explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2519: Sloped Border

2022-03-05T18:58:30Z

Zom-B:

{{comic
| number = 2519
| date = September 22, 2021
| title = Sloped Border
| image = sloped_border.png
| titletext = "The slope will be 74° at ground level." "Okay, I think we can hack together a ... wait, why did they specify ground level? It's 74° everywhere, right? ... Oh no, there's a whole section in the treaty labeled 'curvature.'"
}}

==Explanation==

Every country has land and sea {{w|international borders}} that demarcate the extent of their territory and their legal jurisdiction. These borders are established through law, treaty, or consensus. Establishing an international border is maintained by present-day customs, immigration, and security checks. Some countries (like {{w|Cyprus}}) have established a {{w|buffer zone}} outside of their international border in order to gain additional protection during a conflict, and most countries have an offshore {{w|Exclusive Economic Zone}} in order to preserve exclusive proprietorship of marine resources such as oilfields and fishing grounds.

In this comic, Cueball and Blondie have established a "sloped" international border through a treaty. Usually borders are perpendicular to the ground{{citation needed}} so that all the air(space) above the ground belongs to the same country. This is called {{w|Air sovereignty}}. Thus it suffices to define the border on the earth surface, as 1D lines across the curved 2D surface. The precise definition is that a line from the center of the Earth through the point of the border is drawn. Sloped terrain is immaterial to the border of the air sovereignty which is still vertical, even if not perpendicular to the terrain.

If the borders were sloped (with respect to the horizontal ground level) an airplane would need to know its precise height to decide if another country's jurisdiction currently applies. With the help of the {{w|Global Positioning System}} this would be in principle possible, although the height information of GPS is less reliable. (It might be possible to program a computer to use altitude data from the airplane's altimeter along with latitude and longitude data from the GPS and a relevant ground relief database to make an accurate determination.)

Most countries would not agree to a border that cuts into their airspace and shrinks their territory as the altitude increases; most cases of countries losing area have come about as a result of trying to avert, or losing, an armed conflict. It is entirely possible that Cueball's country has compelled Blondie's country to accept its demands, of which the redrawn border is one. Alternatively, Cubeall's country may be deliberately reducing its own airspace purely because it will cause problems.

There is at least one famous case of a border being affected by elevation: the Franco-Swiss border bisects the staircase of the {{w|Hotel Arbez}}. Hence, although part of the upper floor is geographically in France, the entire floor is Swiss territory, because it is only accessible through Switzerland.

The mathematical computation for an angled air sovereignty seems relatively straight-forward at low level and could be expressed with a single line of code or a single equation, although the people acting on the information are likely unfamiliar with code and equations and likely use tools with completely no support for sloped borders. The mention of curvatures in the title text may reveal some emergent problems that need accounting for.

A totally straight line drawn far enough upwards at an angle will find the surface of the Earth curving away beneath it (not even considering terrain undulations) and the angle to the local vertical will reduce as it continues, tending towards vertical as you head towards infinite altitude.

Alternately (although it seems this is not the case) the profile of the sloped border may be assumed to remain at a constant angle to the shifting vertical, in which case it describes a certain {{w|Logarithmic spiral|form of spiral}} (which will eventually loop around the earth).

A third option is that it gains altitude at a constant rate, with respect to the passage of land measured on its surface track, to form a {{w|Archimedean spiral|different spiral}}, in which case it will still loop around the Earth but at an angle that increasingly tends towards horizontal.

While the comic doesn't mention this, such a boundary should probably also extend underground, in the opposite direction. (The straight-line version, if implemented, will eventually reach a depth at which it is tangential to the radius and then rise back through the surface an equal distance further around the planet.) This would then impact, at practical depths for such things, planning rights for property foundations and, at deeper levels, mining rights for minerals.

Practically an upper-limit to a nation's claim (somewhat below satellites, e.g. the Karman Line) and a lower limit (well before reaching the Earth's mantle) will prevent many of these complications, together with intersections with other (probably vertical) 'territorial volume' borders that will supercede in any compound claims to ownership. - However, it is still ''very important'' to specify exactly which curve (i.e. with respect to what) the boundary is designed to respecting.

"GIS" refers to {{w|geographic information system}}, a set of tools and methods for capturing, analyzing and presenting spatial and geographic data. While altitude is already an (optional) element in the blocks of information, people developing these systems would be inconvenienced by the additional requirements demanded by the border described in the comic.

It is possible this comic is inspired by such boundary disputes as the {{w|Beaufort_Sea#Border_dispute|Beaufort Sea 'wedge'}} which, while in this case perpendicular to the surface, suffers from alternative interpretations of how to extend it from the shoreline out towards international waters.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Blondie are standing on a podium. They are holding a document together between them, filled with unreadable text. On either side of the podium are two informational graphics each on a stand. They are placed a bit behind the back side of the podium. The graphic to the left shows a cross-sectional view of a non-vertical border, shown as a dotted line going up between Cueball and Blondie, who both are standing on the ground. The angle is indicated and noted, and the line tilts towards Blondie's side. The graphic on the right shows a skewed perspective of a similar setup of the non vertical border, shaded so what is behind it becomes gray. There are also some lines on this plane to indicate where it is. It almost looks like a window, but people can move through it. There are also two more persons than on the left, Megan, who is on the same side of the border as Cueball, and another Cueball-like guy standing next to Blondie. Megan is entirely on Cueball's side of the plane, but the other three are positioned so they are intersected by the 'shaded plane' of the border, with the effect that some or most of their bodies are beyond the sloped boundary, in the gray area, but not all. Cueball and Blondie are postureed in a mutual greeting across this border, as the others look on.]
:Cueball: With this treaty, we are proud to announce the creation of the world's first '''''sloped''''' international border!
:Angle: 74°

:[Caption below frame:]
:If I'm ever put in charge of a country, I'm going to spend all my time trying to think of new ways to make life a nightmare for GIS people.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category: Geography]]

2503: Memo Spike Connector

2021-10-17T12:54:44Z

Zom-B: Undo revision 219390(spam)

{{comic
| number = 2503
| date = August 16, 2021
| title = Memo Spike Connector
| image = memo spike connector.png
| titletext = Backward-compatible with many existing cables, and can connect directly to phones or tablets if you press them down hard enough.
| imagesize =
}}

==Explanation==
This is the third installment in the series of [[:Category:Cursed Connectors|Cursed Connectors]] and presents Cursed Connectors #102: The Memo Spike. It follows [[2495: Universal Seat Belt]] (#65) and was followed 9 days later by [[2507: USV-C]] (#280).

The comic depicts a large metal spike with a wire coming from the base. The spike stabs through two other wires, thus creating an electrical connection between the three. As the name suggests, the spike resembles a {{w|Spindle_(stationery)|stationery spindle}}, colloquially known as a spike, called a Memo Spike here by Randall. However, unlike normal spindles, this one has a cable of some kind coming out of it, suggesting this is a hub of some sort.

Spindles are used to temporarily hold paper by "spindling" or impaling the paper onto the spike (as depicted in the comic). They're most known for their use in restaurants as a way to hold bills that have been paid, or traditionally in offices that work with many bits of paper, e.g. with invoices in a finance department or hardcopy in newspaper editing, to prevent accidental disturbance/shuffling, at the expense of a small puncture mark in each sheet so impaled. (This could cause errors in papers with punch-holes that are meant to be read by machines, hence the admonition against "{{w|Punched_card#Do_Not_Fold,_Spindle_or_Mutilate|folding, spindling, and mutilating}}".) In the latter context, the editor might put all the rejected stories onto a spike (rather than into a wastebasket) to prevent them going astray, and this might be the source of the term '{{w|Spike (journalism)|spiked}}'.

The joke of the comic is while any number of non-destructive connection standards exist, a large spike can provide much of the same results: a conductive object that retains a connection of multiple wires in a way that allows electricity to pass through. Indeed, in the early days of Ethernet, {{w|Vampire tap|vampire taps}} were used, essentially spikes that bit into a cable to establish a new branch in the network. Another type of connection which involves piercing the wire is a {{w|Punch-down block|punch-down block}}, a type of {{w|Insulation-displacement_connector|insulation-displacement connector}}, where one or more wires are pushed into a cutting channel instead of onto a spike.

Depending on the type of cable it is also likely to create a short circuit, e.g. by connecting both strands of a twisted pair of strands in a typical Ethernet cable, or the central wire and the sheath of a coaxial cable. In an enterprise environment, this could even happen on a {{w|Power_over_Ethernet|PoE-Connection}}, which actually carry more noticeable amounts of power (up to 25.5W). Even if this is avoided, the single spike may be large enough to mechanically sever a random subset of the finer strands that exist within a multicore cable such as is commonly in use today.

The title text takes this a bit further. It says that it is backwards compatible with many existing cables. This means any cable large enough to be impaled by the spike could be used. Needless to say it will likely not work anyway. It also continues by saying that phones and tablets can also be connected using this method if you press them down hard enough over the spike. Thus if you actually manage to make the spike penetrate the device's coverings to reach the electrical parts, then there is a connection. The implication is that any device or cable can be connected to any other device or cable as a form of universal adapter/splitter/combiner across arbitrary hardware and communications/power standards. In reality, this could be even more dangerous and will surely destroy the phone/tablet either directly or by overloading their cable connection. Also be careful not to impale your hand while trying to push the spike through your tablet's screen.

==Transcript==
:[A memo spike is shown (a device also called a Spindle). It is a long spike standing up from a round base plate. A wire is coming in from the left and appears to be hardwired into the spike's base element. Two other wires comes in from the right. Both are firmly impaled down upon the spike, penetrated completely through shortly before their apparently unterminated ends. The end of the impaled wire closest to the base faces out and the details appear to show it to be of some variety of multicore (rather than co-axial) manufacture. The other cable's end is a bit higher and points into the image. Above is a title and below is a label.]
:Cursed Connectors #102
:The Memo Spike

{{comic discussion}}


[[Category:Cursed Connectors]]

2243: Star Wars Spoiler Generator

2020-01-04T09:24:10Z

Zom-B: credit warp

{{comic
| number = 2243
| date = December 18, 2019
| title = Star Wars Spoiler Generator
| image = star wars spoiler generator.png
| titletext = The heroes seem to be gaining the upper hand until Darth Juul manages to flip the switch on the car wash control panel from 'REGULAR' to 'PREMIUM.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by DARTH KYLE}}
On December 20, 2019 (2 days after the publication of this comic), the final movie of the "Skywalker saga" of ''Star Wars'' films, ''{{w|Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker}}'', was officially released to the US. It received a world premiere in Los Angeles on December 16, so there are lots of spoilers online, and also lots of people who want to avoid spoilers. [[Randall]] has created a flowchart that generates "spoilers" to the film, but as he probably has not seen the film (or, if he has, he doesn't actually want to spoil it for us), all of the so-called spoilers are nonsensical.

The formula for each spoiler is as follows: "In this Star Wars movie, our heroes return to take on the First Order and new villain '''[villain name]''' with help from their new friend '''[friend name]'''. Rey builds a new lightsaber with a '''[color]''' blade, and they head out to confront the First Order's new superweapon, the '''[superweapon name]''', a space station capable of '''[evil plan]'''. They unexpectedly join forces with their old enemy '''[character]''' and destroy the superweapon in a battle featuring '''[strange event]'''. P.S. Rey's parents are '''[character]''' and '''[character]'''".

The {{w|First Order (Star Wars)|First Order}} is the main antagonist group in the ''Star Wars'' {{w|Star Wars sequel trilogy|sequel trilogy}} series. In ''{{w|Star Wars: The Force Awakens}}'', they use a superweapon in their base, Starkiller Base, to destroy the planetary system housing the headquarters of the {{w|New Republic (Star Wars)|New Republic}}, the democratic government which was formed after the {{w|Galactic Empire (Star Wars)|Empire}}'s defeat in ''{{w|Return of the Jedi}}''.

"Building a {{w|lightsaber}}" is one of the rites of passage for becoming a {{w|Jedi}} Knight. In the {{w|Star Wars prequel trilogy|prequel trilogy}}, new Jedi build lightsabers as an official part of the journey towards Knighthood, and in the {{w|Star Wars Trilogy|original trilogy}}, {{w|Luke Skywalker}} builds a lightsaber between ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi'' as part of his training with {{w|Yoda}}. {{w|Rey (Star Wars)|Rey}} has used the lightsaber that {{w|Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker}} made and used (which Luke also used when he was a new Jedi) for the first two movies of the sequel trilogy, and so it would be thematically appropriate for her to build her own prior to the trilogy's final entry. Most Jedi's lightsabers are either blue or green, with a few notable exceptions (e.g. {{w|Mace Windu}}'s purple lightsaber signifies his incredible combat prowess). Kyber crystals are aligned with the Light Side of {{w|the Force}}, so {{w|Sith}} must overpower and "bleed" their crystals before they will function for them, which causes their distinctive red color. Having a lightsaber of a color other than blue, green, or red is often seen in the ''Star Wars'' fandom as a sign of being a "[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue Mary Sue]", which is an accusation which has been made of Rey.

Another common plot point in ''Star Wars'' media is the construction, use, and destruction of a superweapon. These are inspired by stories and media of World War II, in which militaries sought to find, attack, and destroy critical elements of their enemies' resources and infrastructure, and meanwhile would construct elaborate defenses for themselves. The attack on the {{w|Death Star}} in particular is inspired by {{w|Operation Chastise}}, the "bouncing bomb" attack on Germany's hydroelectric power plants; Operation Chastise was dramatised in the {{w|The Dam Busters (book)|1951 book}} and {{w|The Dam Busters (film)|1955 film}} ''The Dam Busters'', which was [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNdb03Hw18M very thoroughly homaged] by ''A New Hope''. The original trilogy of movies only had two Death Stars, but superweapons quickly became a staple of the {{w|Star Wars expanded to other media|Expanded Universe}} fiction, to the point that one book had {{w|Han Solo}} make fun of the Empire's tendency towards building superweapons, proposing such ridiculous names as "Galaxy Destructor" and "Nostril of Palpatine". Superweapons are common in superhero stories.

Redemption and making allies of old enemies is also a common plot point in ''Star Wars''. Anakin Skywalker fell to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader, but eventually returned to the Light Side to protect his son, and Han Solo was initially a morally ambiguous character who was eventually convinced to join the Rebellion.

Rey, one of the main characters in the sequel trilogy series is an orphan, who was left behind on the planet Jakku as a child. As Rey is Force-sensitive and adept at using a lightsaber, there is much speculation among Star Wars fans as to the identity of her parents. Many major characters in ''Star Wars'' have unexpected heritages of great portent, most famously Luke, who was very distressed to learn that Darth Vader did not ''kill'' his father, as Obi-Wan had told him, but ''is'' his father. In ''{{w|Star Wars: The Last Jedi}}'', villain {{w|Kylo Ren}} tells her that she is the child of "filthy junk traders", but many fans speculate that he was lying to her.

The title text refers to the bottom option of the [strange event in battle] section. Apparently Lord Juul (or Darth Juul) is fighting the heroes in the Sith car wash. It is unclear what "flipping the switch" from Regular to Premium would do, but it seems to be beneficial to Darth Juul. A "premium" car wash usually has more features than a regular car wash, e.g. more cleaning brushes, waxing the car, cleaning the tires, etc.

This is the second false fact generating comic, after [[1930: Calendar Facts]].

