https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=108.162.219.190&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T00:18:21ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2290:_Homemade_Masks&diff=190632Talk:2290: Homemade Masks2020-04-14T22:19:53Z<p>108.162.219.190: </p>
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<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
A giant ring or hoop would work, or even one of those old ballgowns. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.202|162.158.34.202]] 10:25, 7 April 2020 (UTC)<br />
:I saw a video of a guy in Italy doing that.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.77|173.245.54.77]] 12:20, 7 April 2020 (UTC)<br />
::I think I read somewhere, that eight horses might do the trick as well. [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 07:04, 8 April 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Was this a rare Tuesday comic? or was this just released very late on Monday (4/6)? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.52|172.69.62.52]] 19:14, 7 April 2020 (UTC)<br />
:Fixed, according to xkcd.com/archive, this is a Monday comic. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.52|172.69.62.52]] 19:31, 7 April 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Interestingly, the lance thing is pretty much exactly [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-52054844/coronavirus-social-distancing-advice-what-two-metres-looks-like how the BBC recommends we do it here in the UK].<br />
<br />
I think, that if more people started carrying around 6 foot long [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3iYD4_9Sg poo sticks], that social distancing would be better observed. [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 04:03, 12 April 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
I don't know why moisture and warmth would harbor viruses particularly well? Fungi and bacteria like warm and humid but both they and warmth and possibly humidity break down viruses. I think virus last longer when it is colder and drier, unless they are on a receptive host and can get to work so to speak. The virus is small enough to pass through most light masks, but the mask can catch small droplets and is probably better than coughing and sneezing on your hand or elbow or whatever.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.190|108.162.219.190]] 22:19, 14 April 2020 (UTC)</div>108.162.219.190https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1993:_Fatal_Crash_Rate&diff=1570861993: Fatal Crash Rate2018-05-15T13:56:25Z<p>108.162.219.190: </p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1993<br />
| date = May 14, 2018<br />
| title = Fatal Crash Rate<br />
| image = fatal_crash_rate.png<br />
| titletext = Fixating on this seems unhealty. But in general, the more likely I think a crash is, the less likely one becomes, which is a strange kind of reverse placebo effect.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Title text needs to be further explained and the explanation needs to be expanded. Also, If the graphs match an official source, it should be linked. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This is the second recent comic after [[1990: Driving Cars]] on the subject of the dangers of cars.<br />
It combines general statistical correlations between age and safety improvements with fatal crashes. The graphs are:<br />
* '''fatal car crash probability based on age:''' Young drivers are generally considered more reckless, which leads to more accidents ([[Randall]] is shown to have started this stage in the year 2000). As drivers become comfortable with driving, internalizing the {{w|Traffic#rules of the road|rules of the road}}, their accident probability quickly drops, but this decrease becomes less pronounced when the driver needs to adapt to new traffic patterns due to moving or changing schedules (2010). After driving for 20 years, accident probability reaches a minimum, but is shown to rise slightly in 2040, probably because Randall fears a {{w|midlife crisis}}. By 2050, aging starts to affect a driver's abilities (reflexes, concentration, eyesight, etc) so accident probability rises.<br />
* '''Overall US fatal crash rate per mile traveled:''' this graph attempts to normalize these factors by correlating accident probability to how many miles the driver had driven by the time they died in an accident. However, the accident probability decreases with time as {{w|road traffic safety}} improves. The graph does a conservative estimate for future years, probably because improvements are, by nature, incremental -- which is why the graph has a slightly hyperbolic shape.<br />
