https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=108.162.231.214&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-19T09:42:37ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1433:_Lightsaber&diff=77078Talk:1433: Lightsaber2014-10-13T06:38:21Z<p>108.162.231.214: </p>
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<div>I seem to remember seeing somewhere that lightsabers are actually not lasers but rather plasma held in that shape by some sort of force field. I think it should be in the explanation if it is true. [[User:Athang|Athang]] ([[User talk:Athang|talk]]) 06:11, 13 October 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Most of "scientific" explanations of lightsaber (and blaster bolts) says about plasma contained in magnetic field. For example check this SE http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/6478.<br />
Endless "laser sword" pun was also used in http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6704463/troopers-laser-sword, without Luke but with massive hull breach. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.214|108.162.231.214]] 06:38, 13 October 2014 (UTC)PTwr</div>108.162.231.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1316:_Inexplicable&diff=576531316: Inexplicable2014-01-14T08:49:57Z<p>108.162.231.214: Added paragraph explaining Cueball's "told you" remark</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1316<br />
| date = January 13, 2014<br />
| title = Inexplicable<br />
| image = inexplicable.png<br />
| titletext = 'It has a ghost in it. Take it back.' 'No.'<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Still?}}<br />
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[[Cueball]]'s laptop has a problem that has resisted many hours of concentrated effort at resolution. [[Megan]] offers to help, but almost immediately concludes that the laptop is haunted. Literally haunted, as in it is possessed by an evil spirit.<br />
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A similarly unresolvable problem can be seen in [[1084: Server Problem]]. In that case, no haunting is detected, and Megan suggests Cueball wait for the Singularity.<br />
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The title text indicates that when Megan tries to return the laptop to Cueball, he simply refuses. She willingly took possession of it in the first place, and Cueball has clearly decided that he no longer wants anything to do with it. Megan is welcome to it. This would be extremely vexing to Megan, who presumably wants to own a haunted laptop no more than would anybody else.<br />
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The reason he refuses to take it back is that he does not accept her explanation. His "told you" indicates that he considers her "your computer is literally haunted" to be equivalent to his earlier statement that "nothing works or makes sense". To him haunting can only be a true explanation in a world which is entirely devoid of logic.<br />
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The use of the word "ghost" may also be an allusion to the philosophical problem known as {{w|Ghost in the machine}}. This has been popularized through cyberpunk literature and movies, such as {{w|The Matrix}} and {{w|Ghost in the Shell}}. The question is whether machines are, or could be, conscious and have their own free will.<br />
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The comic may also be intended to remind us how non-technical users see computers and technology in general. Often a non-technical person will anthropomorphize a gadget, assigning it a personality with quirks. In this case, it happens to take the form of a ghost. When they have problems, they often give the device to a slightly more technical person to deal with it, which they may not be able to do. This may end up confirming (at least in the mind of the non-technical person) the personality of the device. Note that Cueball is not "non-technical", so this possible interpretation does not literally match the depicted scenario.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is frustrated at a laptop.]<br />
:Cueball: ''ARGH!''<br />
:Megan (off-screen): What?<br />
:Cueball: Why do I always have these inexplicable, impossible-to-diagnose computer problems?<br />
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:[Megan walks towards Cueball.]<br />
:Cueball: After six hours of this, I've concluded nothing works or makes sense. I give up on logic.<br />
:Megan: *sigh* Gimme. I'll figure it out.<br />
:Cueball: You won't.<br />
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:[The laptop is now off the desk, and Megan is offscreen again.]<br />
:''type type''<br />
:''click''<br />
:?<br />
:''type type''<br />
:''type''<br />
:???<br />
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:[Megan has returned, a closed laptop in hand.]<br />
:Cueball: How'd it go?<br />
:Megan: Your computer is literally haunted.<br />
:Cueball: ''Told'' you.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]</div>108.162.231.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1316:_Inexplicable&diff=57652Talk:1316: Inexplicable2014-01-14T08:46:52Z<p>108.162.231.214: It really is about explainxkcd.com</p>
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<div>[http://xkcd.com/725/ Literally] haunted? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.152|173.245.53.152]] 08:22, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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I was wondering too if Randall was also taking a sideways swipe at the way many people today misuse the term "literally".[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.30|108.162.216.30]] 22:42, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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I would say he trying to say that some errors that computers have are impossible to fathom. I've baffled our IT people on many an occasion and the solution is usual 'rebuild' which is the computer equivalent of an exorcism.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.228|108.162.231.228]] 10:18, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
:Definitely this. It is also much harder to figure out what the problem is with a computer when you weren't the one who has spent all their time using the computer. It is why I can't understand how IT people do their jobs. [[User:Daleb|Daleb]] ([[User talk:Daleb|talk]]) 13:14, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Surprised nobody mentioned [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_machine Ghost in the machine] yet... --[[User:Koveras|Koveras]] ([[User talk:Koveras|talk]]) 10:28, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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I find the current explanation entertaining but... raises questions.<br />
