they should be included as part of the explanation. [[User:Bmmarti3|Bmmarti3]] ([[User talk:Bmmarti3|talk]])

Isn't the biologist talking in the title text? And isn't biology considered a squishy science? I think the title is directed at the physicist, telling him to get harder skin because he's so easily hurt emotionally. [[User:YourLifeisaLie|Yourlifeisalie]] ([[User talk:YourLifeisaLie|talk]]) 14:13, 4 May 2015 (UTC)
:Was I the only one to see the title text as a dirty joke? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.65|173.245.50.65]] 16:33, 24 August 2016 (UTC)

I rather doubt that the CAPS in the title text are referring to Pratchett's figure DEATH. In my opinion, the talking-in-CAPS is just meant to infer (further) SHOUTING on the part of the biologist, since she is shouting in the last panel as well. There is no indication whatsoever that the title text should be spoken by anyone other than the biologist herself.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.180|141.101.104.180]] 14:20, 4 May 2015 (UTC)thd

Do chemistry and physics represent a helium atom with biology as the nucleus? It would also explain her hair. [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 15:18, 4 May 2015 (UTC)
:I don't see any reason for it to make any sense. It is quite a long shot to think so. However, what explains her hair? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.88|173.245.50.88]] 17:50, 4 May 2015 (UTC)BK201

Might there also be a reference to https://xkcd.com/520/, praising biology just in case. [[User:Tzwenn|Tzwenn]] ([[User talk:Tzwenn|talk]]) 15:22, 4 May 2015 (UTC)

What is the giant bump in infectious diseases around 1925? It seems like it must have been a mayor effect, but I don't know how to google for it.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.99|141.101.104.99]] 17:43, 4 May 2015 (UTC)

:The planet-wide superflu of 1919, which happened because millions decided to go to Europe, camp in filthy trenches for months and then decided to all go back home simultaneously for some reason. {{unsigned ip|199.27.133.44}}

::Actually, it happened for other reasons, and it was mostly in 1918. Many people arrived at that camp bringing the superflu with them, actually, and the drop-off happened around when the bulk of them went home. Most of the fatalities may actually have been due to cytokine storms, AKA your immune system deciding that you ought to die horribly and now. What you ''actually'' got at the camp is the discovery that, if your feet are continuously wet for sufficiently long periods of time, they'll rot. That said, infectious diseases are on their way back, because antibiotic resistance is going up. There's already a confirmed case of TB resistant to all current antibiotics, and truly new ones becoming less and less frequent. (Most of the obvious routes we've exploited and adaptation is destroying, and many of the remaining obvious routes are insufficiently easy to distinguish from chemical warfare.) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.182|108.162.237.182]] 22:46, 4 May 2015 (UTC)

moved the most important comment to the top. [[User:TheJonyMyster|TheJonyMyster]] ([[User talk:TheJonyMyster|talk]]) 00:25, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

Uhm lockpicking != safecracking. Feynman was exploiting a bad design in the safes (you didn't have to dial the exact number) combined with people being lousy at choosing their codes. [[User:Poizan42|Poizan42]] ([[User talk:Poizan42|talk]]) 09:45, 5 May 2015 (UTC)
:A numpad safe still contains a lock. It locks items inside. --{{User:17jiangz1/signature|11:27, 05 May 2015}}

I'm not sure what is the biologists arguing about. Physics creating new horseman of apocalypse is definitely bigger achievement than biologists almost removing one. On the other hand, both fields are capable of making humans extinct by mistake. (Also, seriously, the idea of degree-off is flawed: we need experts in both (or rather all) fields.) -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:09, 5 May 2015 (UTC)
:I disagree. Penicillin is a much more important discovery - helping so many people. Killing people is a lot easier than curing them! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:40, 7 May 2015 (UTC)

I think that Civil Engineering should get half the credit. It wouldn't make for as good a cartoon though. Why was the graph of infectious disease rates lightly doctored to reduce the 1918 flu pandemic? My guess is to increase the visual impact. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.188|108.162.238.188]] 18:11, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

