https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Ycthiognass&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T15:43:45ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2221:_Emulation&diff=181966Talk:2221: Emulation2019-10-30T14:40:24Z<p>Ycthiognass: </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 />
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This reminds me of Miii's "world.execute(me)" song.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.10.172|172.68.10.172]] 05:06, 29 October 2019 (UTC)<br />
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Does everyone else also see adds in the middle of the explanation now? It is extremely annoying. :-( Ahh yes, they do, there is a [[Talk:2220:_Imagine_Going_Back_in_Time#Google_ads|section in the previous comics discussion]]. Take further grievances there --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:40, 29 October 2019 (UTC)<br />
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I don't see any adds anywhere. ( I also don't see any ads in the middle ;^) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.160|162.158.78.160]] 11:34, 29 October 2019 (UTC)<br />
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:There's an ad (for me, on this device, just before I came in to edit ''((now gone - post-posting edit))'' ) directly between Kynde's contribution and 162.158.78.160's. Nothing in the wikicode, but I haven't looked at the HTML source yet to see what was inserted post-wikimarkup. But that wasn't what I came here to edit in.<br />
:I was ''going'' to say that I've just bought a brand new mouse because my old wired optical mouse is flickering and failing, and I decided not to bother attacking it with a soldering iron (or at least seeing if I should). But I was disappointed to find no direct PS/2 replacement in any store, so this is USB instead. Going to try to dig up an inline USB-to-PS/2 dongle, though, and see if that works with this one's USB pinout, 'cos it's a total waste to put it through my actual USB hubstacks which are overoccupied with anything ''but'' HIDs, and asnlong as it passes the clicks and mickeys through I'd prefer my hardware to read it through that otherwise wasted venerable old port. (And if I can find a serial-to-PS/2 dongle, first, I think I have an even older device I can try, in the few days it'll take to get to the workshop where I know I'll find a proper replacement or three to try out..) So, yeah, old hardware too, was my point, somewhere in tht ramble. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.127|162.158.158.127]] 16:42, 29 October 2019 (UTC)<br />
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SNES9x is one of the main emulators of SNES hardware; since plenty of people running it are younger than an SNES would be, it seems appropriate to be the "created by". Thank you to people making emulators everywhere for helping prolong our shared childhood. (Also thanks to Vimms lair for unrelated reasons) {{unsigned|162.158.123.175}}<br />
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Actually, today's computers can take not just multiple floppy disks, but multiple CD-ROMs into RAM. Which itself is faster than it used to be. Talk about "near-instantaneously load" ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 19:26, 29 October 2019 (UTC)<br />
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[[Special:Contributions/172.68.63.5|172.68.63.5]] 20:18, 29 October 2019 (UTC) also related with these news https://www.c4isrnet.com/air/2019/10/17/the-us-nuclear-forces-dr-strangelove-era-messaging-system-finally-got-rid-of-its-floppy-disks/<br />
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Is the date on this comic accurate? A Tuesday release? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.75|172.69.63.75]]<br />
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:Not officially (the archive says 2019-10-28), but it did come out awfully late. The bot created the page at 11:04 pm on the 28th<s>, but I don't which timezone.</s> UTC. --[[User:Ycthiognass|Ycthiognass]] ([[User talk:Ycthiognass|talk]]) 14:39, 30 October 2019 (UTC)</div>Ycthiognasshttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2221:_Emulation&diff=181965Talk:2221: Emulation2019-10-30T14:39:12Z<p>Ycthiognass: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
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This reminds me of Miii's "world.execute(me)" song.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.10.172|172.68.10.172]] 05:06, 29 October 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Does everyone else also see adds in the middle of the explanation now? It is extremely annoying. :-( Ahh yes, they do, there is a [[Talk:2220:_Imagine_Going_Back_in_Time#Google_ads|section in the previous comics discussion]]. Take further grievances there --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:40, 29 October 2019 (UTC)<br />
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I don't see any adds anywhere. ( I also don't see any ads in the middle ;^) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.160|162.158.78.160]] 11:34, 29 October 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:There's an ad (for me, on this device, just before I came in to edit ''((now gone - post-posting edit))'' ) directly between Kynde's contribution and 162.158.78.160's. Nothing in the wikicode, but I haven't looked at the HTML source yet to see what was inserted post-wikimarkup. But that wasn't what I came here to edit in.<br />
:I was ''going'' to say that I've just bought a brand new mouse because my old wired optical mouse is flickering and failing, and I decided not to bother attacking it with a soldering iron (or at least seeing if I should). But I was disappointed to find no direct PS/2 replacement in any store, so this is USB instead. Going to try to dig up an inline USB-to-PS/2 dongle, though, and see if that works with this one's USB pinout, 'cos it's a total waste to put it through my actual USB hubstacks which are overoccupied with anything ''but'' HIDs, and asnlong as it passes the clicks and mickeys through I'd prefer my hardware to read it through that otherwise wasted venerable old port. (And if I can find a serial-to-PS/2 dongle, first, I think I have an even older device I can try, in the few days it'll take to get to the workshop where I know I'll find a proper replacement or three to try out..) So, yeah, old hardware too, was my point, somewhere in tht ramble. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.127|162.158.158.127]] 16:42, 29 October 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
SNES9x is one of the main emulators of SNES hardware; since plenty of people running it are younger than an SNES would be, it seems appropriate to be the "created by". Thank you to people making emulators everywhere for helping prolong our shared childhood. (Also thanks to Vimms lair for unrelated reasons) {{unsigned|162.158.123.175}}<br />
<br />
Actually, today's computers can take not just multiple floppy disks, but multiple CD-ROMs into RAM. Which itself is faster than it used to be. Talk about "near-instantaneously load" ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 19:26, 29 October 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.63.5|172.68.63.5]] 20:18, 29 October 2019 (UTC) also related with these news https://www.c4isrnet.com/air/2019/10/17/the-us-nuclear-forces-dr-strangelove-era-messaging-system-finally-got-rid-of-its-floppy-disks/<br />
<br />
Is the date on this comic accurate? A Tuesday release? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.75|172.69.63.75]]<br />
<br />
:Not officially (the archive says 2019-10-28), but it did come out awfully late. The bot created the page at 11:04 pm on the 28th, but I don't which timezone. --[[User:Ycthiognass|Ycthiognass]] ([[User talk:Ycthiognass|talk]]) 14:39, 30 October 2019 (UTC)</div>Ycthiognasshttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2034:_Equations&diff=1616332034: Equations2018-08-21T11:55:00Z<p>Ycthiognass: expanded the number theory explanation</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2034<br />
| date = August 17, 2018<br />
| title = Equations<br />
| image = equations.png<br />
| titletext = All electromagnetic equations: The same as all fluid dynamics equations, but with the 8 and 23 replaced with the permittivity and permeability of free space, respectively.<br />
}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a mere human. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
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This comic gives a set of equations supposedly from different areas of science in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. To anyone not familiar with the field in question they look pretty similar to what you might find in research papers or on the relevant Wikipedia pages. To someone who knows even a little about the topic, they are clearly very wrong and only seem even worse the more you look at them. In many disciplines, the mathematical description of a large area is summed up in a small number of equations, such as Maxwell's equations for electromagnetism. In similar fashion, the equations here purport to encompass the whole of their given field.<br />
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===Simplified Explanations===<br />
<br />
;All kinematics equations<br />
Kinematics is the study of the motion of objects. More specifically, it describes how the location, velocity, and acceleration of an object vary over time. The equation shown contains two of these standard kinematic variables, velocity ''v'' and time ''t'', in addition to several quantities (''E'', ''K<sub>0</sub>'', and ''&rho;'') that are completely unrelated to kinematics.<br />
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;All number theory equations<br />
Number theory is a branch of mathematics concerned primarily with the study of integers. However, the equation shown contains the non-integer Euler's constant ''e'' (approximately 2.718). It also uses the Greek letter &pi; as an integer-valued variable, even though the symbol &pi; is used in mathematics almost exclusively to denote the well-known ''non''-integer circle constant (approximately 3.14159). Even with &pi; treated as a variable here, one of its uses in the equation is still nonsensical. <math>\pi-\infty</math> uses &infin; as if it were a specific number, which it is not, thus giving an undefined result.<br />
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;All chemistry equations<br />
Randall implies that all chemistry is just combustion of chemicals, demonstrated with an incorrect form of a common example chemistry equation of burning Methane and Oxygen (with added heat), to form water and carbon dioxide. However in this form "HEAT" is an actual molecule, rather than simply indicating the presence of heat to start the reaction. Thus the equation is modified to incorporate the fictional "HEAT" into the reaction. While the H in "HEAT" is the chemical symbol of the element hydrogen, none of the letters E, A, or T are symbols of any actual elements.<br />
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TODO: other simplified explanations.<br />
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===Technical Explanations===<br />
;All kinematics equations<br />
:<math>E = K_0t + \frac{1}{2}\rho vt^2</math><br />
{{w|Kinematics}} describes the motion of objects without considering mass or forces.<br />
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This equation here literally states: "Energy equals a constant <math>K_0</math> multiplied by time, plus half of density multiplied by speed multiplied by time squared". <br />