==Table==
{| class="wikitable"
! Entry
! Explanation
|-
! colspan="2" | New villain
|-
| Kyle Ren
|Kyle Ren is one letter away from {{w|Kylo Ren|''Kylo'' Ren}}, the adopted "Sith name" of Ben Solo, son of Han and Leia Solo. Kylo is one of the antagonists of the first two movies in the sequel trilogy, and presumably will be so in the third, but there's nobody in the films named "Kyle". (There are a handful of ''Legends'' characters named Kyle, most famously Kyle Katarn, protagonist of the ''Star Wars: Jedi Knight'' video game series.)
|-
| {{w|Malloc}}
| Malloc is a function used in the C programming language to allocate more memory in the running of a program. Malloc may sound similar to {{w|Darth Malak|Malak}}, the antagonist of the ''{{w|Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic}}'' video game. Improper use of the malloc and free functions can cause "memory leak" bugs in programs.
|-
|Darth Sebelius
| {{w|Sebelius}} is the last name of several people.
* {{w|Kathleen Sebelius}} is a former state representative and governor of Kansas who was Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services under President Obama. Sebelius was the named party in a {{w|National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius|Supreme Court case}} that upheld the provisions of the {{w|Affordable Care Act}} ("Obamacare"). The naming of Sebelius as a villain may reference the fact that the ACA has been controversial among certain groups.
* {{w|Jean Sibelius}} is a reknowned Finnish composer. {{w|Sibelius (scorewriter)|Sibelius}} is also the name of a piece of music software.
Randall may have chosen this surname as it sounds similar to {{w|Darth Sidious}}, the overarching villain in the first 6 Star Wars films, who is rumored to return in the upcoming film.
|-
|{{w|Theranos}}
|Theranos was a medical technology company founded by {{w|Elizabeth Holmes}} which claimed to have developed revolutionary blood tests that could produce more data from limited volumes of blood than ever before. They were eventually found to have engaged in fraudulent activity, having tricked investors into thinking their technology was performing better than it actually was or ever could, which resulted in fines for Holmes and Theranos president {{w|Ramesh Balwani}} and the bankruptcy of Theranos. Theranos also sounds similar to {{w|Thanos}}, the main villain of the Infinity Saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
|-
|Lord Juul
|{{w|Juul}} is a brand of e-cigarettes. In addition to the broader controversy surrounding electronic cigarettes, Juul has been investigated for its sale of flavored additives for their cigarettes, which are alleged to be particularly attractive to minors. Juul is reminiscent of the "uu" in the names for clones {{w|Joruus C'baoth}} and {{w|Luuke Skywalker}} in {{w|Star Wars Legends|''Star Wars'' Legends}} stories, thus implying Lord Juul is a clone of a character named Jul. ''{{w|Yule|Jul}}'' is the Scandinavian name for the midwinter holidays, which fits as the comic appeared within the Yule season of 2019.
|-
! colspan="2" | New friend
|-
| Kim Spacemeasurer
| May be a parody of the name {{w|Luke Skywalker}}, one of the main characters in the original trilogy of films. Other "Nounverber" names in ''Star Wars'' include Starkiller, Luke's original last name which was later applied to Starkiller Base in ''The Force Awakens'', and Biggs Darklighter, Luke's childhood friend and fellow Rebel pilot who died in the attack on the original Death Star. Also note another Star Wars comic posted a few weeks before this one, [[2229: Rey and Kylo]], which shows those characters actually deciding to measure properties of space.
|-
|Teen Yoda
|{{w|The Child (Star Wars character)|The Child}}, commonly called "Baby Yoda" by fans and the media, is a breakout character from the Disney+ series ''{{w|The Mandalorian}}''. Randall envisions a "teenage" version of this character teaming up with the main characters. This may be in analogy to Groot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who appeared as an adult, then child, then teen, or other adaptations of original characters like the Teen Titans.
|-
|Dab Tweetdeck
| A {{w|Dab (dance)|dab}} is a dance move which is many decades old but was made popular by that name in the late 2010's. {{w|TweetDeck}} is an application for managing Twitter accounts. Taken together, "Dab Tweetdeck" could be a character name proposed by clueless Disney executives to attract "the kids" to see ''The Rise of Skywalker'', although one would think that this name would be heavily promoted and thus not a spoiler in that case.
Tweetdeck sounds similar to twi'lek, one of the humanoid alien races in Star Wars, who often are employed as dancers.
|-
| Yaz Progestin
| Yaz sounds like the first name of {{w|Maz Kanata}}, a supporting protagonist in the sequel trilogy. Yaz is a medication which contains {{w|Progestin}}, which imitates the effects of {{w|progesterone}}, a female sex hormone. It is used for purposes including birth control and acne treatment.
|-
| TI-83
| Droids in the Star Wars universe typically have names with letters and numbers, such as R2-D2, C-3PO, BB-8, etc. Randall has created a new character called "TI-83". In real life, the {{w|TI-83}} is a model of graphing calculator manufactured by {{w|Texas Instruments}} that is commonly used in American high schools. This mirrors the origin of the name "R2-D2", which was inspired when Lucas was working on ''{{w|American Graffiti}}'' and was asked for Reel 2, Dialog Track 2, which was abbreviated "R-2-D-2". He remarked that it would be a "great name" and included it in his then-in-development script for ''Star Wars''.
|-
! colspan="2" | Lightsaber colors
|-
| [beige/ochre/mauve/aquamarine/taupe]
| These are different colors, none of which is a "traditional" color for a lightsaber. {{w|Beige}} is a pale-grayish yellow. {{w|Ochre}} is a clay earth pigment ranging from yellow to deep orange or brown. {{w|Mauve}} is a pale purple color. A purple color has been used for a lightsaber in the prequel trilogy series, by Jedi Master {{w|Mace Windu}}. {{w|Aquamarine (color)|Aquamarine}} is a blueish green color. {{w|Taupe}} is a dark brown color between brown and gray.
|-
! colspan="2" | Superweapon names
|-
|Sun Obliterator
| There was an Expanded Universe superweapon called the "Sun Crusher", which would infiltrate a star system and shoot a special torpedo into the star to make it go supernova. May also be a reference to one of the doodles from What If?.
|-
|Moonsquisher
| There were no ''Star Wars'' superweapons with the word "Moon" in their title (or "squisher"), but in the no-longer-canon ''New Jedi Order'' series, Chewbacca was squished ''by'' a moon that was intentionally de-orbited by invading Yuuzhan Vong.
|-
|World Eater
| Possibly a reference to {{w|Alduin}}, the main villain of the popular game {{w|The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim}}. In the Expanded Universe, the Empire used World Devastators, massive machines that would strip-mine planets with tractor beams and make weapons and spacecraft from the extracted resources. Another possible reference is to the {{w|The_Doomsday_Machine_(Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series)|Planet Eater}} doomsday machine from the original Star Trek series.
|-
|Planet Zester
| A {{w|zester}} is a cooking tool for zesting citrus fruit, that is, scraping off the outer layer of a citrus fruit to obtain the flavorful outer layer of its skin. Zesting a planet would be devastating to anything built or living on its surface.
|-
|Superconducting supercollider
| A {{w|supercollider}}, or particle accelerator, is a machine used to accelerate charged particles to very high speeds, for testing in particle physics. The {{w|Superconducting Super Collider}} was a proposed accelerator which was to be constructed in Texas, but was cancelled partway through construction. There has been some minor controversy over the {{w|safety of high-energy particle collision experiments}}, which could theoretically produce black holes, {{w|strangelets}}, or other doomsday scenarios, but all scientific examination of the energies involved has shown that all currently-existing and planned particle accelerators pose no threats. So far, the Earth has not been destroyed by any particle accelerator.{{Citation needed}}
|-
! colspan="2" | Station capabilities
|-
|blowing up a planet with a bunch of beams of energy that combine into one
|This is how the {{w|Death Star}} was depicted in ''{{w|Star Wars: A New Hope}}''. Many beams converged together to form one energy beam. The superweapon was used to destroy the planet Alderaan, as a way to intimidate Princess Leia.
|-
|blowing up a bunch of planets with one beam of energy that splits into many
|This is how the superweapon on Starkiller Base was depicted in ''{{w|Star Wars: The Force Awakens}}''. A single energy beam split into several beams, allowing it to attack many planets. The superweapon was used to destroy the planets in the Hosnian system, the headquarters of the New Republic.
|-
|cutting a planet in half and smashing the halves together like two cymbals
|Jango Fett's "seismic charge" weapon, which he used in a dogfight against Obi-Wan Kenobi in ''Attack of the Clones'', produced a plane wave that cut asteroids in half; presumably a larger weapon of this kind could do the same to a planet.
|-
|increasing the CO<sub>2</sub> levels in a planet's atmosphere, causing rapid heating
|This is a reference to {{w|climate change}} currently occurring on planet Earth which {{w|Scientific consensus on climate change|climate scientists}} believe is due mainly to human factors such as the burning of fossil fuels releasing ancient carbon sources into the air as carbon dioxide, and mass deforestation which means trees are not converting the carbon dioxide into sugars and collagen.
This seems to have occurred on the planet {{w|Venus}}. Venus' atmosphere is 97% carbon dioxide, and it is also the hottest planet in the Solar System, due to a greenhouse effect, preventing the planet from cooling.
|-
|triggering the end credits before the movie is done
|The {{w|closing credits}} or end credits of a film is the list of cast and crew who were involved in the making of the film. It would be quite strange to show the end credits of the film before it has concluded, although it is one of the [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CreditsGag types of credits gag] used in other media. This entry is considerably less damaging to a planet{{Citation needed}} than the other 4 entries in this section, but if early audiences are left unsatisfied by the movie, they might tell everyone else not to see it, which would put the ''Star Wars'' franchise in a perilous financial situation. This would negatively impact the villains as well as the heroes, but they might consider this a worthwhile trade if it is their best option at harming the heroes. This option may be a reference to exploiting a glitch to trigger a [https://youtu.be/Jf9i7MjViCE credit warp] in games such as Super Mario World. This may also be a reference to the Netflix interactive movie "Bandersnatch" in which certain choices triggered the end of the movie and caused it to start the credits.
|-
! colspan="2" | Old enemy/new friend
|-
|{{w|Boba Fett}}
| Boba Fett is a famous bounty hunter introduced in the ''{{w|Star Wars Holiday Special}}'' and made popular by ''{{w|The Empire Strikes Back}}''. On the Empire's orders, he helped capture Han Solo as part of a plot to capture Luke Skywalker. He later tried to prevent Luke from rescuing Han, but was knocked into a sarlacc pit, where he was presumed eaten. In the Expanded Universe, he survived and did eventually join the protagonists against extragalactic invaders; his survival has not been confirmed by Disney's new canon, but he would be a plausible character to bring back in ''The Rise of Skywalker''. A Mandalorian (not Boba Fett, but a bounty hunter using body-armour  from the same planet) is featured in the new Disney+ series, ''The Mandalorian''.
|-
|[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Salacious_B._Crumb Salacious Crumb]
| Salacious B. Crumb is a Kowakian monkey-lizard who was Jabba the Hutt's jester. He wasn't exactly a major adversary, but he did pull one of C-3PO's eyes out. He was last seen on Jabba the Hutt's sail barge, which was made to explode after Han, Luke, and the rest of the heroes escaped from it, and is presumed dead.
|-
|[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Exogorth The Space Slug]
| In ''The Empire Strikes Back'', Han Solo pilots the Millennium Falcon into a giant cave to evade pursuit and get time to effect repairs. He is interrupted when the cave turns out to be the mouth of a giant space slug, which the Falcon barely escapes. A giant space slug might be a powerful ally in a battle against a giant space station.
|-
|The bottom half of {{w|Darth Maul}}
| Darth Maul was cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of ''The Phantom Menace''. His "upper half", attached to mechanical legs, has returned as a villain in the ''Clone Wars'' TV series and ''{{w|Solo: A Star Wars Story|Solo}}''. Given that Maul was a Sith and Kenobi a Jedi, who trained Luke, who trained Rey, it would be extremely unexpected for his "bottom half" to join forces with the heroes, although presumably his bottom half would have to be attached to something, which might be better disposed towards Jedi.
If Darth Maul's bottom half did join the heroes, they might aid the heroes by using [https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Force_kick force kicks].
|-
|YouTube commenters
| The sequel trilogy has received more mixed reviews from watchers than Disney might like, and many vocal non-fans have taken to commenting on YouTube (via videos and comments) on what they don't like about the new movies and new characters. If ''The Rise of Skywalker'' fully wins the crowd, an alliance between the heroes and their former critics would be extremely powerful, but with Rotten Tomatoes showing a critics' aggregate score of [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_wars_the_rise_of_skywalker/ less than 60%] ("rotten"), it's going to be an uphill battle.
|-
! colspan="2" | Battle feature
|-
|a bow that shoots little lightsaber-headed arrows
|May be a reference to the [https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Bowcaster bowcaster], a laser crossbow weapon used by the Wookie {{w|Chewbacca}}. It is unclear if the lightsaber-headed arrows are actually lightsabers in itself, as they would seem difficult to produce (as opposed to the Death Star, or even a bunch of sword versions of the arrow).
|-
|X-Wings and TIE fighters dodging the giant letters of the opening crawl
| The {{w|Star Wars opening crawl|"opening crawl"}} is a signature motif used in all the main Star Wars films, to explain the backstory and context of each film. {{w|X-Wing}}s and {{w|TIE fighter}}s are fighter-type spaceships used by the Rebels (and Resistance later on) and the Empire (and First Order), respectively. A dogfight scene during the opening crawl would involve {{w|Fourth wall|breaking the fourth wall}}, as the opening crawl is not presumed to be part of the universe of the films (except when so parodied, such as in {{w|Airplane II: The Sequel}}).
|-
|a Sith educational display that uses Force lightning to demonstrate the dielectric breakdown of air
|[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Force_lightning Force lightning] is a power that Force users can use to generate electric energy from the user's hands. It was first used in ''Return of the Jedi'' by Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) when Luke Skywalker refuses to give in to the dark side of the Force. Palpatine attempts to kill Luke with Force lightning, but Darth Vader saves Luke by throwing Palpatine down a reactor chute. Palpatine also used Force Lightning on Mace Windu and Yoda during their battles at the end of ''Revenge of the Sith''. None of these uses of Sith lightning were intended to be educational on the nature of {{w|lightning}}, although they could have been very educational on the pain, cruelty, and "unlimited power!" offered by the Dark Side of the Force. This might also be a reference to [https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Sith_holocron sith holocron] — a device to store Force-related information and secrets, possibly.
|-
|Kylo Ren putting on another helmet over his smaller one
|Kylo Ren is famous for wearing his helmet in ''The Force Awakens'', which he styled after Darth Vader's helmet. Putting on another helmet over it would require a comically large helmet that might be compared to Dark Helmet, a character from the parody film ''{{w|Spaceballs}}'' who parodies Darth Vader.
|-
|a Sith car wash where the bristles on the brushes are little lightsabers
| While an unexpected car wash finale scene seems unlikely, it is not without precedent in cinema; ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolescence_of_Utena Adolescence of Utena]'' featured the title character unexpectedly entering a car wash and transforming into a car (followed by a segue into a car race sequence).
George Lucas, the originator of Star Wars also wrote the movie "American Graffiti," which featured cars prominently. A subsequent movie "Car Wash," has been seen as a commentary on or imitation of "American Graffiti." Including a Sith car wash might reference the relation between these two films.[https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/25/movies/streaming-car-wash.html ‘Car Wash,’ a Raunchy 1970s Comedy Brimming With Meta and Mayhem].
|-
! colspan="2" | Rey's parent #1
|-
| {{w|Luke Skywalker|Luke}}
| Luke Skywalker is the main character of the original Star Wars films. Of all of the characters presented here, he is the one with the greatest likelihood of being Rey's father. When Maz gave Rey Luke's lightsaber, she said "[t]hat lightsaber was Luke's, and his father's before him, and now, it calls to you." Luke does not seem to recognize Rey as his child (or as anybody in particular), but Darth Vader did not recognize Luke or Leia as his children -- and indeed did not know that he had any living children -- until they were grown. However, unlike Anakin Skywalker, or the Luke Skywalker from the pre-Disney Expanded Universe, no canon materials have presented anyone with whom Luke has fallen in love or fathered a child.
|-
|{{w|Princess Leia|Leia}} and {{w|Han Solo|Han}}
|Princess Leia and Han Solo are the other main characters of the original Star Wars films. It is unlikely that Leia or Han are Rey's parents as they did not seem to recognize Rey in any of the sequel trilogy films, nor is there any indication that they have had more than one child (Ben Solo, AKA Kylo Ren).
|-
|{{w|Obi-Wan Kenobi|Obi-Wan}}
|Obi-Wan Kenobi was one of the main characters in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. He, along with Qui-Gon Jinn, discovered Anakin Skywalker, who later became Darth Vader. Kenobi dies at the second act of ''Star Wars: A New Hope'', sacrificing himself to allow Luke, Leia, and Han to escape the Death Star. Marriage and parenthood were forbidden by the Jedi Order, and Obi-Wan generally adhered to the Order's rules more closely than Anakin did; Obi-Wan did feel some mutual romantic attraction with Duchess Satine of Mandalore, but they both chose to remain in their respective organizations rather than pursue a relationship. Also, Obi-Wan stopped having a physical form decade before Rey was conceived.
|-
|a random junk trader
|This is who Kylo Ren claims that Rey is descended from: worthless, random junk traders.
|-
! colspan="2" | Rey's parent #2
|-
|{{w|Poe Dameron|Poe}}
|Poe Dameron is one of the main characters of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. He is a pilot in the Resistance. He is only 13 years older than Rey, and thus is most likely not her father.
|-
|{{w|BB-8}}
|BB-8 is an astromech droid owned by Poe Dameron. It is unlikely that Rey is descended from a (non-living) droid.
|-
|[ {{w|Amilyn Holdo}} /Laura Dern]
|Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, portrayed by Laura Dern, was a leader in the Resistance. She dies at the end of ''The Last Jedi'', sacrificing herself by jumping to light speed straight into the First Order's pursuing starship. Randall presents both Admiral Holdo, the character, and Laura Dern, the actress, as separate options for Rey's mother, but the former is not supported by any story material and the latter is impossible (Dern is alive here and now, not "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away").
|-
|a random junk trader
| (see above)
|-
|that one droid from the Jawa Sandcrawler that says ''Gonk''
|This is [https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/GNK_power_droid a droid] from ''Star Wars: A New Hope'' that says "Gonk". As in the BB-8 entry, it is unlikely that Rey is descended from a droid.
|-
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
:<big>Star Wars Spoiler Generator</big>

:[Shown below is a branching flowchart of sorts that begins at the phrase "In this Star Wars movie, our heroes return to take on the First Order and new villain...", then flows through various paths to build up a story.]

:In this Star Wars movie, our heroes return to take on the First Order and new villain...
::Kyle Ren
::Malloc
::Darth Sebelius
::Theranos
::Lord Juul

:...with help from their new friend...
::Kim Spacemeasurer
::Teen Yoda
::Dab Tweetdeck
::Yaz Progestin
::TI-83

:Rey builds a new lightsaber with a...
::beige
::ochre
::mauve
::aquamarine
::taupe

:...blade, and they head out to confront the First Order's new superweapon, the...
::Sun Obliterator
::Moonsquisher
::World Eater
::Planet Zester
::Superconducting Supercollider

:...a space station capable of...
::blowing up a planet with a bunch of beams of energy that combine into one
::blowing up a bunch of planets with one beam of energy that splits into many
::cutting a planet in half and smashing the halves together like two cymbals
::increasing the CO<sub>2</sub> levels in a planet's atmosphere, causing rapid heating
::triggering the end credits before the movie is done

:They unexpectedly join forces with their old enemy...
::Boba Fett
::Salacious Crumb
::The Space Slug
::the bottom half of Darth Maul
::Youtube commenters

:...and destroy the superweapon in a battle featuring
::a bow that shoots little lightsaber-headed arrows
::X-Wings and TIE fighters dodging the giant letters of the opening crawl
::a Sith educational display that uses Force Lightning to demonstrate the dielectric breakdown of air
::Kylo Ren putting on another helmet over his smaller one
::a Sith car wash where the bristles on the brushes are little lightsabers

:P.S. Rey's parents are...
::Luke
::Leia
::Han
::Obi-Wan
::a random junk trader

:...and...
::Poe
::BB-8
::Amilyn Holdo
::Laura Dern
::a random junk trader
::that one droid from the Jawa Sandcrawler that says ''Gonk''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]] 
[[Category:Programming]]

2214: Chemistry Nobel

2019-10-26T08:10:02Z

Zom-B: Link to an image that's not weird/wrong

{{comic
| number = 2214
| date = October 11, 2019
| title = Chemistry Nobel
| image = chemistry nobel.png
| titletext = Most chemists thought the lanthanides and actinides could be inserted in the sixth and seventh rows, but no, they're just floating down at the bottom with lots more undiscovered elements all around them.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THE SOCIETY OF ANNOYING MENDELEEV. Standard wait time in progress.}}

The {{w|Periodic table|periodic table of the elements}} is a display which arranges all of the 118 (currently) known chemical elements by atomic number and sorts them into columns such that each column contains a group of elements displaying similar chemical properties. The original version of this table was developed by Russian chemist {{w|Dmitri Mendeleev}} in 1869, when he realized that certain properties repeated periodically as elements became more massive. Notably, this system left obvious gaps at the top of the table. Mendeleev correctly predicted that some of these gaps represented elements that had not been discovered yet, and even predicted their properties based on the patterns in the table. The later discovery of those elements (including germanium and gallium) helped validate Mendeleev's work. Other gaps, however, were not due to undiscovered elements, but merely resulted from the properties of electron {{w|orbitals}} in atoms: upper rows of the table represent orbitals with fewer possible electrons and hence fewer elements, so displaying the lower rows properly below the upper ones leaves gaps in the upper rows. In other words, elements could not actually exist in these spaces, spaces which only existed in the realm of human bookkeeping. The joke of this comic is that it treats these gaps as if they represented elements that hadn't been discovered yet. Ponytail and her team have won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry merely by looking for and finding these elements. She expresses surprise that no one else had thought of such a simple direction for research.

The lanthanides and actinides mentioned in the title text are series of elements with higher atomic numbers that have electrons in orbitals that no previous elements have, and thus occupy columns of the periodic table that don't exist for lower-numbered elements. Sometimes these elements are [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:32-column_periodic_table-a.png displayed in the table], a format that corresponds with their actual orbital structure; this format is too wide for most display media, thus the lanthanides and actinides are separated out and displayed "floating" beneath the rest of the periodic table. The title text jokes that these floating series of elements are actually surrounded by actual elements.

In real life, the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to [https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2019/press-release/ John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino] for their work in the development of lithium-ion batteries; it was announced on October 9, just a few days before this comic was published, so the chemistry Nobel Prize was in the news.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail stands in front of an image with a white section in the shape of the 7 rows of the periodic table of the elements, but without the two rows usually shown beneath with the lanthanides and actinides. The “empty” sections at the top of the table are filled with three rows of dotted boxes, 16 boxes in the top row and two rows with 10 boxes each, shifted one right from the top row. Ponytail points to this area with a pointer while she looks and gestures towards an off-panel audience.]
:Ponytail: I don't know why no one else thought to look here.

:[Caption below the panel]:
:The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to the team that discovered the elements in the big gap at the top of the periodic table.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]

Talk:2154: Motivation

2019-05-27T15:21:41Z

Zom-B:

Playtesters procrastinate too? —NT
: Hey, work is work is work. If you have to do it, it's work. :) I remember one time a bunch of us skipped our lunch break from game testing to huddle around a guy's computer to watch the workprint of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. We were laughing our heads off at the missing special effects. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:41, 25 May 2019 (UTC)

Weeellll - that's not really accurate Mr Munroe. I've worked (as a software engineer) in the video game industry for years. One of the biggest myths is that QA testers get paid to play video games. In fact, they don't REALLY get to play the game much at all. For most of the development cycle, there is only one or two working levels - crap graphics and crash-prone software. So they "play" in a way that is deliberately quirky in order to push the code in directions it wasn't meant to be pushed - so they can see if it crashes. They have to pay careful attention. Then they file a bug report (Oooh! Paperwork! Form filling!) and try to do exactly what they did *again* so they can explain how to make it happen. Then they go off and hunt for another bug. Once a bug is marked as "fixed" by the software team - they have to try to make it happen again - to be sure it was fixed - then do other SIMILAR things that might trigger that bug. Once we all agree that the bug is fixed - it goes on the "regression list" - which means you get to repeat the exact actions you did over and over - maybe once a month - but certainly before each Alpha/Beta/Gold release. Multiply this by hundreds of bugs - and that's what you do all day. Sometimes a software guy will pop their head around the door and say "Could someone pick up that weapon and move it through every single doorway in the entire game and see if you get stuck in any of them! K'Thanks!".

What you DON'T do is play the video game all day...and even if you did - over a typical 3 year development cycle, you'd be SO sick of it.

Hence, it's not at all unreasonable that a play tester would have fun actually playing the game.

No idea whether we should put this into the explanation part.
[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.112|172.69.170.112]] 23:39, 24 May 2019 (UTC)

:Let's shorten it: Playtesters would likely procrastinate by playing game which is already finished, unlike the games they work on. ... ... of course, sometimes even games already published feel like not being finished, so ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 04:57, 25 May 2019 (UTC)
:: In online persistent games, new content may be added more or less continuously, so bugtesting & playtesting is ''never'' done.
::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:53, 25 May 2019 (UTC)

As someone who worked as a game tester for several years, for various companies, testing games for various other companies, I can concur with much of what Mr(s). 172.69 said in the second comment... Though I've often been assigned to a whole level, just play it all morning, see what you can find (I got a rep for finding oddball things, like if you pass this tunnel entry then turn around, there's a see-through patch in the ceiling). At least with a whole level you get SOME playing. Though there's another downside: "Okay, today you're testing My Little Pony's Fashion Bonanza all day. Try on all the dresses.". Just because you're playing games doesn't mean it's a game you LIKE. :) But as to why I'm commenting...

The issue I found is the title text. It's highly unlikely that Ponytail would be able to choose to play an unreleased game (since it's in testing) in her off/procrastination time, which actually rules out both halves of the title text scenario, except in the second half the first game MIGHT have been released by then. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:37, 25 May 2019 (UTC)
: ''Statistically'' unlikely perhaps, but there ''are'' (a relatively small number of) games that become available to the public well before final commercial release. I suspect that availability of such "open" Betas & Alpha dev-builds is increasingly rare, but they used to be quite common in PC gaming. (Arguably) notable modern games I've played while they were still in early development include Minecraft, Robocraft, & Hawken, among many many others. I usually won't buy a game until I've played someone else's copy, or a demo, or an early build of it. NDAs & private dev builds are one way to go, but they're certainly not the ''only'' path to choose when developing a game.
::Just like Minecraft was, is Factorio now. Almost two million people play it since 2012 like its been released already, while the actual release isn't even in foresight. --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 15:21, 27 May 2019 (UTC)

This leads me to a related question:

Isn't there a difference between "bug-testing" a game & "play-testing" a game? I've known people who only evaluated games from a playability & enjoyability perspective, essentially acting as internal reviewers prior to release. Bug-testing was a largely separate activity in those cases. Is the difference usually not so delineated? [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:53, 25 May 2019 (UTC)
:From the ''Portal'' dev commentary, I would imagine that there is a significant difference; they often mention things like "without some serious prompting, players will rarely look up" and "our original final battle didn't really fit in with what came before" without talking about bug testing, like, at all. [[1269: Privacy Opinions|Volleo6144]] ([[Talk:1269: Privacy Opinions|talk]]) 17:53, 26 May 2019 (UTC)

Talk:2154: Motivation

2019-05-27T15:21:14Z

Zom-B:

Playtesters procrastinate too? —NT
: Hey, work is work is work. If you have to do it, it's work. :) I remember one time a bunch of us skipped our lunch break from game testing to huddle around a guy's computer to watch the workprint of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. We were laughing our heads off at the missing special effects. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:41, 25 May 2019 (UTC)

Weeellll - that's not really accurate Mr Munroe. I've worked (as a software engineer) in the video game industry for years. One of the biggest myths is that QA testers get paid to play video games. In fact, they don't REALLY get to play the game much at all. For most of the development cycle, there is only one or two working levels - crap graphics and crash-prone software. So they "play" in a way that is deliberately quirky in order to push the code in directions it wasn't meant to be pushed - so they can see if it crashes. They have to pay careful attention. Then they file a bug report (Oooh! Paperwork! Form filling!) and try to do exactly what they did *again* so they can explain how to make it happen. Then they go off and hunt for another bug. Once a bug is marked as "fixed" by the software team - they have to try to make it happen again - to be sure it was fixed - then do other SIMILAR things that might trigger that bug. Once we all agree that the bug is fixed - it goes on the "regression list" - which means you get to repeat the exact actions you did over and over - maybe once a month - but certainly before each Alpha/Beta/Gold release. Multiply this by hundreds of bugs - and that's what you do all day. Sometimes a software guy will pop their head around the door and say "Could someone pick up that weapon and move it through every single doorway in the entire game and see if you get stuck in any of them! K'Thanks!".

What you DON'T do is play the video game all day...and even if you did - over a typical 3 year development cycle, you'd be SO sick of it.

Hence, it's not at all unreasonable that a play tester would have fun actually playing the game.

No idea whether we should put this into the explanation part.
[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.112|172.69.170.112]] 23:39, 24 May 2019 (UTC)

:Let's shorten it: Playtesters would likely procrastinate by playing game which is already finished, unlike the games they work on. ... ... of course, sometimes even games already published feel like not being finished, so ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 04:57, 25 May 2019 (UTC)
:: In online persistent games, new content may be added more or less continuously, so bugtesting & playtesting is ''never'' done.
::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:53, 25 May 2019 (UTC)

As someone who worked as a game tester for several years, for various companies, testing games for various other companies, I can concur with much of what Mr(s). 172.69 said in the second comment... Though I've often been assigned to a whole level, just play it all morning, see what you can find (I got a rep for finding oddball things, like if you pass this tunnel entry then turn around, there's a see-through patch in the ceiling). At least with a whole level you get SOME playing. Though there's another downside: "Okay, today you're testing My Little Pony's Fashion Bonanza all day. Try on all the dresses.". Just because you're playing games doesn't mean it's a game you LIKE. :) But as to why I'm commenting...

The issue I found is the title text. It's highly unlikely that Ponytail would be able to choose to play an unreleased game (since it's in testing) in her off/procrastination time, which actually rules out both halves of the title text scenario, except in the second half the first game MIGHT have been released by then. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:37, 25 May 2019 (UTC)
: ''Statistically'' unlikely perhaps, but there ''are'' (a relatively small number of) games that become available to the public well before final commercial release. I suspect that availability of such "open" Betas & Alpha dev-builds is increasingly rare, but they used to be quite common in PC gaming. (Arguably) notable modern games I've played while they were still in early development include Minecraft, Robocraft, & Hawken, among many many others. I usually won't buy a game until I've played someone else's copy, or a demo, or an early build of it. NDAs & private dev builds are one way to go, but they're certainly not the ''only'' path to choose when developing a game.
:Just like Minecraft was, is Factorio now. Almost two million people play it since 2012 like its been released already, while the actual release isn't even in foresight. --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 15:21, 27 May 2019 (UTC)

This leads me to a related question:

Isn't there a difference between "bug-testing" a game & "play-testing" a game? I've known people who only evaluated games from a playability & enjoyability perspective, essentially acting as internal reviewers prior to release. Bug-testing was a largely separate activity in those cases. Is the difference usually not so delineated? [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:53, 25 May 2019 (UTC)
:From the ''Portal'' dev commentary, I would imagine that there is a significant difference; they often mention things like "without some serious prompting, players will rarely look up" and "our original final battle didn't really fit in with what came before" without talking about bug testing, like, at all. [[1269: Privacy Opinions|Volleo6144]] ([[Talk:1269: Privacy Opinions|talk]]) 17:53, 26 May 2019 (UTC)

2150: XKeyboarCD

2019-05-19T10:52:12Z

Zom-B: Rubik's stuff

{{comic
| number = 2150
| date = May 15, 2019
| title = XKeyboarCD
| image = xkeyboarcd.png
| titletext = The key caps use LCD displays for all the vowels, so they can automatically adjust over the years to reflect ongoing vowel shifts while allowing you to keep typing phonetically.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LEOPARD USING AN XKEYBOARCD. Seems to be finished, could someone check it again before deleting this tag? Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In the same vein as the [[:Category:xkcd Phones|xkcd Phone series]], the XKeyboarCD seems to be an overly inventive and borderline ludicrous keyboard intended for some unknown audience. It has an assortment of features (some fairly normal, some more exotic) which give it a..."diverse skill set".