Biology: Aren't many theoretical developments reliant on chemistry and/or physics? And even more practical developments use tools which rely on chemistry/physics? Example: brain mapping, drug synthesis, etc.? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.178|108.162.215.178]] 02:28, 6 May 2015 (UTC)
: No, this would be as circuitous as saying that physics is entirely reliant on biology, because it's conducted using human brains, hands, eyes, etc. Or hey - theology. How would physics have gotten it's start without funding from churches and kings? The whole line of discussion is more than a little ludicrous. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.170|108.162.249.170]] 08:01, 8 May 2015 (UTC)
:: No, what I mean is that physics and chemistry are necessary in order to understand biology and perform research, while the reverse is not true. Cellular/molecular biology, in particular, is dependent on an understanding of chemistry and physics.
:: Just take for example electron transport chains, which depends on quantum mechanics. Or the behavior of neurotransmitters, hormones, etc., which are all connected with organic chemistry.
:: A good understanding of chemistry and physics is also essential in advancing science in general. A good understanding of biology could be useful for the creation of biologically inspired materials in engineering, but biology is not a fundamental building block in any of the harder sciences.
:: Regarding biology and theology: No science's knowledge is taken from, or builds off of, theological teachings. Physics is not dependent on biology, because it does not involve the study of our brains, merely the existence of them. Biology's knowledge is directly dependent on physics.
:: In terms of practical implications, I think biology affects our health more, and physics and chemistry affects our technology more. But it's undeniable that physics and chemistry are more fundamental and essential to all science, than biology.
:: What is your opinion?
:: --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.178|108.162.215.178]] 03:24, 10 May 2015 (UTC)

Any ideas as to why Hair Bun Girl's bun disappears in the fourth frame? As in anything more interesting than it being forgotten to be drawn in. [[User:JRVeale|JRVeale]] ([[User talk:JRVeale|talk]]) 11:12, 6 May 2015 (UTC)
:I think she just has turned her head so the bun is behind it. Thus not forgotten, and not really interesting either! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:40, 7 May 2015 (UTC)

The discussion about the new horseman of the apocalypse being radiation poisoning, and the linking of it all to Pratchet, reads very very strangely, I think it is a major overreach. It's very common for Pestilence to be listed as one of the four horsemen, and even with Randall being a Terry Pratchett fan, it seems unlikely this had any influence on it. It's stock-standard in pop culture for them to be listed as War, Famine, Death, Pestilence, even if they don't appear that way in the Bible, just as it is stock-standard for the devil to be portrayed as a red horned guy with cloven feet (which also doesn't appear anywhere in the Bible). It seems like the development of the atomic bomb is what Hair Bun Girl is referring to as the new horseman. I don't see why an overly specific and convoluted connection to "radiation poisoning" is included. - [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.170|108.162.249.170]] 08:08, 8 May 2015 (UTC)

I don't think that's science girl. That's not science girl's usual hairstyle, and science girl is a child. [[User:Sensorfire|Sensorfire]] ([[User talk:Sensorfire|talk]]) 18:03, 26 October 2016 (UTC)

;Is the girl representing chemistry Science Girl?

It doesn't seem to be Science Girl to me. I think Hairbun would be better used. Also related, I think Science Girl should be renamed Jill, as per [1662: Jack and Jill] [[User:Sensorfire|Sensorfire]] ([[User talk:Sensorfire|talk]]) 18:42, 1 November 2016 (UTC)

Well, the horseman is back...[[User:Rereading xkcd|Rereading xkcd]] ([[User talk:Rereading xkcd|talk]]) 06:49, 8 May 2020 (UTC)