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The first term here is hard to interpret: it could be correct if <math>K_0</math> is a constant power applied to the system, but this symbol would more normally be used to denote an initial energy, in which case multiplying by <math>t</math> would be wrong. Alternatively, the term is similar to <math>k_B T</math> (sometimes written as ''kT''), a term that often appears in {{w|Statistical_mechanics|statistical mechanics}} equations, where ''k<sub>B</sub>'' (or ''k'') is {{w|Boltzmann_constant|the Boltzmann constant}}, and ''T'' is the {{w|Thermodynamic_temperature|absolute temperature}}. In this latter case, the term would have units of energy, consistent with the left side of the equation.<br />
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The second term looks similar to the kinetic energy term <math> \frac{1}{2}\rho v^2 </math> in [http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/pber.html the Bernoulli equation] for fluids. (More properly, this is the kinetic energy ''density'' in the fluid). <br />
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The whole equation appears to be a play on the kinematics formula: <math>s = v_0t + \frac{1}{2}\ at^2</math>, where distance travelled (''s'') by a constantly accelerating object is determined by initial velocity (''v<sub>0</sub>''), time (''t''), and acceleration (''a'')<br />
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Kinematics is often one of the first topics covered in an introductory physics course, both at the high school and freshman college levels. As such, mixing in material from more advanced topics like statistical mechanics and the Bernoulli equation, even if done correctly, would be very confusing for a typical student learning kinematics.<br />
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;All number theory equations<br />
:<math>K_n = \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}\sum_{\pi=0}^{\infty}(n-\pi)(i-e^{\pi-\infty})</math><br />
{{w|Number theory}} is a branch of mathematics primarily studying the properties of integers.<br />
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Said in English, the equation can be read: "The ''n''th K-number is equal to the sum for all ''i'' from 0 to infinity of the sum for all &pi; from 0 to infinity of ''n'' minus &pi;, multiplied by ''i'' minus ''e'' raised to the power of &pi; minus infinity." (''i'' here is an iteration variable, not the imaginary number constant; ''e'' is Euler's number, approximately 2.718). A twofold misconception can be seen here. The first is the use of &pi; as a variable instead of the circle constant (3.14...). This might be a jab at how in number theory letters and numbers are used interchangeably, but where some letters are suddenly fixed constants.<br />
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Further confusion comes from the use of unusual mathematical models. While the term <math>e^{\pi-\infty}</math> is meaningless when considered in standard ("high school") mathematics, it is valid when considered on the {{w|extended real number line}}, a concept unfamiliar to most non-mathematicians and uncommon in number theory. Naively, this would signify that (with the use of &pi; as a variable) the exponent would range from negative infinity to zero. In fact, assuming ''e'' really does mean Euler's constant (or at least a real number strictly greater than 1) the term would be zero for every π&nbsp;<&nbsp;∞. Ultimately, the sum diverges for every ''n''.<br />
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The close proximity of the letters i, e and π also evokes {{w|Euler's identity}} <math>e^{i\pi}+1=0</math> (also written <math>e^{i\pi}=-1</math>), without actually using it, especially since both π and i are used as variables here.<br />
<br />
;All fluid dynamics equations<br />
:<math>\frac{\partial}{\partial t}\nabla\cdot \rho = \frac{8}{23}<br />
\int\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\;\;\bigcirc\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\;\;\int<br />
\rho\,ds\,dt\cdot \rho\frac{\partial}{\partial\nabla}<br />
</math><br />
{{w|Fluid dynamics}} describes the movement of non-solid material. In particular for gases, the density <math>\rho</math> is often the most interesting quantity (for liquids, this is often just constant). A unique feature of fluid-dynamic equations is the presence of {{w|Advection|advection terms}}, which take the form of often strange-looking spatial derivatives. This equation turns this up to a new level by differentiating with respect to a differential operator <math>\nabla</math>, which does not make any sense at all. Also it has a contour integral which seems reminiscent to a closed-circle process like in a piston engine, but this does not really fit in the context (differential description of a gas), and it has a pair of {{w|Magic number (programming)|unexplained numbers}} <math>8</math> and <math>23</math>, probably alluding to the {{w|Heat capacity ratio|specific heat ratio}} which is often written out as the fraction <math>\tfrac{7}{5}</math>, whereas most other physics equations [[899: Number Line|avoid including any plain numbers higher than 4]].<br />
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The title text stating that the electromagnetism equation is the same as the fluid dynamics equation, but with the arbitrary 8 and 23 replaced with the permittivity and permeability of free space is likely because electromagnetism equations often have relations to fluid dynamics, and because those two constants appear in the vast majority of electromagnetism equations.<br />
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;All quantum mechanics equations<br />
:<math>|\psi_{x,y}\rangle = A(\psi) A(|x\rangle \otimes |y\rangle)</math><br />
{{w|Quantum mechanics}} is a fundamental theory in physics which describes nature at scales of atoms and below. It typically uses the {{w|Bra–ket notation|bra–ket notation}} in its formulae.<br />
<br />
This equation takes a state psi in the dimensions of x and y and equates it to an operator A performed on psi multiplied by the same operator performed on the tensor product of x and y. Since the state psi is already the tensor product of the states x and y, this is equivalent to performing the same unknown operator twice on psi, and unless this operator is the identity or is its own inverse such as a bit-flip or Hermitian operator, this equation is therefore incorrect.<br />
<br />
;All chemistry equations<br />
:<math>\mathrm{CH}_4 + \mathrm{OH} + \mathrm{HEAT} \rightarrow \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} + \mathrm{CH}_2 + \mathrm{H}_2 \mathrm{EAT}</math><br />
A {{w|Chemical equation|chemical equation}} represents a chemical reaction as a formula, with the reactant entities on the left-hand side, and the product entities on the right-hand side. The number of each element on the left side must match those on the right side. The energy produced or absorbed in this process is not included in that formula.<br />
<br />
This is a modification of the combustion of methane. The correct form is often taught and a good example problem but obviously there are more chemistry problems.<math>\mathrm{HEAT}</math> is normally shorthand for {{w|activation energy}}, but in Randall's version it's jokingly used as a chemical ingredient and becomes <math>\mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{EAT}</math>, taking the hydrogen atom freed by the combustion equation shown. The proper methane combustion equation would be: <math>\mathrm{CH}_4 + 2 \mathrm{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} + \mathrm{CO}_2</math><br />
<br />
;All quantum gravity equations<br />
:<math>\mathrm{SU}(2)\mathrm{U}(1) \times \mathrm{SU}(\mathrm{U}(2))</math><br />
This is more similar to expressions which appear in {{w|Grand_Unified_Theory|Grand Unified Theory}} (GUT) than general quantum gravity. Unlike some of the other equations, this one has no interpretation which could make it mathematically correct. This is similar to the notations used to describe the symmetry group of a particular phenomena in terms of mathematical {{w|Lie_Group|Lie Groups}}. A real example would be the Standard Model of particle physics which has symmetry according to <math>\rm{SU(3)\times SU(2) \times U(1)}</math>. Here, <math>\rm{SU}</math> and <math>\rm{U}</math> denote the special unitary and unitary groups respectively with the numbers indicating the dimension of the group. Loosely, the three terms correspond to the symmetries of the strong force, weak force and electromagnetism although the exact correspondence is muddied by symmetry breaking and the Higgs mechanism.<br />
<br />
Of course, an expression missing an "=" sign, is difficult to interpret as an "equation", because equations normally express an "equality" of some kind. Nobody knows whether Randal refers to a horse, zebra, donkey or other equine here. <br />
<br />
Randall's version clearly involves some similar groups although without the <math>\times</math> symbol it is hard to work out what might be happening. A term like <math>\rm{SU(U(2))}</math> has no current interpretation in mathematics, if anyone thinks otherwise and possibly has a solution to the quantum gravity problem they should probably get in touch with someone about that.<br />
<br />
;All gauge theory equations<br />
:[[File:All gauge theory equations.png]]<br />
In physics, a {{w|Gauge theory|gauge theory}} is a type of field theory which is invariant to local transformations. The term gauge refers to any specific mathematical formalism to regulate redundant degrees of freedom.<br />
<br />
This equation looks broadly similar to the sorts of things which appear in gauge theory such as the equations which define {{w|Yang–Mills_theory#Quantization|Yang-Mills Theory}}. By the time physics has got this far in, people have normally run out of regular symbols making a lot of the equations look very daunting. The actual equations in this field rarely go far beyond the Greek alphabet though and no-one has yet to try putting hats on brackets. The appearance of many sub- and superscripts is normal (this links to the group theory origins of these equations) and for the layperson it can be impossible to determine which additions are labels on the symbols and which are indices for an {{w|Einstein_notation|Einstein Sum}}.<br />
<br />
The left-hand side <math>S_g</math> is the symbol for some {{w|Action_(physics)|action}}, in Yang-Mills theory this is actually used for a so-called "ghost action". On the right-hand side we have a large number of terms, most of which are hard to interpret without knowing Randall's thought processes (this is why real research papers should all label their equations thoroughly). The <math>\frac{1}{2\bar{\varepsilon}}</math> looks like a constant of proportionality which often appears in gauge theories. The factor of <math>i = \sqrt{-1}</math> is not unusual as many of these equations use complex numbers. The <math>\eth</math> symbol looks similar to a <math>\partial</math> partial derivative symbol especially as the {{w|Dirac_equation#Covariant_form_and_relativistic_invariance|Dirac Equation}} uses a slashed version as a convenient shorthand. <br />
<br />
The rest of the equation cannot be mathematically correct as the choice of indices used does not match that on the left-hand side (which has none). In particle physics subscripts (or superscripts) of greek letters (usually <math>\mu</math> or <math>\nu</math>) indicate terms which transform nicely under Lorentz transformations (special relativity). Roman indices from the beginning of the alphabet relate to various gauge transformation propetries, the triple index seen on <math>p^{abc}_v</math> would likely come from some <math>\rm{SU(3)}</math> transformation (related to the strong nuclear force). Since <math>S_g</math> has none of these (and is thus a scalar which remains constant under these operations), we would need the right-hand side to behave in the same way. Most of the indices which appear are unpaired and so will not result in a scalar making the equation very wrong. For those not familiar with this type of equation, this is similar to the mistake of messing up units, for instance setting a distance equal to a mass.<br />