This is the second time that the "xkcd" has been used around a middle word, which uses some of the xkcd letters to form this word. The first was [[1506: xkcloud]] - XKC lou D, to spell ClouD with the C and D from XKCD, in that comic the letters where all lowercase. In this comic the Keyboard, has an X before the word and a C before the D with the xkcd letters capitalized.

*'''54 Configurable Rubik's Keys'''
The smaller cubes on a {{w|Rubik's cube}} resemble computer keys, so this feature makes fun of that by adding a spinnable Rubik's cube above the keyboard. The implication is that the keys would be 'configured' by twisting the sides of the cube until the desired configuration is reached, although parity means that not all configurations could be reached by conventional means. The bottom center position can't contain a key because it's the mounting position, so there can be a maximum of 53 keys. Additionally, the top key can't be moved around so the maximum amount of configurable keys is 52. (The four remaining centers can be moved by rotating the entire cube.) The rearmost and bottom-facing keys would obviously be hard to see/reach.

*'''Hardcoded Plastic Keys for the 5 Most Useful Emoji'''
This feature parodies the feature of some laptop-keyboards where it is possible to dynamically assign emojis to a small touchscreen area. There is a disaccord between hard-coded, useful and emoji, especially with the keys having such large size and being positioned in a central position of the keyboard. Which emojis would be "the most useful" is highly subjective. For example in the comic it shows the quite popular laughing with tears emoji, along with the octopus emoji and others. Notably, the "aerial tramway" was once the least-used emoji, and remains very rarely used.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Emoji
! Name
|-
| 😰
| [https://emojipedia.org/face-with-open-mouth-and-cold-sweat/ Anxious Face With Sweat]
|-
| 😂
| [https://emojipedia.org/face-with-tears-of-joy/ Face With Tears of Joy]
|-
| 🐙
| [https://emojipedia.org/octopus/ Octopus]
|-
| 🏇
| [https://emojipedia.org/horse-racing/ Horse Racing]
|-
| 🚡
| [https://emojipedia.org/aerial-tramway/ Aerial Tramway]
|}

*'''Serif Lock'''
{{w|Serifs}} are small lines on the ends of certain characters in fonts such as Times New Roman and Georgia. It is dependent on the font, not on the key pressed; "A" is represented by the same code regardless of its font. Since a given font almost always either has or doesn't have serifs, this key seems challenging to implement. This key could be implemented, however, by simply changing between a pair of fonts when it is pressed. What's more, the button is placed roughly where left shift is on most keyboards, liable to cause frustration.

*'''Unlimited Key Travel'''
On a keyboard, key travel refers to the distance the key moves between its unpressed and pressed states. In reality, laptop keys only move a few millimeters before bottoming out, and conventional keyboards up to about a centimeter. An increased key travel may make typing more comfortable. However, the usefulness of having unlimited key travel is unclear, and the question of how this would be physically possible in the keyboard depicted remains unanswered. At least it is the greatest possible value, trumping any other keyboard.

*'''Diagonal Spacebar'''
Instead of a wide key at the bottom that typists can hit easily with either thumb, we now have a tall, narrow key that requires being pressed with the right pinkie. This would not be a good change since most peoples' pinkies are their weakest finger. Some ergonomic keyboards have a slightly curved spacebar or a separated spacebar for each thumb.

*'''Arrow Key (Rotate to Adjust Direction)'''
Most computers have four {{w|arrow keys}}: up, left, right, and down. However, the XKeyboarCD just has one that can be rotated. This has the added bonus of allowing the arrow keys to point more than four different directions. While innovative, its utility is questionable given trackpoint devices which provide more intuitive joystick-like control. It also comes at the cost of compatibility with certain programs, such as older video games. It would also be awkward to operate as going from horizontally left to horizontally right, for example, would require the user to rotate the key first and then press it which wastes precious time when playing a video game. There is also the problem of allowing unlimited rotation, requiring the combination of a keyswitch and angle-selection mechanism (perhaps the keycap mounted on a long square rotatable rod, keying through dual opposing potentiometers and onto a conventional key switch). This would be mechanically complex which adds to the cost of the keyboard.

*'''15 Puzzle-Style Numberpad'''
A {{w|15 puzzle}} is a square containing fifteen smaller squares and one blank spot, which allows the squares to be moved around. The squares are shuffled and then reassembled as a game or pastime, and are usually labelled 1-15 (as is the case here) or, when assembled properly, create a picture. A {{w|Numeric keypad|numberpad}} in this style would be frustrating to use for typing numbers, as they could shift (or be shifted) around, but could provide a fun feature to use as a game. Alternatively the keys could be rearranged as with the Rubik`s keys. How this would be used to generate numeric input is unclear, but the presence of 16 positions suggests {{w|hexadecimal}} input is possible. Keyboard keypads do have around 17 keys, but only 0-9 usually have numbers whereas the XKCD keypad has numbers 10-15 in the middle of the numberpad probably also surrounded by the more conventional arithmetic operators, enter, and decimal point.

*'''Ergonomic Design'''
The cylindrical portion of the keyboard is advertised as being an ergonomic design. Most ergonomic keyboards are both curved into a convex shape and split in the middle, with the blocks of keys on either side rotated around the vertical axis. This is done to follow natural arm and finger movements more closely, that is, avoid forcing the user to rotate their arms and hands to match the flat and rectangular key arrangement of a non-ergonomic keyboard. Some ergonomic keyboards come in unconventional form factors, such as vertical keyboards, to allow the user's hands to rest in more neutral positions or to change positions throughout the day, but the cylinder shape presented here is a ''concave'' shape which requires the user to lift and twist his arms to reach certain keys (or roll the cylinder from side to side), which would be an even more strenuous motion than typing on a standard keyboard. The slogan of the keyboard - "for power users and their powerful fingers" fits this difficulty -, but makes no sense as a feature.

*'''Title Text'''
The title text references sound changes in languages. Every language (and indeed, every dialect) routinely undergoes changes in its sounds and phonemes, in a mostly regular and systematic, but not totally predictibale way (otherways the dialects would sound the same and also the century, when a shift occurs, and the rate of change are not predictable). While not only vowels are affected, in languages with many vowels such as English, they're particularly likely to shift around and/or merge. While having dynamic keycaps that change can actually come in handy, the feature of only having vowels change in response to sound shifts is a bit less so. One normally enters the spelling and not the pronounciation of words (except with some Asian input systems). The spelling and pronounciation do not change at the same time.

First, while changes in how we pronounce words are always ongoing, the way we write words down tends to stay relatively static, and thahs wiy wuhd faynd thaet werds biykahm ihncaampriyhehnsihbuhl duw tuw now laanger biyihng spehlld aes they wer bihfaor. Second, English only uses five glyphs (aeiou) and a variety of methods to represent four times as many vowel sounds, so the software would need to have a way to handling that (in some dialects "bird" and "turn" for example, have the same vowel but are represented by "ir" and "ur"). Third, vowel shifts are not ubiquitous: the {{w|Caught-cot merger}}, for example, is a phenomenon happening across some parts (but not all) of the US and UK. Therefore, while some people would say "caught" and "cot have the same vowel it should be spelled the same by the keyboard, but others would say they're two different vowels and should not be spelled identically. Fourth, sound shifts tend to occur over a relatively long period of time (in terms of human lifetimes), so a user would probably find the keycaps only change once or twice. All in all, this is not a very useful feature.

An alternative explanation is that the keys actually map to the {{w|International Phonetic Alphabet}} and converts what you type into English words (and the vowel changes). The IPA is an alphabet used in linguistics and language teaching, designed to represent every phoneme present in languages of the world unambiguously, with optional modifiers to indicate more subtle nuances in pronunciation, intonation and speech pathology. This alphabet consists of 107 letters and 56 modifiers (with some letters shared with the Latin and Greek alphabets), which would explain the large number of keys. In that case, the feature remains questionable since it only handles vowel shifts and not consonants, and anybody who'd use an IPA-keyboard would probably need to type out the phonology of other languages and appreciate not having to find a key has moved because English has undergone a vowel shift.

==Transcript==
:[Headings above a drawing of a very special keyboard:]
:Introducing the
:<big>XKeyboarCD</big>
:A keyboard for powerful users and their powerful fingers®

:[The keyboard has many more keys than a usual Keyboard. Usual keyboards for stationary computers typically have a few of the rows with 21 keys, and then some with fewer. This Keyboard has 28 keys on the top row. The other rows have special keys that make it difficult to compare, but there is basically also room for 28 in the bottom row, except one spot where there is one key in a space for 2x2 keys. Begining from the bottom and coutning keys there are 27. Skipping those that take up space in two or more rows, when going to the next row from the bottom there are 23, then 24, then 18, then 27 and finally 28 keys in the top row, for a total of 147 keys (vs 105 on a regular keyboard). Then there are 54 extra keys above the keyboard to the left (27 shown) and 156 in 6 rows of 26 to the right for a total of 357 keys 330 shown. All six rows have keys all the way over with no empty space in between, as there are on regular keyboards. Also there are no space between the top row (with F1 button etc) and those below. At each side of the keyboard the keys do no align at the edges, which is normally the case. The keyboard has several special features, most of which are labeled. The only special features that is not labeled is a small square with 2x2 keys that are elevated a bit above all other keys. It is in the region above the normal position of the four arrows. All eight other special features have an arrow pointing to them from their labels. Here below is a description of the labeled items as well as a transcript of their labels. They are listed in the order of their labels first above and then below the keyboard going from left to right.]

:[Five keys close to the QWERTY keys positions have colorful emoji on them. They each take up the space of 2x2 normal keys, although it is not clear if all the "normal" keys have the same size:]
:Hardcoded plastic keys for the 5 most useful emoji
:😰 😂 🐙 🏇 🚡

:[A cube with 3x3 keys on each side hangs above the keyboard to the left supported by a small rod. Three sides are fully visible, 27 keys:]
:54 configurable Rubik's keys

:[Just right of the middle above the main keyboard is a cylinder with keys inside in 6 rows of 26 keys (126 in all). It either decreases in diameter into it making it look almost like a tunnel, or is drawn as if it almost disappear in the far distance, being much deeper than it should be.]
:Ergonomic design

:[In the region where the normal numberpad would be there are 15 numbers from 1 to 15 in a 4x4 grid leaving space for an empty key hole. There is a row of keys both above and below this grid. The numbers do not come in order from 1 to 15, but rather in a jumble. Also the empty hole is not a full key spot. Instead it is in the second row of numbers, with a bit more space to the left than to the right of the middle of the three keys.]
:
:{| class="wikitable"
|+15 puzzle-style numberpad
|-
|1
|8
|4
|12
|-
|7
|
|11
|3
|-
|15
|6
|10
|9
|-
|2
|5
|13
|14
|}

:[To the left in the second row (below the Caps Lock position) the outer key is twice as wide as the other normal keys.]
:Serif Lock

:[An arrow points to the eight key in the bottom row, but is probably just referring to all the keys in general:]
:Unlimited key travel

:[There is a segment of the keyboard that seems to be empty of keys, but still white like the rest of the keys, not black as where keys are actually missing. It is where on a regular keyboard, the normal keys are separated from the special function keys. But it turns out it is indeed a long key going vertically:]
:Diagonal spacebar

:[Where the four arrow keys are on a regular keyboard there is a 2x2 key segment that only has one key in the middle with black background around it. It has an arrow head on it pointing right. That is if the key had not been turned about 45 degree counter clockwise, so the arrow points up to the right.]
:Arrow key (rotate to adjust direction)

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Emoji]]

2118: Normal Distribution

2019-03-03T21:15:03Z

Zom-B: I don't know what that other curve is, but it's not normal. (no) pun intended.

{{comic
| number = 2118
| date = March 1, 2019
| title = Normal Distribution
| image = normal_distribution.png
| titletext = It's the NORMAL distribution, not the TANGENT distribution.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by PEOPLE NEW ENOUGH TO STATISTICS TO NOT LEAVE IN ANNOYANCE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[File:Standard_deviation_diagram.svg|thumb|{{w|Normal distribution}}s and the intervals of the standard deviation are a topic commonly seen in introductory statistics. Randall's chart is similar, but his lines are perpendicular.]]
In statistics, a {{w|Probability distribution|distribution}} is a representation that can be understood in terms of how much of a sample is expected to fall into either discrete bins or between particular ranges of values. For example, if you wanted to represent an age distribution using bins of ten years (0-9, 10-19, etc.), you could produce a bar chart, one bar for each bin, where the height of each bar represents a count of the portion of the sample matching that bin. To turn that bar chart into a distribution, you'd get an infinite number of people, put them into age bins that are infinitely narrow, and then divide each bin count by the total count so that the whole thing added up to 1. It is common to ask how much of the distribution lies between two vertical lines; that would correspond to asking what percent of people are expected to fall between two ages.

Many statistical samplings resemble a pattern called a "{{w|normal distribution}}". A theoretically perfect normal distribution would have an infinite sample size and infinitely small bins. That would produce a bar chart matching the shape of the curve in the comic.

The area between two vertical lines of the distribution represents the probability that the value is between the x-values of the lines, and the total area is 1. Randall finds the area between two ''horizontal'' lines instead, which is mathematically meaningless, because the y-axis of a probability distribution represents {{w|absolute magnitude|magnitude}} as a fraction of unity (although we do have half of the normal curve between the two lines). The items represented by the magnitude at any given horizontal position are indistinguishable, unordered, and interchangeable; the idea that one could be above another is meaningless, and the fact that two items happen to fall at the same position on the y-axis doesn't mean they have anything in common. So, the comic explores the humor of annoying people by deliberately misunderstanding their work.

The title text refers to the {{w|Normal (geometry)|normal line}}, which is perpendicular to the {{w|tangent}} line at a given point. Given a shape of interest, a normal line points perpendicularly away from it at a point, making a 90-degree angle with it in all directions, while a tangent line crosses a point on it and is exactly parallel to it at that point. The normal line is not at all related to the normal distribution, as the former is a geometry concept and the latter is probability/statistics one. Saying this to a statistician would only annoy the statistician further. This refers to the fact that the diagram attempts to divide the graph with horizontal lines when such a division would usually be done with perpendicular vertical lines.

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

:[A bell curve of a normal distribution, with the area between two horizontal lines shaded.]

:[The center of the chart is marked between the two lines:]
:Midpoint

:[The distance between the lines is marked to the right of the midpoint, with the label:]
:52.7%

:[A label on the outside of the graph, describing the distance between the two lines:]
:"Remember, 50% of the distribution falls between these two lines!"

:[Caption below the panel:]
:How to annoy a statistician

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Statistics]]

Talk:2089: Christmas Eve Eve

2018-12-24T10:55:06Z

Zom-B:

The "eve" count might be off by one or two. I used 365. [[User:Blacksilver|Blacksilver]] ([[User talk:Blacksilver|talk]]) 05:40, 24 December 2018 (UTC)
:Correct would be 364. Except in leap years. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.90|162.158.90.90]] 09:23, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

In Germany, Christmas happens on Christmas Eve, so Cueball would be saying "eve" forever and just refer to the same date every time. "Heiligabend abends" is occasionally used to say the evening of 24th (the time of presents) and in northern Germany you sometimes say "Heiligtag", meaning "holy day" instead of "holy evening". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.90|162.158.90.90]] 09:23, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

"The day after Christmas" - isn't that just 2nd Christmas day? --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 10:55, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

Talk:2016: OEIS Submissions

2018-07-15T13:24:12Z

Zom-B: Video

There's an old Numberphile video about Sub[43]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDYzSzDaHuM --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 13:24, 15 July 2018 (UTC)


"All integers which do not appear in the example terms of another OEIS sequence" there is no paradox: it's pecified *another* sequence
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.133|162.158.154.133]] 17:52, 6 July 2018 (UTC)

I am so sorry that this comment is not related to the strip, but is the scaling for the explanation way off? Previously the scaling of the whole website was stretched, but now it is a bit too cramped for me. It happens to the previous strips too.Boeing-787lover 18:10, 6 July 2018 (UTC)

Is it too much of a stretch to mention that Chris Hemsworth stars in the movie ''Blackhat'', which is also a nickname for an XKCD character? [[User:John at work|John at work]] ([[User talk:John at work|talk]]) 19:31, 6 July 2018 (UTC)

The Sub 59 one is also a paradox, it specifies that it should include all of the author's accepted submissions, so it would have to be on it's own list itself in order to be accurate? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.233|172.68.58.233]] 19:47, 6 July 2018 (UTC)
:No, it would not be paradoxical. If it is accepted, then the sequence contains its identification number. If it is not accepted, that number is not in the sequence. The sequence changes depending on its own status, but there is no contradiction. This is different from e.g. the set of sets that don't contain themselves. If that set contained itself, it shouldn't contain itself, and if it didn't contain itself, it should contain itself. Both alternatives are logically impossible, so the set itself is impossible. There is nothing impossible about submission 59. [[User:Howtonotwin|Howtonotwin]] ([[User talk:Howtonotwin|talk]]) 20:15, 6 July 2018 (UTC)
:If OEIS would bend their own rule and allow a sequence of one number, they could accept SUB[59] , and it will never be out of date as long as they never accept another RM submittal.[[User:GODZILLA|GODZILLA]] ([[User talk:GODZILLA|talk]]) 00:49, 8 July 2018 (UTC)
:Do the OEIS rules specify that a finite set of numbers can not be expanded later? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.50.112|172.68.50.112]] 14:42, 9 July 2018 (UTC)
::Finite sequences are permitted. ''— [[User:Tbc|tbc]] ([[User talk:Tbc|talk]]) 15:26, 10 July 2018 (UTC)''
:::But would they need to be complete at the time of submission/approval or can they be modified at a later stage? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.50.112|172.68.50.112]] 09:23, 11 July 2018 (UTC)

The Westside IRT stops sequence is a wonderful piece of trivia. I found [https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/27/science/in-a-random-world-he-collects-patterns.html the NYT article], which gives as its reason that at that time only infinite sequences were included. I have failed to find the necessary third-party reference to the inclusion of the sequence in OEIS (this, being an open wiki, is unacceptable) to include the point in {{w|IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line|the Wikipedia article on the West Side IRT}}. Can anybody supply one? [[User:Yngvadottir|Yngvadottir]] ([[User talk:Yngvadottir|talk]]) 20:35, 6 July 2018 (UTC)
: http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/pdf/t1cur.pdf Scroll down to page 3, which has a chart showing all the stops on the 1 line. [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]]) 16:27, 11 July 2018 (UTC)
: The Manhattan stops of the IRT line (specifically they normal use the #2 express rather than the #1 local) are a classic "What is the next number in this sequence?" puzzle : 14, 34, 42, 72 .... [[User:JamesCurran|JamesCurran]] ([[User talk:JamesCurran|talk]]) 16:27, 11 July 2018 (UTC)

I'm wondering about the comment "In UTF-16, a 9 takes up 2 bytes," about the 2 TB of 9s. Does OEIS store numbers in UTF-16 format? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.94|172.68.174.94]] 21:01, 6 July 2018 (UTC) nprz
: It seems unrelated to me, the comic says 2 terabytes of 9s not 2 terabytes of 9s in a string (UTF-16 or otherwise). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.33|162.158.158.33]] 12:49, 9 July 2018 (UTC)

Helvetica seems to be one of the fonts where all digits have the same width (so that columns of numbers line up). Strangely, there seems to be a kerning pair for "11" that some Software uses. "Helvetica Neue" does not seem to have that kerning pair. (Tested using the simple HTML page in https://gist.github.com/hn3000/bec217afe666b0ee0a0430e976df4d22#file-numbers-by-width-in-font-html ).
[[User:Hn3000|Hn3000]] ([[User talk:Hn3000|talk]]) 11:04, 7 July 2018 (UTC)

Such a coincidence! I've been working on my first submission all week and wrote an Emacs Lisp program that discovered the third integer pair the day this came out! You get to see it now that I have a number allocated ([https://oeis.org/draft/A316587 A316587]): 12, 34, 56, 78, 6162, 7879. Can you find the next number in the sequence? Hint: my sequence is a proper subset of A001704. Still editing before I submit for approval. ''— [[User:Tbc|tbc]] ([[User talk:Tbc|talk]]) 18:11, 7 July 2018 (UTC)''
: I withdrew my sequence. I learned from the OEIS editors that my sequence is "the juxtaposition of terms from [https://oeis.org/A116163 A116163] and [https://oeis.org/A116294 A116294]." The next pair after 6162, 7879 is 6547965480, 8091980920. ''— [[User:Tbc|tbc]] ([[User talk:Tbc|talk]]) 15:26, 10 July 2018 (UTC)''

Digits do not have the same width in Helvetica, at least not in the version of Helvetica I have. Using the PHP function [http://php.net/imagettfbbox imagettfbbox] (part of the GD library), here is the bounding box width of single digits in 12pt size:
5 points: '1'. 8 points: '4', '7'. 9 points: '0', '2', '3', '5', '6', '8', '9'.
With a very large size (480pt) the differences ar more notable:
166 points: '1'. 302 points: '9'. 307 points: '6'. 308 points: '2', '8'. 309 points: '0', '5'. 311 points: '7'. 313 points: '3'. 318 points: '4'.

For 2-digit numbers in 480pt size I find: 522 points: '11'. 559 points: '61', '71'. 560 points: '91'. 562 points: '21'. 563 points: '51', '81'. 566 points: '41'. 568 points: '31'. 620 points: '19'. 623 points: '13'. 624 points: '10', '15', '18'. 625 points: '12'. 626 points: '16'. 629 points: '14', '17'. The rest range from 657 to 675 points.

In short, sub[44] makes sense, with all the caveats mentioned in the explanation. The phrases `1 to 9 in no particular order, 11, 10 and 12 to 19 in no particular order and so on' are exaggerated IMHO, the order within these subsets is not completely arbitrary.
Zetfr 10:22, 8 July 2018 (UTC)

I think that all nines sequence can be reference to Dilbert strip about random number generator which always returns 9 http://dilbert.com/strip/2001-10-25
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.77|141.101.104.77]] 19:41, 8 July 2018 (UTC)qbolec
: Okay, it is an overwrought cliché but that joke is actually a lot funnier in 'the original German'. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.156|141.101.105.156]] 12:56, 15 July 2018 (UTC)

I thought the all nines sequence was a reference to Revolution 9 from the White Album by the Beatles. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.50.34|172.69.50.34]] 12:04, 13 July 2018 (UTC)

1889: xkcd Phone 6

2017-09-20T13:09:38Z

Zom-B: Pre-seasoned - technical definition

{{comic
| number = 1889
| date = September 13, 2017
| title = xkcd Phone 6
| image = xkcd_phone_6.png
| titletext = We understand your privacy concerns; be assured that our phones will never store or transmit images of your face.
}}

==Explanation==

This is the sixth entry in the ongoing [[:Category:xkcd Phones|xkcd Phone series]], released the day after Apple announced their new {{w|iPhone 8}} and the higher-end {{w|iPhone X}} (pronounced iPhone 10) with facial recognition features.

