https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=108.162.216.130&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-30T07:04:27ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2868:_Label_the_States&diff=3312782868: Label the States2023-12-21T13:26:35Z<p>108.162.216.130: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2868<br />
| date = December 15, 2023<br />
| title = Label the States<br />
| image = label_the_states_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 740x500px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = Even with a blank map, a lot of people can only name 45-50 of the 64 states.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[File:label the states 2x highlighted.png|thumb|301px|The map with the extra states highlighted.]]<br />
[[File:Blank US Map (white on gray and black).svg|thumb|301px|A real map of the United States for comparison.]]<br />
This is a blank map of the United States. At first glance, it looks correct, because all the large states with distinct shapes are correctly represented, but some states have been added. For example:<br />
<br />
* On the west coast, Washington, Oregon, and California all have their normal shapes, but there is a new rectangular state south of Oregon and north of California.<br />
* East of this, two more nearly rectangular states have been added between Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, and Utah.<br />
* A column of five rectangular states has been inserted between Montana/Wyoming/Utah/Arizona and the Dakotas/Nebraska/Colorado/New Mexico.<br />
* Another somewhat rectangular state has been added between South Dakota and Nebraska.<br />
* Ohio and Indiana have been narrowed with a new state being created between them.<br />
* New states shaped like Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina have been added directly south of those states.<br />
* New Hampshire now has a state that looks like its reflection between itself and Maine.<br />
<br />
In summary, two whole rows and a whole column of states have been added, and two new states have been added between Indiana and Ohio and between New Hampshire and Maine. The external shape of the United States has also been slightly modified to accommodate the new states. As the title text says, there are now 64 states on Randall's map, not 50.<br />
<br />
In comic [[2394: Contiguous 41 States]], the opposite has been done, removing states so that there are 41 states instead of 50 or 64.<br />
<br />
The title text comments on the cliché that Americans are bad at geography, parodying comments that Americans cannot name many of the US states. A statistic is mentioned saying that most people can only name 45-50 states, which is almost to all of the actual states, but looks poor in comparison to the 64 states in the comic's map. Since the extra fourteen states are made up and do not have names,{{cn}} people will not be able to name them and get a perfect 64/64 score. The cliché is also parodied in [[850|comic 850]].<br />
<br />
Being mean to people by asking them to name states on bad maps was also mentioned in the title text of [[1653: United States Map]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:Geography Challenge: Can you label all the states?<br />
<br />
:[An unlabeled map of the United States, but instead of 50 states, there are borders for 64.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:US maps]]</div>108.162.216.130https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2080:_Cohort_and_Age_Effects&diff=2000862080: Cohort and Age Effects2020-10-17T15:01:06Z<p>108.162.216.130: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2080<br />
| date = December 3, 2018<br />
| title = Cohort and Age Effects<br />
| image = cohort_and_age_effects.png<br />
| titletext = Younger people get very few joint replacements, yet they're also getting more than older people did at the same age. This means you can choose between 'Why are millennials getting so (many/few) joint replacements?' depending on which trend fits your current argument better.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
Another of [[Randall|Randall's]] [[238: Pet Peeve 114|many]] [[:Category:Pet Peeves|Pet Peeves]], this time it's statistics. It is the first in more than four years, since [[1368: One Of The]].<br />
<br />
"{{w|Millennials}}" are the generation of Westerners who were born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s, whereas {{w|baby boomers}} are the generation born during the "baby boom", a period of high birth rates from the late 1940s to early 1960s. A common headline on news websites is "Millennials are killing the X industry" where X is a product whose sales have dropped in recent years, such as [https://ezplaytoys.com/pages/products jungle gyms for kids]. One of the most famous is the {{w|diamond industry}}, where a combination of the {{w|wage gap}}, stigma over {{w|Blood diamond|conflict diamonds}}, increased knowledge of ([https://what-if.xkcd.com/108/ in Randall's words]) {{w|De Beers antitrust litigation|"complicated gemstone market"}} and less desire to get married early has seen millennials buying less diamond jewelry than previous generations.<br />
<br />
Randall spoofs this idea. In the comic, [[Cueball]], as a [[:Category:News anchor|news anchor]], presents a heading which opens his story by asking if millennials are killing the industry of surgical {{w|Joint replacement|joint replacements}}, illustrating it with numbers of joint replacement procedures among millennials compared to baby boomers. The joke is that millennials are simply too young for most of them to need joint replacements (which are usually used to treat senile {{w|osteoarthritis}}), so most people will see that so there really isn't a news story here. Randall is using this example to highlight that this kind of story is ridiculous. Millennials will likely need joint replacements in the future as they get older, potentially keeping sales of joint replacements at close to their current rate.<br />
<br />
A '''{{w|cohort effect}}''' is a cultural difference between generations (such as buying fewer diamonds), whereas an '''age effect''' is one that is simply related to getting older (such as getting arthritis). Joint replacement rates are an age effect, but the newscast is presenting them as if they were a cohort effect. (More correctly, the table rows would be labelled e.g. “people aged 50–70” and “people aged 22–37”.)<br />
<br />
The title text points out that although numbers of millennials receiving joint replacements are low, they are higher than the numbers of baby boomers who received them ''at the same age''—i.e. in their 20s—due to advances in medical diagnosis and technology in the last 50 years, as well as (in some countries at least) better access to healthcare. This statistic can be used to create a headline which is the reverse of the one in the comic, namely "millennials are getting more joint replacements than ever". Randall notes that you could therefore use either headline to back up your argument, depending on the agenda you are trying to present.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Tables in transcript are bad. please read faq}}<br />
:[Cueball as a news anchor is sitting at a desk with hands folded in front of him on the table.]<br />
:Cueball: Tonight: Are Millennials killing the joint replacement industry?<br />
<br />
<br />
:[To the left of Cueball is a presentation which includes a two by two table with a header above the table. Each of the two rows and columns are labeled, with rows entitled 'Baby Boomers' and 'Millennials', and columns entitled 'Knee' and 'Hip']<br />
<br />
:;Operation rate per 100,000<br />
::;Baby Boomers&#58;<br />
:::'''Knee&#58;''' 720<br />
:::'''Hip&#58;''' 390<br />
::;Millennials&#58;<br />
:::'''Knee&#58;''' 1<br />
:::'''Hip&#58;''' 3<br />
<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Stats Pet Peeve: People mixing up cohort effects and age effects.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*In the original title text there were two mistakes which were soon corrected. Here are the original title text with the removed word in <s>strike through</s> and the final version with the added word in '''bold''':<br />