<br />
;All cosmology equations<br />
:<math>H(t) + \Omega + G \cdot \Lambda \, \dots \begin{cases} \dots > 0 & \text{(Hubble model)} \\ \dots = 0 & \text{(Flat sphere model)} \\ \dots < 0 & \text{(Bright dark matter model)} \end{cases}<br />
</math><br />
This is a parody of equations defining the {{w|Hubble's_law#Derivation_of_the_Hubble_parameter|Hubble Parameter}} <math>H(t)</math> although it looks like Randall has become bored and not bothered to finish his equation. Such equations usually have several <math>\Omega</math> terms representing the contributions of different substances to the energy-density of the Universe (matter, radiation, dark energy etc.). In this context <math>G</math> could be Newton's constant and <math>\Lambda</math> is the cosmological constant (energy density of empty space) although seeing them appear multiplied and on the same footing as <math>H</math> is unusual (the dot is entirely unnecessary). Choosing to make <math>H</math> a function of time <math>t</math> and not of redshift <math>z</math> is also unusual.<br />
<br />
The second section looks like the inequalities used to show how the equation varies with the shape of the Universe, based on the value of the curvature parameter <math>\Omega_k</math>. A value of 0 indicates a flat Universe (this is more or less what we observe) while a positive /negative value indicates an open /closed curved Universe. Randall's choice of labels further makes fun of the field as both a flat sphere and bright dark matter are oxymoronic terms which would involve some rather strange model universes.<br />
<br />
;All truly deep physics equations<br />
:[[File:All truly deep physics equations.png]]<br />
<math>\hat H</math> is the Hamiltonian operator, which when applied to a system returns the total energy. In this context, U would usually be the potential energy. However, there is also a subscript 0 and a diacritic marking indicating some other variable. Much of physics is based on Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. The Lagrangian is defined as <math>\hat L = \hat K - \hat U </math> with K being the kinetic energy and U the potential. Hamiltonian mechanics uses the equation <math>\hat H = \hat K + \hat U </math>. The Hamiltonian must be conserved so taking the time derivative and setting it equal to zero is a powerful tool. The "principle of least action" allows most modern physics to be derived by setting the time derivative of the Lagrangian to zero.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Nine equations are listed, three in the top row and two in each of the next three rows. Below each equation there are labels:]<br />
<br />
:E = K<sub>0</sub>t + 1/2 &rho;vt<sup>2</sup><br />
:All kinematics equations<br />
<br />
:K<sub>n</sub> = &sum;<sub>i=0</sub><sup>&infin;</sup>&sum;<sub>&pi;=0</sub><sup>&infin;</sup>(n-&pi;)(i-e<sup>&pi;-&infin;</sup>)<br />
:All number theory equations<br />
<br />
:&#x2202;/&#x2202;t &nabla; &sdot; &rho; = 8/23 (&#x222F; &rho; ds dt &sdot; &rho; &#x2202;/&#x2202;&nabla;)<br />
:All fluid dynamics equations<br />
<br />
:|&psi;<sub>x,y</sub>&#x232a; = A(&psi;) A(|x&#x232a;&#x2297; |y&#x232a;)<br />
:All quantum mechanics equations<br />
<br />
:CH<sub>4</sub> + OH + HEAT &rarr; H<sub>2</sub>O + CH<sub>2</sub> + H<sub>2</sub>EAT<br />
:All chemistry equations<br />
<br />
:SU(2)U(1) &times; SU(U(2))<br />
:All quantum gravity equations<br />
<br />
:S<sub>g</sub> = (-1)/(2&epsilon;&#x0304;) i &eth; (&#x302; &xi;<sub>0</sub> +&#x030a; p<sub>&epsilon;</sub> &rho;<sub>v</sub><sup>abc</sup> &eta;<sub>0</sub> )&#x302; f&#x0335;<sub>a</sub><sup>0</sup> &lambda;(&#x0292;&#x0306;) &psi;(0<sub>a</sub>)<br />
:All gauge theory equations<br />
<br />
:[There is a brace linking the three cases together.]<br />
:H(t) + &Omega; + G&sdot;&Lambda; ... <br />
:... > 0 (Hubble model)<br />
:... = 0 (Flat sphere model)<br />
:... < 0 (Bright dark matter model)<br />
:All cosmology equations<br />
<br />
:&#x0124; - u&#x0327;<sub>0</sub> = 0<br />
:All truly deep physics equations<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Science]]<br />
[[Category:Physics]]<br />
[[Category:Math]]<br />
[[Category:Chemistry]]<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]</div>Ycthiognasshttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2034:_Equations&diff=161500Talk:2034: Equations2018-08-20T06:18:09Z<p>Ycthiognass: </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 />
Is the joke that all of the equations are actually wrong/malformed/meaningless but they sort of look like typical equations for that field? {{unsigned ip|172.68.133.66}}<br />
:Sort of. A bit of dimensional analysis would have helped. ;-) --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.221|162.158.91.221]] 07:28, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I feel that the joke is that all the equations are very complicated, and use multiple letters and symbols. But the last one "Truly deep Physics Equations" are summed up with just 3 characters and 2 basic operators. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.11|108.162.250.11]] 10:56, 19 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
He's nerd sniping us all.. ([[Special:Contributions/162.158.167.120|162.158.167.120]] 03:30, 18 August 2018 (UTC))<br />
<br />
Should we add a column with examples of similar correct equations from the respective fields? Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.4|172.68.110.4]] 09:33, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:That would definitely tidy up my attempts to provide context for Randall's versions. The challenge then is working in explanations for the correct equations as well as arguing over which examples should be used. [[User:Exxi|Exxi]] ([[User talk:Exxi|talk]]) 09:45, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I don't think the part in parentheses about OH in the Chemistry equation explanation is correct. OH- would mean that it's negatively charged and has nothing to do with unpaired electrons of Oxygen. It would add another horror to the equation, though, as it wouldn't be charge preserving anymore. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.230|162.158.88.230]] 09:58, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"Redshit". Best typo ever. Please keep it. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.54.177|172.69.54.177]] 10:13, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Deep physics equations<br />
The transcript is wrong here, the last letter is not a <math>\mu</math>, but a "u" with a cedilla: u̧. The math parser refuses to render it, though. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.230|162.158.88.230]] 05:54, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Looks like it. But I don't think that letter exists even. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.221|162.158.91.221]] 07:28, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Is this equation a sort of nod to a Theory Of Everything which unifies quantum mechanics and gravity... H-hat (a Hamiltonian, which in quantum mechanics describes the total energy of a system, and usually runs in to problems describing large systems - such as the entire universe - where gravity or spacetime curvature effects matter) *minus* u0 (the relativistic mass of the whole system at time zero ie. the big bang) gives 0 (no energy everywhere always). Since mass is energy (e=mc^2) and mass is also the sole cause of gravity the two theories cleanly collapse together when mass is zero, and figuring out how to extend the theory to other less clean points on the mass axis is obviously a job for less profound physics? I've no ideas to explain the cedilla. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.28|141.101.98.28]] 08:49, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:It looks to me a little like a parody of the {{w|Wheeler-DeWitt_equation#Hamiltonian_constraint|Wheeler-DeWitt equation}} which (in theory) describes a wavefunction for the entire Universe. [[User:Exxi|Exxi]] ([[User talk:Exxi|talk]]) 09:06, 17 August 2018 (UTC)一<br />
: I'm just thrilled someone found the right character for it. I spent 20 minutes looking for the right u symbol without any luck at all. {{unsigned ip|172.68.143.132}}<br />
Is this poking fun at equation-filled blackboards in movies and cartoons? {{unsigned ip|172.68.254.42}}<br />
:Doesn't seem like it. These equations actually do look like the kinds of equations you would see in these fields. On blackboards in movies you tend to get equations that are pure nonsense. {{unsigned ip|172.68.143.132}}<br />
I think this may also be a reference to Feynman's unworldliness equation, http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/II_25.html#Ch25-S6 . [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.220|108.162.219.220]] 17:02, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Table layout at the explanation<br />
That oversized table is really bad layout. We've had this discussion many times before - tables should only be used for small contents. Right now I would run into too many edit conflicts but I'll change it to a proper floating text with small headers for each section. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 11:51, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Done, looks much more like a real paper... --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 12:58, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;All number theory equation<br />
The explanation for math doesn't seem entirely correct. You can in fact extend the ring of integers (as well as rational and real numbers) with positive and negative infinity, but it won't be a ring anymore. Specifically, the infinities don't have an additive or multiplicative inverse (but 1/infinity = 0); and addition of positive and negative infinity, as well as the product of 0 and either infinity is undefined. However, these properties are not used in the above equation. What we ''can'' use is that <math>\forall n < \infty: n - \infty= -\infty </math>. We would thus have <math>K_n = \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}\sum_{\pi=0}^{\infty}(n-\pi)(i-e^{\pi-\infty}) = \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}\sum_{\pi=0}^{\infty}(n-\pi)(i-0) = \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}\sum_{\pi=0}^{\infty}(n-\pi)i= \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}i\sum_{\pi=n}^{\infty}-\pi= \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}i\cdot(-\infty)=-\infty</math>. Also, how often does one use e and pi in number theory? --[[User:Ycthiognass|Ycthiognass]] ([[User talk:Ycthiognass|talk]]) 12:11, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Pi (or any other number) minus infinite is just absurd. You can use the infinite symbol only as a limit but NOT as number in calculations. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 12:33, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
