https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=162.158.118.22&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T20:36:52ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2123:_Meta_Collecting&diff=171153Talk:2123: Meta Collecting2019-03-14T04:48:37Z<p>162.158.118.22: </p>
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RIP {{w|List of collectables}} and grammar. It’s collectable. Not collectible, collectable. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 16:07, 13 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:You may disagree, but collectable is also correct. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/collectable [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.23|108.162.242.23]] 16:21, 13 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:I think we’re agreeing here? I also use collectable, and said so in my comment. At least it should be used in this case, because it’s what Wikipedia uses on said page. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 16:26, 13 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:My understanding was that the words had different meanings. Something is collectible if it would have a place in a collection; a Harley is collectible because it would have a place in Cueball's collection of items. Something is collectable if it can be collected; a court judgement may be collectable if the person ordered to pay has enough money to make the payment. [[User:D5xtgr|D5xtgr]] ([[User talk:D5xtgr|talk]]) 17:33, 13 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
::Suspiciously enough, that’s the exact example I got when I googled it, but thank you for the collection. I only say this because of the article in question discussed. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 17:41, 13 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:::Yes, I was having a hard time wording my original example - it's rather easier to show why a debt or court judgement ''wouldn't'' be collectable than to explain why one ''would'' be. [[User:D5xtgr|D5xtgr]] ([[User talk:D5xtgr|talk]]) 18:54, 13 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
: Googling "collectible define" or "collectable define", we get that both seem to be correct. https://writingexplained.org/collectible-vs-collectable-difference says collectable is typically the British spelling of the word.<br />
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First time posting here, so my format might be terrible. But looking at the list of collectables; Maytag is listed, and the reference is for antique scales, so definitely not dryers. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.7|173.245.54.7]] 16:13, 13 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
:Antique washer models to scale? Fixed it. On a serious note, it’s just one source, there are probably people who would collect washers, or, the more likely option, they just saw Maytag and thought “washers” EDIT: As a formatting nerd, it’s good. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 16:20, 13 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
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Wikipedia intern: "Mr. Sanger? Randall made a comic about us again." Larry Sanger: "Godammit, what page do we have to lock this time?" [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 04:21, 14 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
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I already suggested this [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2099:_Missal_of_Silos before] that I think we can have a new collected page of xkcd Wikipedia edit wars. I doubt the trivia in 2099 is the full list, or is it? Are there not that many cases as I think to be worth it? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.118.22|162.158.118.22]] 04:48, 14 March 2019 (UTC)</div>162.158.118.22https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1441:_Turnabout&diff=1711481441: Turnabout2019-03-13T23:08:59Z<p>162.158.118.22: Tv Troupe Link is not linked</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1441<br />
| date = October 31, 2014<br />
| title = Turnabout<br />
| image = turnabout.png<br />
| titletext = Whenever I miss a shot with a sci-fi weapon, I say 'Apollo retroreflector' really fast, just in case.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
In the comic, two people are engaging in a battle with laser guns. One appears to gain the upper hand as he jumps on an obstacle, as the other's shot goes wide. He delivers the classic line {{tvtropes|Main/AnyLastWords|"Any last words?"}} and is answered with the confusing phrase "Apollo retroreflectors". The earlier wild shot, reflected off the Moon, promptly lances down from space and hits him in the back.<br />
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A {{w|retroreflector}} is a device or surface that reflects light back towards its source. Several such devices {{w|List of retroreflectors on the Moon|were placed on the Moon}} and have been used ever since by scientists on Earth to {{w|Lunar Laser Ranging experiment|measure the distance between the two bodies using laser ranging}}.<br />