* '''My miles traveled by car per year''' provides an estimate of miles traveled to be able to apply the second graph to himself. It shows a rise in the later half of the {{w|2000s decade}} (indicating a job which requires a lot of driving) and a fall shortly after (indicating a job that doesn't require much driving). with a rise up to the present. The graph predicts either that this rise will continue, or will drop since this "depends on job, where I live etc."<br />
<br />
The final graph, ostensibly the {{w|Product_(mathematics)|product}} of the three previous graphs' probabilities, shows that Randall worries that he will eventually be involved in a fatal car crash unless self driving cars take over, which he believes would eliminate car related fatalities. He is of the opinion that they will take over, but that they might not do so quickly enough to 'save' him from the spike of age-related fatalities in later life.<br />
<br />
The comic includes three smaller line graphs along the top, and then a larger line graph, which is kind of a combination of the three smaller ones, at the bottom. A vertical diagonal line is used on all these graphs to indicate "now", 2018; everything to the left of the graph has already happened (though the graph are showing statistical history rather than actual history) and everything to the right is projected to happen, statistically.<br />
<br />
The first smaller graph, labeled "MY FATAL CAR CRASH PROBABILITY BASED ON MY AGE", shows the likelihood he'll be involved in a car crash at different ages. The line doesn't start until slightly before 2000, probably when he first learned how to drive and started driving himself. He's not including when he would have been a child and a passenger, just when he is the actual driver. The two most dangerous ages to be driving are generally when you've first learned how to drive (and haven't yet mastered the skills or gained learned reflexes) and then again at an elderly age when your reflexes are slower and your senses become more limited (narrow field of vision/loss of peripheral vision, worse hearing, etc.).<br />
<br />
The middle smaller graph, labeled "OVERALL US FATAL CAR CRASH PER MILE TRAVELED", lists how likely a fatal car crash is on a mile-by-mile basis, regardless of age. It used to be you were much more likely to have a fatal car crash in any given mile due to lack of safely features in cars in the 1970's. As more safely features were introduced and mandated, some to help prevent accidents (i.e. anti-lock brakes) and some to help make more of the accidents survivable (seat belts, air bags), overall safely has improved and is projected to continue improving.<br />
<br />
The third smaller graph, labeled "MY MILES TRAVELED BY CAR EVERY YEAR", is a simple graph of the distance Randall has driven every year. As he approached 2010, he was driving a lot more then when he first started, then life circumstances presumably changed so his need to drive diminished a bit, and now it's slightly increasing again. He has no way to predict future life driving needs, however, so the graph converges after "now" to include both gradually increasing as well as gradually decreasing driving needs. At an advanced age he'll probably mostly stop driving.<br />
<br />
The final, large graph, labeled "MY ESTIMATED LIFETIME PROBABILITY OF BEING IN A FATAL CAR CRASH", combines these different factors into a smoother curve of gradually being safer (or at least not dying) while driving, with the possibility introduced, at an indeterminate time, that self-driving cars get to the point where they are both safe and widely adopted, at which point Randall expects the chance of a fatality to decrease to zero over a relatively short period of time (i.e a decade). In the event the self-driving cars do not deliver in safely and/or are not widely adopted, the safety will gradually level off and then increase a bit near older age before dropping off again, but always with a distinct chance of fatality.<br />
<br />
As the title text points out, fixating to this degree on a single source of danger is unhealthy. But the more Randall fixates on the danger of car crashes, the safer (or maybe the ''less'') he drives, which reduces his chance of being in a fatal car crash.<br />
Note that Randall used to fixate on the danger of velociraptors, there is even an entire category based on his fear of them.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