===List of features (clockwise from center/top)===

; Front camera (centered for eye contact during video chat)
: Front camera is a common feature of smartphones. The camera lens is located on the same side of the phone's case as the main screen and therefore it is possible to capture the image of the user's face looking at the screen and display the interlocutor's face on the screen simultaneously, enabling video chat. However, as the camera is usually located above the screen, a user looking at the displayed image of the other person directs his or her eyes at the center of the screen and not at the camera's lens. This is very visible on the other end of the chat as if the person talking was looking down and not in the interlocutor's face which is an uncomfortable situation for most people. For this reason, professionals involved in movie or TV-making, like actors or reporters, are trained to look straight into the camera's lens while talking, which creates impression of looking straight at the viewer's face. During a video chat, however, looking into the lens of an above-screen camera does not allow one to see the interlocutor's face clearly because it is then in the peripheral field of vision.

: To solve this conundrum, Randall proposes locating the camera lens right in the middle of the screen. Therefore the user looking at the screen to see the other person's face would be also looking at the lens, creating an impression of a straight look on the other end of the chat. This is absurd since the lens would then take place of some of the center pixels of the screen, not allowing the display the center part of the captured image of the other person's face (like eyes and/or lips) which is most important for nonverbal communication. Such location of the camera lens would also likely interfere with touch-screen function. It will make other applications on the phone difficult to use, since virtually no user interface is designed to accommodate for a blind spot in the center.

; Full-width rear camera
: Phone cameras tend to have lenses which are quite small and round or square -- same width as height. Full-width makes it sound like the camera lens is really wide, as in a long oval or rectangle shape. This could allow the camera to gather a lot more light, potentially working in low light situations. However the lens would be more vulnerable to damage and dirt. Unless a very large sensor was used, focusing the image could be a problem, since cell phones are typically not very deep.

; CDC partnership - phone automatically administers seasonal flu vaccine to cheek every year
: U.S. {{w|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}} is a government agency tasked with addressing public health concerns such as infectious diseases, including seasonal flu. A common way of limiting spread of an infectious disease is {{w|Vaccine|vaccination}}, which most often involves administering a specially prepared medicine via an {{w|intramuscular injection}}. Researchers have investigated other delivery systems, including aerosol, or microneedle injection. This features implies that the phone would automatically perform some form of injection once a year, administering vaccine via a small aperture while the user is holding the phone to his or her cheek during a call. However, the placement of this component is unusual as it would line up with the user's ear rather than cheek during a phone call.

; 12-function
: Most smartphones can be used for more than 12 different things{{Citation needed}}. However, this may refer to the 12 basic functions of algebra (identity, squaring, cubing, square root, logarithm, exponential, reciprocal, sine, cosine, greatest integer, absolute value, and logistic), or the twelve function keys on a modern keyboard (more than the ten on the original IBM PC keyboard). Alternatively it may be a reference to calculators: basic models are sometimes referred to as four function calculators (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division), and complex scientific calculators may advertise 250 or more functions.

; Dishwasher safe
: Usually a feature of plastic containers or fancy dishes. Unlikely to appear on a smartphone, though potentially useful if you need to clean your screen. This feature may be a reference to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPGY2T9r1Ok this Knallerfrauen sketch] where an elderly user puts an iPad into a dishwasher to clean it.

; GPS transmitter
: Many smartphones have a receiver for the Global Positioning System, which allows a phone to compute its position based on signals from the constellation(s) of GPS satellites. However, a device with a "GPS transmitter" would broadcast signals that would interfere with the GPS receivers of all devices nearby. This might be used in some form of differential GPS, broadcasting signals from a known location to allow more precise determination of other locations. Or such a system might be used to confuse or control devices, such as drones, which navigate using GPS.

; 3-G acceleration
: This may be a mixing of 3-D acceleration, which refers to graphics, accelerometers, which are a common feature of modern smartphones that allows them to detect movement, and 3G, referring to communications systems. {{w|Graphics processing unit|Three-d acceleration hardware}} speeds up handling of spatial data, such as generating pictures of a simulated environment. Usually, a phone is {{w|3G|3G compatible}} if it uses a certain standard ("third generation") for data communication. However, 3-G acceleration implies the phone can accelerate at a rate of 3 times the acceleration of gravity, or approximately 30 m/s². An untrained human experiencing 3G for extensive periods of time can suffer injuries as a result, as can an untrained phone.

; Portable, solar-heated
: Portability is pretty much the entire point of using a ''mobile'' phone, so advertising portability is rather pointless. Solar ''power'' charging could be a very useful feature on a phone, but solar ''heating'' usually applies to plumbing, where a water tank is heated by the sun and used to supply hot water to taps. Technically, as the sun heats up everything it shines on, the phone is in fact solar heated.

;Pore-cleaning strip
: Presumably this would be part of the ''Shroud of Turin-style facial transfer unlock'', where the phone would use the dirt and oils collected from the user's face being pressed against the phone to to verify their identity. Something sticky on that location would be very annoying for clean-shaven people and extremely painful for anyone with facial hair. See also [[777: Pore Strips]]

; Maximum strength
: Medicines are often sold as "Maximum strength", as in the highest dose allowed by law or allowed without a prescription. For phones, there are sometimes "hardened" or "ruggedized" versions which are designed to survive harsher environmental conditions such as surviving drops and collisions, excessive water, dust, etc. So Maximum strength could indicate a "ruggedized" phone, though a screen that extended past the edges would likely have the opposite effect.

; Never needs sharpening
: Phones do not need to be sharpened in the first place{{Citation needed}}. This is a feature more likely to be found in a knife advertisement (especially for a knife that cannot be sharpened, like a serrated or ceramic blade), or on a mechanical pencil. But since the screen goes past the edge, it might be sharp enough to cut through things, much like a knife. Note that this feature combination would prevent the phone from safe handling and carrying it in your pockets.

; Can survive up to 30 minutes out of water
: This is a play on the common IP-rating of water resistance, which is typically rated for submersion to a rated depth for 30 minutes. A phone which could only be used or carried for 30 minutes and then needed to be immersed in water would be rather inconvenient, especially if it was still susceptible to short-circuiting as most electronic devices do when submerged. On the other hand, perhaps this phone's target market are whales and dolphins. This would be a useful feature for them.

; Exclusive Audubon Society app identifies birds and lets you control their flight
: {{w|National Audubon Society}} is a non-profit organization dedicated to conservation of nature, mainly of birds, also organizing open {{w|birdwatching}} events. An app that identifies bird species, as for example from a photo of a bird made by the smartphone itself, would be cool. An app allowing you to control the bird's flight would be way cooler, but it is not possible with current technology - and it would fly in the face of the Audubon Society core activity. This is a reference to {{w|Unmanned_aerial_vehicle|drones}} (artificial "birds") which are often controlled by a smartphone app. This may also be a reference to [[1425: Tasks]], in which an app that can recognize if a bird is on camera is proposed.

; Extra screen
:Possibly because of the center camera, an additional section of screen was added. Some phones also advertise having extra screen, although this refers to having a larger screen in general, rather than a small rectangle added to the bottom.

; Wireless charging port
:A rather pointless feature; because wireless charging has no wires, it needs no port. (Unless it is required for fuel for a fuel cell. See clean coal, below.) This may be a play on Apple's removal of headphone port from their previous phones.

; Safe for ages 6-8 months, 10 months, 18 months-3 years, and 12 years and older
:Usually an item is deemed safe for a particular age or older, or (in the case of toys) is recommended for a particular age range. This is unusual in that it's a hodge-podge of age ranges with no apparent reason why some ages are safe and others are not. It may be a parody of drug commercials that list several age ranges for which the drug had to be separately approved.

; Screen goes past the edge
:A parody of the trend of "edge to edge" displays in recent generations of smartphones, or phones whose screens curve partway around the edge of the phone.

; High thread count CPU
:A CPU thread is a task the CPU performs. Several threads may share memory making them a process. Threads are meant to run in parallel and the operating system distributes the workload on the available hardware execution units. These execution units are sometimes called hardware threads, especially when there is more than one per processing unit (or core). For example, the Intel Core i7 7700 is considered a 4-core, 8-thread CPU. The vague "high thread count" statement could make sense in this context, however, it is most likely a joke about bedding, where it is an actual selling point. High thread count is a marketing term for linens, where it signifies the density of threads in a textile.

; Shroud of Turin-style facial transfer unlock
:The {{w|Shroud of Turin}} contains an image of a face -- originally believed to be of {{w|Jesus Christ}}, before the Shroud was found to be 1200 years too young. Presumably, to unlock this phone, the user would have to physically {{w|facepalm|press their face}} against the phone, the way Shroud-Man's image was allegedly transferred to the shroud. This is likely a reference to the iPhone X's FaceID unlock, which uses a ''photograph'' of your face augmented with spatial information to unlock it and which had attracted [https://www.wired.com/story/iphone-x-faceid-security/ significant criticism] immediately before this comic came out.

; Fonts developed by NASA
: Between 1975 and 1992 NASA used the {{w|NASA insignia|"worm" logotype}} in its insignia. It was a special font omitting the horizontal bar in the capitalized letter A. May be a reference to many advertisements that claim their product uses technology developed by NASA. This seems impressive, as NASA technology does tend to be quite strong and advanced, as they claim at their [https://spinoff.nasa.gov/ spin off] website. However, it would not be as impressive due to fonts having very little to do with NASA's core operations.

; Includes applicator
: What tampon packages, cosmetics, paints, and other products often say. An applicator for a phone would be absurd since the phone cannot be applied, spread, inserted, or attached to something else. This may be referring back to the aforementioned yearly vaccine.

; Burns clean coal
: There is marketing, trying to appear to be using clean energy, due to pollution concerns. Coal burning power plants are usually quite large, so a traditional coal fired thermal-electric plant in a cell phone would be absurd. However, {{w|Fuel cell|fuel cells}}, which produce electricity by oxidizing some fuel can be small enough to fit in a cell phone, but they do not typically burn coal. Clean coal is coal that is burned so that it does not give off as much soot, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, or other pollutants as "normal" coal, or methods of burning coal that give off relatively less pollutants. (The cordless charging port might be receptacle for refueling the phone, using liquid, or using a fuel cartridge.)

; Pre-seasoned
:Pre-seasoned typically refers to cast iron cookware which is ready to use out of the box, as opposed to needing to season it with oil and heat. It can also refer to packaged meats which are ready to cook without needing to be seasoned with herbs and spices, or timber that has been dried and is ready for use. A more technical definition of 'seasoning' means operating devices, usually calibrated standards or battery cells, for a while in the factory, to make sure the device meets constant performance requirements without deviating or diminshing too much. In this sense it could applies to the battery of the phone.

; Broad-spectrum SPF 30
:The xkcd phone somehow gives a sun protection factor (SPF) 30 level of protection for the skin from sun light. Perhaps the phone itself blocks 97% of UVB radiation (this being the definition of "SPF 30"), allowing 3% through, although this would be remarkably more translucent than most phones (which allow much less than 1% of UVB, or any other visible or near-visible wavelength, through). This would only apply to the patch of skin it blocks sunlight from.

; College-ruled
:College-ruled is a style of notebook paper having narrower lines in order to fit more text per page. That the phone is college-ruled suggests that there are lines permanently displayed on the screen, which would obscure any images on the screen, along with any text that doesn't line up with the lines. Defective screens can show similar patterns. For example, the iPhone 6 "touch disease" cause regularly spaced vertical lines to appear on top of the screen. Here, it is possible that the manufacturer tries to pass off screen defects as features.

; Sterile packaging
:Useful for medical supplies, less so in a phone.

; Radium backlight
:The discovery of the radioactive element radium sparked a brief fad in which some watch makers painted watch faces or hands with a paint containing radium and a radioluminescent substance, such as zinc sulfide, which converted the radiation from the radium into visible light. This allowed the time to be read at night without an external power source for the light. However, it was eventually realized that regular exposure to radium could result in radiation poisoning, particularly for the workers assembling and painting the watches. A radium-based backlight would therefore be both potentially dangerous (especially for an object carried on one's person much of the time) but also largely useless, as the radioluminescent light is rather dim compared to conventional phone back lights.

; 4K pixels (50×80)
:This refers to having 4,000 pixels in the screen in total, rather than a screen width of ~4000 pixels. TVs advertised as "4K" are typically up to 4096 × 2160 pixels, or 8.8 million pixels. That would be outstanding for a cell phone whereas 4,000 pixels total would be horrendous. As a comparison, the old Commodore VIC-20 with a resolution of 176 × 184 would have over 8 times the pixels of this phone. It is however quite close to the screen resolution of the sturdy Nokia 3310, boasting a total of 4032 pixels positioned 84 × 48.

In the caption below the phone [[Randall]] presents many different version numbers:
*The number 6 is in correct order of all the xkcd phones
*The {{w|Roman numerals|roman number}} VIII refers to the newly announced {{w|iPhone 8}} and jokes about the roman number X below
*Version number 10 is the current version of Microsoft Windows
*The {{w|iPhone X}} was announced together with the iPhone 8 by Apple on September 12, 2017, a day before this comic was released. Apple clarified X must be read as the roman number 10, so for additional absurdity two xkcd phones share the same number, using different numeral
*The number 26 refers to the number of letters in the English alphabet
*In the year 1876 {{w|Alexander Graham Bell}} received the U.S. Patent No. 174465 for the {{w|invention of the telephone}}, but there is still a {{w|Elisha Gray and Alexander Bell telephone controversy|controversy}} whether {{w|Elisha Gray}} was the first who presented a working telephone.
Below these numbers Randall states that xkcd isn't responsible for this ''nonconsecutive version number war'', but, as it can be seen here above, he attempts to win. By counting parallel version numbers xkcd defeated Apple 6:2. The "nonconsecutive version number war" refers to several recent phones, and possibly operating systems, released consecutively with nonconsecutive version numbers, including:
*The iPhone X (or Ten) which will be released shortly after the iPhone 8
*The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was released after the Note 5
*The Oneplus 5 was released after the OnePlus 3T
*Microsoft Windows 10 was released after Microsoft Windows 8, officially skipping Microsoft Windows 9

The symbols at the end are ™ for trademark, ® for registered trademark, and © for a copyright protection. The degree symbol ° after the letter C could be a play with degree Celsius. The use of all four symbols after the phrase is ridiculous, as ™ and ® indicate trademarks with opposite registration statuses, slogans can't be copyrighted, and the degree symbol usually has no meaning when applied to text.

In the title text Randall attributes privacy concerns about the facial recognition feature. A picture of a face will only be used for facial recognition, but never stored on the device nor transmitted to internet. A ''small'' side effect may be that the famous selfie pictures aren't possible anymore, as well as video calls.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A smartphone is shown, the screen is slightly wider than the case, in the middle is a photo lens, and at the right bottom a small extra part is added to the screen.]
:[On top a bracket ranges nearly over the entire width of the case. The text reads:]
:Full-width rear camera
:[The label at the photo lens is:]
:Front camera (centered for eye contact during video chat)
:[The label on the extra part says:]
:Extra screen
:[At the bottom below the case a label reads:]
:Wireless charging port

:[The labels left to the phone are:]
:4k pixels (50x80)
:Radium backlight
:Sterile packaging
:College-ruled
:Broad spectrum SPF 30
:Pre-seasoned
:Burns clean coal
:Includes applicator
:Fonts developed by NASA
:Shroud of turn-style facial transfer unlock
:High thread count CPU
:Screen goes past the edge
:Safe for ages 6-8 months, 10 months, 18 months-3 years, and 12 years and older

:[The labels right to the phone are:]
:CDC partnership: Phone automatically administers seasonal flu vaccine to cheek every year
:12-function
:Dishwasher safe
:GPS transmitter
:3-G acceleration
:Portable, solar-heated
:Pore-cleaning strip
:Maximum strength
:Never needs sharpening
:Can survive up to 30 minutes out of water
:Exclusive Audubon Society app identifies birds and lets you control their flight

:[Text below the phone:]
:Introducing
:'''The XKCD PHONE 6, VIII, 10, X, 26, and 1876'''
:''We didn't start this nonconsecutive version number war, but we will not lose it.''™®©°
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:xkcd Phones]]

Talk:1816: Mispronunciation

2017-04-13T11:31:10Z

Zom-B:

Epitome is an interesting one for me, since I read it phonetically (same as Randal's example), and didn't figure out that "e-pi-tō-mē" and "eppy-tome" were the same word until mid to late teens. I still have to stop myself from reading it wrong when I see it on the page... [[User:Andyd273|Andyd273]] ([[User talk:Andyd273|talk]]) 15:21, 27 March 2017 (UTC)

I think there's another level beyond the obvious, especially in the title text. You're pronouncing the word 'epitome' in whatever way you always have (inside your head), he's making clear that he's not saying it the way you say it.. so how do you read the comic? The sentence only makes sense if you say it aloud, but you can't because you don't know how he's pronouncing it.[[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 16:04, 27 March 2017 (UTC)
: Rereading the title text I feel like I may have suffered some kind of brain fart when writing this comment. Woops.. [[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 11:35, 28 March 2017 (UTC)

Related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epitome_of_Hyperbole {{unsigned ip|172.68.54.40}}

Shouldn't there be a flap in epitome? --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.94|172.68.54.94]] 19:04, 27 March 2017 (UTC)

I feel like it's relevant to point out how the mispronunciation of mispronunciation is enhanced by contrasting it with mispronounce, which is the reason that most people mispronounce mispronunciation, due to the unexpected change in how the word is pronounced between the two terms. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.10|162.158.2.10]] 20:02, 27 March 2017 (UTC)
:I agree, someone who can write this into the explanation, someone better at English than me ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:36, 27 March 2017 (UTC)

Epi-*Tummy*? Really? Your english-speaking people's latin is so sick. ;-) --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.162|162.158.90.162]] 22:07, 27 March 2017 (UTC)
: Hmm, rather Greek than Latin, no? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.12|162.158.90.12]] 17:19, 29 March 2017 (UTC)
(I mean the close relationship to, say, "epitaph" is obvious, isn't it? Shouldn't they be pronounced similarly?)

"There is, however, an argument that misspelled should always be written mispelled since if it isn't mispelled, then it isn't mispelled." I'm sorry, but someone's going to have to explain that last part to me --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.133.126|172.68.133.126]] 23:06, 27 March 2017 (UTC)
:I think whoever wrote that was too focused on being clever and missed how to be clear. :) Thus displays nicely WHY Randall has all those quotes to differentiate between when he's using a word and when he's talking about it. It's been fixed now, but... Adding the missing quotes and using synonyms/explanations: "There is, however, an argument that "misspelled" should always be written "mispelled" since if it isn't [spelled incorrectly], then it isn't [being true to the meaning of the word]." - NiceGuy1

: Like most good grammar jokes, explaining it ruins it. And the English usually write mispelled as "misspelt". "Misspelled" is generally viewed as clumsy.

[[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.76|162.158.126.76]] 05:48, 29 March 2017 (UTC)

:: Confirmed :-) [[User:Gearoid|Gearóid]] ([[User talk:Gearoid|talk]]) 08:32, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

"Some might argue that misspelled is the one word which should always be misspelled intentionally". And others might argue that it already is. :-) [[User:Jkshapiro|Jkshapiro]] ([[User talk:Jkshapiro|talk]]) 12:58, 28 March 2017 (UTC)

And I guess he has trouble reading the word "dyslexia"? :-) --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.222.100|162.158.222.100]] 15:44, 28 March 2017 (UTC)

:: I also have "dailysex" --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 11:31, 13 April 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1679: Substitutions 3

2016-05-12T07:44:50Z

Zom-B: /* Weird substitution */

The title text may be a reference to the Mayan city discovered by a 15 year old, but that city hasn't yet been visited by Channing Tatum and his friends or Mr Tatum. https://translate.google.com/translate?tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.journaldemontreal.com%2F2016%2F05%2F07%2Fun-ado-decouvre-une-cite-maya [[Special:Contributions/198.41.239.34|198.41.239.34]] 13:32, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

Here's the code for the full set of substitutions from all three comics, to be inserted in the Chrome extension the page listed, which can be found here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/replacerator/gaajhenbcclienfnniphiiambbbninnp?hl=en
<div style="font-size: 25%;">{"Google Glass":"virtual boy","a unknown number":"like hundreds","allegedly":"kinda probably","ancient":"haunted","at large":"very large","behind the headlines":"beyond the grave","candidate":"airbender","car":"cat","cautiously optimistic":"delusional","congressional leaders":"river spirits","could not be reached for comment":"is guilty and everyone knows it","debate":"dance-off","disrupt":"destroy","doctor who":"the big bang theory","drone":"dog","election":"eating contest","electric":"atomic","email":"poem","expands":"physically expands","facebook ceo":"this guy","facebook post":"poem","first-degree":"friggin' awful","front runner":"blade runner","gaffe":"magic spell","global":"spherical","homeland security":"homestar runner","horsepower":"tons of horsemeat","latest":"final","meeting":"ménage à trois","minutes":"years","new study":"Tumblr post","no indication":"lots of signs","poll":"psychic reading","rebuild":"avenge","remains to be seen":"will never be known","scientists":"Channing Tatum and his friends","second-degree":"friggin' awful","selfdriving":"uncontrollably swerving","senator":"elf-lord","silver bullet":"way to kill werewolves","smartphone":"Pokédex","space":"spaaace","star-studded":"blood-soaked","subway system":"tunnels I found","successfully":"suddenly","surprising":"surprising (but not to me)","tension":"sexual tension","third-degree":"frigging' awful","tweet":"poem","urged restraint by":"drunkenly egged on","vows to":"probably won't","war of words":"interplanetary war","win votes":"find pokémon","witnesses":"these dudes I know","years":"minutes","you won't believe":"I'm really sad about"}</div>

I would put it somewhere more convenient if I knew a site for it. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.158|141.101.104.158]] 13:46, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
:This reminds me an awful lot of the title text in the previous comic [[1678: Recent Searches]] regarding autoexec code posted by verified twitter users. :-p [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:48, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
::Is there a way to easily enable/disable the extension?[[User:Bmmarti3|Bmmarti3]] ([[User talk:Bmmarti3|talk]])
:::It appears there isn't... Go to your list of browser extensions, and enable/disable it.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.245|141.101.75.245]] 18:59, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
:::I personally use a different extension than was linked to on xkcd.com, titled xkcd substitutions, which can be turned off by clicking on the icon for it at the top of your Chrome window, and also allows you to set specific sites on which it will never change words (i.e. on Gmail). Here's the shortened link: http://bit.ly/VF8nTw [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.49|173.245.54.49]] 22:31, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

It would be wonderful if the celebrity injunction was about a ménage à trois and somehow all the hype was Randall's fault. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.133|141.101.70.133]] 15:13, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
Great. Now I have to update this:https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/xkcd-substitutions/jkgogmboalmaijfgfhfepckdgjeopfhk?hl=en&gl=001 --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.69|108.162.215.69]] 18:24, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.91|108.162.216.91]]Here's a funny link, but I don't know how to edit it in: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/how-clintons--scandal-took-root/2016/03/27/ee301168-e162-11e5-846c-10191d1fc4ec_story.html, it the substituted version is "How Clinton’s poem scandal took root"[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.91|108.162.216.91]]

== Weird substitution ==

Isn't 'tension' -> 'sexual tension' weird? It could result in the following texts:

'sexual tension' -> 'sexual sexual tension',

'cable tension' -> 'cable sexual tension'.