**Younger people get very few joint replacements, yet they're also getting more than older people did at the same age. This means you can choose between 'Why are millennials <s>are</s> getting so (many/few) joint replacements?' depending '''on''' which trend fits your current argument better.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Pet Peeves]]<br />
[[Category:News anchor]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Statistics]]</div>108.162.216.130https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:87:_Velociraptors&diff=161166Talk:87: Velociraptors2018-08-14T07:36:01Z<p>108.162.216.130: </p>
<hr />
<div>I know the knowledge of dinosaurs is growing and changing daily. Was it widely understood that Velociraptors were feathers back in the early 1990s? [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 17:33, 13 June 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Nope. The confirmation came quite later.<br />
Wikipedia: In 2007, paleontologists reported the discovery of quill knobs on a well-preserved Velociraptor mongoliensis forearm from Mongolia, confirming the presence of feathers in this species. [[User:SaMa|SaMa]] ([[User talk:SaMa|talk]]) 13:31, 20 June 2013 (UTC)we<br />
<br />
::However, the size of the velociraptor was well known when the book and the film were produced. The dinosaurs in the film are similar to Utahraptor in size. Utahraptor was also feathered. HNY [[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.107|141.101.106.107]] 00:32, 1 January 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Want to feel old? This comic was released closer to the premiere of Jurassic Park than to today.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.130|108.162.216.130]] 07:36, 14 August 2018 (UTC)</div>108.162.216.130https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2030:_Voting_Software&diff=1609612030: Voting Software2018-08-08T18:50:05Z<p>108.162.216.130: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2030<br />
| date = August 8, 2018<br />
| title = Voting Software<br />
| image = voting_software.png<br />
| titletext = There are lots of very smart people doing fascinating work on cryptographic voting protocols. We should be funding and encouraging them, and doing all our elections with paper ballots until everyone currently working in that field has retired.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BLOCKCHAIN - Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
When other engineers say something is safe, people don't believe them: People are scared of flying and elevators even though they are, statistically, very safe.<br />
<br />
But when software engineers say something is dangerious, people don't believe them. (And e-voting is stupidly dangerous)<br />
<br />
Blockchain is a relatively new technology that is intended to solve some computer security issues, by making it difficult to doctor old data. However, in the process of solving the old computer security issues it has introduced exciting new computer security issues that have not yet been ironed out. It also doesn't solve input fraud issues, only data-doctoring fraud, so a program that caused the voting machine to record a vote for candidate B whenever a vote for cadidate A occurred (Which can be uploaded to the voting machines through USB, or through the internet which they must be connected to for blockchain), blockchain would not prevent it.<br />
<br />
Most computer security specialists are more worried about programs that randomly deliberately miss-record a vote, than people changing the votes after they're already recorded, so blockchain would solve an issue that most computer security specialists are less worried about, while causing exciting new issues. (Perpetual internet connection among them)<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:Asking aircraft designers about airplane safety:<br />
:Hairbun: Nothing is ever foolproof, but modern airliners are incredibly resilient. Flying is the safest way to travel.<br />
<br />
:Asking building engineers about elevator safety:<br />
:Cueball: Elevators are protected by multiple tried-and-tested failsafe mechanisms. They're nearly incapable of falling.<br />
<br />
:Asking software engineers about computerized voting:<br />
:Megan: That's ''terrifying''.<br />
<br />
:Ponytail: Wait, really?<br />
:Megan: Don't trust voting software and don't listen to anyone who tells you it's safe.<br />
:Ponytail: Why?<br />
:Megan: I don't quite know how to put this, but our entire field is bad at what we do, and if you rely on us, everyone will die.<br />
<br />
:Ponytail: They say they've fixed it with something called "blockchain."<br />
:Megan: AAAAA!!!<br />
:Cueball: Whatever they sold you, don't touch it.<br />
:Megan: Bury it in the desert.<br />
:Cueball: Wear gloves.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.216.130https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2022:_Sports_Champions&diff=1602522022: Sports Champions2018-07-20T04:38:15Z<p>108.162.216.130: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2022<br />
| date = July 20, 2018<br />
| title = Sports Champions<br />
| image = sports_champions.png<br />
| titletext = For a long time, people thought maybe Usain Bolt was the one for running, until the 2090s and the incredible dominance of Derek Legs.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a CHAMPION - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.216.130https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1966:_Smart_Home_Security&diff=1542851966: Smart Home Security2018-03-13T23:10:15Z<p>108.162.216.130: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1966<br />
| date = March 12, 2018<br />
| title = Smart Home Security<br />
| image = smart_home_security.png<br />
| titletext = If they're getting valuable enough stuff from you, at least the organized crime folks have an incentive to issue regular updates to keep the appliance working after the manufacturer discontinues support.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by ORGANIZED CRIME - Confirm that the graph means "the older the device, the worse the best-case is".}}<br />
<br />
With the proliferation of smart appliances in recent years, there is a growing trend of hackers taking over smart "Internet of Things" devices and adding them to {{w|botnets}}. The hardware is then used for DDOS attacks, crypto mining etc. The "Mirai" botnet made of over 500,000 compromised routers, refrigerators, tvs, DVRs, baby monitors, thermostats, and webcams was used in October 2016 to take down DynDNS, one of the core infrastructure providers for the internet in North America. <br />
<br />
With the potential threat always looming, security updates must be constantly pushed, and exploits must be found by the original developers and "white hat" hackers (The faceless team of engineers [[Randall]] describes), before they could be found (and get used) by "black hat" hackers. At any time, these people could quit, leaving devices defenseless.<br />
<br />
The graph shows the various cases of how well things go on the y axis, compared to how long it has been owned on the x axis. The older a device/software is, the less likely it is to consistently receive security updates for protection, so they are more likely to be hacked, even in the best case. After 10 years, the device/software, is most likely outdated and is not being used anymore. Companies then no longer find it profitable to continually update the product, and then pull support out, even if people are still using it, leaving them vulnerable. The exact thing happened to many users, when Microsoft halted updates to Windows XP in 2014, even though many people still used the operating system. <br />
<br />
The title text suggests that being easy to hack may actually be a positive thing for an older device, because it means that criminals have a vested interest in providing system support to keep it operational after the manufacturer has stopped supporting it.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A graph is shown inside a frame. There is one dotted line going from the middle of the left edge, then dipping slightly before rising slowly at first, then more rapid and finally slowing its ascend down as it nears the top right corner.]<br />