:[Graphs are shown inside of a panel.]<br />
<br />
:[Graph 1:] <br />
:My fatal car crash probability based on my age<br />
:[Label at 2018:]<br />
:Now<br />
<br />
:[Graph 2:] <br />
:Overall US fatal crash rate per mile traveled<br />
:[Label:]<br />
:General safety improvements<br />
<br />
:[Graph 3:] <br />
:My miles traveled by car per year<br />
:[Label after 2018:]<br />
:Depends on job, where I live etc.<br />
<br />
:[Graph 4, below the previous graphs:] <br />
:My estimated lifetime probability of being in a fatal car crash<br />
:[Label pointing at late-2020s:]<br />
:Point at which self-driving cars become safe and widely adopted, making crashes rare (assuming that happens)<br />
:[Label pointing at a gray segment after late-2020s:]<br />
:Fatal crashes avoided<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:It feels weird to look at car crash statistics and wonder whether we'll all be able to stop driving before I'm involved in a fatal crash.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
<br />
* The title text misspells "unhealthy".<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Line graphs]]</div>108.162.219.190https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1958:_Self-Driving_Issues&diff=1530191958: Self-Driving Issues2018-02-23T20:15:16Z<p>108.162.219.190: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1958<br />
| date = February 21, 2018<br />
| title = Self-Driving Issues<br />
| image = self_driving_issues.png<br />
| titletext = If most people turn into murderers all of a sudden, we'll need to push out a firmware update or something.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]] explains being worried about {{w|autonomous car|self-driving cars}}, noting that it may be possible to fool the sensory systems of the vehicles. This is a common concern with {{w|AI|AIs}}; since they think analytically and have little to no capability for abstract thought, they can be fooled by things a human would immediately realize is deceptive.<br />
<br />
However, Cueball quickly assumes that his argument actually doesn't hold up when comparing AI drivers to human drivers, as both rely on the same guidance framework. Human drivers follow signs and road markings, and must obey the laws of the road just as an AI must. Therefore, an attack on the road infrastructure could impact both AIs and humans. However, humans and AIs are not equally vulnerable. For example, a fake sign or a fake child could appear to a human as an obvious fake but fool an AI. A creative attacker could put up a sign with CAPTCHA-like text that would be readable by humans but not by an AI.<br />
<br />
Cueball further wonders why, in this case, nobody tries to fool human drivers as they might try to fool an AI, but [[White Hat]] and [[Megan]] point out the most obvious answer: most {{w|Road traffic safety|road safety systems}} benefit from humans not actively trying to maliciously sabotage them simply to cause accidents. <br />
<br />
The title text continues the line of reasoning, noting that if most people did suddenly become murderers, the AI might be needed to be upgraded in order to deal with the presumable increase in people trying to cause car crashes by fooling the AI - a somewhat narrowly-focused solution given that a world full of murderers would probably have many more problems than that. As Megan sees humans as a 'component' of the road safety system, it might also be suggesting a firmware update for the buggy people who have all become murderers, one that would fix their murderous ways. We are not currently at a point where we can create and apply instantaneous firmware updates for large populations; even combining all the behavioral modification tools at our disposal -- {{w|psychiatry}}, {{w|cognitive behavioral therapy}}, {{w|hypnosis}}, {{w|mind-altering drugs}}, {{w|prison}}, {{w|CRISPR}}, etc. -- is not enough to perform such a massive undertaking (As far as we know).<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is speaking while standing alone in a slim panel.]<br />
:Cueball: I worry about self-driving car safety features.<br />
<br />
:[In a frame-less panel it turns out that Cueball is standing between White Hat and Megan, holding his arms out towards each of them, while he continues to speak.]<br />
:Cueball: What's to stop someone from painting fake lines on the road, or dropping a cutout of a pedestrian onto a highway, to make cars swerve and crash? <br />
<br />