::It is not absurd. Adding the rules <math>n+\infty=\infty\text{ for }n>-\infty,n-\infty=-\infty\text{ for }n<\infty, \pm n\cdot\infty = \pm\infty\text{ for }n>0, \pm n\cdot(-\infty) = \mp\infty\text{ for }n>0,\frac1{\pm\infty}=0</math> gives you a consistent theory that is especially useful when talking about infinite sums and integrals. Would you say the term <math>n-\sum_{i=1}^\infty i</math> is absurd? --[[User:Ycthiognass|Ycthiognass]] ([[User talk:Ycthiognass|talk]]) 14:35, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:::Of course it's absurd. It is <math>\infty-\infty \neq 0</math> because it could be everything between <math>\infty</math> and <math>-\infty</math>. {{w|Infinity}} is a concept describing something without any bound... And, as you can't divide by zero you can't do the same for infinity. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 17:24, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:::One more: It is <br />
::::<math>\sum_{i=1}^\infty a_i = \lim_{n\to\infty} \sum_{i=1}^n a_i.</math><br />
:::When this limit exists, one says that the series is ''convergent'' or ''summable''. Otherwise it's called ''divergent'' and has no solution like this one:<br />
::::<math>\sum_{i=1}^\infty i</math><br />
:::Infinite is NO number! --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 17:33, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
::::<math>\infty-\infty</math> is indeterminate, just like 0/0 is in standard arithmetic. That's cool, because we don't need the value of <math>\infty-\infty</math> to calculate the above expression. Have a look at the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_real_number_line extended real number line]. --[[User:Ycthiognass|Ycthiognass]] ([[User talk:Ycthiognass|talk]]) 06:18, 20 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Completely separate from the above, it's probably worth noting that i is also a constant, and as such has the same misconception as <math>\pi</math>. Computer scientists are happy using i for loops/summations, but mathematicians prefer using n. Based off that, it's probably another misconception/joke that n is treated as a constant, while known-constants are used as variables. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.149|108.162.246.149]] 17:28, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:There is nothing non-standard about using i as an index variable. Often as part of the series i,j,k. Searching for summation convention will give plenty of examples.<br />
:There are fewer letters than mathematical concepts in need of letters, so most letters are used for multiple purposes. Occasionally this causes difficulty. You can be halfway through a linear algebra problem before you discover you need i for an imaginary number despite already using it as an index. Hilarity ensues. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.105|162.158.74.105]] 19:57, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Is it worth mentioning Euler's identity in the explanation? As a non-mathematician, the presence of e, pi, and i together in one equation looks "Euler's identity-ish" while clearly not being it. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.39|162.158.74.39]] 22:20, 19 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
;Chemistry equation<br />
OH should have a charge symbol: OH<sup>-</sup>. The actual reaction would be:<br />
<br />
CH<sub>4</sub> + OH<sup>-</sup> + heat -> CH<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> + H<sub>2</sub>O<br />
<br />
The methyl group can dissolve in water, and this is presumably happening in water, so this equation can work, just not the one provided by Randell. Reacting longer alkanes with bases is a way to make soaps, but the methyl group would be too reactive to be used this way. [[User:Nutster|Nutster]] ([[User talk:Nutster|talk]]) 13:13, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Fluid Dynamics equation<br />
I believe the fraction 8/23 in the Fluid Dynamics equation is a Randallesque reference to the fractional approximation of pi = 22/7. It's probably not a coincidence that you get 8/23 from 22/7 if you invert it and add 1 to both the numerator and denominator. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 15:19, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I think that is a bit of a stretch. If Randall wanted to reference the 22/7 approximation, I think he would simply use 22/7 and not 8/23. [[User:Redbelly98|Redbelly98]] ([[User talk:Redbelly98|talk]]) 00:40, 18 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::It might be a stretch, but maybe Randall wanted to be more clever than just inserting 22/7, since pi really has no place in that equation. I don't see anyone else suggesting any reasonable source for 8/23 in the equation. The current explanation is an even bigger stretch, since it has nothing in common with 8/23 beyond being just another fraction - it seems to suggest he picked two random numbers, 8 and 23, for the fraction! How unsatisfying! But if nobody else agrees, I'm not losing any sleep over it. (Sometimes I wish Randall would chime in to clear things like this up for us. Randall, where are you?) [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 04:54, 18 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Fluid dynamicist here -- strange looking numbers and fractions come from multiplying tensors. 2/3 is a common one, but you also get numbers like 1/7 and 8/27.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.166|108.162.241.166]] 07:24, 18 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I changed a "p" to a Greek "rho". [[User:Redbelly98|Redbelly98]] ([[User talk:Redbelly98|talk]]) 00:40, 18 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Gauge theory equation<br />
<s>I think the transcript is missing a left superscript 0 before the turned xi. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.226.16|172.68.226.16]] 16:50, 17 August 2018 (UTC)</s> Ah no, sorry. False alarm. It's just that Randall writes the xi with a funny tail. The same tail is on the non-turned xi earlier. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.226.10|172.68.226.10]] 16:52, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
If explainxkcd.com is to make XKCD comics more understandable then this explanation is failing that. I assumed from the beginning that the joke was about the equations being wrong, but the description of the joke is making my head hurt. {{unsigned ip|162.158.106.216}}<br />
:Read the first paragraph: "To someone who knows even a little about the topic, they are clearly very wrong and only seem even worse the more you look at them." Nevertheless the rest sometimes does hurt. See below. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:28, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;All truly deep physics equations<br />
In the description paragraph, the last sentence starting "The principle of least action says allows..." does not scan. If someone can fix this (copy&paste?) error, please delete this comment. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.58.171|162.158.58.171]] 19:33, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I edited the sentence slightly to address this issue. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 20:51, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It looks like there is already a section for this above, "Deep physics equations", or am I missing something? [[User:Redbelly98|Redbelly98]] ([[User talk:Redbelly98|talk]]) 00:40, 18 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Note that this comics also emphasizes that Randall is more familiar with physics than with chemistry : while most of the equations here require college-level education to grok, the chemistry one is at the very most high-scool-grade. {{unsigned ip|141.101.69.33}}<br />
<br />
Could this be a reference to Feynman's jab at hiding complexity underneath symbol definitions to achieve 'simplicity'? See the Feynman Lectures on Physics, Volume II, Chapter 25, Section 6. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.100|162.158.150.100]] 09:19, 19 August 2018 (UTC)WhoIsJack<br />
<br />
;Explanations in general<br />
“Nobody knows if Randall references a horse here” - what?! Because the expression lacks an equal sign; doesn’t represent an equality, it might mean Randall is referencing equines, aka horses?! Is this vandalism, an attempt at a joke, or what? This explanation clearly still needs quite a bit of work! [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 20:14, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I've put a header on top here. It's not vandalism but every explanation looks still highly unscientific. I've gave real sources to the most topics at the beginning but the following explanations are mostly bad. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:22, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Kinematics equations<br />
I fixed an error: Randall's Greek "rho" ''&rho;'', a common symbol for mass density, was incorrectly shown here as ''p'', the common symbol for momentum. The term with the ''&rho;'' is very similar to a term in the Bernoulli equation, and I have changed the explanation to reflect this. [[User:Redbelly98|Redbelly98]] ([[User talk:Redbelly98|talk]]) 00:40, 18 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;You might be overthinking some of these<br />
For example, I see the first one as Energy = cot + private which would be an Army private resting in a cot to regain their energy.<br />
The second one I see the word Knee, so I'm thinking it's either something about taking an arrow to a knee, or perhaps about the Knights of Ki who regain their power by saying "Ni!"<br />
The fourth one, I see most of the word ANALOGY, so perhaps the trident-shaped thing equals N, and x> = L, and l (or 1) = G, so if you resolve all the way through you get GNL = ANALOGY and I don't have that quite right yet.<br />
SU(2)U(1)xSU(U(2)) makes me think of Phil Collins singing "Su-Su-Sussudio oh oh". --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.40|108.162.245.40]] 20:37, 18 August 2018 (UTC)</div>Ycthiognasshttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2034:_Equations&diff=161395Talk:2034: Equations2018-08-17T14:35:04Z<p>Ycthiognass: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Is the joke that all of the equations are actually wrong/malformed/meaningless but they sort of look like typical equations for that field? {{unsigned ip|172.68.133.66}}<br />
:Sort of. A bit of dimensional analysis would have helped. ;-) --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.221|162.158.91.221]] 07:28, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Should we add a column with examples of similar correct equations from the respective fields? Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.4|172.68.110.4]] 09:33, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:That would definitely tidy up my attempts to provide context for Randall's versions. The challenge then is working in explanations for the correct equations as well as arguing over which examples should be used. [[User:Exxi|Exxi]] ([[User talk:Exxi|talk]]) 09:45, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I don't think the part in parentheses about OH in the Chemistry equation explanation is correct. OH- would mean that it's negatively charged and has nothing to do with unpaired electrons of Oxygen. It would add another horror to the equation, though, as it wouldn't be charge preserving anymore. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.230|162.158.88.230]] 09:58, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"Redshit". Best typo ever. Please keep it. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.54.177|172.69.54.177]] 10:13, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Deep physics equations<br />