<br />
:[Above the frame is the title of the x-axis, and from each end of this text, there is a small line going out and then down, to indicate a time range, which is shown below with four times:]<br />
:How long you've had your smart appliance<br />
:6 months &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1 year &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 5 years &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 10 years<br />
<br />
:[Along the left part of the frame there runs a double arrow and at the top and bottom of these arrows there are legends at the top and bottom of the panels height:]<br />
:Best-case<br />
:Worst-case<br />
<br />
:[Inside the panel there is text above the dotted line to the left, and below the dotted line to the right:]<br />
:You're constantly being rescued from peril by a faceless team of engineers who could wander away at any time<br />
<br />
:Your appliance is part of a botnet run by organized crime<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Line graphs]]<br />
[[Category:Virtual Assistants]]</div>108.162.216.130https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1960:_Code_Golf&diff=1530751960: Code Golf2018-02-26T05:18:49Z<p>108.162.216.130: /* Explanation */ Add basic explanation of code golf.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1960<br />
| date = February 26, 2018<br />
| title = Code Golf<br />
| image = code_golf.png<br />
| titletext = I also enjoy Reverse Regular Golf. I've been playing for years all across the country and I'm still on the first hole.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic refers to code golf [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_golf], the idea of using as few characters as possible to achieve your code goal, similar to how in golf the goal is to get to the end with as few strokes as possible. Reverse code golf would be to use as many characters as possible, which he does in the code example with overly long variable names that seems to be lines in some book.<br />
<br />
Code golf is a game among programmers where contestants try to solve a given problem or challenge with as little code as possible (usually decided by measuring the program in bytes). In the comic's version, Reverse Code Golf, the object is to complete some mundane task in as many bytes as possible, hence the ridiculously long method and variable names.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.216.130https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1951:_Super_Bowl_Watch_Party&diff=1519361951: Super Bowl Watch Party2018-02-06T00:46:10Z<p>108.162.216.130: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1951<br />
| date = February 5, 2018<br />
| title = Super Bowl Watch Party<br />
| image = super_bowl_watch_party.png<br />
| titletext = It's going to be weird near the end of May when the screen goes blank for over 18 hours.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a FOOTBALL - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The {{w|Super Bowl}} is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional {{w|American football}}. In late January or early February each year, the winner of the American Football Conference (AFC) plays the winner of the National Football Conference (NFC) to determine the champion. In {{w|Super Bowl LII}} held on Sunday, February 4, the NFC champion {{w|Philadelphia Eagles}} defeated the AFC champion {{w|New England Patriots}}. Based on its wide-reaching cultural impact, Super Bowl is widely considered the single most important game of the year (of any sport) in the United States, and over a hundred million people watch it, many of whom are not even fans of American football. Some have parties centered on watching the game. The full game lasts around four hours, including breaks for advertisement and a halftime, which includes a live performance of music.<br />
It would be highly impractical to be watching TV continuously for 52 years.<br />
<br />
By slowing the video down by a factor of 2300, the show would last a full year. Normal TV is broadcast at 30 frames per second. So if slowed by a factor of 2300, each frame would be shown for about 76 seconds. Each frame can be discussed and analysed by the watchers. Each day in the slow video would cover just under 40 seconds of real time. So when Megan comes down to rejoin the party (who have been watching all night) they can describe about 20 seconds of real time. The description refers to the offense taking the field after the initial kickoff was returned to the 26 yard line.<br />
<br />
A ''cut'' means a change in camera angle. Cuts happen frequently during the broadcast, especially when the ball is not in play; thus Megan has a relatively high probability (albeit still incredibly low, with cuts being less than one in every 1000 frames) of being right simply by chance that the next frame will be a cut, and has apparently been predicting it often.<br />
<br />
The ads and halftime show are considered integral parts of the broadcast, and many advertisers debut elaborate commercials especially for game, since so many people watch it. Many people claim to watch the Super Bowl only for the commercial breaks. The end of February would correspond to about 14 minutes of real time.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to how, during a commercial break during the 2018 Super Bowl, just blackness was broadcast for 28 seconds. <ref>https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2018/02/04/super-bowl-nbc-equipment-failure-blank-screen-super-bowl-commercial/305623002/</ref><br />
<br />
Cueball has previously explained that he now watches the [[1480: Super Bowl|Super Bowl]], despite [[60: Super Bowl|not being very interested in sport]]. A slowly updating video is similar to the concept behind [[Time]], and is also reminiscent of Douglas Gordon's 1993 art installation {{w|24 Hour Psycho}}. Also, {{w|As Slow as Possible}} is an organ piece that is currently played in a German church - it will end in 2640, after 639 years of continuous playing.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Megan walks into a room. Cueball and another Megan-like individual are sitting on a couch. Another Cueball sits in front of them, while Ponytail lies on the ground in front of a TV.]<br />
:Megan: Morning. How's the game?<br />
:Cueball: Eagles got to the 26-yard line around midnight. They've been walking across the field since then. Just entered a huddle.<br />
:Megan #2: I bet the next frame will be a cut.<br />
:Cueball #2: You always say that.<br />
:Ponytail: Do you think the first ads will come by the end of February?<br />
:[Caption below the comic:]<br />
:I'm at a year-round Super Bowl watch party. We're playing the stream at 1/2300x speed, so it will end just as next year's Super Bowl starts.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:American football]]<br />
<br />
<references/></div>108.162.216.130https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1937:_IATA_Airport_Abbreviations&diff=1502751937: IATA Airport Abbreviations2018-01-03T17:18:24Z<p>108.162.216.130: /* Added a description for airport HSV */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1937<br />
| date = January 3, 2018<br />
| title = IATA Airport Abbreviations<br />
| image = iata_airport_abbreviations.png<br />
| titletext = IATA stands for International AirporT Abbreviation.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Expansion needed. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic is making fun of the three-letter codes assigned to all airports. These codes are overseen by the IATA (International Air Transport Association). Some airport codes are very intuitive, taking letters from the city name (e.g., DEN for Denver). Other codes are somewhat intuitive, taking a letter or two from the nearby city name but adding an additional letter (e.g., LAX for Los Angeles). Other codes make seemingly no sense at all (e.g., ORD for Chicago's O'Hare International, due to it formerly being named Orchard Field). In many cases, the airport codes appear to have been chosen (or invented) because they are also common abbreviations and acronyms. <br />