:[Zoom in on Cueball's head as he continues to contemplate the situation holding a hand to his chin, while looking in White Hat's direction. Megan replies from off-panel behind him.]<br />
:Cueball: Except... those things would also work on human drivers. What's stopping people '''''now? '''''<br />
:Megan (off-panel): Yeah, causing car crashes isn't hard.<br />
<br />
:[Zoom back out to show all three of them again.]<br />
:White Hat: I guess it's just that most people aren't murderers?<br />
:Cueball: Oh, right. I always forget.<br />
:Megan: An underappreciated component of our road safety system.<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
The [[title text]] was published with a typo: "murderers" was misspelled as "muderers."<br />
<br />
The theme of human fear and overreaction to the advent of more or less autonomous robots also features in [[1955: Robots]].<br />
<br />
Self-driving cars is a [[:Category:Self-driving cars|recurring subject]] on xkcd.<br />
<br />
A variation on the idea that humans are mentally "buggy" is suggested in [[258: Conspiracy Theories]], though in that case divine intervention is requested to implement the "firmware upgrade".<br />
<br />
This comic appeared one day after the Electronic Frontier Foundation co-released a report titled [https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/02/malicious-use-artificial-intelligence-forecasting-prevention-and-mitigation The Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence: Forecasting, Prevention, and Mitigation]. The report cites subversions and mitigations of AI such as ones used in self-driving cars. However, the report tends toward overly technical means of subversion. Randall spoofs the tenor of the report through his mundane subversions and over-the-top mitigations.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Self-driving cars]]</div>108.162.219.190https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1767:_US_State_Names&diff=1424241767: US State Names2017-07-09T15:11:15Z<p>108.162.219.190: </p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1767<br />
| date = December 2, 2016<br />
| title = US State Names<br />
| image = us_state_names.png<br />
| titletext = Technically DC isn't a state, but no one is too pedantic about it because they don't want to disturb the snakes.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Randall]] has taken a {{w|map}} of {{w|the United States of America}} labeled "Geography Challenge: Name all 50 States" and filled in the states with words that sound similar to the states' names. The joke is that Randall is apparently terrible at remembering states by heart, or else that he interpreted "name" as "give a name to" and is giving each state a name similar to but different from its previous name. A similar joke is also seen in [[1554: Spice Girls]]. Songs such as the [https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=fifty+nifty+united+states+song 50 Nifty United States] make these issues seem rarer, thus making it funnier. Below is the table.<br />
<br />
This also may be a play on the ambiguity of the phrase "Name all 50 states". When you are asked to "name" something, it can be a request to supply its given name or to come up with a new name for it. Randall has apparently taken the latter interpretation. He also may be playing with the distinction between an object's identity and its label, e.g., "The state of Texas (identity) is named Hexxus (label)", though you can argue that "Texas" is also a label.<br />
<br />
This comic is similar to [[1759: British Map]]. Also note that the text at the top of the comic is not in all caps.<br />
<br />
===Table of States===<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
|-<br />
! Fictional State<br />
! Actual State<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
| Wilwheaton<br />
| {{w|Washington_State|Washington}}<br />
| {{w|Wil Wheaton}} is an actor and writer, famous for his role as {{w|Wesley Crusher}} on {{w|Star Trek}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Organs<br />
| {{w|Oregon}}<br />
| Could refer to either {{w|Organ (anatomy)|body parts}} that perform vital functions, or large {{w|Organ (music)|musical instruments}} having rows of tuned pipes. Also a possible reference to {{w|Organ Trail}}, a retro survival video game that parodies {{w|The Oregon Trail (video game)|The Oregon Trail}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Cafeteria<br />
| {{w|California}}<br />