In short, whenever there's already something before 'tension' that gets modified, don't substitute (or replace those words (difficult to do automatically)) --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 07:43, 12 May 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1679: Substitutions 3

2016-05-12T07:44:36Z

Zom-B: /* Weird substitution */

The title text may be a reference to the Mayan city discovered by a 15 year old, but that city hasn't yet been visited by Channing Tatum and his friends or Mr Tatum. https://translate.google.com/translate?tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.journaldemontreal.com%2F2016%2F05%2F07%2Fun-ado-decouvre-une-cite-maya [[Special:Contributions/198.41.239.34|198.41.239.34]] 13:32, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

Here's the code for the full set of substitutions from all three comics, to be inserted in the Chrome extension the page listed, which can be found here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/replacerator/gaajhenbcclienfnniphiiambbbninnp?hl=en
<div style="font-size: 25%;">{"Google Glass":"virtual boy","a unknown number":"like hundreds","allegedly":"kinda probably","ancient":"haunted","at large":"very large","behind the headlines":"beyond the grave","candidate":"airbender","car":"cat","cautiously optimistic":"delusional","congressional leaders":"river spirits","could not be reached for comment":"is guilty and everyone knows it","debate":"dance-off","disrupt":"destroy","doctor who":"the big bang theory","drone":"dog","election":"eating contest","electric":"atomic","email":"poem","expands":"physically expands","facebook ceo":"this guy","facebook post":"poem","first-degree":"friggin' awful","front runner":"blade runner","gaffe":"magic spell","global":"spherical","homeland security":"homestar runner","horsepower":"tons of horsemeat","latest":"final","meeting":"ménage à trois","minutes":"years","new study":"Tumblr post","no indication":"lots of signs","poll":"psychic reading","rebuild":"avenge","remains to be seen":"will never be known","scientists":"Channing Tatum and his friends","second-degree":"friggin' awful","selfdriving":"uncontrollably swerving","senator":"elf-lord","silver bullet":"way to kill werewolves","smartphone":"Pokédex","space":"spaaace","star-studded":"blood-soaked","subway system":"tunnels I found","successfully":"suddenly","surprising":"surprising (but not to me)","tension":"sexual tension","third-degree":"frigging' awful","tweet":"poem","urged restraint by":"drunkenly egged on","vows to":"probably won't","war of words":"interplanetary war","win votes":"find pokémon","witnesses":"these dudes I know","years":"minutes","you won't believe":"I'm really sad about"}</div>

I would put it somewhere more convenient if I knew a site for it. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.158|141.101.104.158]] 13:46, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
:This reminds me an awful lot of the title text in the previous comic [[1678: Recent Searches]] regarding autoexec code posted by verified twitter users. :-p [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:48, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
::Is there a way to easily enable/disable the extension?[[User:Bmmarti3|Bmmarti3]] ([[User talk:Bmmarti3|talk]])
:::It appears there isn't... Go to your list of browser extensions, and enable/disable it.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.245|141.101.75.245]] 18:59, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
:::I personally use a different extension than was linked to on xkcd.com, titled xkcd substitutions, which can be turned off by clicking on the icon for it at the top of your Chrome window, and also allows you to set specific sites on which it will never change words (i.e. on Gmail). Here's the shortened link: http://bit.ly/VF8nTw [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.49|173.245.54.49]] 22:31, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

It would be wonderful if the celebrity injunction was about a ménage à trois and somehow all the hype was Randall's fault. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.133|141.101.70.133]] 15:13, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
Great. Now I have to update this:https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/xkcd-substitutions/jkgogmboalmaijfgfhfepckdgjeopfhk?hl=en&gl=001 --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.69|108.162.215.69]] 18:24, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.91|108.162.216.91]]Here's a funny link, but I don't know how to edit it in: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/how-clintons--scandal-took-root/2016/03/27/ee301168-e162-11e5-846c-10191d1fc4ec_story.html, it the substituted version is "How Clinton’s poem scandal took root"[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.91|108.162.216.91]]

== Weird substitution ==

Isn't 'tension' -> 'sexual tension' weird? It could result in the following texts:

'sexual tension' -> 'sexual sexual tension',

'cable tension' -> 'cable sexual tension'.

In short, whenever there's already before 'tension' that gets modified, don't substitute (or replace those words (difficult to do automatically)) --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 07:43, 12 May 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1679: Substitutions 3

2016-05-12T07:43:27Z

Zom-B: /* Weird substitution */

The title text may be a reference to the Mayan city discovered by a 15 year old, but that city hasn't yet been visited by Channing Tatum and his friends or Mr Tatum. https://translate.google.com/translate?tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.journaldemontreal.com%2F2016%2F05%2F07%2Fun-ado-decouvre-une-cite-maya [[Special:Contributions/198.41.239.34|198.41.239.34]] 13:32, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

Here's the code for the full set of substitutions from all three comics, to be inserted in the Chrome extension the page listed, which can be found here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/replacerator/gaajhenbcclienfnniphiiambbbninnp?hl=en
<div style="font-size: 25%;">{"Google Glass":"virtual boy","a unknown number":"like hundreds","allegedly":"kinda probably","ancient":"haunted","at large":"very large","behind the headlines":"beyond the grave","candidate":"airbender","car":"cat","cautiously optimistic":"delusional","congressional leaders":"river spirits","could not be reached for comment":"is guilty and everyone knows it","debate":"dance-off","disrupt":"destroy","doctor who":"the big bang theory","drone":"dog","election":"eating contest","electric":"atomic","email":"poem","expands":"physically expands","facebook ceo":"this guy","facebook post":"poem","first-degree":"friggin' awful","front runner":"blade runner","gaffe":"magic spell","global":"spherical","homeland security":"homestar runner","horsepower":"tons of horsemeat","latest":"final","meeting":"ménage à trois","minutes":"years","new study":"Tumblr post","no indication":"lots of signs","poll":"psychic reading","rebuild":"avenge","remains to be seen":"will never be known","scientists":"Channing Tatum and his friends","second-degree":"friggin' awful","selfdriving":"uncontrollably swerving","senator":"elf-lord","silver bullet":"way to kill werewolves","smartphone":"Pokédex","space":"spaaace","star-studded":"blood-soaked","subway system":"tunnels I found","successfully":"suddenly","surprising":"surprising (but not to me)","tension":"sexual tension","third-degree":"frigging' awful","tweet":"poem","urged restraint by":"drunkenly egged on","vows to":"probably won't","war of words":"interplanetary war","win votes":"find pokémon","witnesses":"these dudes I know","years":"minutes","you won't believe":"I'm really sad about"}</div>

I would put it somewhere more convenient if I knew a site for it. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.158|141.101.104.158]] 13:46, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
:This reminds me an awful lot of the title text in the previous comic [[1678: Recent Searches]] regarding autoexec code posted by verified twitter users. :-p [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:48, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
::Is there a way to easily enable/disable the extension?[[User:Bmmarti3|Bmmarti3]] ([[User talk:Bmmarti3|talk]])
:::It appears there isn't... Go to your list of browser extensions, and enable/disable it.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.245|141.101.75.245]] 18:59, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
:::I personally use a different extension than was linked to on xkcd.com, titled xkcd substitutions, which can be turned off by clicking on the icon for it at the top of your Chrome window, and also allows you to set specific sites on which it will never change words (i.e. on Gmail). Here's the shortened link: http://bit.ly/VF8nTw [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.49|173.245.54.49]] 22:31, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

It would be wonderful if the celebrity injunction was about a ménage à trois and somehow all the hype was Randall's fault. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.133|141.101.70.133]] 15:13, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
Great. Now I have to update this:https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/xkcd-substitutions/jkgogmboalmaijfgfhfepckdgjeopfhk?hl=en&gl=001 --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.69|108.162.215.69]] 18:24, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.91|108.162.216.91]]Here's a funny link, but I don't know how to edit it in: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/how-clintons--scandal-took-root/2016/03/27/ee301168-e162-11e5-846c-10191d1fc4ec_story.html, it the substituted version is "How Clinton’s poem scandal took root"[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.91|108.162.216.91]]

== Weird substitution ==

Isn't 'tension' -> 'sexual tension' weird? It could result in the following texts:

'sexual tension' -> 'sexual sexual tension',

'cable tension' -> 'cable sexual tension'.

In short, whenever there's already (an) adjective(s) before 'tension', don't substitute (or replace those adjectives). --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 07:43, 12 May 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1679: Substitutions 3

2016-05-12T07:43:10Z

Zom-B: /* Weird substitution */ new section

The title text may be a reference to the Mayan city discovered by a 15 year old, but that city hasn't yet been visited by Channing Tatum and his friends or Mr Tatum. https://translate.google.com/translate?tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.journaldemontreal.com%2F2016%2F05%2F07%2Fun-ado-decouvre-une-cite-maya [[Special:Contributions/198.41.239.34|198.41.239.34]] 13:32, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

Here's the code for the full set of substitutions from all three comics, to be inserted in the Chrome extension the page listed, which can be found here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/replacerator/gaajhenbcclienfnniphiiambbbninnp?hl=en
<div style="font-size: 25%;">{"Google Glass":"virtual boy","a unknown number":"like hundreds","allegedly":"kinda probably","ancient":"haunted","at large":"very large","behind the headlines":"beyond the grave","candidate":"airbender","car":"cat","cautiously optimistic":"delusional","congressional leaders":"river spirits","could not be reached for comment":"is guilty and everyone knows it","debate":"dance-off","disrupt":"destroy","doctor who":"the big bang theory","drone":"dog","election":"eating contest","electric":"atomic","email":"poem","expands":"physically expands","facebook ceo":"this guy","facebook post":"poem","first-degree":"friggin' awful","front runner":"blade runner","gaffe":"magic spell","global":"spherical","homeland security":"homestar runner","horsepower":"tons of horsemeat","latest":"final","meeting":"ménage à trois","minutes":"years","new study":"Tumblr post","no indication":"lots of signs","poll":"psychic reading","rebuild":"avenge","remains to be seen":"will never be known","scientists":"Channing Tatum and his friends","second-degree":"friggin' awful","selfdriving":"uncontrollably swerving","senator":"elf-lord","silver bullet":"way to kill werewolves","smartphone":"Pokédex","space":"spaaace","star-studded":"blood-soaked","subway system":"tunnels I found","successfully":"suddenly","surprising":"surprising (but not to me)","tension":"sexual tension","third-degree":"frigging' awful","tweet":"poem","urged restraint by":"drunkenly egged on","vows to":"probably won't","war of words":"interplanetary war","win votes":"find pokémon","witnesses":"these dudes I know","years":"minutes","you won't believe":"I'm really sad about"}</div>

I would put it somewhere more convenient if I knew a site for it. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.158|141.101.104.158]] 13:46, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
:This reminds me an awful lot of the title text in the previous comic [[1678: Recent Searches]] regarding autoexec code posted by verified twitter users. :-p [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:48, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
::Is there a way to easily enable/disable the extension?[[User:Bmmarti3|Bmmarti3]] ([[User talk:Bmmarti3|talk]])
:::It appears there isn't... Go to your list of browser extensions, and enable/disable it.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.245|141.101.75.245]] 18:59, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
:::I personally use a different extension than was linked to on xkcd.com, titled xkcd substitutions, which can be turned off by clicking on the icon for it at the top of your Chrome window, and also allows you to set specific sites on which it will never change words (i.e. on Gmail). Here's the shortened link: http://bit.ly/VF8nTw [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.49|173.245.54.49]] 22:31, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

It would be wonderful if the celebrity injunction was about a ménage à trois and somehow all the hype was Randall's fault. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.133|141.101.70.133]] 15:13, 11 May 2016 (UTC)
Great. Now I have to update this:https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/xkcd-substitutions/jkgogmboalmaijfgfhfepckdgjeopfhk?hl=en&gl=001 --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.69|108.162.215.69]] 18:24, 11 May 2016 (UTC)

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.91|108.162.216.91]]Here's a funny link, but I don't know how to edit it in: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/how-clintons--scandal-took-root/2016/03/27/ee301168-e162-11e5-846c-10191d1fc4ec_story.html, it the substituted version is "How Clinton’s poem scandal took root"[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.91|108.162.216.91]]

== Weird substitution ==

Isn't 'tension' -> 'sexual tension' weird? It could result in the following texts:

'sexual tension' -> 'sexual sexual tension',

'cable tension' -> 'cable sexual tension'.

In short, whenever there's already (an) adjective(s) before 'tension', don't substitute (or replace those adjectives).

Talk:1595: 30 Days Hath September

2015-10-30T08:09:26Z

Zom-B:

THIS RHYME IS TERRIBLE. You can slot the months into it in nearly any order and it will still scan. The knuckle trick is far superior. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_days_hath_September#Knuckle_Mnemonic
[[User:CLAVDIVS|CLAVDIVS]] ([[User talk:CLAVDIVS|talk]]) 06:00, 26 October 2015 (UTC)

:I use the knuckle trick too. And I am Dutch, so not only the "German, French, Swiss, Romanians and Belgians" use that trick. I count from the index finger and reverse on the little finger for July and August. Might not be representative for all Dutch, I've heard the rhyme too. (suitably translated) -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.196|141.101.104.196]] 09:36, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
:I'm floored by the claim that the 'knuckle trick' is mostly used in Europe. I learned it from my grandmother, who never lived outside the state of Texas in over 90 years, and she was a third-generation American, ultimately of Irish/Scottish/Welsh descent. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.16|108.162.221.16]] 12:00, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

:From Jan to Jul(1~7) its odd numbers 31 days, while from Aug to Dec(8~12) its even numbers 31. Feb is 28 or 29. Much shorter. - MythSearcher {{unsigned ip|162.158.176.35}}
::Or (in other words) subtract 7 if number of month is above 7. Then odd always means 31 and even 30 or February. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.159|162.158.91.159]] 07:39, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
:As above, except that I use Hallowe'en and New Year as checks! {{unsigned ip|141.101.104.61}}
:I come from the UK. I have never heard the rhyme and everyone I know uses the knuckle trick. Though London is not exactly representative of the whole country... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.165|162.158.90.165]] 09:51, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
:I've been taught the knuckle mnemonic as a child; it went index finger to little finger, then to other hand starting from index finger again. Incidentally, I'm Russian (as opposed to German, French, Swiss, Romanian, Belgian, or Dutch). --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.81.77|141.101.81.77]] 10:00, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
Datum point: British, was taught the rhyme ('alone'-rhyming version) when young but then learnt the (apparently widespread) 'knuckle-trick' from I-don't-know-where. Little-finger knuckle is January, index-finger knuckle is July, then right-hand in reverse, for me, until out of months... So I tend to use the latter more, now. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.39.224|162.158.39.224]] 17:23, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
:I'm American and I also recall hearing the finger trick in school. I don't recall which ones I used though. At some point I just remembered that they alternate long/short but July and August are both long (I think my dad telling me the story of how Julius Caesar and Caesar Agustus both wanted a long month named after them was the reason) and just counted mentally, and at this point I just have each one memorized that way. --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.34|173.245.54.34]] 05:28, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

I always heard "30 days hath september, april june and november, all the rest have 31, except february alone. And that has 28 days clear, with 29 in each leap year."
How do people remember it if it doesn't rhyme?- madness! {{unsigned ip|162.158.38.218}}
:Personally I could swear I heard "except for February which has none" as a child, and recall thinking as a child that made no sense. However, literally none of the other variants work- "alone" doesn't rhyme with "one" (...even though they should; are there any accents that pronounce those the same?), and it also doesn't scan; this comic actually sent me to Wikipedia to look; turns out they have a massive list of variants but the lack of rhyming there is painful. The only ones that work are those that give up on describing February (ex. "Except for February—and that's no fun!"). I strongly suspect based on the lack of rhyming that the rhyme originated with something like "which has none" and was modified to make sense at the expense of rhyming. --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.34|173.245.54.34]] 05:28, 28 October 2015 (UTC)
::While, in my normal inflection of speech, "wonn" certainly doesn't rhyme with "al-own", I find it quite easy to go for a nearly-but-not-quite rhyme by extnding the first and shortening the second. There's worse 'rhymes' out there. Traditional local accents also vary a lot in my area, between towns a few mere miles apart (e.g. "book" => "buk" or "bewk") and I'm sure I could find some old person who still spoke a pure enough form of their own local dialect to effortlessly pull this trick off, without even trying, even if it doesn't match in the modern 'smeared-English'. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.185|141.101.75.185]] 14:07, 28 October 2015 (UTC)
:No no no, its "30 days hath November, August, March and December..." --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 11:31, 26 October 2015 (UTC)

:Pudder, No no no no no no, March and August and December have 31 days! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.163|108.162.249.163]] 23:30, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

In Spain both rhyme and knuckle are well-known, and usually taught to children (the rhyme suitably [https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendario_gregoriano#Duraci.C3.B3n_del_a.C3.B1o_gregoriano translated], of course). For some reason, I've always found it easier to just remember the number of days by memory than resorting to any mnemonic trick. I tend to use the known numbers to check if I remember the mnemonic correctly, and not vice versa. Also, it's usual to see people wondering which number corresponds to which month (e.g. October is month 10), which I also remember no problem since I have memory. [[User:Jojonete|Jojonete]] ([[User talk:Jojonete|talk]]) 12:37, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
::Of course if we hadn't moved the start of the year from March to January, September, October, November and December would make much more sense as months 7, 8, 9 and 10! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.204|162.158.34.204]] 15:30, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
:I'm from Denmark and here I have heard of the knuckle method, but we do not have a rhyme that is so well know that I have heard of it (but I'm sure someone has.) But as the Jojonete wrote I also just know which month have how many days by memory etc. But I have told my six year old daughter about the knuckle method. I think it is great that it works. And everyone knows that February is the one with 28 days, so that is not the difficult part to remember... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:50, 26 October 2015 (UTC)

I tried the mouseover text trick and got "7" for October. Someone help! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.119|162.158.255.119]] 17:10, 26 October 2015 (UTC)

:You are very funny. The mouseover text trick works great when your app is set to "month" view, but fails if set to "week" view. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.163|108.162.249.163]] 23:30, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

October of all months seems like a pretty easy one to keep track of, simply because October 31st is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween pretty popular holiday.] [[Special:Contributions/108.162.220.11|108.162.220.11]] 18:48, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
: A holiday where? Why would it be a holiday? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.33|198.41.238.33]] 03:00, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

;brain adaptation ridicule…celebration
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.5|141.101.66.5]] 09:44, 27 October 2015 (UTC) me thinks that while the absurdity of these life hacks has been explained well the deeper issue might yet be missed here: the cultural shift from relying on mental recall and concentration to adapting your brain to rely on technology more than before, reduced attention span and reduced factual memory (better childhood telephone number recall than children's mobile numbers recall) and optimized lookup routines {{unsigned ip|141.101.66.5}}

<big>digital amnesia!</big> --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.5|141.101.66.5]] 10:02, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

http://www.bbc.com/news/education-34454264 --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.5|141.101.66.5]] 10:38, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

+ http://www.business2community.com/brandviews/wyzowl/its-official-we-have-shorter-attention-spans-than-goldfish-infographic-01353885#w1RCPWdWy1LoDlvI.97 --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.5|141.101.66.5]] 10:48, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

My uncle had a nonsense rhyme based on this:<br />
Thirty days hath September,<br />
April, June, and no wonder<br />
All the rest ate peanut butter,<br />
Except Grandma, who rode a tricycle<br />
about this color. (holds hand 3 feet above ground)<br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.26|108.162.216.26]] 13:19, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

Yay! I came here specifically to post this version, but was beaten to it. It's from the Napolean XIV album from 1966: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvABMymQz_k {{unsigned ip|108.162.218.142}}

[[File:pianomonths.png]] --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 08:09, 30 October 2015 (UTC)

Talk:1595: 30 Days Hath September

2015-10-30T08:07:34Z

Zom-B: /* My mnemonic for month lengths */ new section

THIS RHYME IS TERRIBLE. You can slot the months into it in nearly any order and it will still scan. The knuckle trick is far superior. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_days_hath_September#Knuckle_Mnemonic
[[User:CLAVDIVS|CLAVDIVS]] ([[User talk:CLAVDIVS|talk]]) 06:00, 26 October 2015 (UTC)

:I use the knuckle trick too. And I am Dutch, so not only the "German, French, Swiss, Romanians and Belgians" use that trick. I count from the index finger and reverse on the little finger for July and August. Might not be representative for all Dutch, I've heard the rhyme too. (suitably translated) -- [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.196|141.101.104.196]] 09:36, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
:I'm floored by the claim that the 'knuckle trick' is mostly used in Europe. I learned it from my grandmother, who never lived outside the state of Texas in over 90 years, and she was a third-generation American, ultimately of Irish/Scottish/Welsh descent. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.16|108.162.221.16]] 12:00, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

:From Jan to Jul(1~7) its odd numbers 31 days, while from Aug to Dec(8~12) its even numbers 31. Feb is 28 or 29. Much shorter. - MythSearcher {{unsigned ip|162.158.176.35}}
::Or (in other words) subtract 7 if number of month is above 7. Then odd always means 31 and even 30 or February. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.159|162.158.91.159]] 07:39, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
:As above, except that I use Hallowe'en and New Year as checks! {{unsigned ip|141.101.104.61}}
:I come from the UK. I have never heard the rhyme and everyone I know uses the knuckle trick. Though London is not exactly representative of the whole country... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.165|162.158.90.165]] 09:51, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
:I've been taught the knuckle mnemonic as a child; it went index finger to little finger, then to other hand starting from index finger again. Incidentally, I'm Russian (as opposed to German, French, Swiss, Romanian, Belgian, or Dutch). --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.81.77|141.101.81.77]] 10:00, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
Datum point: British, was taught the rhyme ('alone'-rhyming version) when young but then learnt the (apparently widespread) 'knuckle-trick' from I-don't-know-where. Little-finger knuckle is January, index-finger knuckle is July, then right-hand in reverse, for me, until out of months... So I tend to use the latter more, now. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.39.224|162.158.39.224]] 17:23, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
:I'm American and I also recall hearing the finger trick in school. I don't recall which ones I used though. At some point I just remembered that they alternate long/short but July and August are both long (I think my dad telling me the story of how Julius Caesar and Caesar Agustus both wanted a long month named after them was the reason) and just counted mentally, and at this point I just have each one memorized that way. --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.34|173.245.54.34]] 05:28, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

I always heard "30 days hath september, april june and november, all the rest have 31, except february alone. And that has 28 days clear, with 29 in each leap year."
How do people remember it if it doesn't rhyme?- madness! {{unsigned ip|162.158.38.218}}
:Personally I could swear I heard "except for February which has none" as a child, and recall thinking as a child that made no sense. However, literally none of the other variants work- "alone" doesn't rhyme with "one" (...even though they should; are there any accents that pronounce those the same?), and it also doesn't scan; this comic actually sent me to Wikipedia to look; turns out they have a massive list of variants but the lack of rhyming there is painful. The only ones that work are those that give up on describing February (ex. "Except for February—and that's no fun!"). I strongly suspect based on the lack of rhyming that the rhyme originated with something like "which has none" and was modified to make sense at the expense of rhyming. --[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.34|173.245.54.34]] 05:28, 28 October 2015 (UTC)
::While, in my normal inflection of speech, "wonn" certainly doesn't rhyme with "al-own", I find it quite easy to go for a nearly-but-not-quite rhyme by extnding the first and shortening the second. There's worse 'rhymes' out there. Traditional local accents also vary a lot in my area, between towns a few mere miles apart (e.g. "book" => "buk" or "bewk") and I'm sure I could find some old person who still spoke a pure enough form of their own local dialect to effortlessly pull this trick off, without even trying, even if it doesn't match in the modern 'smeared-English'. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.75.185|141.101.75.185]] 14:07, 28 October 2015 (UTC)
:No no no, its "30 days hath November, August, March and December..." --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 11:31, 26 October 2015 (UTC)

:Pudder, No no no no no no, March and August and December have 31 days! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.163|108.162.249.163]] 23:30, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