<br />
If we use the table provided, Randall's friend is flying into Edwards Air Force Base and then down to whatever. This is not a typical flight{{Citation needed}}. In actuality, the friend is flying into Newark tonight and Detroit tomorrow.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|'''IATA Code''' || '''Actual Assigned City/Airport''' || '''Description in the comic''' || '''Explanation'''<br />
|-<br />
| AMD || Ahmedabad || Amsterdam || Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. Its airport (called Schiphol) has the IATA code AMS. "AMD" is a brand of computer processors.<br />
|-<br />
| ANC || Anchorage || Ankh-Morpork || Ankh-Morpork is a fictional city-state featured in {{w|Discworld}}.<br />
|-<br />
| ATL || Atlanta || Atalantë || Another name for J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional island of Númenor (which is in turn a reference to the sinking of Atlantis).<br />
|-<br />
| BAE || Barcelonnette || Beijing || Beijing is the capital of China. Its airport has the IATA code PEK. "Bae" is a slang term meaning girlfriend, boyfriend, or significant other.<br />
|-<br />
| BLT || Blackwater || Baltimore || A "BLT" is a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.<br />
|-<br />
| BUF || Buffalo || Sunnydale || Sunnydale is the fictional setting of '''''Buf'''fy the Vampire Slayer''.<br />
|-<br />
| CLT || Charlotte || [CENSORED] || The censored word may be "clitoris." Randall has used this word in the comic before, so it is not known why he censors it here.<br />
|-<br />
| DFW || Dallas/Fort Worth || Down For Whatever<br />
|-<br />
| DTF || not assigned || Dartford || "DTF" is an acronym used to indicate "Down To Fuck". Dartford is a town in Kent, UK, about 10 miles SE of London.<br />
|-<br />
| DTW || Detroit || Down To Whatever<br />
|-<br />
| DWI || not assigned || Delaware International || "DWI" is an acronym for "Driving While Intoxicated" or "Driving While Impaired."<br />
|-<br />
| EWR || Newark || Edwards Air Force Base || Edwards Air Force Base (which has the IATA code EDW) is a United States Air Force installation in southern California, about 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Lancaster and 15 miles (24 km) east of Rosamond.<br />
|-<br />
| FFS || not assigned || Flagstaff Station || "FFS" is an acronym for "For Fuck's Sake".<br />
|-<br />
| FHQ || not assigned || FHQWHGADS || The string "fhqwhgads" appeared as the sender name in a spam email sent to Strong Bad in the {{w|Homestar Runner}} cartoons; Strong Bad ended up writing a song dedicated to the "character".<br />
|-<br />
| FYI || not assigned || Fayetteville || "FYI" often stands for "For Your Information".<br />
|-<br />
| HGM || not assigned || Hogsmeade || Hogsmeade is a fictional location in the Harry Potter series.<br />
|-<br />
| HSV || Huntsville || Huntsville || This is one where Randall and the IATA agree. HSV is better known as the Hue-Saturation-Value color space or German soccer club Hamburger SV<br />
|-<br />
| IAD || Washington (Dulles) || Idaho (Boise)<br />
|-<br />
| IUD || Doha || Washington (Dulles) || An "IUD" is an "IntraUterine Device," or form of birth control.<br />
|-<br />
| JFC || not assigned || Jefferson City || "JFC" is an acronym for "Jesus Fucking Christ."<br />
|-<br />
| KUL || Kuala Lumpur || Kingdom of Loathing || Kingdom of Loathing is an online, browser-based RPG.<br />
|-<br />
| LAX || Los Angeles || Las Angalas || "Las Angalas" is a "Los Angeles" with every vowel replaced with an "a" character.<br />
|-<br />
| LOL || Lovelock || Louisville || "LOL" often stands for "Laughing Out Loud".<br />
|-<br />
| MDW || Chicago, IL (Midway) || Midway Atoll || Midway Atoll was the site of one of the most significant World War II Pacific naval battles. Its actual IATA code is MDY.<br />
|-<br />
| MIA || Miami || Colombo, Sri Lanka || MIA is a rapper who is of Sri Lankan heritage. It also frequently stands for "Missing In Action".<br />
|-<br />
| OMW || not assigned || Omaha || Eppley Airfield in East Omaha, Nebraska, has an IATA code of OMA. "OMW" is an acronym for "On My Way."<br />
|-<br />
| ORD || Chicago, IL (O'Hare) || Orlando<br />
|-<br />
| PDX || Portland || Pordlanx || Consider how LAX has a random "X" at the end. And "ORD" is an actual IATA code. Randall here messes with "Portland" in much the same way.<br />
|-<br />
| PHL || Philadelphia, PA || Pittsburgh || Pittsburgh International Airport has a IATA code of PIT.<br />
|-<br />
| SAN || San Diego || San Diego<br>San Juan<br>San Jose<br>San Francisco<br>San Antonio<br />
|-<br />
| SEA || Seattle/Tacoma or SeaTac || [Indicates Water Landing] || This is possibly a reference to the fact that "SEA" could be interpreted as "Sea". Like some other major airports (e.g., {{w|San Francisco International Airport}} and {{w|LaGuardia Airport}}), SEA is very close to a large body of water, in SeaTac's case {{w|Puget Sound}}: thus, missing the airport may end up in a water landing. SeaTac is also a city in WA, adjacent to the airport.<br />
|-<br />
| SMH || Sapmanga || Smithfield || "SMH" often stands for "Shaking My Head".<br />
|-<br />
| STL || St. Louis || Silent Hill || Silent Hill is a fictional city appearing in the series of video games and movies with the same name. <br />
|-<br />
| SWF || Newburgh, New York || Sherwood Forest || .swf is the file extension for ShockWave Flash files. "SWF" can also stand for "Single White Female" in personal ads.<br />
|-<br />
| TBA || Tabibuga || Tribeca || "TBA" often stands for "To Be Announced".<br />
|-<br />
| TMI || Tumlingtar || Turkmenistan International || "TMI" often stands for "Too Much Information".<br />
|-<br />
| YYY || Mont-Joli || Toronto Downtown || The small airport in downtown Toronto is Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport which has an IATA code of YTZ.<br />
|-<br />
| YYZ || Toronto || Toronto Pearson || This one is correct.<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
Confused by those airport abbreviations used by your friends who fly a lot? Just memorize this list.<br />
:Aside 1: I'm flying into EWR tonight, then DTW tomorrow.<br />
:Aside 2: Ok, cool. I definitely know what those mean without Googling.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|-<br />
| AMD || Amsterdam<br />
|-<br />
| BAE || Beijing<br />
|-<br />
| ORD || Orlando<br />
|-<br />
| IAD || Idaho (Boise)<br />
|-<br />
| JFC || Jefferson City<br />
|-<br />
| IUD || Washington Dulles<br />
|-<br />
| FYI || Fayetteville<br />
|-<br />
| LOL || Louisville<br />
|-<br />
| ATL || Atalante<br />
|-<br />
| HGM || Hogsmeade<br />
|-<br />
| OMW || Omaha<br />
|-<br />
| ANC || Ankh-Morpork<br />
|-<br />
| HSV || Hunstville<br />
|-<br />
| SAN || San Diego<br />
|-<br />
| SAN || San Juan<br />
|-<br />
| SAN || San Jose<br />
|-<br />
| SAN || San Francisco<br />
|-<br />
| SAN || San Antonio<br />
|-<br />
| DWI || Delaware International<br />
|-<br />
| DFW || Down for Whatever<br />
|-<br />
| DTW || Down to Whatever<br />
|-<br />
| TMI || Turkmenistan International<br />
|-<br />
| LAX || Las Angalas<br />
|-<br />
| EWR || Edwards Air Force Base<br />
|-<br />
| PHL || Pittsburgh<br />
|-<br />
| SWF || Sherwood Forest<br />
|-<br />
| KUL || Kingdom of Loathing<br />
|-<br />
| STL || Silent Hill<br />
|-<br />
| BUF || Sunnydale<br />
|-<br />
| TBA || Tribeca<br />
|-<br />
| SMH || Smithfield<br />
|-<br />
| BLT || Baltimore<br />
|-<br />
| YYY || Toronto Downtown<br />
|-<br />
| YYZ || Toronto Pearson<br />
|-<br />
| MIA || Colombo, Sri Lanka<br />
|-<br />
| CLT || Censored<br />
|-<br />
| FHQ || Fhqwhgads<br />
|-<br />
| FFS || Flagstaff Station<br />
|-<br />
| DTF || Dartford<br />
|-<br />
| MDW || Midway Atoll<br />
|-<br />
| PDX || Pordlanx<br />
|-<br />