| A {{w|cafeteria}} is both a kind of restaurant and a name for a lunch room that serves food. California is large and diverse, offering a wide variety of choices. California also grows a large proportion of common vegetables available in the US ([http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/explainer/2013/07/california_grows_all_of_our_fruits_and_vegetables_what_would_we_eat_without.html Source]), making it a 'Cafeteria' for the country.<br />
|-<br />
| Fallout New Vegas<br />
| {{w|Nevada}}<br />
| {{w|Fallout New Vegas}} is a video game set in post-apocalyptic Nevada.<br />
|-<br />
| Idolatry<br />
| {{w|Idaho}}<br />
| {{w|Idolatry}} is the worship of a physical object as a god, forbidden in the Abrahamic religions.<br />
|-<br />
| mount -a<br />
| {{w|Montana}}<br />
| A command to {{w|Mount (computing)|mount}} all disk volumes in fstab (except for ones with the noauto flag).<br />
|-<br />
| Wysiwyg<br />
| {{w|Wyoming}}<br />
| Acronym for "{{w|WYSIWYG|what you see is what you get}}". A reference to [[Types of Editors]].<br />
|-<br />
| Uhaul<br />
| {{w|Utah}}<br />
| {{w|U-Haul}} is a company that rents moving vans which are frequently decorated with scenes from places that most people have never visited.<br />
|-<br />
| Verizona<br />
| {{w|Arizona}}<br />
| {{w|Verizon}}, a telecommunications company, has the shared text "Rizon" with Arizona (Ve''rizon'', A''rizon''a).<br />
|-<br />
| Namaste<br />
| {{w|New Mexico}}<br />
| {{w|Namaste}} is a Hindu greeting.<br />
|-<br />
| Hexxus<br />
| {{w|Texas}}<br />
| The antagonist of Ferngully. {{w|FernGully:_The_Last_Rainforest|FernGully}} is said to be the model for the later film {{w|Avatar_(2009_film)|Avatar}}. This is the second time Hexxus was mentioned in xkcd, the first occurrence being in [[1750: Life Goals]]. May allude to the Texas oil industry and the state's general reputation for a lack of environmental protection.<br />
|-<br />
| Okay<br />
| {{w|Oklahoma}}<br />
| OK is the {{w|List_of_U.S._state_abbreviations|state's abbreviation}}. Okay is a spelling of another abbreviation O.K., which means "yes" or "good", and has {{w|OK#Proposed etymologies|quite a few possible origins}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Candice<br />
| {{w|Kansas}}<br />
| {{w|Candice}} is an alternate spelling of the girl's name "{{w|Candace_(given name)|Candace}}", which comes from the Latinized version of "{{w|kandake}}," a title used in the {{w|Kingdom of Kush}} (an ancient African monarchy) for a reigning queen, queen consort, or queen mother; possibly used for female members of the royal family in general.<br />
|-<br />
| Colocated<br />
| {{w|Colorado}}<br />
| May refer to computer servers located in a {{w|colocation centre}}, or to {{w|collocation}}, a linguistics term for words or terms that appear together with a frequency greater than chance.<br />
|-<br />
| Nebrunswick<br />
| {{w|Nebraska}}<br />
| {{w|New Brunswick}}, a Canadian province. New Brunswick is abbreviated "NB" in the {{w|Canadian_postal_abbreviations_for_provinces_and_territories|Canadian postal system}}, and "NB" was also as the postal abbreviation for Nebraska until 1969. It was then changed to "NE" specifically to avoid the confusion between the two. Nevertheless, people sometimes still use "NB" to refer to Nebraska.<br />
|-<br />
| Dakota<br />
| {{w|South Dakota}}<br />
| Setting up the joke in North Dakota.<br />
|-<br />
| More Dakota<br />
| {{w|North Dakota}}<br />
| Might be a reference to [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/more-dakka "More Dakka"], a catchphrase by Orks from the {{w|Warhammer_40,000|Warhammer 40000}} universe which is also a page on [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MoreDakka TVTropes] referring to the large-scale use of ammunition.<br />
|-<br />
| Minestrone<br />
| {{w|Minnesota}}<br />
| {{w|Minestrone}} is a thick vegetable soup, originating in Italy.<br />
|-<br />
| Wainscot<br />
| {{w|Wisconsin}}<br />
| {{w|Panelling#Wainscot_panelling|Wainscot}} is a type of wood {{w|panelling}} covering only the lower half of a wall.<br />
|-<br />
| Iota<br />
| {{w|Iowa}}<br />
| {{w|Iota}} is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iota ninth letter of the Greek alphabet]. In English, the word [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/iota#English iota] may also mean "an inconsiderable amount". <br />
|-<br />
| Sk8rbois<br />
| {{w|Illinois}}<br />
| "Skater Boys" or just "Skater Boy" if the '-ois' is pronounced the same as it is in "Illinois". {{w|Sk8er Boi}} is a song by {{w|Avril Lavigne}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Mossouri<br />