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The title text may be a reference to the common practice of "calling bank" in the game of basketball. In basketball, the backboard may be used to deflect the ball into the hoop. This is called a "bank shot." In casual games, if the player using the backboard in this way does not indicate that it was intentional by "calling bank" before releasing the ball, the basket may not be counted in order to not give the player credit for a wild shot that happened to go in. When a player releases a shot that they realize is off the mark they sometimes quickly say "bank" to try and fool the other players into thinking that they were intentionally trying to "bank" the ball off the backboard into the hoop. In the title text scenario, "Apollo retroreflector" is used the same way "bank" is in basketball, i.e., the shooter meant to hit the target by reflection rather than directly.<br />
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[[Randall]] discussed the effect of hitting the Moon with lasers in [http://what-if.xkcd.com/13/ What If: Laser Pointer] and the likelihood of hitting a celestial object with a laser in [http://what-if.xkcd.com/109/ What If: Into the Blue].<br />
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Retroreflectors were placed by the American {{w|Apollo 11}}, {{w|Apollo 14|14}}, and {{w|Apollo 15|15}} missions. The Soviet {{w|Lunokhod 1}} and {{w|Lunokhod 2|2}} rovers also carried such reflectors; attempts to use them for laser ranging were unsuccessful from 1971 to 2010, but were successfully renewed after the rovers' positions were photographed by the {{w|Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter}}.<br />
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The likelihood of the wild shot being aimed at the Moon is fairly low in itself, and the probability of accidentally hitting a retroreflector on the Moon is lower still. Even if it did, it is highly unlikely that a pistol-sized generator could produce a beam coherent enough to inflict damage after traveling to the Moon and back, as lasers built for the purpose of hitting retroreflectors on the Moon typically get a return around one quadrillionth of the original beam, and a visible light laser would need a very large lens or mirror in order to still be relatively concentrated upon hitting the reflectors.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[A guy and Cueball are engaged in a fight with laser pistols. The guy is standing behind a small box, firing his gun at Cueball.]<br />
:[Cueball is kneeling behind a larger box, returning fire.]<br />
:[The guy leaps on top of the larger box, knocking Cueball backwards and off balance. Cueball fires wildly into the air.]<br />
:[Now the guy is standing on the box. Cueball is sprawled on the ground, laser pistol out of reach, at gunpoint.]<br />
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:Guy: Any last words?<br />
:Cueball: "Apollo retroreflectors."<br />
:Guy: What?<br />
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:[The guy gets shot in the back by the returning beam of Cueball's wild shot.]<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]<br />
[[Category:Space]]</div>162.158.118.22https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=571:_Can%27t_Sleep&diff=170259571: Can't Sleep2019-02-28T00:08:16Z<p>162.158.118.22: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 571<br />
| date = April 20, 2009<br />
| title = Can't Sleep<br />
| image = cant sleep.png<br />
| titletext = If androids someday DO dream of electric sheep, don't forget to declare sheepCount as a long int.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
[[Cueball]] is in bed and is having trouble sleeping. He tries the old standby of {{w|counting sheep}} as they jump over a fence, but upon reaching 32,767 sheep, 65536 sheep jump back over the fence and start counting up again from -32,768. This is a reference to an integer overflow, when an increasing amount (sheep in this case) suddenly overflows and shows up as a negative value. This is because when a whole number or integer is represented in a digital form, such as on a computer, the number's range is limited by the amount of space used to store it. When the greatest possible number given the storage space is exceeded, an arithmetic overflow occurs, which may result (depending on the used language among other things) in starting over at the least possible number given the storage space. This is not at all unlike a car's odometer. Imagine an odometer with six digits reaching 999999. Upon driving one more mile or km, the digits will roll back over to 000000. Causing or failing to prevent integer overflow is a common mistake by programmers that may have software security consequences. Some languages like C/C++ even leaves the signed integer overflow ''undefined behavior'', it may or may not wrap to the beginning, the instruction can be ignored or may cause the software to crash.<br />
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In this case, the least and greatest possible numbers are -32,768 and 32,767, which implies that the storage space used would be 16 bits. In addition, it's clear that the number is designated as a signed number, meaning that it can be either positive or negative.<br />
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However, even if Cueball had this limitation, it would never actually pose a problem. By 32,767 sheep, at a rate of one sheep per second, Cueball has been counting for over nine hours. This would signify that he has extreme insomnia and probably needs treatment, and also that he has spent the entire night counting, and therefore would just get up and start the day rather than count sheep all over again from -32,768. Moreover, according to an experiment conducted by researchers at Oxford University, ''counting sheep is actually an inferior means of inducing sleep'' (see the {{w|Counting sheep|Wikipedia article}}).<br />