| SEA || Indicates Water Landing<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.216.130https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1920:_Emoji_Sports&diff=1483681920: Emoji Sports2017-11-26T23:06:00Z<p>108.162.216.130: bombs can hurt golfers too</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1920<br />
| date = November 24, 2017<br />
| title = Emoji Sports<br />
| image = emoji_sports.png<br />
| titletext = No horse has yet managed the elusive Quadruple Crown—winning the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, the Belmont Stakes, and the Missouri Horse Hole.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Still needs more explanation and a less humorous explanation of each sport concept - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This comic, as the heading indicates, arbitrarily selects emoji and uses them to make up very bizarre sports. Although some of these might be completely normal, most of them take things to a completely absurd level.<br />
<br />
The title text is a reference to the triple crown, which is an highly prestigious award given to a three-year-old thoroughbred horse who wins the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, the first three of the four listed events. The joke is that were Horse Hole a real sport, then one who won a major competition for it, the Missouri Horse Hole, in addition to the three main horse racing events, they would then win a “Quadruple Crown".<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!scope="col" style="width: 100px;" |Emoji<br />
!scope="col" style="width: 150px;" |Sport<br />
!scope="col" |Description<br />
|-<br />
|🤽♂️🌋<br />
|Lavaball<br />
|Sets the sport of water polo around or inside an active volcano. If the water is simply replaced with lava, the players would asphyxiate from the toxic fumes long before they burned to death in the molten rock. If a typical pool of water is involved, the introduction of lava would cause rapid evaporation and the release of {{w|Chlorine#Use_as_a_weapon|chlorine gas}}, which is destructive to living tissue. In any case, this game is not a good time.<br />
|-<br />
|🤾♀️🤺<br />
|Bladeball<br />
|Using a fencing foil to hit a ball would not only be inefficient, but would easily lead to the destruction of the ball instead.<br />
|-<br />
|💃💃⚽<br />
|Fancyball<br />
|High-heeled soccer would be a problem for both kicking and running, and would lead to frequent injury.<br />
|-<br />
|🕳️🏇🏇🏇<br />
|Horse hole<br />
| Jockeys ride their horses into a large pit. Needless to say, such a sport would constitute blatant animal abuse; the ensuing fall would seriously injure competing equines (as well as their jockeys if they don't bail out beforehand). If the horse's self-preservation instinct kicks in before reaching the edge, the jockey will likely be severely injured in the process, an outcome which would likely garner a lot less pity.<br/> Both this segment and the title text may relate to Episode 354 of My Brother My Brother And Me, "Beanfreak", where a potential punishment for losing horses in a race is described as a trapdoor leading to a "pony pile" beneath the track. (Many of the podcast's episodes deal with horse racing and horse behavior, including some impassioned conversations on the performance of specific horses and the unregulated nature of the widely recognized Triple Crown achievement.)<br />
|-<br />
|🔪🏀⛏️<br />
|Basketball Shredding<br />
|The apparent point of this sport is to compete to destroy basketballs as quickly and/or as thoroughly as possible. There is some transgressive appeal in mistreating sports equipment, but hardly enough to keep a captive audience.<br />
|-<br />
|🥚🔭🕵️♀️<br />
|Eggspotting<br />
|This could be a combination of {{w|Egg_hunt|egg hunting}} and {{w|birdwatching}}. The emojis imply that said eggs would have to be found alone in nature, as if they were wild animals. This is unlikely, to say the least.<br />
|-<br />
|⛷️🐊<br />
|Alligator Jumping<br />
|An unusual combination of attributes, and to get the alligators to adapt to a cold environment might be a challenge. The emoji is actually a crocodile.<br />
|-<br />
|👩🎣🧜♂️<br />
|Merfishing<br />
|Unless humans volunteer to get in costume, this sport is unlikely to have any successes, due to the rarity or nonexistence of {{w|Mermaid|mermaids}}.<br />
|-<br />
|👨🏸🧚🏸👩<br />
|Tinkerball<br />
|Playing badminton with a fairy, named after [[wikipedia:Tinker Bell|Tinker Bell]]. Likely to injure the fairy.<br />
|-<br />
|🥌🦔🥌<br />
|Hedgehog Curling<br />
|Hedgehogs are not ideal projectiles for sports, as ''Alice in Wonderland'' has already demonstrated, and such an idea would likely be considered animal abuse on top of the impracticality.<br />
|-<br />
|🗜️🍔<br />
|Burger Clamping<br />
|Perhaps a challenge to fit a tall burger into a bite-sized height, though said clamp is more likely to pierce the burger than to flatten it.<br />
|-<br />
|👩🚀🏹🛰️<br />
|Consequence archery<br />
|Archery on a space station would lead to the potentially explosive decompression of the space station, and necessitate the evacuation of the astronauts aboard.<br />
|-<br />
|🦉➡️📬<br />
|Owlstuffing<br />
|This appears to consist of attempting to stuff owls into mailboxes, which would be doubly illegal, because it would be cruel to the owls and interfere with delivery of the mail. The mailbox is shown with the flag up, which normally indicates that there is mail in it, but it appears to be empty, perhaps so that the owl can be stuffed in it. Possibly a reference to owls carrying mail in the Harry Potter series.<br />
|-<br />
|🍴🕯️🍴<br />
|Candle Eating<br />
|An even more unhealthy form of {{w|competitive eating}}. Eating large amounts of candle wax can cause {{w|Bowel_obstruction|intestinal obstruction}}.<br />
|-<br />
|⛳💣🏌️♀️<br />
|Consequence Golf<br />
|Golfing with a bomb would likely significantly reduce the par on each hole, and there would be definite damage to the course and golfers unless the holes extinguished the bombs of skilled golfers. The balance and rolling of the balls would also be impeded by the fuses and caps, and there is a possibility of fires starting from a lit fuse making contact with the green.<br />
|-<br />
|👉🐍👈<br />
|Snake Shaming<br />
|Probably a play on snake charming. Also a possible reference to the biblical story where the snake is shamed for deceiving mankind by being doomed to crawl on its belly.<br />
|-<br />
|🔥🧗♀️🔥<br />
|Hell Escape<br />
|Trying to escape the {{w|lake of fire}} is the pastime of damned souls.<br />
|-<br />
|🎮🥑🎮<br />
|Multiplayer Avocado<br />
|Unless a game based on avocados is the subject, there is, to say the least, a hardware compatibility issue here. Very different from the adult version, multiplayer eggplant (🎮🍆🎮; see [[1870: Emoji Movie Reviews]]).<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:<big>New sports</big><br />
:created from random emoji<br />
<br />
:[Man Playing Water Polo + Volcano]<br />
:🤽♂️🌋 Lavaball<br />
<br />
:[Woman Playing Handball + Person Fencing]<br />
:🤾♀️🤺 Bladeball<br />
<br />
:[Woman Dancing (2 emojis) + Soccer Ball]<br />
:💃💃⚽ Fancyball<br />
<br />
:[Hole + Horse Racing (3 emojis)]<br />
:🕳️🏇🏇🏇 Horse hole<br />
<br />
:[Kitchen Knife + Basketball + Pick]<br />
:🔪🏀⛏️ Basketball Shredding<br />
<br />
:[Egg + Telescope + Woman Detective]<br />
:🥚🔭🕵️♀️ Eggspotting<br />
<br />
:[Skier + Crocodile]<br />
:⛷️🐊 Alligator Jumping<br />
<br />
:[Woman + Fishing Pole + Merman]<br />
:👩🎣🧜♂️ Merfishing<br />
<br />
:[Man + Badminton + Fairy + Badminton + Woman]<br />
:👨🏸🧚🏸👩 Tinkerball<br />
<br />
:[Curling Stone + Hedgehog + Curling Stone]<br />
:🥌🦔🥌 Hedgehog Curling<br />
<br />
:[Clamp + Hamburger]<br />
:🗜️🍔 Burger Clamping<br />
<br />
:[Woman Astronaut + Bow and Arrow + Satellite]<br />
:👩🚀🏹🛰️ Consequence archery<br />
<br />
:[Owl + Right Arrow + Open Mailbox]<br />
:🦉➡️📬 Owlstuffing<br />
<br />
:[Fork and Knife + Candle + Fork and Knife]<br />
:🍴🕯️🍴 Candle Eating<br />
<br />
:[Flag in Hole + Bomb + Woman Golfing]<br />
:⛳💣🏌️♀️ Consequence Golf <br />
<br />
:[Pointing Right + Snake + Pointing Left]<br />
:👉🐍👈 Snake Shaming<br />
<br />
:[Fire + Woman Climbing + Fire]<br />
:🔥🧗♀️🔥 Hell Escape<br />
<br />
:[Video Game + Avocado + Video Game]<br />