The transcript is wrong here, the last letter is not a <math>\mu</math>, but a "u" with a cedilla: u̧. The math parser refuses to render it, though. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.230|162.158.88.230]] 05:54, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Looks like it. But I don't think that letter exists even. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.221|162.158.91.221]] 07:28, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Is this equation a sort of nod to a Theory Of Everything which unifies quantum mechanics and gravity... H-hat (a Hamiltonian, which in quantum mechanics describes the total energy of a system, and usually runs in to problems describing large systems - such as the entire universe - where gravity or spacetime curvature effects matter) *minus* u0 (the relativistic mass of the whole system at time zero ie. the big bang) gives 0 (no energy everywhere always). Since mass is energy (e=mc^2) and mass is also the sole cause of gravity the two theories cleanly collapse together when mass is zero, and figuring out how to extend the theory to other less clean points on the mass axis is obviously a job for less profound physics? I've no ideas to explain the cedilla. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.28|141.101.98.28]] 08:49, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:It looks to me a little like a parody of the {{w|Wheeler-DeWitt_equation#Hamiltonian_constraint|Wheeler-DeWitt equation}} which (in theory) describes a wavefunction for the entire Universe. [[User:Exxi|Exxi]] ([[User talk:Exxi|talk]]) 09:06, 17 August 2018 (UTC)一<br />
: I'm just thrilled someone found the right character for it. I spent 20 minutes looking for the right u symbol without any luck at all. {{unsigned ip|172.68.143.132}}<br />
Is this poking fun at equation-filled blackboards in movies and cartoons? {{unsigned ip|172.68.254.42}}<br />
:Doesn't seem like it. These equations actually do look like the kinds of equations you would see in these fields. On blackboards in movies you tend to get equations that are pure nonsense. {{unsigned ip|172.68.143.132}}<br />
<br />
;Table layout at the explanation<br />
That oversized table is really bad layout. We've had this discussion many times before - tables should only be used for small contents. Right now I would run into too many edit conflicts but I'll change it to a proper floating text with small headers for each section. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 11:51, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Done, looks much more like a real paper... --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 12:58, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;All number theory equation<br />
The explanation for math doesn't seem entirely correct. You can in fact extend the ring of integers (as well as rational and real numbers) with positive and negative infinity, but it won't be a ring anymore. Specifically, the infinities don't have an additive or multiplicative inverse (but 1/infinity = 0); and addition of positive and negative infinity, as well as the product of 0 and either infinity is undefined. However, these properties are not used in the above equation. What we ''can'' use is that <math>\forall n < \infty: n - \infty= -\infty </math>. We would thus have <math>K_n = \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}\sum_{\pi=0}^{\infty}(n-\pi)(i-e^{\pi-\infty}) = \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}\sum_{\pi=0}^{\infty}(n-\pi)(i-0) = \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}\sum_{\pi=0}^{\infty}(n-\pi)i= \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}i\sum_{\pi=n}^{\infty}-\pi= \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}i\cdot(-\infty)=-\infty</math>. Also, how often does one use e and pi in number theory? --[[User:Ycthiognass|Ycthiognass]] ([[User talk:Ycthiognass|talk]]) 12:11, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Pi (or any other number) minus infinite is just absurd. You can use the infinite symbol only as a limit but NOT as number in calculations. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 12:33, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
::It is not absurd. Adding the rules <math>n+\infty=\infty\text{ for }n>-\infty,n-\infty=-\infty\text{ for }n<\infty, \pm n\cdot\infty = \pm\infty\text{ for }n>0, \pm n\cdot(-\infty) = \mp\infty\text{ for }n>0,\frac1{\pm\infty}=0</math> gives you a consistent theory that is especially useful when talking about infinite sums and integrals. Would you say the term <math>n-\sum_{i=1}^\infty i</math> is absurd? --[[User:Ycthiognass|Ycthiognass]] ([[User talk:Ycthiognass|talk]]) 14:35, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Chemistry equation<br />
OH should have a charge symbol: OH<sup>-</sup>. The actual reaction would be:<br />
<br />
CH<sub>4</sub> + OH<sup>-</sup> + heat -> CH<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> + H<sub>2</sub>O<br />
<br />
The methyl group can dissolve in water, and this is presumably happening in water, so this equation can work, just not the one provided by Randell. Reacting longer alkanes with bases is a way to make soaps, but the methyl group would be too reactive to be used this way. [[User:Nutster|Nutster]] ([[User talk:Nutster|talk]]) 13:13, 17 August 2018 (UTC)</div>Ycthiognasshttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2034:_Equations&diff=161370Talk:2034: Equations2018-08-17T12:11:23Z<p>Ycthiognass: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Is the joke that all of the equations are actually wrong/malformed/meaningless but they sort of look like typical equations for that field? {{unsigned ip|172.68.133.66}}<br />
:Sort of. A bit of dimensional analysis would have helped. ;-) --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.221|162.158.91.221]] 07:28, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Should we add a column with examples of similar correct equations from the respective fields? Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.4|172.68.110.4]] 09:33, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:That would definitely tidy up my attempts to provide context for Randall's versions. The challenge then is working in explanations for the correct equations as well as arguing over which examples should be used. [[User:Exxi|Exxi]] ([[User talk:Exxi|talk]]) 09:45, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I don't think the part in parentheses about OH in the Chemistry equation explanation is correct. OH- would mean that it's negatively charged and has nothing to do with unpaired electrons of Oxygen. It would add another horror to the equation, though, as it wouldn't be charge preserving anymore. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.230|162.158.88.230]] 09:58, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"Redshit". Best typo ever. Please keep it. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.54.177|172.69.54.177]] 10:13, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
;Deep physics equations<br />
The transcript is wrong here, the last letter is not a <math>\mu</math>, but a "u" with a cedilla: u̧. The math parser refuses to render it, though. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.230|162.158.88.230]] 05:54, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Looks like it. But I don't think that letter exists even. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.221|162.158.91.221]] 07:28, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Is this equation a sort of nod to a Theory Of Everything which unifies quantum mechanics and gravity... H-hat (a Hamiltonian, which in quantum mechanics describes the total energy of a system, and usually runs in to problems describing large systems - such as the entire universe - where gravity or spacetime curvature effects matter) *minus* u0 (the relativistic mass of the whole system at time zero ie. the big bang) gives 0 (no energy everywhere always). Since mass is energy (e=mc^2) and mass is also the sole cause of gravity the two theories cleanly collapse together when mass is zero, and figuring out how to extend the theory to other less clean points on the mass axis is obviously a job for less profound physics? I've no ideas to explain the cedilla. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.28|141.101.98.28]] 08:49, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
:It looks to me a little like a parody of the {{w|Wheeler-DeWitt_equation#Hamiltonian_constraint|Wheeler-DeWitt equation}} which (in theory) describes a wavefunction for the entire Universe. [[User:Exxi|Exxi]] ([[User talk:Exxi|talk]]) 09:06, 17 August 2018 (UTC)一<br />
: I'm just thrilled someone found the right character for it. I spent 20 minutes looking for the right u symbol without any luck at all. {{unsigned ip|172.68.143.132}}<br />
Is this poking fun at equation-filled blackboards in movies and cartoons? {{unsigned ip|172.68.254.42}}<br />
:Doesn't seem like it. These equations actually do look like the kinds of equations you would see in these fields. On blackboards in movies you tend to get equations that are pure nonsense. {{unsigned ip|172.68.143.132}}<br />
<br />
;Table layout at the explanation<br />
That oversized table is really bad layout. We've had this discussion many times before - tables should only be used for small contents. Right now I would run into too many edit conflicts but I'll change it to a proper floating text with small headers for each section. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 11:51, 17 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The explanation for math doesn't seem entirely correct. You can in fact extend the ring of integers (as well as rational and real numbers) with positive and negative infinity, but it won't be a ring anymore. Specifically, the infinities don't have an additive or multiplicative inverse (but 1/infinity = 0); and addition of positive and negative infinity, as well as the product of 0 and either infinity is undefined. However, these properties are not used in the above equation. What we ''can'' use is that <math>\forall n < \infty: n - \infty= -\infty </math>. We would thus have <math>K_n = \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}\sum_{\pi=0}^{\infty}(n-\pi)(i-e^{\pi-\infty}) = \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}\sum_{\pi=0}^{\infty}(n-\pi)(i-0) = \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}\sum_{\pi=0}^{\infty}(n-\pi)i= \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}i\sum_{\pi=n}^{\infty}-\pi= \sum_{i=0}^{\infty}i\cdot(-\infty)=-\infty</math>. Also, how often does one use e and pi in number theory? --[[User:Ycthiognass|Ycthiognass]] ([[User talk:Ycthiognass|talk]]) 12:11, 17 August 2018 (UTC)</div>Ycthiognasshttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2003:_Presidential_Succession&diff=158494Talk:2003: Presidential Succession2018-06-07T09:40:05Z<p>Ycthiognass: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
<br />
Aw, but what about Morgan Freeman? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.11|108.162.221.11]] 04:43, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:And Kiefer -designated survivor- Sutherland?[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.83|141.101.104.83]] 08:24, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Morgan Freeman> "I do solemnly swear / that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States..." [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 12:39, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Academy awards have been won by actors playing kings / queens - of England, the United Kingdom and Siam - Princes - of Denmark - and Prime Ministers of Great Britain and even the President of the Uniter States / Member of the house of Representatives, but I do not believe it has been won by an actor playing a state govenor. Mind you it is not clear if an actor playing a prison govenor, would count. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 11:30, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