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The title text refers to the 1968 Philip K. Dick science fiction novel ''Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'', which was adapted into the perhaps more widely known Ridley Scott directed 1982 film ''Blade Runner''. The implication is that if we ever do create androids that dream of electric sheep, we should make sure to give them sufficient storage space to store numbers large enough such that an arithmetic overflow will be far less likely to occur, even if they count for a long time. A "long int" typically consists of four bytes rather than two, so instead of being limited to a range from -32,768 to 32,767 the number will be capable of storing numbers from -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647, which would take 68.1 years to exhaust. "sheepCount" is a possible name for a variable to be used in a computer program. Declaring a variable tells the computer that it should allocate a portion of memory to be associated with the variable name given. For those who might be unfamiliar with common programming practices, "sheepCount" is named using what is commonly referred to as {{w|CamelCase}}, meaning that all words in the name ("sheep" and "count") are pushed together and the first letter of every word after the first is capitalized. This is one of several common approaches to naming variables in computer programming.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is in bed, presumably trying to sleep. The top of each panel is a thought bubble showing sheep leaping over a fence and Cueball's counting and the sheeps baaing is written above the sheeps. Two sheep are jumping from left to right in the first panel.]<br />
:1... 2...<br />
:Sheep: Baaa<br />
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:[Two sheep are jumping from left to right. Cueball is holding his pillow.]<br />
:... 1,306... 1,307...<br />
:Sheep: Baaa<br />
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:[A whole flock of sheep (nine visible) is jumping over the fence from right to left, the first and last sheep is cut of at the edge of the frame. Also the last baaa is cut of after one a. Cueball is now sitting up looking up at his thought bubble.]<br />
:... 32,767 ...-32,768...<br />
:Sheep's: Baaa baaa baaaa baaa ba<br />
:Cueball: ?<br />
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:[Two sheep are again jumping from left to right. Cueball is holding his pillow over his head.]<br />
:...-32,767... -32,766...<br />
:Sheep: Baaa<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>162.158.118.22https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2083:_Laptop_Issues&diff=1669042083: Laptop Issues2018-12-12T05:46:32Z<p>162.158.118.22: The EPA don't seem to be bothered with cueball being thrown into the ocean.</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2083<br />
| date = December 10, 2018<br />
| title = Laptop Issues<br />
| image = laptop_issues.png<br />
| titletext = Hang on, we got a call from the feds. They say we can do whatever with him, but the EPA doesn't want that laptop in the ocean. They're sending a team.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Explanations could be improved. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
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[[Cueball]] goes to tech support with his laptop. [[Hairy]] and [[Ponytail]] are waiting behind the counter; one has dealt with [[:Category:Cueball Computer Problems|Cueball's bizarre tech issues]] before, and warns the other. Sure enough, Cueball sets the computer down and offers a detailed list of the arcane problems his computer is giving him.<br />
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; ''My laptop's battery won't hold a charge.''<br />
: A common problem; as batteries are frequently charged and recharged, their capacity for storing charge deteriorates. However...<br />
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; ''Tried [replacing the battery]. Now the new ones won't either.''<br />
: ...the problem persisting despite the battery's replacement fails to make any significant sense. It may be a problem with his laptop's charging port, but his comment that the "new ones" now fail to hold a charge seems to imply it is persisting despite the replacement batteries being used elsewhere after attempting to use them for his laptop and failing... Many modern batteries have firmware built in now that reports their charge level. It is possible that his laptop is installing a faulty firmware to any batteries that get connected.<br />
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; ''Also, random files get corrupted on the first of every month.''<br />
: Some devices may be scheduled to do a "disk cleanup" on the first of every month. Somehow, this task is corrupting files that should be kept.<br />
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; ''Factory reset didn't help.''<br />
: A factory reset of a device deletes all files, undoes all customizations, and generally puts the system back to square one. Under normal circumstances, this is an effective last-resort measure for dealing with glitches, viruses, and malware, so the fact that it doesn't offer any help suggests that the device's factory settings were already corrupt when they were first made or that the problem is hardware-related.<br />
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; ''When it's plugged in, I get static shocks from my plumbing.''<br />