::Took me a while to figure out the numbers, (I'm here 'cause I'm dumb, right). [[https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2018/03/infectious-disease-deaths-decline-across-us-not-evenly UMN says that by 2017]], infectious diseases were "down to 34.10 deaths per 100,000 persons." All causes put together are around 1,000 per 100,000. Anyway, after doing the numbers 3 times, by June 19 2020, depending your source, Covid-19 deaths are up to 120 K in the US. Which translates roughly to 36.55 per 100,000? Meaning, deaths by infectious diseases MORE THAN DOUBLED. Which of course is terrible! But then, that's still about ''3% of all death causes''. Which encourages those who say that all this is a tempest in a teacup! Oh, do I wish Randall would show up and make a nice little graph like he does so often by comparing what is important with what is not, so all of us have sure guidance about how we are to take this, if as a serious thing, or just as a blip.[[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 23:34, 19 June 2020 (UTC)

Talk:1958: Self-Driving Issues

2020-06-14T13:55:31Z

Yamaplos: AI will win because humans don't care so much about road deaths, anyway

I assume the ''off-panel speaker'' is [[Megan]], based on their positioning, but not sure what the ruling on the ambiguity is. [[User:PvOberstein|PvOberstein]] ([[User talk:PvOberstein|talk]]) 05:47, 21 February 2018 (UTC)

I made a note about the typo in the title text. Also, weird question, does the "created by a BOT" tag mean that the explanation was written by an AI? Or is it a joke I'm missing for some reason? Sorry, kind of a dumb question I guess. 09:04, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
: Afaik the "created by a BOT" part is the default text when the bot which is crawling xkcd for a new comic inserts the comic here (and an empty explanation). In the past that part was often deleted when the first real edit was made. Some comics ago a habit evolved to actually change that line in relation to the comic at hand (e.g. "created by a SELF-DRIVING CAR" would be fitting here). [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 11:23, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
::Oh, okay...19:06, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
::: It refers to the incomplete tag. The incomplete tag is created by a bot and just shows that there needs to be an explaination. [[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 19:09, 25 February 2018 (UTC)

Could the firmware update be for the humans, because they are obviously malfunctioning in the scenario? Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.30|162.158.90.30]] 09:46, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
:Of course, that's the joke. It would be really impractical to install such a firmware update, there are about 7.5 billion people on earth - many of which we don't even have access to. I'd also suspect that most people would fight back if you tried shoving a USB flash drive into them. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.9|162.158.93.9]] 11:24, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
::Yeah, but how many of those 7.5 billion people are a safety risk for self-driving cars, though? [[User:LordHorst|LordHorst]] ([[User talk:LordHorst|talk]]) 12:59, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
:::My best guess is 12. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.9|162.158.93.9]] 14:50, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
::::Huh, I never even realized this interpretation. :) [[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 15:09, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
::But you wouldn't use a flash drvie - it would be an OTA update.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.26|162.158.155.26]] 11:53, 22 February 2018 (UTC)
:Funny, but now, as the explanation now states it is the cars that need to be updated to take this new behavior in to context. It is unclear if the cars should behave like humans, as Cueball mentions they already do, and if so should try to use the knowledge of human behavior to save life, or if they should behave like humans and try to take lives! :-D --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:14, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
:: While this version occurred to me, I feel confident that the INTENDED meaning is to go within the context of this comic, that is, that the murderers are the non-drivers Cueball is afraid of, and both human and AI drivers alike still would prefer not to crash (especially seeing as the most available murder victims would be the people in the car, both passengers and possible driver). Still, the car-owners-want-to-kill version is amusing. LOL! [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:33, 23 February 2018 (UTC)
:To me it's obvious, and the explanation overthinks it. The natural "voice" of the comic here is Cueball. He surmises that if people generally become murderers, they would need a firmware update "or something". Obviously he is taking "people" to be some sort of product, and the update to be the manufacturer's obligation. There is obvious religious precedent for this, whether the "firmware update" involves unleashing floods, burning cities with fire, sending messaiahs or revealing truths to prophets... and that is (imho) the joke: Cueball thinks an update is needed, then he generalises that to "or something" as he starts to realise (or as the reader starts to realise, despite Cueball's obliviousness) the enormity of the consequences of such a possible update. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.166|108.162.229.166]] 03:42, 3 March 2018 (UTC)
:: Agree with the interpretation, but I think floods, fire, etc. would be more 'retiring hardware' than a 'firmware update' [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.26|162.158.155.26]] 09:28, 5 March 2018 (UTC)