: Broderick Crawford, actually. I've added him. To the best of my ability to determine, the opposite group (Governors Award recipients who have played characters named Oscar) appears to be an empty set. I'll note that I don't have a really comprehensive filmography for {{w|Jean-Claude Carrière}}, but I consider it fairly unlikely that he ever played a character by that name. [[User:Squeamish Ossifrage|Squeamish Ossifrage]] ([[User talk:Squeamish Ossifrage|talk]]) 16:08, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Bill Pullman's eldest daughter Maesa is a film composer with an IMDB page in her own right. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 11:30, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Top 5 US astronauts? I only count three. Who are the other two? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.76|172.68.150.76]] 12:15, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
As of September 3, 2017, the 5 US astronauts with the most total time in space are Peggy Whitson (665 days), Jeff Williams (534), Scott Kelly (520), Mike Fincke (382), and Mike Foale (374), according to https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-station-astronaut-record-holders. Michael Lopez-Alegria has the second-most time in space for a single spaceflight (215 days, compared to Scott Kelly, 340). [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 12:59, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Mike Foale was born in Louth - so ineligible. Michael Lopez-Alegria was born in Spain ditto [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 15:26, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Foale was born to an American mother and should hence be a natural-born American. --[[User:Ycthiognass|Ycthiognass]] ([[User talk:Ycthiognass|talk]]) 09:40, 7 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The non-US-citizen-being-in-line-for-the-Presidency thing has already been cleared up IRL - several Presidential cabinets have had non-natural-born-US citizens on them (current Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao was born in Taiwan; in the past Madeline Albright was born in the then-Czechoslovakia). All the serious succession lists I've ever seen just list them and skip over them. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.51|162.158.62.51]] 13:19, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
How do we decide who gets a bye in the jousting tournament? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.147|162.158.74.147]] 13:30, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Random draw, probably. There's no jousting rankings AFAIK to enable any kind of seeding like in tennis. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.51|162.158.62.51]] 15:16, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Anyone with a jousting ranking would not need a bye. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 15:26, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Anyone else think it's interesting that Kate gets a "if available" but Tom Hanks doesn't? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.184|172.69.62.184]] 16:23, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
: Also, why doesn't Tom Hanks kids get to be in line, like Bill Pulman's? Colin Hanks is old enough. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.122.210|162.158.122.210]] 03:59, 7 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I assume, but am too lazy to do all the maths, that the person born closest to Europa would be the one closest in time to the point Sun Earth and Jupiter are in line.<br />
I found a table of opposition distances here: http://www.ianridpath.com/jupiter.htm<br />
[[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 18:26, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
All of this talk about ''where'' people were born is very misleading. The general opinion is that you have to have been a citizen from birth, not born in the U.S. (or a U.S. territory or whatever). Ted Cruz was born in Canada, but he would have been eligible had he won the nomination and the election. See http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/mar/26/ted-cruz-born-canada-eligible-run-president-update/ for discussion. —[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 20:56, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
*Yes, Kate Brown (governor of Oregon) should be restored to Randall's line of succession, because she was born in Spain while her father was serving in the U.S. Air Force. Presumably she's a U.S. citizen by birth and thus eligible for the presidency. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.52|172.68.150.52]] 22:44, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
** Added her. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foreign-born_United_States_politicians#Governors This page says she's a natural-born citizen]. --[[User:Ycthiognass|Ycthiognass]] ([[User talk:Ycthiognass|talk]]) 08:49, 7 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I read #7 being that we would have 5 people as co-president. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.122.210|162.158.122.210]] 03:59, 7 June 2018 (UTC)</div>Ycthiognasshttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2003:_Presidential_Succession&diff=1584932003: Presidential Succession2018-06-07T09:38:24Z<p>Ycthiognass: whoops, wrong state</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2003<br />
| date = June 6, 2018<br />
| title = Presidential Succession<br />
| image = presidential_succession.png<br />
| titletext = Ties are broken by whoever was closest to the surface of Europa when they were born.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a DESIGNATED SURVIVOR - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The {{w|United States presidential line of succession}} is the order of people who serve as president if the current incumbent president is incapacitated, dies, resigns, or is removed from office. <br />
<br />
The {{w|Presidential_Succession_Act#Presidential_Succession_Act_of_1947|Presidential Succession Act of 1947}} was an act by the U.S. Congress that revised the presidential order of succession to its current order. This Act, though never challenged in the courts, may not be constitutional for two reasons. First, it is unclear whether members of Congress can be designated in the line of succession. Secondly, the Act allows for a cabinet officer to be "replaced" as acting President by a new Speaker of the House or a new President Pro Tempore of the Senate.<br />
<br />
An additional concern regarding the Act is that after the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the line of succession list the members of the Cabinet in the order that their department was established with the oldest departments first, irrespective of the Secretary's personal fitness or appropriateness of the office. The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of the security and protection of the United States and its citizens and would probably already be privy to sensitive intelligence and briefings related to national security, but because it is the latest of the Departments to have been established (in 2003), the Secretary of Homeland Security is all the way at the bottom of the current Presidential line of succession at 18th, behind other Secretaries such as that of Agriculture (9th) and Education (16th).<br />
<br />
The full text of the Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission can be found here: <https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/06_continuity_of_government.pdf>. A short, readable summary, including the report's recommended new line of succession, is here: <https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-continuity-of-the-presidency-the-second-report-of-the-continuity-of-government-commission/>. The first 6 members of the commission's list are included in the current line of succession, after which they specificy that 5 new people should be appointed specifically for the purpose of succeeding the presidency if needed. Randall's list begins with these 11 people (stuffing all 5 of the new appointees into #7); afterwards, his list continues with more politicians, actors who have played Presidents, athletes, and others. <br />
<br />
Randall's list omits the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, as well as many other cabinet positions. He is probably simply following the commission's report in this. But perhaps he does not find those people qualified to become President of the United States, or is concerned about the constitutionality of lawmakers becoming President. However, he does not seem to be concerned about constitutionality, because he included the entire line of succession to the British throne, most of whom do not meet the requirement to be a natural-born citizen of the United States.{{Citation needed}}<br />
<br />
Randall's list includes several other people who also might not be eligible to become President either because they are not natural-born U.S. citizens (e.g., as of the time of the comic's publication, {{w|Serena Williams}} had withdrawn from her last match in the {{w|French Open}} to {{w|Maria Sharapova}}, who is Russian) or they are under 35 years of age ({{w|Russell Westbrook}}, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player at the time of the comic's publication, was only 29 years old). These would mainly be athletes due to the relatively global reach of the four major professional sports leagues in North America and the fact that 35 is quite old for a professional athlete, let alone one who is good enough to win the league MVP. Presumably, those who wouldn't qualify for the office of President would be skipped over like in real life -- at the comic's publication, {{w|Elaine Chao}} was the Secretary of Transportation and would normally be 14th in line, but because she is a naturalized citizen of the US (she was born in Taiwan) she would not qualify for the office if the line came to her.<br />
<br />
This is another comic in the continuing line of comics about American politics, especially after the election of Donald Trump as President in 2016.<br />
<br />
==Order of succession==<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
!#<br />
!Randall's order<br />
!Current order by the 1947 Act<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|1<br />
|President<br />
|President<br />
|Not generally considered part of the line of succession, as incumbents cannot "succeed" to their own post. (This should really be item 0 on the list.)<br />
|-<br />
|2<br />
|Vice president<br />
|Vice president<br />
|No change<br />
|-<br />
|3<br />
|Secretary of State<br />
|Speaker of the House of Representatives<br />
|Moved up from 5th position. This is likely a serious suggestion. Existing rules of succession hand Executive power to the leaders of the Legislative branch if the President and Vice-President are both killed or removed from power. This is troubling for a number of reasons. One is that the Executive and Legislative branches are supposed to act as independent checks on one another's power, and so are supposed to be kept separate. Another issue is that the Executive and Legislative branches are frequently controlled by political rivals from different political parties. In such a case, assassins could effectively reverse the results of Presidential elections if they managed to kill the President and Vice-President in a short period of time (which is used as part of the twist ending in {{w|White House Down}}). Additionally, leaders of the House and Senate aren't as deeply connected to the military and diplomatic missions of the country, and so would have a hard time maintaining continuity, particularly if an attack or disaster killed multiple national leaders at once. These problems could all be addressed by keeping the initial Line of Succession confined to the Executive branch of government. <br />