| {{w|Missouri}}<br />
| The single different letter represents probably a typo (O is adjacent to I in a keyboard). This typo has about 22,000 results on Google. Alternatively, this could be an attempt to "correct" the spelling of the state name to match its non-intuitive {{w|List_of_U.S._state_abbreviations|postal abbreviation}}, MO, which is sometimes used as a pronounceable acronym. Or it could be a reference to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Moussouris Katie Mossouris].<br />
|-<br />
| Arkanoids<br />
| {{w|Arkansas}}<br />
| {{w|Arkanoid}} is an arcade game, developed by Taito in 1986. <br />
|-<br />
| Louisa<br />
| {{w|Louisiana}}<br />
| Louisa, feminine of Louis, is an Old German name meaning "famous warrior". Louisiana was named after King Louis XIV when it was founded as a French colony.<br />
|-<br />
| Misstate<br />
| {{w|Mississippi}} <br />
| The word "misstate" means to state improperly. "Mis-" is also a prefix meaning "wrong," "incorrect," or simply negating. "Misstate" could be a non-state. {{w|Mississipi State University|Miss State}} is a university in Mississippi. This may also be a joke on the fact that Mississippi is one of the most commonly misspelled state names.<br />
|-<br />
| Bandana<br />
| {{w|Alabama}}<br />
| A {{w|Kerchief|bandana}} is a large handkerchief cloth, worn either around the head or neck. Often used in Westerns.<br />
|-<br />
| Thennessy<br />
| {{w|Tennessee}}<br />
| {{w|Hennessy}} is a brand of cognac.<br />
|-<br />
| Kennedy<br />
| {{w|Kentucky}}<br />
| {{w|Kennedy Fried Chicken}} is New York City–based fast food brand that shares its initials with KFC, which was formerly (and still conventionally) Kentucky Fried Chicken. "Kennedy" is also the name of a former US president ({{w|John_F._Kennedy|John}}) and two former US senators ({{w|Robert_F._Kennedy|Robert}} and {{w|Ted_Kennedy|Ted}}). <br />
|-<br />
| That Other One<br />
| {{w|Indiana}}<br />
| 'That Other One' is something someone might say if they were trying to name all the states from memory, and knew where a state was but not what it was called. Appropriate for Indiana, due to being a state with relatively few distinguishing features.<br />
|-<br />
| Mishy<br />
| {{w|Michigan}}<br />
| According to the Urban Dictionary, "mishy" means "[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Mishy mushy and horny at the same time]". Or it could just be a nickname, the way a lot of people's names, often children, get shortened with a trailing y (Bobby, Becky, Johnny, Suzy, Davey, Jimmy, etc.).<br />
|-<br />
| Oh Hi<br />
| {{w|Ohio}}<br />
| Oh (expression of surprise), Hi (greeting). A common utterance upon meeting an acquaintance unexpectedly.<br />
|-<br />
| Pencilmania<br />
| {{w|Pennsylvania}}<br />
| [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151935/ Pencil Mania] is a 1932 {{w|Tom and Jerry}} cartoon in which they pull out a pencil and proceed to draw figures in the air. Probably joking about how the first part of Pennsylvania sounds like the word "pencil".<br />
|-<br />
| Newark<br />
| {{w|New York}}<br />
| The city of {{w|Newark,_New_Jersey|Newark}} is a suburb of New York City, and many people who live in Newark commute the 14 miles to work in New York City, however it is actually located in the state of New Jersey rather than New York. Other references: {{w|Newark_Liberty_International_Airport|Newark Liberty International Airport}} is a major flight hub serving the New York metropolitan area, the village of Newark, New York (near Lake Ontario), and {{w|Newark_element14|Newark element14}} (or simply "Newark"), the official distributor of Raspberry Pi. Possible reference to William Gibson's works. A mispronunciation of New York. <br />
|-<br />
| Vermouth<br />
| {{w|Vermont}}<br />
| {{w|Vermouth}} is an Italian alcoholic beverage.<br />
|-<br />
| New Hamper<br />
| {{w|New Hampshire}}<br />
| A {{w|hamper}} is a large basket, often with lid, used for laundry. Also another name for a picnic basket.<br />
|-<br />
| Spanish Maine<br />
| {{w|Maine}}<br />
| The {{w|Spanish Main}} was the mainland Spanish colonial possessions around the Gulf of Mexico. Also refers to the surrounding sea, as in the opening of the (children's?) song, "Sailing, sailing, over the bounding main, ...". May also refer to the {{w|USS Maine (ACR-1)}}, which, upon sinking, started the Spanish-American war.<br />
|-<br />
| Masseuses<br />
| {{w|Massachusetts}}<br />