:🎮🥑🎮 Multiplayer Avocado<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Emoji]]</div>108.162.216.130https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1915:_Nightmare_Email_Feature&diff=147748Talk:1915: Nightmare Email Feature2017-11-13T21:40:15Z<p>108.162.216.130: Adding the idea that there are societal expectations in play</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
I feel like the comic is more about the addressee of the mail seeing how much time the sender spent on the mail. In the comic, I feel like the sender is asking about having another date with someone and try to be casual about it, which would be contradicted by the time he actually spent on it.<br />
<br />
In the same way, the title indicates that the mail spent 3 days in the drafts while the sender writes "I just saw your message". It would be very awkward if the recipient of the mail could see that it is a lie.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.224|162.158.88.224]] 14:26, 13 November 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Indeed, you are correct. I misinterpreted the comic. [[User:Fvalves|Fvalves]] ([[User talk:Fvalves|talk]]) 15:43, 13 November 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
He's always commenting on how you're responsible for how you're interpreted and now he's having difficulty managing his responsibility for how he's interpreted.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.69.50|162.158.69.50]] 16:00, 13 November 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
This is MY nightmare email feature. I spend 10 minutes per line.<br />
<br />
The paradox is that it takes a long time for Randall to craft a socially acceptable email, but it is socially unacceptable to spend a long time crafting emails. If the email's composition time becomes part of the email itself, then it is impossible for Randall to send a socially acceptable email. He is carefully choosing the right words, rhythm, and sentence structure in his emails, because he is expected to sound relaxed, natural, and off-the-cuff.<br />
<br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.130|108.162.216.130]] 21:40, 13 November 2017 (UTC)</div>108.162.216.130https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1811:_Best-Tasting_Colors&diff=137655Talk:1811: Best-Tasting Colors2017-03-21T21:18:30Z<p>108.162.216.130: ??? explanation</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~--><br />
<br />
This is obviously wrong because white chocolate is not [[378|real]] chocolate. Let the flamewar begin. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.34|172.68.54.34]] 15:22, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Well, it's not technically chocolate, but it is a derivative -- insert math joke -- and the chart doesn't seem to be concerned with what it is, just with what it's called; after all, that which is called white chocolate by any other name would taste just as sweet, putting some off while others enjoy it. [[User:Nyperold|Nyperold]] ([[User talk:Nyperold|talk]]) 16:44, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
::As per your request: http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/626:_Newton_and_Leibniz [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.52|172.68.34.52]] 22:08, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Purple skittles in France taste like blueberry.{{unsigned ip|141.101.69.105}}<br />
<br />
Vanilla isn't white.{{unsigned ip|172.68.58.131}}<br />
<br />
What are all of the question marks here for? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.251|108.162.246.251]] 15:51, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think those question marks at the top are supposed to be bubble gum.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.10|108.162.245.10]] 16:03, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I suspect this is Randall's take on Fake News™, since it contains verifiably false claims such as coffee and liquorice being bad, and candy floss being better than watermelon<br />
<br />
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.66|141.101.107.66]] 16:12, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"In the title text, Randall asserts that his rankings of colors and foods are indisputable (with the exception of chocolate). This is of course ridiculous, as everyone knows that watermelon and strawberry are inherently superior to the likes of Citrus Fruits."...but his rankings of strawberry and of watermelon (x2) are higher than for oranges, lemons, and limes. There is no contradiction here; nothing that is ridiculous. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.118|162.158.78.118]] 16:29, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
: Liquorice, while an acquired taste certainly doesn't belong that far down, I'd take it over a long list of other things on the chart, but then again ... I'm Scandinavian {{unsigned ip|162.158.134.178}}<br />
:: Sweet liquorice, or salted? I'm pretty sure there should be two dots there. Also, coffee and chocolate are both missing from the right end of the 'black' row. Most of the others, I think I'd flip the line, but keep each line in the same place. I guess taste is variable in weird ways [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.109|162.158.154.109]] 21:56, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hmm. The selection seems quite diverse compared to a standard bag of jelly beans, but doesn't really cover the range of a gourmet brand. I wonder where root beer falls, or Dr Pepper. And that's not even getting into color classification when the bean has more than one color. Personally, when I used to get gourmet jelly bean brands, I would do the squeeze-and-sniff test on a particular shade of brown, because it was used for both coffee and a flavor I liked. I remember Lore Sjöberg having a similar problem with cinnamon and cherry, but if he ever arrived at my solution, I don't know. [[User:Nyperold|Nyperold]] ([[User talk:Nyperold|talk]]) 16:44, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Interesting theory that he's talking about flavors of jelly beans, though there's really nothing to indicate he is. But I believe every one of those food flavors are included in, for example, Jelly Belly's lineup (with the possible exception of a White Chocolate flavor). [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 17:00, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:My take upon reading the comic was that it refers to Jelly Bellies. If you have ever tried a popcorn jelly belly you know how bad they are....[[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.72|172.68.65.72]] 23:32, 16 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:::I really like the "buttered popcorn" Jelly Bellys [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 17:27, 17 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
::If you look at https://www.jellybelly.com/flavor-guides webpage though a lot of flavors from the comics are not jelly belly flavors.--[[User:Lul|Lul]] ([[User talk:Lul|talk]]) 11:52, 17 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
I enjoy licorice and white chocolate, and I think strawberry is overrated. Fight me. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.16|162.158.126.16]] 17:34, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
If it is jelly beans it is definitely more agreeable then actual food. Because popcorn jelly beans are awful which explains why there a outlier. It also explains why there split by color.{{unsigned ip|172.68.58.89}}<br />
:It could also explain the question marks. They could be jelly beans for which he was not able to identify the flavor, but was able to judge it.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.5|162.158.79.5]] 13:16, 17 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Wow. I've seen stupidity, I've seen REAL stupidity, and now there comes this comic. Randall is confirmed for pleb taste. Also quit fucking editing my posts just because I have an objectively better taste than you do and it offends you that someone would call randall out on having shit taste in flavors.{{unsigned ip|173.245.50.96}}<br />