In Spain both rhyme and knuckle are well-known, and usually taught to children (the rhyme suitably [https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendario_gregoriano#Duraci.C3.B3n_del_a.C3.B1o_gregoriano translated], of course). For some reason, I've always found it easier to just remember the number of days by memory than resorting to any mnemonic trick. I tend to use the known numbers to check if I remember the mnemonic correctly, and not vice versa. Also, it's usual to see people wondering which number corresponds to which month (e.g. October is month 10), which I also remember no problem since I have memory. [[User:Jojonete|Jojonete]] ([[User talk:Jojonete|talk]]) 12:37, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
::Of course if we hadn't moved the start of the year from March to January, September, October, November and December would make much more sense as months 7, 8, 9 and 10! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.204|162.158.34.204]] 15:30, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
:I'm from Denmark and here I have heard of the knuckle method, but we do not have a rhyme that is so well know that I have heard of it (but I'm sure someone has.) But as the Jojonete wrote I also just know which month have how many days by memory etc. But I have told my six year old daughter about the knuckle method. I think it is great that it works. And everyone knows that February is the one with 28 days, so that is not the difficult part to remember... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:50, 26 October 2015 (UTC)

I tried the mouseover text trick and got "7" for October. Someone help! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.119|162.158.255.119]] 17:10, 26 October 2015 (UTC)

:You are very funny. The mouseover text trick works great when your app is set to "month" view, but fails if set to "week" view. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.163|108.162.249.163]] 23:30, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

October of all months seems like a pretty easy one to keep track of, simply because October 31st is a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween pretty popular holiday.] [[Special:Contributions/108.162.220.11|108.162.220.11]] 18:48, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
: A holiday where? Why would it be a holiday? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.33|198.41.238.33]] 03:00, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

;brain adaptation ridicule…celebration
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.5|141.101.66.5]] 09:44, 27 October 2015 (UTC) me thinks that while the absurdity of these life hacks has been explained well the deeper issue might yet be missed here: the cultural shift from relying on mental recall and concentration to adapting your brain to rely on technology more than before, reduced attention span and reduced factual memory (better childhood telephone number recall than children's mobile numbers recall) and optimized lookup routines {{unsigned ip|141.101.66.5}}

<big>digital amnesia!</big> --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.5|141.101.66.5]] 10:02, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

http://www.bbc.com/news/education-34454264 --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.5|141.101.66.5]] 10:38, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

+ http://www.business2community.com/brandviews/wyzowl/its-official-we-have-shorter-attention-spans-than-goldfish-infographic-01353885#w1RCPWdWy1LoDlvI.97 --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.66.5|141.101.66.5]] 10:48, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

My uncle had a nonsense rhyme based on this:<br />
Thirty days hath September,<br />
April, June, and no wonder<br />
All the rest ate peanut butter,<br />
Except Grandma, who rode a tricycle<br />
about this color. (holds hand 3 feet above ground)<br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.26|108.162.216.26]] 13:19, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

Yay! I came here specifically to post this version, but was beaten to it. It's from the Napolean XIV album from 1966: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvABMymQz_k {{unsigned ip|108.162.218.142}}

== My mnemonic for month lengths ==

[[File:pianomonths.png]]

File:pianomonths.png

2015-10-30T08:06:39Z

Zom-B: My mnemonic for month lengths (see 1595: 30 Days Hath September)

My mnemonic for month lengths (see [[1595: 30 Days Hath September]])

1591: Bell's Theorem

2015-10-17T09:02:36Z

Zom-B:

{{comic
| number = 1591
| date = October 16, 2015
| title = Bell's Theorem
| image = bells_theorem.png
| titletext = The no-communication theorem states that no communication about the no-communication theorem can clear up the misunderstanding quickly enough to allow faster-than-light signaling.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Title Text - Where does "turning off the signal" come in to the explanation of the title text? Still missing lots of wiki links in the entire explanation.}}

{{w|Bell's Theorem|Bell's Theorem}} states "No physical theory of (finitely many) local hidden variables can ever reproduce all of the predictions of quantum mechanics." It says that a theoretical treatment that divides the universe up into separate ("local") systems like this will always discard something about those systems' intercorrelations.

'Global hidden variables' are another story: if there is classical information shared across systems (perhaps by superliminal communication) even up to superdeterminism where the universe is just reading off a script, any correlations can be explained away. But this is unsatisfying.

The prefered resolution of the paradox is to not insist (as early physicists did) that the universe's state is a collection of bits (classical information), but treat it as a collection of qubits (quantum information).

Ponytail begins reading Bell's theorem to Cueball, who is standing 5 meters away. Cueball responds with a misunderstanding of Bell's Theorem in 1 nanosecond. The speed of light in a vacuum is 299,792,458 meters per second. In one nanosecond, the light from Ponytail would only have traveled 0.299 meters, thus Cueball misunderstands Bell's Theorem faster than the light from Ponytail reading the Theorem can reach him, which implies that faster-than-light communication occurred to set up the misunderstanding.

===More===
In quantum mechanics (QM), 'measurement' is the process of allowing a small system to interact with its environment in a controlled way. The interaction allows information about the system's state to escape to the environment, producing an 'observation'. If the measurement apparatus is governed by classical mechanics (impossible in reality, but a very common simplification for the purposes of calculation), then the observation can be thought of as classical information, a bit (yes/no answer) in the simplest case. While the system may have been in any one of infinitely many states before the measurement (each a superposition of classical states), the fact that the measurement must leave it consistent with the classical result means that it can end up in only finitely many states afterwards. This is the 'wave-function collapse' of early QM, popularized by Schrodinger's cat, but unrelated to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which lay audiences often confuse it with.

Modern quantum mechanics acknowledges that the environment is not classical, and that wave-function collapse happens by a (comparatively) gradual process called 'decoherence', where information leaving the system is made up for by information coming from the environment that drives the system closer and closer to one of the finitely many state predicted by the simplified model above. (I.e., if a "Schrodinger's cat" is in a half-and-half superposition of the states "dead" and "alive", when its liveness is measured, the ratios of "dead" and "alive" will shift rapidly towards (though not quite reach) 0 and 100% or 100 and 0%. For all but the shortest time scales, the cat's post-measurement state might as well be classical.)

Entanglement is a situation where the future outcomes of two or more measurements that would be independent in a classical world are nonetheless correlated. For example, two widely separated electrons could be in a state where, considered individually, each is in a superimposed spin-up/spin-down state, but if one is measured as spin-up, the others will necessarily be measured as spin-down. This is untroubling if the two electrons are modeled as a single system, but strange-seeming if we think of them as separate: how did the measurement of the first electron allow information from the environment around it affect the far-away second electron? It seems like the electrons are communicating, potentially at superliminal speeds, which would violate either relativity or causality. (In actuality, there's a fairly simple proof (see below) that correlations from entanglement can't be used to communicate, and causality and relativity are safe. But that doesn't make the seemingly faster-than-light effects much less of a surprise.)

One can try to address these concerns by considering 'local hidden variables', classical properties of a local system (like a single electron) that could have been observed but were not. For example, perhaps a classical part of the electrons' state lets them "agree" on a future classical state at the moment the are entangled, and then they just reveal that state in the future. But this becomes unwieldy: there are infinitely many possible future observations the electrons would have to agree on, and it seems difficult to do this without infinitely many local hidden variables.

===Title Text===
The real No-Communication Theorem states that although determination of the state of one half of an entangled pair immediately determines that of the other half, however far away it may be, there's no way for the observer of the other half to see if he's the first to find out the state or whether it'd already been determined by the first observer. Thus, no information travels from one observer to the other. Randall's version is recursive. It hypothesises a method of communication whereby somebody misunderstanding the no-communication theorem (which also happens faster than the speed of light) could function as the reception of a faster-than-light signal. However, it goes on to point out that turning the signal off requires clearing up the confusion which takes much, much longer, thus neatly restoring the normality of slower than light communication.

==Transcript==
[First frame captioned: t = 0 nanoseconds]<br/>
Ponytail, holding a piece of paper and facing to the right: This is called Bell's Theorem. It was first–

[A double-headed arrow links the characters in the two frames. The arrow is labelled "5 meters".]

[Second frame captioned: t = 1 nanosecond]<br/>
Cueball, facing to the left towards Ponytail: Wow, faster-than-light communication is possible!

Caption: Bell's Second Theorem: Misunderstandings of Bell's Theorem happen so fast that they violate locality.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Science]]

1495: Hard Reboot

2015-03-12T06:37:54Z

Zom-B: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1495
| date = March 6, 2015
| title = Hard Reboot
| image = hard_reboot.png
| titletext = Googling inevitably reveals that my problem is caused by a known bug triggered by doing [the exact combination of things I want to do]. I can fix it, or wait a few years until I don't want that combination of things anymore, using the kitchen timer until then.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is about using a simple and unrelated trick to work around a problem.

{{w|Paging|Swap space}} is an area of a computer's hard drive reserved for use when the computer runs out of RAM. Ideally, RAM + SWAP >= MAX, where MAX is the amount of memory the computer will ever try to use at the same time. However, some (broken) programs may keep requesting memory from the system until computer runs out of resources (a {{w|Memory leak|memory leak}}), or the system may be misconfigured to run more and more programs simultaneously. Rebooting the computer will empty the RAM and swap space so resources can be reallocated, but this only temporarily alleviates the underlying issue. Determining the root cause of the problem is often nontrivial.

It would take up to 10 hours to figure out why the server is running out of swap space and fix the problem. Alternatively, Randall could just take 5 minutes and plug the server into a light timer. This attitude to problem solving is in contrast to the attitude shown in [[974: The General Problem]].

Timers [http://www.diytrade.com/china/pd/10081499/Analog_Electric_Light_on_off_Timer_Dual_Outlet_Switch.html like the one in the comic] typically have four switches or notches per hour, so using the timer would replace an unpredictable and indefinite loss of service with a regular 15 minute downtime event once a day. Also, it can be scheduled during, say, the middle of the night when most users are sleeping to minimize disruption.

The correct method of scheduling a regular reboot would be using a ''cron'' task, but perhaps the server is "crashing" in such a dramatic manner that ''cron,'' or ''shutdown,'' or ''init'' stops working. The comic title alludes to this, in that a "hard" reboot scheduled with an analog timer is more guaranteed to work than a "soft" one scheduled with ''cron.''

If a memory leak is not present, the problem might be fixable by simply increasing swap space; however, if there is a more complex underlying issue, this is the first step along the path of 10 hours of troubleshooting. As a general stereotype, the type of person who has a home server is probably also the kind of person who would start by 'just' increasing the swap size, and before they know it has spent 10 hours completely engrossed in the challenge of fixing the problem. (See [[349: Success]])

The subtitle reads "Why everything I have is broken". This indicates that Randall frequently finds himself doing non-standard {{w|Life hacking|workarounds}} that temporarily solve a problem but may ultimately damage the system to the point of becoming nonfunctional. Indeed, a kitchen/light timer used to cut power to a server overnight may affect the server's performance if it is in the middle of a process when the reboot happens. Alternatively, this can be interpreted to mean that everything Randall has is broken and held together by metaphorical duct tape.

The title text's first sentence refers to situations where the given solution to a problem is just the original problem rephrased to sound like a solution. It may also refer to bug trackers, where someone found out and posted what causes the issue, but the bug is marked as "Unresolved," "Waiting," or "Will not fix."

It is not clear why the title text refers to a kitchen timer while the comic itself refers to a light timer. It might be a small error, or it might be that Randall just considers these to be two synonymous terms. Typically, however, a kitchen timer refers to an alarm that will go off, rather than a timer that cuts power to a device like a light timer.

[http://www.google.com/search?q=light+timer&tbm=isch Google image search suggests] that contemporary light timers mostly have grounded three-prong plugs, and the sort of duct-tape hacker who would schedule a daily reboot with a light timer probably wouldn't worry about grounding anyway.

The title text's second sentence refers to the fact that operating system bugs take a long time to be solved, hence the solution of "wait[ing] a few years until I don't want that combination of things anymore." Humor in that sentence is found in the fact that readers will anticipate "wait a few years until..." would be followed by "the bug is fixed", however, Randall is indicating that usually his needs change before the bugs get fixed, or that he has very low confidence in that the bug will be fixed in time, if ever. This play on expectations is a common comedic trope.

==Transcript==
:[Inside a frame there are two pictures. To the left there is a section of a computer screen with white text on a black background. The screen is covered in lines of illegible text.]
:[Above the screen it says:]
:Figuring out why my home server keeps running out of swap space and crashing:
:[Below the screen it says:]
:1-10 hours

:[To the right there is a frame with a drawing of a timer plugged into a power port with cable running off to the side.]
:[Above the frame it says:]
:Plugging it into a light timer so it reboots every 24 hours:
:[Below the frame it says:]
:5 minutes

:[Below the main frame.]
:'''Why everything I have is broken'''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Computers‏‎]]

Talk:1413: Suddenly Popular

2014-09-03T20:54:01Z

Zom-B:

N.b. The phrase "Tsunami" is clearly located after 2005 so cannot be referring to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.4|141.101.98.4]] 10:53, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

While the actual tsunami did occur in 2004, it was late December, and I would argue that it was by far the most prominent tsunami at that time. Widespread use of the word would have spanned into 2005.
See {{w|List of historical tsunamis|List of Historical Tsunamis}}
--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 10:58, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

:You know, you shouldn't argue: BOTH tsunamis obviously took part in the word becoming popular. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:03, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

:: I agree, but I also believe that the 2004 tsunami has to be listed in the explanation.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 11:07, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
::: And more important here - the scale is not very clear and he may have meant 2004, but could not fit it in, with the other sentences. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:02, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

Unless someone disagrees and convinces me, I think that something like "Social Engineers" (or perhaps hackers) should be added to the list of people who were aware of and who used metadata prior to the popularization of the term, so I'll add it if I remember next time I come here, or someone else can feel free to do so in my stead -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 12:19, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

Drone Desertion... {{w|Skynet_(Terminator)|Skynet}}? [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 13:15, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
:Given that Paradoxical Reaction comes before Drone Desertion, could we assume that because of something done to the AI of drones, presumably to make them "smarter", it has actually led to them deserting on their own? ;) -- I could see how Randall could string a few of the future phrases together to form some logical sequence of events. [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 13:51, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

Amplexus refers to a copulation behavior in frogs. I can only assume Randall chose this word without a hypothetical event in mind. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.198|108.162.219.198]] 13:32, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
:Given the theme, I feel there has to be some event that Randall had in mind that would cause humans to adopt this copulation method. [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 13:36, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
::Agreed, consider the title text: "Are Your Teens Practicing Amplexus? Learn These Six Telltale Signs!" --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.84|108.162.216.84]] 18:45, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

Rapid hair growth: Global temps drop, prompting the human body to grow thicker body hair? [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 13:36, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

Does anyonr else feel "May be a reference to The God-Empress of Ponykind - a My Little Pony / Warhammer 40,000 fanfic." is a bit of a stretch? [[User:Spaceside|Spaceside]] ([[User talk:Spaceside|talk]]) 13:50, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
:I personally think it's a reference to Homestuck, especially since this page's number is "1413", while "413" is an important number in that webcomic. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.88.219|141.101.88.219]] 19:25, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

Thermohaline circulation-changes predicted due to increased freshwater runoff in the arctic with climate change (melting glaciers and permafrost) and decreased sea ice cover. Whatever the cause, some evidence and speculation that this could lead to the onset of an ice age, possibly explaining "snow blindness". {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.125}}

I think hydroplaning is not the same as aquaplaning... {{unsigned ip|108.162.231.208}}

If we are going so far as to say that 2038 has to do with the 2038 problem, you may notice that each year uses 12 pixels, and therefore the sentence "I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death" can be shown to be on April 2038, not on January 19, 2038. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.201|108.162.221.201]] 14:59, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

That even adds more credence to the scenario, since it would probably take a few months before the radical change to society was complete, and the phrase "I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death" would become well known. ([[User talk:timengler|talk]]) 02:32, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

:I thought you were joking, but then I saw this [http://explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1413%3A_Suddenly_Popular&diff=74466&oldid=74464]. You are a living example of the reason of the existence of religions. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.201|108.162.221.201]] 13:30, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

Assuming no major mutations, wouldn't human amplexus be "spooning"? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.140|199.27.128.140]] 18:59, 28 August 2014 (UTC)
:No - it would be doggy style - but without penetration [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:58, 29 August 2014 (UTC)
::There's actually a term for that too, but I don't want to make this discussion into a sex position glossary (it starts with an "h" and ends in "ing").[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.210|141.101.98.210]] 08:21, 31 August 2014 (UTC)
It could be the propensity to snuggle for a long time between intermittent sex acts due to it being effing cold all the time.(pun intended) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.228.11|108.162.228.11]] 12:12, 30 August 2014 (UTC)

As there are no known earth crossers, I have an alternate scenario for "earth crosser" - "thermohaline" - "snow blindness": Global warming, creating Hypercanes, these would disrupt oceanic layering (thermohaline) and may go hand in hand with desertification (deserts can also lead to something akin to snow blindness). So, alternatively, Randall may predict that global warming may come much faster and harder than predicted... Just my two cents (and maybe we should think "Dune" with the last entry? not the story - the background... Bene Geserit anyone?) ... wont do any changes before discussed (or people shout "oh no - surely not"!)... [[User:Tier666|Tier666]] ([[User talk:Tier666|talk]]) 17:28, 30 August 2014 (UTC)

: 2011 SM68 is coming close in 2016 and 2019. (292220) 2006 SU49 is coming close in 2029. (99942) Apophis is close in 2029. 2012 MU2 is close in 2015. 2014 DA is close in 2027. -- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torino_Scale for list of object which have ever been considered at risk of hitting earth. Giving the timing, I would think that "2011 SM68" is the closest match for Randall's timeline, as the 2016 passage would give additional data for a probability of hitting earth in 2019 -- and two years after that everybody would know what hit them :-( [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.209|199.27.128.209]] 06:17, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

:As far as I know, it is called snow blindness only when it is caused by snow or ice and the same condition is called by the medical term photokeratitis in desert. There are [http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/ no known Earth-crossers around 2020 that would be really worth mentioning] (2009 JF1 has the highest probability) but the problem is that [http://www.techtimes.com/articles/4101/20140306/asteroid-2014-dx110-barely-misses-earth-flyby-serves-as-warning-of-possible-doomsday.htm we might not know the object yet] (especially if it would be a comet) [[User:Sten|'''S<small>TEN</small>''']] <small>([[User talk:Sten|talk]])</small> 22:23, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

under controlled hydroplaning i understand 3 things
1. a joke about the word plan in hydroplaning
2. some kind of advanced engine enabling boats to use hydroplaning to move
3. a car computer to stear while the car is hydroplaning
:Originally, I thought it has something to do with {{w|Seaplane|seaplanes}} because they are also called hydroplanes. Regarding the boats, {{w|Hydroplane_(boat)|there are already boats using (hydro)planing}}. [[User:Sten|'''S<small>TEN</small>''']] <small>([[User talk:Sten|talk]])</small> 22:29, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

the title: "i swear allegiance to the god-empress in live and death" makes me imagine that he could mean his own

death maybe due to:
1. reduced dyieng age because of the ice age
2. that he doesnt want to grow older than that
00:44, 1 September 2014

How is "Tsunami" ever an obscure phrase before 2005!? I've known that word as a normal part of speech all my life (which started in the eighties). Note that this is also unlike, for example, "metadata", which I've also known all my life but that word simply went viral around 2013. --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 20:51, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1413: Suddenly Popular

2014-09-03T20:51:50Z

Zom-B:

N.b. The phrase "Tsunami" is clearly located after 2005 so cannot be referring to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.4|141.101.98.4]] 10:53, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

While the actual tsunami did occur in 2004, it was late December, and I would argue that it was by far the most prominent tsunami at that time. Widespread use of the word would have spanned into 2005.
See {{w|List of historical tsunamis|List of Historical Tsunamis}}
--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 10:58, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

:You know, you shouldn't argue: BOTH tsunamis obviously took part in the word becoming popular. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:03, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

:: I agree, but I also believe that the 2004 tsunami has to be listed in the explanation.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.233|141.101.99.233]] 11:07, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
::: And more important here - the scale is not very clear and he may have meant 2004, but could not fit it in, with the other sentences. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:02, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

Unless someone disagrees and convinces me, I think that something like "Social Engineers" (or perhaps hackers) should be added to the list of people who were aware of and who used metadata prior to the popularization of the term, so I'll add it if I remember next time I come here, or someone else can feel free to do so in my stead -- [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 12:19, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

Drone Desertion... {{w|Skynet_(Terminator)|Skynet}}? [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 13:15, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
:Given that Paradoxical Reaction comes before Drone Desertion, could we assume that because of something done to the AI of drones, presumably to make them "smarter", it has actually led to them deserting on their own? ;) -- I could see how Randall could string a few of the future phrases together to form some logical sequence of events. [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 13:51, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

Amplexus refers to a copulation behavior in frogs. I can only assume Randall chose this word without a hypothetical event in mind. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.198|108.162.219.198]] 13:32, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
:Given the theme, I feel there has to be some event that Randall had in mind that would cause humans to adopt this copulation method. [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 13:36, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
::Agreed, consider the title text: "Are Your Teens Practicing Amplexus? Learn These Six Telltale Signs!" --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.84|108.162.216.84]] 18:45, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

Rapid hair growth: Global temps drop, prompting the human body to grow thicker body hair? [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]]) 13:36, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

Does anyonr else feel "May be a reference to The God-Empress of Ponykind - a My Little Pony / Warhammer 40,000 fanfic." is a bit of a stretch? [[User:Spaceside|Spaceside]] ([[User talk:Spaceside|talk]]) 13:50, 27 August 2014 (UTC)
:I personally think it's a reference to Homestuck, especially since this page's number is "1413", while "413" is an important number in that webcomic. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.88.219|141.101.88.219]] 19:25, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

Thermohaline circulation-changes predicted due to increased freshwater runoff in the arctic with climate change (melting glaciers and permafrost) and decreased sea ice cover. Whatever the cause, some evidence and speculation that this could lead to the onset of an ice age, possibly explaining "snow blindness". {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.125}}

I think hydroplaning is not the same as aquaplaning... {{unsigned ip|108.162.231.208}}

If we are going so far as to say that 2038 has to do with the 2038 problem, you may notice that each year uses 12 pixels, and therefore the sentence "I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death" can be shown to be on April 2038, not on January 19, 2038. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.201|108.162.221.201]] 14:59, 28 August 2014 (UTC)

That even adds more credence to the scenario, since it would probably take a few months before the radical change to society was complete, and the phrase "I Swear Allegiance To The God-Empress In Life And In Death" would become well known. ([[User talk:timengler|talk]]) 02:32, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

:I thought you were joking, but then I saw this [http://explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1413%3A_Suddenly_Popular&diff=74466&oldid=74464]. You are a living example of the reason of the existence of religions. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.201|108.162.221.201]] 13:30, 29 August 2014 (UTC)

Assuming no major mutations, wouldn't human amplexus be "spooning"? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.140|199.27.128.140]] 18:59, 28 August 2014 (UTC)
:No - it would be doggy style - but without penetration [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:58, 29 August 2014 (UTC)
::There's actually a term for that too, but I don't want to make this discussion into a sex position glossary (it starts with an "h" and ends in "ing").[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.210|141.101.98.210]] 08:21, 31 August 2014 (UTC)
It could be the propensity to snuggle for a long time between intermittent sex acts due to it being effing cold all the time.(pun intended) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.228.11|108.162.228.11]] 12:12, 30 August 2014 (UTC)