| Women who give {{w|massage}}s professionally. A contentious term in the therapeutic massage industry due to its appropriation by prostitutes. Randall might be making fun about how difficult he thinks it is to spell Massachusetts. <br />
|-<br />
| Roald Dahl<br />
| {{w|Rhode Island}}<br />
| A {{w|Roald Dahl|British writer}}, famous for child novels such as {{w|Charlie and the Chocolate Factory}}. This name does not actually rhyme well with Rhode Island. Dahl used the Norwegian pronunciation of his name (roo-ahl dahl, rather than ro-ahld dahl), as he had Norwegian parents. Because of how the pronunciation of the name has not been wildly known by readers, Randall may not have been aware of this.<br />
|-<br />
| Connectfour<br />
| {{w|Connecticut}}<br />
| {{w|Connect Four}} is a two-player game, in which the objective is to connect four of your checkers in a row while preventing your opponent from doing the same. It has already been mentioned in [[1002: Game AIs]].<br />
|-<br />
| Nude Juggalos<br />
| {{w|New Jersey}}<br />
| {{w|Juggalo}} is a name given to fans of the group Insane Clown Posse or any other Psychopathic Records hip hop group. Also shares the same initials as New Jersey.<br />
|-<br />
| Delorean<br />
| {{w|Delaware}}<br />
| The {{w|DeLorean_DMC-12|DeLorean DMC-12}} is a car, made famous as the {{w|DeLorean_time_machine|time machine}} in the {{w|Back to the Future}} movies.<br />
|-<br />
| Maybelline<br />
| {{w|Maryland}}<br />
| {{w|Maybelline}} is a make-up brand.<br />
|-<br />
| District of Colubrids<br />
| {{w|District of Columbia}}<br />
| The {{w|Colubridae}} are the biggest family of snakes, accounting for about two thirds of the world's species. As the title text mentions, the District of Columbia, although not part of any state, is technically not a state itself, but is usually labeled on the maps like the 50 others for practical reasons. Here, Randall humorously explains the reason as people not wanting to upset the aforementioned snakes by dismissing their district for this pedantic reason.<br />
|-<br />
| Wyvern<br />
| {{w|West Virginia}}<br />
| A {{w|Wyvern}} is a mythical creature.<br />
|-<br />
| Virjayjay<br />
| {{w|Virginia}}<br />
| Virginia is similar to {{w|vagina}}. Vajayjay is slang for vagina.<br />
|-<br />
| Sweet Caroline<br />
| {{w|North Carolina}}<br />
| A {{w|Sweet_Caroline|song}} by Neil Diamond.<br />
|-<br />
| South Caroline<br />
| {{w|South Carolina}}<br />
| A further reference to {{w|Sweet_Caroline|song 'Sweet Caroline'}} by Neil Diamond, similar to 'Dakota' and 'More Dakota.' Plays on similarity between the names 'Caroline' and 'Carolina'.<br />
|-<br />
| George<br />
| {{w|Georgia}}<br />
| Georgia was named for {{w|George II of Great Britain}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Fyoridor<br />
| {{w|Florida}}<br />
| Possibly derived from the Russian name Fyodor, as in {{w|Fyodor Dostoyevsky}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Alberta<br />
| {{w|Alaska}}<br />
| {{w|Alberta}} is a Canadian province.<br />
|-<br />
| Kawaii<br />
| {{w|Hawaii}}<br />
| A {{w|Kawaii|Japanese term}} for cute, commonly romanized similar to Hawaii. Not to be confused with {{w|Kauai}}, a Hawaiian island.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
<br />
[A map of the United States, with incorrect state names in red text color. A title:]<br />
<br />
Geography challenge:<br />
<br />
'''Name all 50 states'''<br />
<br />
| Alabama => Bandana | <br />
<br />
| Alaska => Alberta |<br />
<br />
| Arizona => Verizona |<br />
<br />
| Arkansas => Arkanoids |<br />
<br />
| California => Cafeteria |<br />
<br />
| Colorado => Colocated |<br />
<br />
| Connecticut => Connect Four |<br />
<br />
| Delaware => Delorean |<br />
<br />
| District of Columbia => District of Colubrids |<br />
<br />
| Florida => Fyoridor |<br />
<br />
| Georgia => George |<br />
<br />
| Hawaii => Kawaii |<br />
<br />
| Idaho => Idolatry |<br />
<br />
| Illinois => SK8RBOIS |<br />
<br />
| Indiana => That Other One |<br />
<br />
| Iowa => Iota |<br />
<br />
| Kansas => Candice |<br />
<br />
| Kentucky => Kennedy |<br />
<br />
| Louisiana => Loisa |<br />
<br />
| Maine => Spanish Maine |<br />
<br />
| Maryland => Maybelline |<br />
<br />
| Massachusetts => Masseuses |<br />
<br />
| Michigan => Mishy |<br />
<br />
| Minnesota => Minestrone |<br />
<br />
| Mississippi => Misstate |<br />
<br />
| Missouri => Mossouri |<br />
<br />
| Montana => mount -a |<br />
<br />
| Nebraska => Nebrunswick |<br />
<br />
| Nevada => Fallout New Vegas |<br />
<br />
| New Hampshire => New Hamper |<br />
<br />
| New Jersey => Nude Juggalos |<br />