<br />
I'm a retard pretending i'm superior by liking certain fruits. {{unsigned ip|162.158.75.52}}<br />
<br />
My tastes now rate sweet tastes poorly - as well as sour, so I would down rate candyfloss, but not up rate lemon. The variability of chocolate represents the range from choc flavoured sweet margarine, through to 90% coco solids. My peak preference being about 50-60%. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 18:14, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Patrician taste good sir. Though, I respectfully disagree with your opinion on sour only somewhat: Lemons combined with other flavors make lemons pretty dang tasty.{{unsigned ip|173.245.50.96}}<br />
<br />
Has anyone figured out what all the question marks in the graph are for yet? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.59.190|162.158.59.190]] 20:08, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
All the question marks made me wonder if he accidentally published an early draft again or something. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.133.90|172.68.133.90]] 20:44, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: I'm fairly sure the question marks are related to lewd matters. [[User:KromdarTheAllHungering|KromdarTheAllHungering]] ([[User talk:KromdarTheAllHungering|talk]]) 02:56, 16 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hi, I added a table. Can somebody fix and fill it as I am not the best at tablework (as you can see). [[User:Dontknow|Dontknow]] ([[User talk:Dontknow|talk]]) 02:45, 16 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: Fixed and partially filled! [[User:Cody Code|Cody Code]] ([[User talk:Cody Code|talk]]) 03:52, 16 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Transcript<br />
<br />
As the transcript is for the visually impaired, I think the colored letters should only be used in the explanation and described [pink letters] in the transcript; what do you think? --[[User:LaVe|LaVe]] ([[User talk:LaVe|talk]]) 21:06, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:The transcript is not only for visually impaired. Nevertheless those translation programs know colors. Be smart. And a simple bold header is enough at the discussion page.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:14, 15 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
“Most people” do not like licorice; Most Americans, you mean. Licorice is extremely popular in Europe in many varieties. But they don’t like root beer. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.227|108.162.246.227]] 06:04, 16 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
: AFAIR in pretty much every food item common to the US and the UK, the US version had a far larger sugar content. My theory is that salt was more expensive that sugar everywhere but the coastal regions, so preserving with sugar was the way to go and hence the apparent national "sweet tooth" [[User:RoyT|RoyT]] ([[User talk:RoyT|talk]]) 08:04, 16 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
: Hello. As a european myself, i can assure you that Licorice is not extremly popular here, except among some loners, who are recieved and watched critically by their fellow europeans. Most people in Europe don't like it. Also, most people in Europe heard of rootbeer, but nearly noone ever drank it - i wouldn't even know where to get it here. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.149|162.158.91.149]] 10:08, 16 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: You can't speak for most people in Europe. Tastes are really different according to which countries you speak about. There are lot of European alcohols with licorice flavors and also lot of licorice candies...{{unsigned|Lul}}<br />
<br />
Wait, lemons? I like lemons. Anyone with an excess of raw lemons for eating should send me them. I would eat them consistently if it weren't for the fact that doing so makes my gums sore afterwards. I've several times distilled lemon juice into a much, much stronger "lemon syrup" with about 1/10th the volume and the consistency of maple syrup, and my general feeling is that I would eat it like candy if it were widely available, even though it has virtually no sugar in it. Lemon flavor is best flavor! [[Special:Contributions/172.68.133.132|172.68.133.132]] 07:51, 16 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
: Lemon juice has plenty of sugar in it. That's why it's used for invisible ink. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.16|198.41.238.16]] 08:28, 16 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
: I want to try lemon syrup now; bet it would be perfect for pancakes. -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.109|162.158.154.109]] 18:31, 17 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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Why are those values approximate when they have four significant figures? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.16|198.41.238.16]] 08:28, 16 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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How are bananas not included?{{unsigned ip|162.158.78.148}}<br />
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The watermelon flavor of Airheads candy is completely green. Also, many watermelon candies partially include a green part to mimic the appearance of watermelon, and even though they taste the same, may elicit a false feeling of tasting better. [[Special:Contributions/76.252.228.30|76.252.228.30]] 12:04, 16 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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"???" refers to the mystery Dum Dums flavor. I'm pretty sure about this. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.130|108.162.216.130]] 21:18, 21 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
This is some manchild pleb taste. "EWW COFFY NASTY >:( MOMMY I WANT SWEET :O" seriously.{{unsigned ip|173.245.50.96 }}<br />
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The question marks for blue might have to do with George Carlin's lament over the lack of blue food.[[User:CoderLass|CoderLass]] ([[User talk:CoderLass|talk]]) 21:53, 20 March 2017 (UTC)</div>108.162.216.130https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1337:_Hack&diff=730481337: Hack2014-08-06T14:21:18Z<p>108.162.216.130: /* corrects leetspeak ("1337") to have no space, gives background on 1337, and specifies how "elite" is represented with the numerals 1337 */</p>
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<div><noinclude>:''"1337", this comic's number, redirects here. For the 2007 storyline of the same name, starting with [[341|comic 341]], see [[:Category:1337]].''</noinclude><br />
{{comic<br />
| number = 1337<br />
| date = March 3, 2014<br />
| title = Hack<br />
| image = hack.png<br />
| titletext = HACK THE STARS<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{Incomplete| Any issues?}}<br />
This comic is a mash-up of the project to re-position the {{w|International Cometary Explorer|ISEE-3/ICE}} probe, and the movie ''{{w|Hackers (film)|Hackers}}''. The first row (four panels) explain the history of the probe, and the true story about how the probe was coming back into signal range and seemed capable of being controlled. NASA declined to attempt to regain control of the probe, but a group of enthusiasts assembled the equipment and attempted to re-purpose the probe.<br />
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The following two rows (eight panels) set up a fictional scenario the enthusiasts have been locked out of the system, the probe is being controlled by someone else, and the message "Mess with the best, die like the rest" is communicated from the probe. This is a catch phrase of the protagonist, Crash, from the movie ''Hackers''.<br />