As there are no known earth crossers, I have an alternate scenario for "earth crosser" - "thermohaline" - "snow blindness": Global warming, creating Hypercanes, these would disrupt oceanic layering (thermohaline) and may go hand in hand with desertification (deserts can also lead to something akin to snow blindness). So, alternatively, Randall may predict that global warming may come much faster and harder than predicted... Just my two cents (and maybe we should think "Dune" with the last entry? not the story - the background... Bene Geserit anyone?) ... wont do any changes before discussed (or people shout "oh no - surely not"!)... [[User:Tier666|Tier666]] ([[User talk:Tier666|talk]]) 17:28, 30 August 2014 (UTC)

: 2011 SM68 is coming close in 2016 and 2019. (292220) 2006 SU49 is coming close in 2029. (99942) Apophis is close in 2029. 2012 MU2 is close in 2015. 2014 DA is close in 2027. -- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torino_Scale for list of object which have ever been considered at risk of hitting earth. Giving the timing, I would think that "2011 SM68" is the closest match for Randall's timeline, as the 2016 passage would give additional data for a probability of hitting earth in 2019 -- and two years after that everybody would know what hit them :-( [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.209|199.27.128.209]] 06:17, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

:As far as I know, it is called snow blindness only when it is caused by snow or ice and the same condition is called by the medical term photokeratitis in desert. There are [http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/ no known Earth-crossers around 2020 that would be really worth mentioning] (2009 JF1 has the highest probability) but the problem is that [http://www.techtimes.com/articles/4101/20140306/asteroid-2014-dx110-barely-misses-earth-flyby-serves-as-warning-of-possible-doomsday.htm we might not know the object yet] (especially if it would be a comet) [[User:Sten|'''S<small>TEN</small>''']] <small>([[User talk:Sten|talk]])</small> 22:23, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

under controlled hydroplaning i understand 3 things
1. a joke about the word plan in hydroplaning
2. some kind of advanced engine enabling boats to use hydroplaning to move
3. a car computer to stear while the car is hydroplaning
:Originally, I thought it has something to do with {{w|Seaplane|seaplanes}} because they are also called hydroplanes. Regarding the boats, {{w|Hydroplane_(boat)|there are already boats using (hydro)planing}}. [[User:Sten|'''S<small>TEN</small>''']] <small>([[User talk:Sten|talk]])</small> 22:29, 1 September 2014 (UTC)

the title: "i swear allegiance to the god-empress in live and death" makes me imagine that he could mean his own

death maybe due to:
1. reduced dyieng age because of the ice age
2. that he doesnt want to grow older than that
00:44, 1 September 2014

How is "Tsunami" ever an obscure phrase before 2005!? I've known that word as a normal part of speech all my life (which started in the eighties) --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 20:51, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1416: Pixels

2014-09-03T20:32:19Z

Zom-B:

Firefox users with HTTPS Everywhere may have trouble seeing the comic, and Chrome users may experience lag (for lack of a better word) when zooming in. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.168|141.101.99.168]] 06:11, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

The combination of "turtle" and "pixel" reminded me of how to code graphics in the older days with for instance turbo pascal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle_graphics) - Stian

Would it be possible to have a "gallery" of all the zoom-in images? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.209|199.27.128.209]] 06:29, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Since the Zoom-in images have at lest one story line in them (I read one about a book launch, the book was launched to space in a rocket), I think a gallery or some such is needed for them. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.218|108.162.250.218]] 06:50, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

I got to a white panel and there was nothing. Everything was white and zooming in or out didn't change it. Not sure if it was a bug or intended. -- [[User:Irino|Irino]] ([[User talk:Irino|talk]]) 07:15, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Yet another comic that doesn't work well on mobile. I'll probably compile a list of comics that are broken in some way for mobile... Er. Soon-ish. -RTR [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.232|108.162.246.232]] 07:45, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

I have acquired a list of images with what they zoom into, and am working on turning that into something presentable. There's a lot of images though, so it may take a day. As for the white panel, yes, there does seem to be one broken link (out of nearly 500). I'm not sure how I would go about reporting it to get it fixed. [[User:Tahg|Tahg]] ([[User talk:Tahg|talk]]) 07:57, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

There are 79 different images. I have them isolated and am uploading them now. [[User:Omixorp|Omixorp]] ([[User talk:Omixorp|talk]]) 08:16, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
:Cool - the images are here - if you click on the broken links they can be seen. But why are they not visible? They take up a lot of space, so I have moved them to a separate gallery page as has been done with [[1350: Lorenz]]. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:44, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
::I think there's a problem with all thumbnails across this site - even old thumbnails don't seem to be working right now. [[User:Omixorp|Omixorp]] ([[User talk:Omixorp|talk]]) 10:31, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
:::They work on Lorenz that I have linked to in my comment above. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:44, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Doesn't work at all (blank) on my Firefox and IE11. I just installed Opera and it works but it's VERY laggy. Also, I have to scroll UP to zoom in, not down. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.97.206|141.101.97.206]] 08:25, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
:Neither on Firefox 31.0. Zooming until the first level of pictures, I see them appearing. But when they are larger than ~20 pixels they start to disappear. They only reappear intermittently when I pan or zoom. When I zoom in further, only images on the left side appear intermittently. This shows the grid is built from left to right, then top to bottom, and it just stops randomly. --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 20:32, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

This date of this comic (Sept 3rd 2014) coincided with the date of Randall's book, What-If. This book is shown or referenced in a number of the frames.--[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 09:57, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
:But the site says the book was out September 2nd... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 11:21, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
::You're right, 108.162.237.161. I changed it and provided proof. As far as I could find, though, it's only launched in the US as of today. [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 19:21, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Also just isolated the images. I described the procedure on my blog: http://azttm.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/xkcd-com-1416-pixels/ [[User:Azt|Azt]] ([[User talk:Azt|Azt]]) 09:58, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

I zoom in when I scroll up. I also like turtles. [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.120|103.22.201.120]] 09:15, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

I think this comic might be a reference to D. Hofstadter's celebrated book ''Gödel, Escher, Bach'', what with the 'holism', 'reductionism' and 'Mu' coming out at some point (there is the very same construction in one of the dialogs from that book). Plus, generally speaking, ''GEB'' is all about "strange loops" and infinite recursions. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.30|108.162.254.30]] 09:50, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

I have uploaded a graph showing the layout of the entire storyline, with thumbnails of the individual images, at [[Media:1416_Pixels_layout.png]]. --[[User:Mnw21cam|Mnw21cam]] ([[User talk:Mnw21cam|talk]]) 12:20, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Has any attempt been made to find "extra" panels that may occur as a part of a logical series? For example, there is "chess-b" and "chess-w", are there "chess-a", "chess-c", "chess-d", etc? [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 13:56, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
:It never occurred to you that those letters stand for Black/White? --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 20:25, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Any Kerbal Space Program players on here who can shed any light on the origins of 'Need Moar Struts'? Is it a well known meme amongst the player base as I have guessed?--[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 14:27, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1416: Pixels

2014-09-03T20:25:18Z

Zom-B:

Firefox users with HTTPS Everywhere may have trouble seeing the comic, and Chrome users may experience lag (for lack of a better word) when zooming in. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.168|141.101.99.168]] 06:11, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

The combination of "turtle" and "pixel" reminded me of how to code graphics in the older days with for instance turbo pascal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle_graphics) - Stian

Would it be possible to have a "gallery" of all the zoom-in images? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.209|199.27.128.209]] 06:29, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Since the Zoom-in images have at lest one story line in them (I read one about a book launch, the book was launched to space in a rocket), I think a gallery or some such is needed for them. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.218|108.162.250.218]] 06:50, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

I got to a white panel and there was nothing. Everything was white and zooming in or out didn't change it. Not sure if it was a bug or intended. -- [[User:Irino|Irino]] ([[User talk:Irino|talk]]) 07:15, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Yet another comic that doesn't work well on mobile. I'll probably compile a list of comics that are broken in some way for mobile... Er. Soon-ish. -RTR [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.232|108.162.246.232]] 07:45, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

I have acquired a list of images with what they zoom into, and am working on turning that into something presentable. There's a lot of images though, so it may take a day. As for the white panel, yes, there does seem to be one broken link (out of nearly 500). I'm not sure how I would go about reporting it to get it fixed. [[User:Tahg|Tahg]] ([[User talk:Tahg|talk]]) 07:57, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

There are 79 different images. I have them isolated and am uploading them now. [[User:Omixorp|Omixorp]] ([[User talk:Omixorp|talk]]) 08:16, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
:Cool - the images are here - if you click on the broken links they can be seen. But why are they not visible? They take up a lot of space, so I have moved them to a separate gallery page as has been done with [[1350: Lorenz]]. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:44, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
::I think there's a problem with all thumbnails across this site - even old thumbnails don't seem to be working right now. [[User:Omixorp|Omixorp]] ([[User talk:Omixorp|talk]]) 10:31, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
:::They work on Lorenz that I have linked to in my comment above. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:44, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Doesn't work at all (blank) on my Firefox and IE11. I just installed Opera and it works but it's VERY laggy. Also, I have to scroll UP to zoom in, not down. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.97.206|141.101.97.206]] 08:25, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

This date of this comic (Sept 3rd 2014) coincided with the date of Randall's book, What-If. This book is shown or referenced in a number of the frames.--[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 09:57, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
:But the site says the book was out September 2nd... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.161|108.162.237.161]] 11:21, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
::You're right, 108.162.237.161. I changed it and provided proof. As far as I could find, though, it's only launched in the US as of today. [[User:NealCruco|NealCruco]] ([[User talk:NealCruco|talk]]) 19:21, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Also just isolated the images. I described the procedure on my blog: http://azttm.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/xkcd-com-1416-pixels/ [[User:Azt|Azt]] ([[User talk:Azt|Azt]]) 09:58, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

I zoom in when I scroll up. I also like turtles. [[Special:Contributions/103.22.201.120|103.22.201.120]] 09:15, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

I think this comic might be a reference to D. Hofstadter's celebrated book ''Gödel, Escher, Bach'', what with the 'holism', 'reductionism' and 'Mu' coming out at some point (there is the very same construction in one of the dialogs from that book). Plus, generally speaking, ''GEB'' is all about "strange loops" and infinite recursions. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.30|108.162.254.30]] 09:50, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

I have uploaded a graph showing the layout of the entire storyline, with thumbnails of the individual images, at [[Media:1416_Pixels_layout.png]]. --[[User:Mnw21cam|Mnw21cam]] ([[User talk:Mnw21cam|talk]]) 12:20, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Has any attempt been made to find "extra" panels that may occur as a part of a logical series? For example, there is "chess-b" and "chess-w", are there "chess-a", "chess-c", "chess-d", etc? [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 13:56, 3 September 2014 (UTC)
:It never occurred to you that those letters stand for Black/White? --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 20:25, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Any Kerbal Space Program players on here who can shed any light on the origins of 'Need Moar Struts'? Is it a well known meme amongst the player base as I have guessed?--[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 14:27, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

1406: Universal Converter Box

2014-08-11T20:06:47Z

Zom-B: BT cable

{{comic
| number = 1406
| date = August 11, 2014
| title = Universal Converter Box
| image = universal_converter_box.png
| titletext = Comes with a 50-lb sack of gender changers, and also an add-on device with a voltage selector and a zillion circular center pin DC adapter tips so you can power any of those devices from the 90s.
}}

==Explanation==
Converter boxes are used to connect two devices together which otherwise couldn't be, due to differently shaped plugs, different voltages, or different protocols of communication.

Converter boxes or converter cables are commonly found for several of the plugs at the top of the list - such as from USB to micro-USB.

The humour from this comic comes from the sheer number of [[927: Standards|different standards]] that at different times aimed to be the universal way to connect two devices (at least in their target market), as well as the progressively ridiculous conversions that this box is capable of doing, for example, converting audio from a 1/8inch / 3.5mm headphone jack, into a variety of petrols suitable for running your car.

===Different connectors===
*{{w|VGA_connector|VGA}} (Video Graphics Array): A type of video connector, it has fifteen pins in a D-shell (a trapezoidal metal skirt that protects the pins, prevents the connector from being plugged in the wrong way, and makes the physical connection more secure). First used in 1987, and with new versions being developed since then, it is an extremely common type of video connector.
*{{w|Digital_Visual_Interface|DVI}} (Digital Visual Interface): Another type of video connector, it also uses a D-shell connector, except the pins are flat instead of round. DVI is not compatible with VGA ports, though DVI can transmit an analog signal.
*{{w|HDMI}} (High Definition Multimedia Interface): A connector that can transmit both video and audio over the same cable, HDMI has slowly been replacing DVI and VGA ports on newer devices due to the simplicity (both audio and video in one connector) and the smaller footprint and overall dimensions.
*{{w|Thunderbolt_(interface)|Thunderbolt}}: A multimedia/data connector, Thunderbolt can transfer both video signals to a monitor, audio signals to speakers, and send and receive data at the same time, over the same port. It also is far faster than almost any connector on the market for transferring data. However, the limited adoption by manufacturers, the higher costs of the hardware, and the security concerns inherent to the interface have limited the adoption by consumers.
*{{w|IEEE_1394|Firewire}} (IEEE 1394): A bidirectional data transfer connector, similar to USB, Firewire can be used for many applications (e.g. networking computers), but it mostly finds use connecting audio/video equipment to computers.
*{{w|Component_video|Component}} and {{w|RCA_connector|RCA}}: Both component video and RCA are ways of transmitting video and audio signals. Technically, RCA is the name of the connector type that they share; the "RCA" video connection is also called composite video. Both use two plugs for audio (left and right channels), but RCA (composite) uses one plug for video where component uses three: Y (luma), Pb (Blue - Y), Pr (Red - Y).
*{{w|Phone_connector_(audio)|1/8" audio/video}} (3.5 mm phone connector): A very common type of connector, perhaps best known as a headphone plug, but also used for other audio equipment and (as the comic indicates) for some video equipment. The video plug only has 3 contacts (Tip, Ring and Sleeve) so it isn't the reasonably common 3.5mm video + audio plug on some equipment which has 4 contacts (Tip, Ring, Ring and Sleeve).
*{{w|Parallel_port|Parallel port}}: A largely obsolete computer interface, mostly used to connect printers to PCs. While no longer common in homes or offices, parallel connections are still used in some embedded systems.
*{{w|S-Video_(analog_video_standard)|S-video}}: Another video standard similar to component and RCA, but with the video signal split in Y (luma) and C (chroma).
*{{w|In-flight_entertainment#History|Airline pneumatic tube audio}}: Connector for pneumatic headphones used by in-flight entertainment systems manufactured from 1963 until 1979. The seat would contain a passenger control unit (PCU) that contained an audio transducer with 2 loudspeakers. The headphone connected to this unit only needed a pneumatic tube to conduct the sound which made them very cheap to produce.
*{{w|PS/2_port|PS/2}}, PS/3 and PS/4: The PS/2 connector was used for mouse and keyboard connections in older computers; it has been superseded by USB. There are no such connectors as PS/3 and PS/4 -- the joke here is that the {{w|PlayStation 2}} console is also abbreviated to PS2, and there have been two models of PlayStation since, abbreviated PS3 and PS4.
*{{w|NEMA_connector|120V AC}}: This style of plug is used for domestic power outlets in the US, Canada, Mexico, and some other parts of the Americas. (Interestingly, while AC adapters are necessary—and widely available—to suit sockets in other countries, this "universal" convertor does not feature any other AC power plugs.) The pin marked "removable" is the ground pin; not every device requires a ground pin, and some (older) sockets do not have a hole for it.
*{{w|Floppy_disk|Floppy}}, {{w|Parallel_ATA|IDE}}, {{w|Hard_disk_drive|2.5"}}, {{w|SCSI_connector|SCSI}}: These are various disk drive {{w|Insulation-displacement_connector|IDC connectors}} for different numbers of pins, and hence different widths of {{w|Ribbon_cable|cable}}. Despite this similarity, real plugs do not have break-away parts for different devices as the pinout has no similarities at all and the connectors are all keyed differently.
*{{w|USB#Connectors_and_plugs|USB}} connectors: This bidirectional data connection is used for connecting many different devices to computers, each other, and to power supplies and chargers. The USB standard has many different types of plugs, necessitating convertors like the one in the comic (though generally less featureful). The types present here are USB-A ("USB"), USB-B ("USB weird other end"), mini-USB, micro-USB, and the non-existent "macro-USB" (a joke on the previous two as a macro i.e. larger version of USB). Note that some embedded systems (such as cash registers) actually do use larger USB connectors to include 12V and/or 24V power connections. These are not, however, called "macro-USB", and are not as large.
*{{w|F_connector|F connector}}: A type of coaxial plug used for various television signals and for cable modems.
*{{w|Optical_fiber_connector|Fiber}}: Optical fiber cables are used for various data transmission purposes. Interestingly, the fiber depicted does not seem to have any of the (many) typical optical fiber connectors; it may be simply a loose end.
*{{w|Registered_jack#RJ11.2C_RJ14.2C_RJ25_wiring_details|RJ11}}: The "smaller than RJ45" connector which is used for land-line telephones.
*{{w|Registered_jack#RJ45|Ethernet}} (RJ45): The most common consumer-grade fixed wire connection for computer networking.
*{{w|Token_ring|Token ring}}: A now-outdated networking technology, token ring was a late-80s competitor to Ethernet for fixed-wire network connection. Its connectors were large and boxy, but were unique in that they were genderless, so no gender changing adapter will be needed in that bag.
*{{w|MagSafe}}: Magnetically-attached power connectors used on Apple devices. The original MagSafe (introduced in 2006) was later replaced by MagSafe 2 (introduced in 2012); both come in "L" and "T" shapes (as shown here for MagSafe and MagSafe 2, respectively), but are incompatible. MagSafe 3 and 4 do not actually exist (yet). Also, the MagSafe 4 "connector" appears to be broken; this may be a joke about the poor quality of the fictional MagSafe 4 cables.
*{{w|Bluetooth#Communication_and_connection|Bluetooth dongle}}: A wireless network standard mostly used to connect accessories to phones and computers. This would usually be incorporated inside the device itself and not attached to a cable.
*{{w|SCART}}: An audio/video connector mostly used in Europe; it replaced other connectors like component video, but has itself been superseded by HDMI.
*{{w|Tin_can_telephone|String}}: For connecting to a "tin can telephone", an analogue device for transmitting sound through a physical connection rather than electronically or via radio waves.
*{{w|Fuel_dispenser#Nozzles|Fuel nozzle}}, with a switch to choose between different {{w|Octane_rating|octane ratings}} and {{w|Diesel_fuel|diesel fuel}}: Dispensers for fossil fuels used to power internal combustion engines. There are two common systems for showing octane numbers on fuel pumps; the numbers shown (87, 91, 93) most closely map to {{w|Octane_rating#Anti-Knock_Index_.28AKI.29|Anti-Knock Index}} values which is used for the North American market and a number of other countries. In the AKI system; 87 octane is regular US, 91 octane is regular European and 93 octane is premium/super US.

The title text is referring to connector "gender," which is a further complication in getting a connection. A connector is capable of making a connection to another device only through another connector of the opposite gender ("male" connector is plug, "female" connector is socket). Gender adapters flip the gender of a connector, so that two connectors of the same gender can connect. Due to the number of connections this box is capable of, there would be a significant number of connectors, which would lead to them weighing 50-lbs in all. The weight of the petrol pump gender adapter is probably responsible for the bulk of this.

The "circular center pin DC adapter tips" in the title text are barrel jack power plugs. These were developed in the 1980s, and come in a staggering variety of dimensions. The "barrel" has both an inner diameter and an outer diameter, so even if the outer diameter of the barrel jack (which can be easily measured) is correct, the inner diameter might not be. Furthermore, there is the complication that the device requires power at a certain voltage and the supply must provide the correct voltage, and the polarity also has to be correct: positive on the barrel and negative on the inner pin, or vice-versa. This leads to frustration on the part of users when the original power supply cannot be found.

==Transcript==
:Universal converter box with wires to connectors:
::VGA
::DVI
::HDMI
::Thunderbolt
::Firewire
::Component
::RCA (sharing connectors with Component)
::1/8" Audio
::1/8" Video
::Parallel Port
::S-Video
::Airline Pneumatic Tube Audio
::PS/2/3/4
::120V AC
:::Removable (pointing to ground pin)
::Floppy/IDE/2.5"/SCSI
:::Break here (pointing to sections in IDC connector)
::USB
::USB (weird other end)
::Mini-USB
::Micro USB
::Macro USB
::F Connector
::Fiber
::RJ11
::Ethernet
::Token Ring
::MagSafe
::MagSafe 2
::MagSafe 3
::MagSafe 4
::Bluetooth Dongle
::SCART
::String (fits most cans)
::(Fuel nozzle with selector for) 87/91/93/Diesel

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1241: Annoying Ringtone Champion

2013-07-24T08:34:32Z

Zom-B:

can somebody add the link to the audio files for the other annoying ringtones mentioned her?
[[Special:Contributions/188.65.166.110|188.65.166.110]] 10:21, 22 July 2013 (UTC)
:"That sound" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cVlTeIATBs --[[User:RainbowDash|RainbowDash]] ([[User talk:RainbowDash|talk]]) 18:15, 22 July 2013 (UTC)
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_pressure#Sound_pressure_level) 194db is the loudest sound possible without distortion in Earth's atmosphere, so unlikely that you could update an audio file of it.
:And you would most likely die from that sound pressure level. --[[Special:Contributions/129.110.242.8|129.110.242.8]] 16:58, 22 July 2013 (UTC)
:Wouldn't it be rather a question of your sound equipment if you can achieve 194dB? --[[User:Chtz|Chtz]] ([[User talk:Chtz|talk]]) 17:10, 22 July 2013 (UTC)
How can he speak of most annoying mosquito sounds and not refer to this?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4k036R3wQE Some kid in my high school actually had this as his ringtone for awhile. I'm pretty sure he got jumped (if he didn't, he ought to have been).
[[Special:Contributions/134.154.55.46|134.154.55.46]] 00:59, 23 July 2013 (UTC)

The "mosquito whine" could also be a reference to the very high-pitched ringtones, often known as "mosquito" tones, that some teenagers so they'll be notified about any phone activity without their schoolteacher realizing they're using a phone in class. Supposedly, "older" people (over 25 or so) can't hear such high frequencies. [[User:Acelightning|Acelightning]] ([[User talk:Acelightning|talk]]) 08:14, 23 July 2013 (UTC)
:I'm 31 and I can still hear frequencies up to 17KHz. When I was 15 I could hear up to 16.5KHz but that may have been due to using an old mid-range speaker. Now I'm using standard apple earphones. --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 08:29, 24 July 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1241: Annoying Ringtone Champion

2013-07-24T08:29:41Z

Zom-B:

can somebody add the link to the audio files for the other annoying ringtones mentioned her?
[[Special:Contributions/188.65.166.110|188.65.166.110]] 10:21, 22 July 2013 (UTC)
:"That sound" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cVlTeIATBs --[[User:RainbowDash|RainbowDash]] ([[User talk:RainbowDash|talk]]) 18:15, 22 July 2013 (UTC)
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_pressure#Sound_pressure_level) 194db is the loudest sound possible without distortion in Earth's atmosphere, so unlikely that you could update an audio file of it.
:And you would most likely die from that sound pressure level. --[[Special:Contributions/129.110.242.8|129.110.242.8]] 16:58, 22 July 2013 (UTC)
:Wouldn't it be rather a question of your sound equipment if you can achieve 194dB? --[[User:Chtz|Chtz]] ([[User talk:Chtz|talk]]) 17:10, 22 July 2013 (UTC)
How can he speak of most annoying mosquito sounds and not refer to this?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4k036R3wQE Some kid in my high school actually had this as his ringtone for awhile. I'm pretty sure he got jumped (if he didn't, he ought to have been).
[[Special:Contributions/134.154.55.46|134.154.55.46]] 00:59, 23 July 2013 (UTC)

The "mosquito whine" could also be a reference to the very high-pitched ringtones, often known as "mosquito" tones, that some teenagers so they'll be notified about any phone activity without their schoolteacher realizing they're using a phone in class. Supposedly, "older" people (over 25 or so) can't hear such high frequencies. [[User:Acelightning|Acelightning]] ([[User talk:Acelightning|talk]]) 08:14, 23 July 2013 (UTC)
:I'm 31 and I can still hear frequencies up to 17KHz. When I was 15 I could hear up to 16.5KHz but that may have be due to using an old mid-range speaker. --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 08:29, 24 July 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-20T08:03:22Z

Zom-B:

Number is "42".
The 4 is composed of 2's and 3's and 7's.
The 2 is composed of 3's and 7's and 9's.
--[[User:RainbowDash|RainbowDash]] ([[User talk:RainbowDash|talk]]) 05:16, 17 May 2013 (UTC)
:What about 7s? --[[Special:Contributions/81.23.24.34|81.23.24.34]] 06:13, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

Also both have 5's. I'm not very good at this counting thing. That link below is way better, anyhow. --[[User:RainbowDash|RainbowDash]] ([[User talk:RainbowDash|talk]]) 05:28, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

http://i.imgur.com/BLIQR6w.png

Credit: http://www.reddit.com/user/silly-moose

: Thanks --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 07:06, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

I'm not confident enough about this to write up an explanation, but given that synesthesia is a sensory experience where the senses blend into each other (hearing colors, tasting sounds, etc...) that a round shape or black and white (why is it not in color? that would help the joke imho) give the sense of a number to the synesthete. The alt text at least makes sense, seeing two big numbers fits with diplopia (double vision) and the squinting covers myopia (nearsightedness) so it is consistent with the main joke, but I feel like I'm really missing something in the main joke. [[User:Chexwarrior|Chexwarrior]] ([[User talk:Chexwarrior|talk]]) 06:43, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

In the original b&w image, I keep seeing an 8 on the right and a vague 0, 9, or 4 on the left. I'm not certain if the b&w actually has a definite "answer" or specific number(s) one is supposed to be seeing. I seem to recall an xkcd with an Ishihara test before (but can't find it so it may just be a confabulation), in which case this one may be a reference to that and actually have a referential "answer".