|-<br />
|4<br />
|Secretary of Defense<br />
|President pro tempore of the Senate<br />
|Moved up from 7th position<br />
|-<br />
|5<br />
|Secretary of Homeland Security<br />
|Secretary of State<br />
|Moved up from 19th position, possibly to highlight the Attorney General's place in the current order<br />
|-<br />
|6<br />
|Attorney General<br />
|Secretary of the Treasury <br />
|Moved up from 8th position<br />
|-<br />
|7<br />
|Five people who do not live in Washington DC, nominated at the start of the President's term and confirmed by the Senate<br />
|Secretary of Defense<br />
|{{w|Washington, D.C.}} is the capital of the United States, and is where the {{w|White House}}, the President's residence, is located. Presumably this provision covers the case where much of the government, including positions 1–6 here, are killed by a natural disaster or attack in Washington, D.C.<br />
<br />
This suggestion establishes no qualifications for these people, but the fact that they'd need to be confirmed by the Senate suggests that they would be chosen to be competent for the role. It is also unclear if an order is determined among these 5 or if they take up a joint presidency. This suggestion is taken from the Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission as a potential mechanism to ensure members of succession are not in Washington DC during a catastrophic attack.<br />
|-<br />
|8<br />
|{{w|Tom Hanks}}<br />
|Attorney General<br />
|Academy Award-winning American actor. This is the first unambiguously unserious suggestion.{{Citation needed}} Tom Hanks is very popular and considered exceptionally likeable by many Americans, but has never served in public office or displayed any particular affinity for politics. The implication is that Mr. Hanks would be easily accepted as a leader, based solely on his personal charm. <br />
|-<br />
|9<br />
|State Governors, in descending order of state population at last census<br />
|Secretary of the Interior<br />
|Also taken from Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission. At the time of publication, the last {{w|United States Census}} was the 2010 Census. As California is the most populous state, Gov {{w|Jerry Brown}} would be first in line. <br />
<br />
See also the {{w|2010_United_States_Census#State_rankings|state population rankings}} and the {{w|list of current United States governors}}. As worded, this criterion would exclude territorial governors (and the Mayor of Washington, D.C.).<br />
|-<br />
|10<br />
|Anyone who won an Oscar for playing a governor<br />
|Secretary of Agriculture<br />
|Oscars, or {{w|Academy Awards}}, are annual film awards awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. At the time of publication, the only Oscar awarded for playing a governor was {{w|Broderick Crawford}}'s 1949 Best Actor award for the fictional Willie Stark in ''{{w|All the King's Men (1949 film)|All the King's Men}}'' (a character based on {{w|Huey Long}}). However, Crawford died in 1986, so would be unable to serve as President.<br />
<br />
May be a reference to the {{w|Political career of Arnold Schwarzenegger}}: a highly-lauded actor who became governor of California, but did not win an Oscar or play a governor before being elected. (As a naturalized citizen, he is also ineligible for the Presidency.)<br />
|-<br />
|11<br />
|Anyone who won a Governor's award for playing someone named Oscar<br />
|Secretary of Commerce <br />
|The {{w|Governors Awards}} are an annual award ceremony hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to present lifetime achievement awards within the film industry. As this award is a lifetime achievement award, it does not seem possible that an actor could win this award for simply playing someone named Oscar. Notwithstanding the nature of the award, at the time of publication, no recipient of a Governors Award has played a character named Oscar.<br />
<br />
Obviously, the joke is that changing the order of the words from the previous proposal produces something that could actually exist.<br />
|-<br />
|12<br />
|{{w|Kate McKinnon}}, if available<br />
|Secretary of Labor<br />
|Comedic actress famous for being a cast member on {{w|Saturday Night Live}}. She is known for her character work and celebrity impressions. She has recently done impersonations of members of the Trump administration including Spokeswoman {{w|Kellyanne Conway}} and Attorney General {{w|Jeff Sessions}}. She also played {{w|Hillary Clinton}} during the 2016 campaign and presumably would have played her when she was President had she won; but since Clinton lost, McKinnon has not actually played a President.<br />
|-<br />
|13<br />
|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Singles artists #1 through #10 (for groups, whoever is credited first in name, liner notes, etc)<br />
|Secretary of Health and Human Services <br />
|The {{w|Billboard Hot 100}} is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for singles, published weekly by Billboard magazine. The weekly data is aggregated into a cumulative {{w|Billboard Year-End}} (based on a "year" that ends the third week of November, in order to meet December publication deadlines). At the time of publication, the most recent such list was the {{w|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2017}}.<br />
<br />
Based on that list, the artists considered for the presidential succession would be: {{w|Ed Sheeran}}, {{w|Luis Fonsi}}, {{w|Bruno Mars}}, {{w|Kendrick Lamar}}, Alex Pall (of {{w|The Chainsmokers}}), {{w|Quavo|Quavoius Keyate Marshall}} (of {{w|Migos}}), {{w|Sam Hunt}}, {{w|Dan Reynolds}} (of {{w|Imagine Dragons}}), and {{w|Post Malone}}. There are only nine names instead of ten because The Chainsmokers had two of the top 10 singles in 2017. Of these, only Luis Fonsi (40 years old, and born in Puerto Rico) is legally eligible for the office; Sheeran was born in the UK, and the other seven are too young.<br />
|-<br />
|14<br />
|The top 5 US astronauts in descending order of total spaceflight time<br />
|Secretary of Housing and Urban Development <br />
|Astronauts are highly respected and rigorously selected, but most have little involvement in politics. According to [https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-station-astronaut-record-holders NASA], the top 5 US astronauts by cumulative space time are: {{w|Peggy Whitson}}, {{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}}, {{W|Scott Kelly (astronaut)|Scott Kelly}}, {{w|Mike Fincke}}, and {{w|Mike Foale}}. However, Foale is British-born and would not be eligible for the position.<br />
|-<br />
|15<br />
|{{w|Serena Williams}} (or, if she lost her most recent match, whoever beat her)<br />
|Secretary of Transportation<br />
|As of the time of publication, Serena Williams was the top female tennis player (though not the world #1 ranking, because she took time off for pregnancy). She is arguably the greatest female tennis player of all-time, winning 39 {{w|Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam}} titles, including 23 women's singles titles. At the time of publication Serena Williams did win her most recent match (2018 French Open, third round, on June 2nd), although she withdrew from her next match against Maria Sharapova (which perhaps should count as a loss, especially if she withdrew in order to preserve her place in the line of succession and led the terrorist attack that killed everybody in place ahead of her).<br />
<br />
If her most recent defeat was to a non-US player, it is unclear whether that person would still qualify for President (the current succession list skips over anyone who would not normally qualify for not being a natural-born US citizen).<br />
|-<br />
|16<br />
|The most recent season NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL MVPs<br />
|Secretary of Energy<br />
|MVP stands for {{w|Most Valuable Player}}. The 4 listed leagues are the major sports leagues in the United States, the {{w|National Basketball Association}} (NBA), the {{w|National Football League}} (NFL), {{w|Major League Baseball}} (MLB), and the {{w|National Hockey League}} (NHL).<br />
<br />
As of the time of publication, the most recent MVPs for the listed sports are {{w|Russell Westbrook}} (NBA), {{w|Tom Brady}} (NFL), {{w|José Altuve}} and {{w|Giancarlo Stanton}} (MLB has two, one for the American League and one for the National League), and {{w|Connor McDavid}} (NHL). Of these, only Brady would qualify for the list - Altuve and McDavid are not US citizens (the former is from Venezuela and the latter from Canada), and Westbrook (29) and Stanton (28) are too young.<br />
|-<br />
|17<br />
|{{w|Bill Pullman}} and his descendants by absolute primogeniture<br />
|Secretary of Education <br />
|American actor, known for playing President Thomas J. Whitmore in the 1996 film ''{{w|Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day}}''. <br />
<br />
Absolute primogeniture is a form of succession where the oldest direct descendant regardless of gender receives the title. This is contrasted to {{w|Male-preference primogeniture}}, in which males come before females in the order of the throne, whether the males were born first or not. This may be a reference to the British law {{w|Succession to the Crown Act 2013}}, which changed the order of the throne from male-preference primogeniture to absolute primogeniture. This act allows {{w|Princess Charlotte of Cambridge|Princess Charlotte}} to retain her place in line before {{w|Prince Louis of Cambridge|Prince Louis}}. <br />
<br />
As of the present, Pullman's immediate descendants consist of three children, with Maesa Pullman being the oldest at age 29, so all are currently too young for the presidency.<br />
|-<br />
|18<br />
|The entire line of succession to the British throne<br />
|Secretary of Veterans Affairs <br />
|According to the Constitution, only a natural-born citizen of the United States can become President, which means that at least most of the line of succession to the British throne is ineligible. However, it is possible that someone in the line of succession to the British throne either is a dual citizen (especially one who is a U.S. citizen based on place of birth and a British citizen based on having a parent who was a British citizen descended from {{w|Sophia of Hanover}}) or is not British (a person from outside of Britain can become King; for example, some, including George I, were from what is now Germany).<br />
<br />
The first 57 names on the list are {{w|Succession_to_the_British_throne#Current_line_of_succession|here}}, as of the time of publication. [https://lineofsuccession.co.uk/?date=2018-06-06 British Line of Succession on 6 June 2018] shows the list as it was at the comic's publication. American citizens [http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-11/news/vw-42233_1_royal-house have, at times] been on the list, but no natural-born Americans are currently in the top 100. In theory, however, the full British succession list includes several thousand people (living descendants of {{w|Sophia of Hanover}} who are not Roman Catholic or otherwise disqualified), and it is possible that one or more such people would also be eligible to be President of the United States.<br />
<br />