<br />
| New Mexico => Namaste |<br />
<br />
| New York => Newark |<br />
<br />
| North Carolina => Sweet Caroline |<br />
<br />
| South Carolina => South Caroline |<br />
<br />
| Ohio => Oh Hi |<br />
<br />
| Oklahoma => Okay |<br />
<br />
| Oregon => Organs |<br />
<br />
| Pennsylvania => Pencilmania |<br />
<br />
| Rhode Island => Roald Dahl |<br />
<br />
| South Dakota => Dakota |<br />
<br />
| North Dakota => More Dakota |<br />
<br />
| Tennessee => Thennessy |<br />
<br />
| Texas => Hexxus |<br />
<br />
| Utah => Uhaul |<br />
<br />
| Vermont => Vermouth |<br />
<br />
| Virginia => Virjayjay |<br />
<br />
| Washington => Willwheaton |<br />
<br />
| West Virginia => Wyvern |<br />
<br />
| Wisconsin => Wainscot |<br />
<br />
| Wyoming => WYSIWYG |<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Maps]]<br />
[[Category:Geography]]<br />
[[Category:Video games]]</div>108.162.219.190https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=414:_Mistranslations&diff=140233414: Mistranslations2017-05-25T17:44:39Z<p>108.162.219.190: changed page to be consistent with my misread</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number =414<br />
| date =April 23, 2008<br />
| title =Mistranslations<br />
| image =mistranslations.png<br />
| titletext =Oh, I think this word might mean 'Crisco'!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The ''{{w|Kama Sutra}}'' is a well-known work on human sexual behavior originally written in the language Sanskrit, in India sometime between 400 BC and 200 AD. It's not exclusively a "sex manual", as it also contains a guide to virtuous and gracious living, but in the Western world, it's primarily thought of as a manual of exotic sex positions.<br />
<br />
Given that the ''Kama Sutra'' was written almost 2,000 years ago, it's doubtful that it has ''any'' references whatsoever to a skateboard ramp, but Cueball and Megan enjoy their badly-translated version of the ''Kama Sutra'' so much that they refuse to change it.<br />
<br />
The title text refers to {{w|Crisco}}, a brand of shortening that is used in banking as well as as a sexual lubricant. It has been mentioned before in [[330: Indecision]] and later in [[557: Students]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A bed sits on the ground in the middle of the frame. At the left of the frame, Cueball stands atop a skateboard jump ramp twice his height, one foot on the back of a skateboard poised over the coping. At the bottom of the ramp is a small kicker ramp which will launch him over the bed. Megan to the right of the frame stands on the roof of a house grasping a rope which is affixed directly over the bed. They are both poised to begin their motion.]<br />
:Our copy of the Kama Sutra has a couple mistranslations.<br />
:Which we refuse to fix.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Sex]]</div>108.162.219.190https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1396:_Actors&diff=718981396: Actors2014-07-18T06:33:30Z<p>108.162.219.190: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1396<br />
| date = July 18, 2014<br />
| title = Actors<br />
| image = actors.png<br />
| titletext = Once again topping the list of tonight's hottest rising stars in Hollywood is ξ Persei!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The comic uses two different meanings of the word ''hottest''. In the opening question, "Who are today's 10 hottest actors?" the word ''hottest'' seems to refer to an actor's popularity or success. Cueball and Megan think the word ''hottest'' is asking them to the list the 10 actors who have the highest surface temperature, and we see them measuring Justin's surface temperature using an infrared thermometer.<br />
<br />
The title-text references the temperatures of Hollywood's rising stars, this time misunderstanding ''stars'' as actual stars, not famous people. In this case, the star Xi Persei in the Perseus constellation (which is located in, and responsible for the fluorescence of, an object called the California Nebula, a possible joke on the location of Hollywood).<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
Opening Question: Who are today's 10 hottest actors?<br />
<br />
[Cueball is holding a clipboard, taking notes, while Megan aims an infrared thermometer at Justin.]<br />
<br />
Megan: 81.5, but I think it got part of his shirt. [Megan yells] Hey Justin! Hold still!<br />
<br />
Closing: We grab an infrared thermometer and find out!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.219.190