I'm not an optometrist, but Chexwarrior,'s explanation of the alt text seems correct to me. [[User:Plazma|Plazma]] ([[User talk:Plazma|talk]]) 07:00, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

On the left half, the number 9 is missing. Similarly, on the right the number 2 is missing. This makes the number 92 or 29 (any ideas?). There is a floating 2 in the bottom center, the origin is unknown but it does look like a decimal point but that yould defeat the purpose of the number 42 (any ideas?) --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 07:06, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

I was thinking the explanation of the descriptive text (not alt-text) is as follows: the synesthesia is seeing numbers and associating colors with them. So when you look at the numbers in the image, you see certain colors, so the large numbers stand out because they are different colors from the background. But if you're colorblind, (hypothetically) then some of those number-colors might look the same and so the numbers (not sure why only one) would not be visible. [[User:Bplimley|Bplimley]] ([[User talk:Bplimley|talk]]) 07:18, 17 May 2013 (UTC)
:Maybe if the synesthesia is as follows: Even numbers get one color and odd numbers get another color. I was actually able to see the 2 because of this effect, while I was in photoshop, zoomed in, and coloring the 3's. I know from myself that I have number to color synesthesia, but (in my case) that doesn't apply to a bunch of randomly placed digits like here, but only to complete numbers like "144" looks yellow, red, and white (in no particular order), while "38" looks grayish dark blue. --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 07:22, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

::I seriously doubt ANYONE have so "hard" case of number to color synesthesia it can "color" a bunch of randomly placed digits like this. Like ... if your number-recognizing neurons are working on the small numbers, how can they work on the big numbers in the same time? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:01, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

::: Good catch! I'm not sure how exactly how synesthesia works, but even if the perceived number (due to a perceived colour) further incites a perceived colour, you can still have a combined diagnostic. You just have to make sure that the big number is made up of little ones of the same number; or, atleast made of other numbers which are of the same colour as the desired big number. The latter requires that you assume synesthesia is one way only (for instance - perceiving number triggers colour, but not vice versa) [[Special:Contributions/220.224.246.97|220.224.246.97]] 11:00, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

::: No no, it pretty much works! I've got colored-grapheme synesthesia, and while the numbers don't jump out at me as easily as they would if they were made of real colors, I am able to see them pretty clearly if I lean close enough to my monitor to be able to take in all of the small numbers' shapes at once. I posted a description of what it looks like to me here: [http://otherthings.com/blog/2013/05/ishihara-eat-your-heart-out/#more-899 Rungy Chungy Cheese Bees] It's a bit harder for me to see because I'm an "associator" type of synesthete, as opposed to a "projector" type. But I imagine for a true projector synesthete this would be about as easy as a normal Ishihara colorblindness test. [[User:Otherthings|Otherthings]] ([[User talk:Otherthings|talk]]) 20:35, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

<Nitpicking> The alt text is slightly off the mark isn't it? Wouldn't a diplopic(?) person see two images of the diagnostic rather than two numbers in the same diagnostic? Also, you needn't be colour blind to fulfill the condition of perceiving only one digit. Your synesthesia might have a colour blindness, while your optical system does not. </Nitpicking> [[Special:Contributions/220.224.246.97|220.224.246.97]] 11:07, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

I think that as no two... synaesthetes? ...have exactly the same 'conversion routine' in place that one can't assume the colour dominance of either digit, under an (actual, or synaesthetic) colour-blindness condition. Also, I wouldn't be surprised to hear "Well, the left hand side smells a bit like a 4, but the right ''sounds'' like a 2..." ;) [[Special:Contributions/178.98.207.61|178.98.207.61]] 12:54, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

I will take some LSD and look at this and report back later! [[Special:Contributions/46.166.163.150|46.166.163.150]] 16:22, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

I don't think myopia actually makes sense, unless you're reading the comic on a large screen 30 or 40 feet away. The comic is most probably near you, if you're near-sighted you should see it in focus without squinting. [[Special:Contributions/64.223.217.58|64.223.217.58]] 17:19, 17 May 2013 (UTC)
:As a myopic person, I can say that you are generalizing too much. Without glasses, I can see no thing in focus unless it is 2-4 inches from my face[[Special:Contributions/75.69.96.225|75.69.96.225]] 20:22, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

I see a big zero!

In the end this test couldn't work, colorblindness is due to a physical effect in the eyeball where synesthesia works in the brain, if someone had both synesthesia and colorblindness then the two numbers in the circle above would be the _only_ color they could see (although being colorblind they may not understand it to be a color at that point) [[User:Odysseus654|Odysseus654]] ([[User talk:Odysseus654|talk]]) 19:37, 17 May 2013 (UTC)
:It's a JOKE. Sure it does not work for many more reasons. But the combining of all this things is hard to understand and it did last a couple of hours until the first people did understand. In my opinion this is one of the BEST jokes Randall ever did.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:47, 17 May 2013 (UTC)
::Yah, I laughed pretty hard when I saw it last night. Still worth explaining all the intracacies, like people wondering what's wrong with "Locate City" nukes [[User:Odysseus654|Odysseus654]] ([[User talk:Odysseus654|talk]]) 20:10, 17 May 2013 (UTC)
:Actually, there's research on that. People with colorblindness and synesthesia do "see" some numbers in colours that they don't recognise from their everyday experience. (That's because as you said, colorblindness happens at the receptor level and synesthesia happens in the brain). Check out this TED talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/vilayanur_ramachandran_on_your_mind.html?quote=222 --- Mel
:: Sorry, wrong link. I meant this talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW_lsSx5w14 --- Mel

As a colorblind person, I would like to point out that it is not obvious to everybody that a normal person sees neither large number. At first glance, I assumed that normal people see both numbers, colorblind people see neither, and synthesesia allows colorblind people to see one.[[Special:Contributions/75.69.96.225|75.69.96.225]] 20:22, 17 May 2013 (UTC)
: No, even normal people can't see the numbers because the image is just black and white. But that's just the first joke. Synthesesia in this comic just do see colours on black and white pictures.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:36, 17 May 2013 (UTC)
::Shouldn't the big-4 and big-2 have it's own color? The big-4 might then blend with the background 4's.
:::What's with the extraneous little-2 underneath the big numbers also?[[Special:Contributions/50.8.61.60|50.8.61.60]] 21:32, 17 May 2013 (UTC)
::::We are just talking about "colorblind persons" here. I am trying to help them to understand because they even they can`t see that the original picture is just B/W. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:12, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

I'm not convinced that this cartoon works. I have a friend who is synaesthetic, and she can't see the big numbers. The thing is, if someone has the sort of synaesthesia where they see numbers in colours, then they see each digit in a different colour, and so there is no reason why primes (or any other particular group of digits) would stand out for them. Yes, I know it's a joke, but the joke doesn't work if it doesn't take into account how synaesthesia works.
:I might do some fiddling with various colour palette overlays, but I think that if there is a large cluster of a few colours which don't appear elsewhere in the image, the synaesthete could probably pick up the pattern. However, the actual function of synaesthesia is not really important in this, I suppose. {{unsigned ip|86.14.71.242}}

I saw the number 12 without checking here first, and I'm not a synesthete. Anyone see something similar? [[Special:Contributions/71.176.19.228|71.176.19.228]] 00:13, 18 May 2013 (UTC)
:Reading it on an iPad, by zooming right out, I can get occasional brief flashes of the number while moving my eyes - though I initially read it as 92, probably because I couldn't look directly at it. I can't work out what it is that makes it jump out at me, though - maybe my eyes are catching the pattern of sevens, or something? --[[Special:Contributions/123.243.65.31|123.243.65.31]] 09:43, 18 May 2013 (UTC)
:: I also read it as 92, but without any tricks. Just by painfully staring at the image my brain makes out lines and curves, till i found the 92. Is that normal? :D [[Special:Contributions/88.70.142.19|88.70.142.19]] 13:23, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

In the last image, I think it would be better to have the background, the 4, and the 2 be made of different shades of 3 different colors to make it clear why someone who is colorblind would only see one of the numbers. Say, the background is different shades of green, the 4 is blue, and the 2 is red. That is, if I'm understanding this comic correctly. [[Special:Contributions/184.170.166.111|184.170.166.111]] 07:43, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

This would be incredibly confusing to a synesthete. Wouldn't he/she see the big 4 and 2 as being colors of their own? And then, of course, its component numbers would be made of so many different colors. I think we need a real synesthete to look at this. [[Special:Contributions/71.176.19.228|71.176.19.228]] 15:11, 18 May 2013 (UTC)
:I have heard from real synesthete people that there are too many chaotic numbers on the picture. I did add an explanation on the bottom of the main page. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 14:37, 19 May 2013 (UTC)
::I experience the same. But what about [[User:Otherthings]] who claims he sees all colors at once. Different synesthesia or fake? Also, when examining numbers to invoke colors, you forget past colors, unless the subject has a photographic memory and won't lose the colors? Even then s/he still needs to look at every single digit in the image in individually. --[[User:Zom-B|Zom-B]] ([[User talk:Zom-B|talk]]) 08:03, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-20T07:56:58Z

Zom-B: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1213
| date = May 17, 2013
| title = Combination Vision Test
| image = combination vision test.png
| titletext = If you see two numbers but they're both the same and you have to squint to read them, you have synesthesia, colorblindness, diplopia, and myopia.
}}

==Explanation==

There are two numbers embedded in the big circle of numbers, in a similar way to a common {{w|color perception test}}. But this test can not work for colors because it is just a Black and White picture. Nobody can see it. But at this point the joke is just starting:

The numbers are four and two, forming the number {{w|42 (number)|42}}, which is the famous “{{w|Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything}}”, according to the book {{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}.

The number 4 is formed by digits 2, 3, 5 and 7, which are the only {{w|Prime number|prime numbers}} in the range 0–9.
The number 2 is formed by digits 3, 5, 7 and 9, apparently all odd numbers in the range 0–9, except for 1.

A normal person does not readily see the big numbers, obviously. However, there is a neurological condition called {{w|synesthesia}}, in which perception in one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Common examples are experiencing colors when seeing numbers or words ({{w|Grapheme-color synesthesia}}), hearing tones or music while reading words or text, seeing sequences of numbers or month names in a distinct and fixed shape ({{w|Number form}}), etc. If we give some numbers a color, such as how a person with number to color synesthesia would see it, we get this:

[[File:BLIQR6w.png|center]]

The comic playfully suggests that if you have synesthesia as well as {{w|colorblindness}}, then some of the colors might appear identical and so one number would not be visible, only leaving the other number.

The alt-text brings in two more conditions: {{w|diplopia}}, or double vision, and {{w|myopia}}, or near-sightedness. Those who are near-sighted sometimes see distant objects more clearly while squinting. Then they would be able to see the one large number still visible from the synesthesia/colorblindness combination, but because of double vision they see a second copy of it, hence two numbers that are the same.

Since each number would appear in a different color with synesthesia (unlike above where 2,3,5,7,9 are all the same color), the following image better demonstrates how the image might appear to some viewers.

[[File:combination_vision_test_fullcolor.png|center]]

In general it does not work for people having synesthesia because there are too many chaotic numbers in that circle. They only see colors when they can identify each single number because it's a neurological condition. The color is produced ''after'' the number is recognized by the brain and lost when the focus shifts to the next (few) number(s).

==Transcript==
: Combination Vision Test
: ''a circle filled with several hundred numeric digits''
: If you can see one big number but not the other, you have synesthesia ''and'' colorblindness.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]

1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-20T07:56:06Z

Zom-B: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1213
| date = May 17, 2013
| title = Combination Vision Test
| image = combination vision test.png
| titletext = If you see two numbers but they're both the same and you have to squint to read them, you have synesthesia, colorblindness, diplopia, and myopia.
}}

==Explanation==

There are two numbers embedded in the big circle of numbers, in a similar way to a common {{w|color perception test}}. But this test can not work for colors because it is just a Black and White picture. Nobody can see it. But at this point the joke is just starting:

The numbers are four and two, forming the number {{w|42 (number)|42}}, which is the famous “{{w|Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything}}”, according to the book {{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}.

The number 4 is formed by digits 2, 3, 5 and 7, which are the only {{w|Prime number|prime numbers}} in the range 0–9.
The number 2 is formed by digits 3, 5, 7 and 9, apparently all odd numbers in the range 0–9, except for 1.

A normal person does not readily see the big numbers, obviously. However, there is a neurological condition called {{w|synesthesia}}, in which perception in one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Common examples are experiencing colors when seeing numbers or words ({{w|Grapheme-color synesthesia}}), hearing tones or music while reading words or text, seeing sequences of numbers or month names in a distinct and fixed shape ({{w|Number form}}), etc. If we give some numbers a color, such as how a person with number to color synesthesia would see it, we get this:

[[File:BLIQR6w.png|center]]

The comic playfully suggests that if you have synesthesia as well as {{w|colorblindness}}, then some of the colors might appear identical and so one number would not be visible, only leaving the other number.

The alt-text brings in two more conditions: {{w|diplopia}}, or double vision, and {{w|myopia}}, or near-sightedness. Those who are near-sighted sometimes see distant objects more clearly while squinting. Then they would be able to see the one large number still visible from the synesthesia/colorblindness combination, but because of double vision they see a second copy of it, hence two numbers that are the same.

Since each number would appear in a different color with synesthesia (unlike above where 2,3,5,7,9 are all the same color), the following image better demonstrates how the image might appear to some viewers.

[[File:combination_vision_test_fullcolor.png|center]]

In general it does not work for people having synesthesia because there are too many chaotic numbers in that circle. They only see colors when they can identify each single number because it's a neurological condition, the color is produced ''after'' the number is recognized by the brain and lost when the focus shifts to the next (few) number(s).

==Transcript==
: Combination Vision Test
: ''a circle filled with several hundred numeric digits''
: If you can see one big number but not the other, you have synesthesia ''and'' colorblindness.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]

1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:34:56Z

Zom-B: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1213
| date = May 17, 2013
| title = Combination Vision Test
| image = combination vision test.png
| titletext = If you see two numbers but they're both the same and you have to squint to read them, you have synesthesia, colorblindness, diplopia, and myopia.
}}

==Explanation==

There are two numbers embedded in the big circle of numbers, in the same way as a common [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_perception_test Color perception test]. The numbers are four and two, forming the number [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_%28number%29 42], which is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Answer_to_The_Ultimate_Question_of_Life,_the_Universe,_and_Everything "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything"] according to the fictional story [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy].

The number 4 is composed of only the digits 2, 3, 5 and 7, which are the only four [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number prime numbers] in the range 0-9.

The number 2 is composed of only the digits 3, 5, 7 and 9, apparently all odd numbers in the range 0-9, except for 1.

In [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia synesthesia], perception in one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Common examples are experiencing colors when seeing numbers or words, hearing tones or music while reading words or text, seeing sequences of numbers or month names in a distinct and fixed shape, etc. If we give some numbers a color, such as how a person with number to color synesthesia would see it, we get this:

[[File:BLIQR6w.png]]

The comic playfully suggests that if you have synesthesia as well as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorblindness colorblindness], then some of the colors might appear identical and so one number would not be visible, only leaving the other number.

The alt-text brings in two more conditions: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplopia diplopia], or double vision, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myopia myopia], or near-sightedness. Those who are near-sighted sometimes see distant objects more clearly while squinting. Then they would be able to see the one large number still visible from the synesthesia/colorblindness combination, but because of double vision they see a second copy of it, hence two numbers that are the same.

==Transcript==
You see A circle filled with a couple thousand numeric digits.

Title: Combination Vision Test

Caption: If you can see one big number but not the other, you have synesthesia ''and'' colorblindness.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]

1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:33:59Z

Zom-B: /* Transcript */ italic

{{comic
| number = 1213
| date = May 17, 2013
| title = Combination Vision Test
| image = combination vision test.png
| titletext = If you see two numbers but they're both the same and you have to squint to read them, you have synesthesia, colorblindness, diplopia, and myopia.
}}

==Explanation==

There are two numbers embedded in the big circle of numbers, in the same way as a common [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_perception_test Color perception test]. The numbers are four and two, forming the number [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_%28number%29 42], which is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Answer_to_The_Ultimate_Question_of_Life,_the_Universe,_and_Everything "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything"] according to the fiction book [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy].

The number 4 is composed of only the digits 2, 3, 5 and 7, which are the only four [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number prime numbers] in the range 0-9.

The number 2 is composed of only the digits 3, 5, 7 and 9, apparently all odd numbers in the range 0-9, except for 1.

In [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia synesthesia], perception in one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Common examples are experiencing colors when seeing numbers or words, hearing tones or music while reading words or text, seeing sequences of numbers or month names in a distinct and fixed shape, etc. If we give some numbers a color, such as how a person with number to color synesthesia would see it, we get this:

[[File:BLIQR6w.png]]

The comic playfully suggests that if you have synesthesia as well as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorblindness colorblindness], then some of the colors might appear identical and so one number would not be visible, only leaving the other number.

The alt-text brings in two more conditions: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplopia diplopia], or double vision, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myopia myopia], or near-sightedness. Those who are near-sighted sometimes see distant objects more clearly while squinting. Then they would be able to see the one large number still visible from the synesthesia/colorblindness combination, but because of double vision they see a second copy of it, hence two numbers that are the same.

==Transcript==
You see A circle filled with a couple thousand numeric digits.

Title: Combination Vision Test

Caption: If you can see one big number but not the other, you have synesthesia ''and'' colorblindness.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]

1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:32:08Z

Zom-B: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1213
| date = May 17, 2013
| title = Combination Vision Test
| image = combination vision test.png
| titletext = If you see two numbers but they're both the same and you have to squint to read them, you have synesthesia, colorblindness, diplopia, and myopia.
}}

==Explanation==

There are two numbers embedded in the big circle of numbers, in the same way as a common [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_perception_test Color perception test]. The numbers are four and two, forming the number [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_%28number%29 42], which is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Answer_to_The_Ultimate_Question_of_Life,_the_Universe,_and_Everything "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything"] according to the fiction book [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy].

The number 4 is composed of only the digits 2, 3, 5 and 7, which are the only four [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number prime numbers] in the range 0-9.

The number 2 is composed of only the digits 3, 5, 7 and 9, apparently all odd numbers in the range 0-9, except for 1.

In [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia synesthesia], perception in one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Common examples are experiencing colors when seeing numbers or words, hearing tones or music while reading words or text, seeing sequences of numbers or month names in a distinct and fixed shape, etc. If we give some numbers a color, such as how a person with number to color synesthesia would see it, we get this:

[[File:BLIQR6w.png]]

The comic playfully suggests that if you have synesthesia as well as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorblindness colorblindness], then some of the colors might appear identical and so one number would not be visible, only leaving the other number.

The alt-text brings in two more conditions: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplopia diplopia], or double vision, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myopia myopia], or near-sightedness. Those who are near-sighted sometimes see distant objects more clearly while squinting. Then they would be able to see the one large number still visible from the synesthesia/colorblindness combination, but because of double vision they see a second copy of it, hence two numbers that are the same.

==Transcript==
You see A circle filled with a couple thousand numeric digits.

Title: Combination Vision Test

Caption: If you can see one big number but not the other, you have synesthesia and colorblindness.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]

1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:31:43Z

Zom-B: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1213
| date = May 17, 2013
| title = Combination Vision Test
| image = combination vision test.png
| titletext = If you see two numbers but they're both the same and you have to squint to read them, you have synesthesia, colorblindness, diplopia, and myopia.
}}

==Explanation==

There are two numbers embedded in the big circle of numbers, in the same way as a common [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_perception_test Color perception test]. The numbers are four and two, forming the number [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_%28number%29 42], which is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Answer_to_The_Ultimate_Question_of_Life,_the_Universe,_and_Everything "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything"] according to the fiction book [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy].

The number 4 is composed of only the digits 2, 3, 5 and 7, which are the only four [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number prime numbers] in the range 0-9.

The number 2 is composed of only the digits 3, 5, 7 and 9, apparently all odd numbers below 10 except for 1.

In [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia synesthesia], perception in one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Common examples are experiencing colors when seeing numbers or words, hearing tones or music while reading words or text, seeing sequences of numbers or month names in a distinct and fixed shape, etc. If we give some numbers a color, such as how a person with number to color synesthesia would see it, we get this:

[[File:BLIQR6w.png]]

The comic playfully suggests that if you have synesthesia as well as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorblindness colorblindness], then some of the colors might appear identical and so one number would not be visible, only leaving the other number.

The alt-text brings in two more conditions: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplopia diplopia], or double vision, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myopia myopia], or near-sightedness. Those who are near-sighted sometimes see distant objects more clearly while squinting. Then they would be able to see the one large number still visible from the synesthesia/colorblindness combination, but because of double vision they see a second copy of it, hence two numbers that are the same.

==Transcript==
You see A circle filled with a couple thousand numeric digits.

Title: Combination Vision Test

Caption: If you can see one big number but not the other, you have synesthesia and colorblindness.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]

Talk:1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:27:46Z

Zom-B:

Talk:1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:23:09Z

Zom-B:

Talk:1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:22:26Z

Zom-B:

1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:18:14Z

Zom-B:

Talk:1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:06:19Z

Zom-B:

1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:04:33Z

Zom-B: /* Explanation */

1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T07:02:13Z

Zom-B: /* Explanation */

File:BLIQR6w.png

2013-05-17T07:00:15Z

Zom-B: Not sure what's up with the floating 2. credit: http://www.reddit.com/user/silly-moose who colored it

Not sure what's up with the floating 2.

credit: http://www.reddit.com/user/silly-moose who colored it

1213: Combination Vision Test

2013-05-17T06:57:51Z

Zom-B: /* Transcript */