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The final row is a reference to the ending of the movie, where Crash romances Burn, his romantic interest, in a rooftop pool. In the movie, while Crash and Burn swim in a rooftop pool, several buildings light up with the words "CRASH AND BURN". This is their friends' latest hack, and an attempt to provide romance for the new couple. In the comic the transmitter being used to communicate with ISEE-3 was hacked to by Burn to burn up over Crash and Burn swimming in the pool providing a "shooting star" for romantic effect. Since the movie predates the shutdown-signal (1997), the characters should possess the skills to understand the probe and hack the transmitter.<br />
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This is comic number 1337, which means ''elite'' (and in this context possibly elite hacking) in {{w|leetspeak}}. Leetspeak (itself often referred to as "1337") is a form of symbolic writing often associated with hacker subculture that substitutes various numbers and {{w|ASCII}} symbols for letters. To get 1337, the word elite is shortened/stylized to "leet" with the letters L, E, E, and T turned into the numbers 1, 3, 3, and 7.<br />
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The title text "Hack the stars" is also an allusion to the movie [[wikipedia:Hackers (film)|Hackers]] where the Phrase "Hack the Planet!" is used on multiple occasions.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[Panel 1 shows an image of the ISEE-3/ICE spacecraft]<br />
:Narration: The ISEE-3/ICE probe was launched in 1978. Its mission ended in 1997 and it was sent a shutdown signal.<br />
:Narration: In 2008, we learned-to our surprise-that the probe didn't shut down. It's still running and it has plenty of fuel. ...and in 2014, its orbit brings it near earth.<br />
:[Panel 3 shows Megan and Ponytail talking to each other.]<br />
:Megan: We could send it on a new mission... Except we no longer have the equipment to send commands to it.<br />
:Ponytail: Can't we...<br />
:Megan: NASA won't rebuild it. "Too Expensive"<br />
:Ponytail: Seriously?<br />
:Megan: I know, right? So the Internet found the specs and we went to work.<br />
:[Panel 5 shows Megan and Ponytail have walking into an area where a girl and Cueball both are sitting at desks looking at laptops.]<br />
:Narration: We've convinced them to give us time on the Madrid DSN transmitter and hacked the maser to support the uplink. And today's the big day.<br />
:Cueball: Transmitting... We have a signal! We have control!<br />
:Megan: OK, transmit the new comet rendezvous maneuver sequen-<br />
:[Cueball, off panel]: What the hell?<br />
:Megan: What?<br />
:Cueball: My console went dead!<br />
:Girl: Mine too!<br />
:Megan: What's happening?!<br />
:Cueball: There's a new signal going out over the transmitter!<br />
:[Megan, off panel]: A bug?<br />
:Cueball: Someone else is in the system!<br />
:Girl: Kill the connection!<br />
:[Cueball, off panel]: I can't find it!<br />
:Girl: They're firing the probe's engines!<br />
:[Cueball, off panel]: NO!<br />
:[Megan, off panel]: Who's doing this?? Stop them!<br />
:[Girl, off panel]: I'm trying!<br />
:Cueball, pointing to his screen: Look! My screen!<br />
:[Text, on Cueball's laptop screen]: M-E-S-S-W-I-T-H-T-H-E-B-E-S-T D-I-E-L-I-K-E-T-H-E-R-E-S-T<br />
:[Panel 13 shows two people in a pool at night.]<br />
:[Panel 14 zooms out to reveal the pool is on top of a skyscraper in a vertically developed, downtown setting.]<br />
:Burn: Crash?<br />
:Crash: Yeah, Burn?<br />
:Burn: Make a wish.<br />
:[Panel 16 shows the spacecraft streaking across the sky, indistinguishable from a meteoroid.]<br />
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==Trivia==<br />
*There are several pools in the movie as well. There is a subplot involving a mythical pool on the roof of the high school where several of the characters are students. Additionally, a scene in the movie [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcHBsB0igrg Hackers ending] shows Crash and Burn swimming in a rooftop pool, while several buildings light up with the words "CRASH AND BURN", the result of their friends' latest hack. This scene is similar to the last four panels of the comic.<br />
*The number of the comic is also significant, in that [[:Category:1337|1337]] is a common numeric form of {{w|leet}}, again referring to hackers.<br />
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===Background for ISEE-3/ICE===<br />
The {{w|International Cometary Explorer|ISEE-3/ICE}} probe was launched in August 12, 1978 and tasked to study Earth's magnetic field and the solar wind. After completing its original mission the probe was repurposed on June 10, 1982 to study the interaction between the solar wind and a cometary atmosphere. By flying through the comet {{w|21P/Giacobini–Zinner|Giacobini-Zinner}}'s tail, it became the first probe to do so. This put ISEE-3 in a {{w|heliocentric orbit}}. Its trajectory will bring it close to Earth on August 2014. <br />
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The Deep Space Network (DSN) detected the probe again in 2008 because NASA mistakenly left its transmitters on. However, the probe was only transmitting the carrier signal at that time. A status check of the spacecraft has revealed that many of its instruments are still working and that it contains plenty of fuel.[http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2014/02070836-isee-3.html] <br />
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It was reported that the hardware to communicate with ISEE-3/ICE had been decommissioned. The Madrid DSS complex still has the special filter required to communicate with the ICE satellite, but because of frequency conflicts S-band uplink is not supported.[http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsndocs/810-005/101/101E.pdf]<br />
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On March 1st and 2nd, 2014 radio amateurs were able to detect the beacon signal from the retired NASA deep space probe ICE (International Cometary Explorer) using the 20m radio telescope at the Bochum Observatory (Germany).[http://amsat-uk.org/2014/03/09/radio-amateurs-receive-nasa-isee-3ice-spacecraft/]<br />
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===Updates for ISEE-3/ICE===<br />
After this comic was published, it was established that an 18-meter satellite dish at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory does still have the right hardware.<br />
*April 4th 2014: Volunteers started a crowdfunding project on RocketHub to contact the probe and put it back into a {{w|halo orbit}} orbit around {{w|Lagrangian point}} L1.[http://www.rockethub.com/42228 "ISEE-3 reboot"]<br />
*May 23, 2014: First contact to the probe was established.<br />
*May 29, 2014: NASA gave them approval to try to achieve contact.<br />
*May 30, 2014: The project, led by [http://www.rockethub.com/profiles/68340-dennis-wingo Dennis Wingo] and {{w|Keith Cowing}}, had taken control of the spacecraft.<br />
*July 2, 2014: The reboot project successfully fired the thrusters for the first time since 1987. The engines on ISEE-3 performed a successful spin-up burn. The spin rate was changed to 19.76 rpm which is inside of the original mission specifications at 19.75 +/- 0.2 rpm. <br />
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Further attempts to change the trajectory into an earth bound orbit did fail. Despite the effort from experts and amateurs via the internet[http://spacecollege.org/isee3/we-are-borg-crowdsourced-isee-3-engineering-and-the-collective-mind-of-the-internet.html] it was determined that the spacecraft had run out of nitrogen pressurant.<br />
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Since the device was still communicating, and many of the instruments were still working, the ISEE-3 was intended to be used for the first citizen science, crowd funded, crowd sourced, interplanetary space science mission.[http://spacecollege.org/isee3/announcing-the-isee-3-interplanetary-citizen-science-mission.html]<br />
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See [http://spacecollege.org/isee3/ Space College: ISEE-3 Reboot Project Archives] for ongoing coverage of this amazing project.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
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[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>108.162.216.130