I would say that it's easier to fool current AI than human ... except in "quick reaction needed" scenario. If you throw cardboard cutout of a pedestrian on road, AI will be fooled because it's not able to recognize it's not human and crash. Human will crash as well, because while he will eventually realize it's cutout, it would be too late. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:35, 21 February 2018 (UTC)

A creative attacker could put up a sign with CAPTCHA-like text that would be readable by humans but not by an AI.

Except that both humans and AIs would disregard it as not being a real sign. In fact, this would be more likely to be successful as an attack against humans, who might at least be distracted by going "what's that?", and end up crashing as a result. The AI would just completely ignore it.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.26|162.158.155.26]] 11:56, 22 February 2018 (UTC)

One of the most ingrained features in humans is to always drive on the correct side of the road

Seems like rather a big claim there... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.26|162.158.155.26]] 15:03, 22 February 2018 (UTC)

It still says "muderers"[sic] ... maybe it isn't just a misspelling? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.106|162.158.126.106]] 22:59, 11 March 2018 (UTC)

:::One of my pet concerns regarding AI cars has been about those "repainted" lines often seen especially around construction areas. With a bit of light shining in the wrong direction, or some rain, as a human driver you need to be VERY aware about what is going on, and be able to disregard '''the appearance''' of those "ghost" lines being real. I am sure that any AI that has some quality does likewise, i.e., take multiple data points regarding what is really going on, not just the lines themselves. However, and to the point of these comments, I would suspect that, such lines being "so real", and therefore, an authentic risk, they probably would result in human drivers crashing. Does that happen? Are accident data searchable for this kind of things? Note that, if that were the case, there would be liability consequences, and the construction company involved '''should''', probably, have to pay a bundle, following up that kind of chain of responsibility would be rather simple [citation needed], and, after this happens a few times, road construction companies would get the message, and be very careful about said ghost lines. But. Ghost lines still exists. Thus, either they pose no Real Life hazard, or showing liability is not so plain, or... Some of our colleague commentards here seem to imply that AI would not be worse than humans, and that somehow humans are generally safe, and thus all is essentially OK? With all due respect, humans are '''not''' safe drivers, not in any sense that would put a sane person's mind at ease regarding going out of the house, as accurately explained on [[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1990:_Driving_Cars XKCD/1990]]. What is going on, as has been pretty well established (see recent events, June 2020), is that we appear to have become inured to car accidents (inured: don't care). Some people have been pointing at this when trying to demonstrate that the covid-19 crisis is of no real import. Apparently (I personally don't know and only marginally care about any mathematical difference, in my mind both are terrible) the deaths from car accidents are significantly higher than those, at this date, by covid-19. Their argument being that we should not care so much about covid-19, ''because we don't (seem to) care about car accident deaths''. My argument being, supported by the title text in XKCD/1990, and [[https://www.bestonlinetrafficschool.co/car-crash-statistics/ this link in the comments there]], that AI driven cars will win, not because they are that much safer, or the same as humans, but because courts and the general public will happily accept the resulting deaths as part of the way things are, as they do with human-caused road mayhem. Whatever. Anyway, as to the State of the Art in 2018, AI cars still get fiercely confused by rain and snow [[https://www.theregister.com/2018/05/09/self_driving_taxis_waymo/ see pictures and comment here]], which would explain why so much testing has moved to Arizona... [[User:Yamaplos|Yamaplos]] ([[User talk:Yamaplos|talk]]) 13:55, 14 June 2020 (UTC)