: Static charge from a portable device while it's charging is common. Static charge on other items in the building is not. However, plumbing systems on older houses were often used to provide a ground instead of using grounding rods, which are now the accepted norm. This could imply that for Cueball's house is old, and for some reason his laptop is pumping a large amount of charge directly to ground.<br />
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; ''And it reboots if someone uses an arc welder nearby''<br />
: The high power draw of an arc welder will occasionally cause less devoted power supplies to flicker. Coupled with the bad battery that can not keep the computer running when the power dips, this might cause his laptop to reboot. This could also be just because the arc welder is causing a large amount of electromagnetic interference.<br />
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; ''Transitions® lenses go dark when exposed to the screen''<br />
: Transition lenses in prescription glasses darken when exposed directly to UV rays; this is to avoid the wearer any hassle of needing prescription sunglasses. This seems to indicate that the screen of Cueball's laptop is emitting UV radiation.<br />
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; ''and when I open too many tabs, it fogs nearby photographic film.''<br />
: The screen would have to be emitting X-rays that can pass through the film's container and expose the film.<br />
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The sheer incongruity of everything Cueball has reported, in combination with past issues, leads Hairy to report that his manager has authorized Cueball and his laptop be thrown into the ocean. Cueball accepts this without objection. This is a reference to [[1912:_Thermostat|1912: Thermostat]], where Cueball has an issue with their thermostat, and the Tech support employee asks them if they have tried walking into the sea. It seems this suggestion has evolved into forcefully throwing him into the sea, for lack of a better idea. It could also be that this is a reference back to the first of Cueball's many [[:Category:Cueball Computer Problems|computer problems]] which began with [[349: Success]] where he ended up in the ocean.<br />
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The title text contains mention of the {{w|Environmental Protection Agency}}, (EPA) a part of the United States government responsible for preventing pollution. In real life, most of a laptop computer's components are considered toxic waste, and the EPA, as part of their mission, would not want it dumped in the ocean. More to the point, it's implied that whatever Cueball did to it renders it far more dangerous than an ordinary laptop, and the EPA ''really'' doesn't want his cursed possessions in the ocean; thus they are sending a {{w|Dangerous goods | hazmat}} team to collect the laptop and safely dispose of it. However, in the comic, the EPA do not seem to be bothered with Cueball himself being thrown into the ocean.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[Cueball is walking past a sign reading "Tech Support," with a right-pointing arrow and carrying a laptop.]<br />
:Off panel voice #1: ''Oh no.''<br />
:Off panel voice #2: ''What?''<br />
:Off panel voice #1: ''This guy. He has the worst tech problems.''<br />
<br />
:[Cueball at tech support desk with an open laptop facing Hairy and Ponytail.]<br />
:Cueball: My laptop's battery won't hold a charge.<br />
:Hairy: We can replace it.<br />
:Cueball: Tried that. Now the new ones won't either.<br />
<br />
:[Close-up of Cueball]<br />
:Cueball: Also, random files get corrupted on the first day of every month. Factory reset didn't help.<br />
:Off panel voice #2: ''You weren't kidding.''<br />
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:[Close-up of Cueball]<br />
:Cueball: When it's plugged in, I get static shocks from my plumbing.<br />
:Off panel voice: What the...<br />
:Cueball: And it reboots if someone uses an arc welder nearby.<br />
<br />
:[Same tableau as second panel except that the laptop is slightly open now.]<br />
:Cueball: Transitions® lenses go dark when exposed to the screen, and when I open too many tabs, it fogs nearby photographic film.<br />
:Hairy: We don't usually do this, but I've gotten permission from my manager to have you and the laptop hurled into the ocean.<br />
:Cueball: That's probably for the best.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
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[[Category:Cueball Computer Problems]]<br />
[[Category:Computers]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]</div>162.158.118.22https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2015:_New_Phone_Thread&diff=1595972015: New Phone Thread2018-07-04T04:17:12Z<p>162.158.118.22: /* Explanation */ nothing in the image indicates gender</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2015<br />
| date = July 4, 2018<br />
| title = New Phone Thread<br />
| image = new_phone_thread.png<br />
| titletext = I'm going to tell the manufacturer that their business practices are ADMIRABLE and ETHICAL and their developers are ATTRACTIVE and I'm going to report them to the FCC for their IMPECCABLE VIRTUE.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
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This comic shows the posts on an online forum by a person whose new phone is editing everything they post to seem positive and advertise their new phone.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
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{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.118.22