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Is "This comic is inexplicable and represents a self-referencing joke about explainxkcd.com." serious?<br />
:I think it's not and I deleted the sentence. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.84|173.245.50.84]] 14:39, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
:: If the comic is not a self-referencing joke about explainxkcd.com, then what conceivable combination of words WOULD constitute such a joke? (note: I am not the one who first made the (now deleted) point, but I agree with it.) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.231.214|108.162.231.214]] 08:46, 14 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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"While it might [be] a reasonable conclusion [i.e. that it is 'haunted'] for a human, demons can't possess a computer." - this reads like "demons exist, but are incapable of possessing computer equipment", rather than "demons cannot possess a computer, because they don't even exist", which would be my ''preference'' (under the standard rules of not being able to ''prove'' the non-existence of the supernatral... and, believe me, I've had my fair share of totally baffling computer problems, in my time, and often anthropomorphise equipment, somewhat, ''at least'' to explain it to non-tech users... but then end up adopting the same attitude myself, of course).<br />
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"The title text suggests that Megan insists that Cueball resume possession of his laptop, as she is unsettled by the ghost; Cueball simply refuses, seeing an opportunity to make his problem hers." - I see that as more akin to the "cursed gem" type of story. One simply cannot palm the gem off on somebody else, but it must have a legitimately willing recipient (including a thief stealing it, often) in order for the curse itself to transfer itself. Now that the 'status' of the laptop is known he's not going to accept it back and take the 'curse of errors' back upon himself. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.223|141.101.99.223]] 14:08, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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:I just removed the sentence "While it might [be] a reasonable conclusion for a human, demons can't possess a computer." In the real world ghosts (the comic does not mention demons) don't exist and can't possess either humans or computers; in a fictional world, they might be able to do either or both (a la King's "Trucks"). -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.217|108.162.212.217]] 15:24, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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I think the joke is just that normally the smartass that knows more about computers than you is able to easilly fix it, but not in this case. [[User:Halfhat|Halfhat]] ([[User talk:Halfhat|talk]]) 16:13, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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So am I the only one who thinks that the caption(or whatever the hover over text is called) refers to Cueball trying to return the laptop to a retail store. I mean I can see a store like Best Buy refusing to take back a laptop because a customer insists that there is a ghost in it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.83|108.162.216.83]] 18:25, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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:I agree. but until more people notice it, lets leave it. [[User:Imanton1|Imanton1]] ([[User talk:Imanton1|talk]]) 03:56, 14 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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:I thought this too, except I thought it was more a comment on people's attachment to technology, "Demon-posessed or not, it's got all my kitten videos on it!".--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.230|141.101.98.230]] 08:28, 14 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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Overthinking, maybe, but if the computer is haunted (read: possessed), then a valid solution IS to return (read: unpossess? dispossess?) it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.57|108.162.216.57]] 23:36, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
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My wife says, "it's a Turing test!"<br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.199|108.162.219.199]] 02:24, 14 January 2014 (UTC)</div>108.162.231.214https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1308:_Christmas_Lights&diff=55919Talk:1308: Christmas Lights2013-12-25T12:15:18Z<p>108.162.231.214: </p>
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<div>If I am reading the graphs right, except for the very top there is no blue lights.<br />
[[User:Traisjames|From the guy with his eye on the sky.]] ([[User talk:Traisjames|talk]]) 06:41, 25 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
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Presumably the top is gold? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.211|173.245.52.211]] 07:47, 25 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
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Also the spike in the near IR of the large graph is likely to be a mercury line. I think fires would have a smoother curve of a black body. <br />
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.122|199.27.128.122]] 06:47, 25 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
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Could someone make a coloured version?[[User:Guru-45|Guru-45]] ([[User talk:Guru-45|talk]]) 07:22, 25 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
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Also the light at the top of the tree seems to be emitting in the UV range. Perhaps it’s supposed to be a fluorescent lamp? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.7|108.162.245.7]] 07:30, 25 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
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I'm thinking it's a "white" LED. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.56|108.162.216.56]] 07:50, 25 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
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I think the one at the top matches the profile of a star...<br />
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.211|141.101.99.211]] 08:18, 25 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
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The spike is not in the "near" infrared, this is water and/or carbondioxide line.</div>108.162.231.214