The humor here derives from the fact that the United States was established by declaring independence from the United Kingdom, with rejection of the British monarchy being a basic founding principle, and a core principle of US governance. To appoint the British monarchy to the American presidency would contradict the basic goals of American independence. Alternatively, it may reference the recent wedding of {{w|Prince Harry}} to {{w|Meghan Markle}}, although she is not in the order of succession to the British throne (and she is planning to give up her U.S. citizenship in favour of British citizenship, so her children (who would come immediately after Harry in the British line of succession) would not be born U.S. citizens either). A similar sequence of events was the plotline of the comedy film ''{{w|King Ralph}}'', which saw an American become the British monarch after the death of the royal family.<br />
|-<br />
|19<br />
|The current champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest<br />
|Secretary of Homeland Security<br />
|The {{w|Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest}} is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition sponsored by {{w|Nathan's Famous}} held on July 4th. As of the time of publication, the most recent men's winner is {{w|Joey Chestnut}} and the women's winner is {{w|Miki Sudo}}. Neither is currently old enough to assume the office.<br />
|-<br />
|20<br />
|All other US citizens, chosen by a 29-round single-elimination Jousting tournament<br />
|''None''<br />
|Effective for a population up to 536,870,912 individuals (2^29) which would be enough to cover the entire US population (estimated at around 325 million at time of publication), although additional rounds can be added should the population grow further.<br />
<br />
This is probably a reference to the {{w|Matter of Britain}} (e.g., {{w|The Sword in the Stone (film)|The Sword in the Stone}}), where, after the death of Uther Pendragon, with no known successor to the throne of England for years, it is decided that the winner of a jousting tournament shall be crowned. However, Arthur, the Wart, pulls the Sword from the Stone.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The title text mentions whoever was closest to the surface of {{w|Europa}} when they were born. Europa is a moon of Jupiter, so most people would be very far from its surface when they were born. However, depending on the relative positions of Earth and Jupiter when you were born, you could easily have been tens of millions of kilometers closer. Alternatively, Randall could be playing on how Europa sounds like Europe.<br />
<br />
===List of specific individuals===<br />
Based on the comic's defined criteria for the order of succession, these are the specific individuals in that order, as of the date the comic was published:<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
!Order<br />
!Name<br />
!Reason<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|1<br />
|{{w|Donald Trump}}<br />
|{{w|President of the United States}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|2<br />
|{{w|Mike Pence}}<br />
|{{w|Vice President of the United States}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|3<br />
|{{w|Mike Pompeo}}<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of State}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|4<br />
|{{w|Jim Mattis}}<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of Defense}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|5<br />
|{{w|Kirstjen Nielsen}}<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of Homeland Security}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|6<br />
|{{w|Jeff Sessions}}<br />
|{{w|United States Attorney General}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|7<br />
|{{w|Tom Hanks}}<br />
|Tom Hanks<br />
|As Donald Trump did not appoint anyone to fill position #7 on Randall's line of succession, Hanks immediately follows after Sessions.<br />
|-<br />
|8<br />
|{{w|Jerry Brown}}<br />
|Governor of California<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|9<br />
|{{w|Greg Abbott}}<br />
|Governor of Texas<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|10<br />
|{{w|Andrew Cuomo}}<br />
|Governor of New York<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|11<br />
|{{w|Rick Scott}}<br />
|Governor of Florida<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|12<br />
|{{w|Bruce Rauner}}<br />
|Governor of Illinois<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|13<br />
|{{w|Tom Wolf}}<br />
|Governor of Pennsylvania<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|14<br />
|{{w|John Kasich}}<br />
|Governor of Ohio<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|15<br />
|{{w|Rick Snyder}}<br />
|Governor of Michigan<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|16<br />
|{{w|Nathan Deal}}<br />
|Governor of Georgia<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|17<br />
|{{w|Roy Cooper}}<br />
|Governor of North Carolina<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|18<br />
|{{w|Phil Murphy}}<br />
|Governor of New Jersey<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|19<br />
|{{w|Ralph Northam}}<br />
|Governor of Virginia<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|20<br />
|{{w|Jay Inslee}}<br />
|Governor of Washington<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|21<br />
|{{w|Charlie Baker}}<br />
|Governor of Massachusetts<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|22<br />
|{{w|Eric Holcomb}}<br />
|Governor of Indiana<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|23<br />
|{{w|Doug Ducey}}<br />
|Governor of Arizona<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|24<br />
|{{w|Bill Haslam}}<br />
|Governor of Tennessee<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|25<br />
|{{w|Mike Parson}}<br />
|Governor of Missouri<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|26<br />
|{{w|Larry Hogan}}<br />
|Governor of Maryland<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|27<br />
|{{w|Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker}}<br />
|Governor of Wisconsin<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|28<br />
|{{w|Mark Dayton}}<br />
|Governor of Minnesota<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|29<br />
|{{w|John Hickenlooper}}<br />
|Governor of Colorado<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|30<br />
|{{w|Kay Ivey}}<br />
|Governor of Alabama<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|31<br />
|{{w|Henry McMaster}}<br />
|Governor of South Carolina<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|32<br />
|{{w|John Bel Edwards}}<br />
|Governor of Louisiana<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|33<br />
|{{w|Matt Bevin}}<br />
|Governor of Kentucky<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|33<br />
|{{w|Kate Brown}}<br />
|Governor of Oregon<br />
|Born in Spain to a member of the US Air Force, should be considered a natural-born citizen until proven otherwise.<br />
|-<br />
|35<br />
|{{w|Mary Fallin}}<br />
|Governor of Oklahoma<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|36<br />
|{{w|Dannel Malloy}}<br />
|Governor of Connecticut<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|37<br />
|{{w|Kim Reynolds}}<br />
|Governor of Iowa<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|38<br />
|{{w|Phil Bryant}}<br />
|Governor of Mississippi<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|39<br />
|{{w|Asa Hutchinson}}<br />
|Governor of Arkansas<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|40<br />
|{{w|Jeff Colyer}}<br />
|Governor of Kansas<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|41<br />
|{{w|Gary Herbert}}<br />
|Governor of Utah<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|42<br />
|{{w|Brian Sandoval}}<br />
|Governor of Nevada<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|43<br />
|{{w|Susana Martinez}}<br />
|Governor of New Mexico<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|44<br />
|{{w|Jim Justice}}<br />
|Governor of West Virginia<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|45<br />
|{{w|Pete Ricketts}}<br />
|Governor of Nebraska<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|46<br />
|{{w|Butch Otter}}<br />
|Governor of Idaho<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|47<br />
|{{w|David Ige}}<br />
|Governor of Hawaii<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|48<br />
|{{w|Paul LePage}}<br />
|Governor of Maine<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|49<br />
|{{w|Chris Sununu}}<br />
|Governor of New Hampshire<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|50<br />
|{{w|Gina Raimondo}}<br />
|Governor of Rhode Island<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|51<br />
|{{w|Steve Bullock (American politician)|Steve Bullock}}<br />
|Governor of Montana<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|52<br />
|{{w|John Carney (politician)|John Carney}}<br />
|Governor of Delaware<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|53<br />
|{{w|Dennis Daugaard}}<br />
|Governor of South Dakota<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|54<br />
|{{w|Bill Walker (U.S. politician)|Bill Walker}}<br />
|Governor of Alaska<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|55<br />
|{{w|Doug Burgum}}<br />
|Governor of North Dakota<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|56<br />
|{{w|Phil Scott (politician)|Phil Scott}}<br />
|Governor of Vermont<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|57<br />
|{{w|Matt Mead}}<br />
|Governor of Wyoming<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|58<br />
|{{w|Kate McKinnon}}<br />
|Kate MicKinnon<br />
|If she is available. Entries #10 and 11 on Randall's list have no eligible members.<br />
|-<br />
|59<br />
|{{w|Luis Fonsi}}<br />
|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2017, #2 artist<br />
|Fonsi is the only eligible individual under the Billboard criterion.<br />
|-<br />
|60<br />
|{{w|Peggy Whitson}}<br />
|Astronaut, 665 days in space<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|61<br />
|{{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}}<br />
|Astronaut, 534 days in space<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|62<br />
|{{w|Scott Kelly}}<br />
|Astronaut, 520 days in space<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|63<br />
|{{w|Mike Fincke}}<br />
|Astronaut, 382 days in space<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|64<br />
|{{w|Serena Williams}}<br />
|Serena Williams<br />
|The fifth astronaut is not American-born. Serena's place on this list assumes that you do not count her withdrawal against Maria Sharapova as a ''loss''; if that counts as a loss, then subsequent entries move up one position (as Sharapova is ineligible).<br />
|-<br />
|65<br />
|{{w|Tom Brady}}<br />
|{{w|National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|NFL MVP}}<br />
|The MVPs of all other listed sports leagues are ineligible for the office.<br />
|-<br />
|66<br />
|{{w|Bill Pullman}}<br />
|Bill Pullman<br />
|None of his children are old enough to become President at this time.<br />
|-<br />
|67<br />
|''TBD''<br />
|Jousting tournament<br />
|Assuming that no eligible member of the British order of succession exists. The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating champions are too young to hold the office.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
: A proposal for a new presidential line of succession<br />
: Current politics aside, most experts agree the existing process is flawed. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 is probably unconstitutional on several counts, and there are many practical issues with the system as well.<br />
: <span style="color:gray">(For more, see the surprisingly gripping ''Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission'', June 2009.)</span><br />
: Proposed line of succession:<br />
:# President<br />
:# Vice president<br />
:# Secretary of State<br />
:# Secretary of Defense<br />
:# Secretary of Homeland Security<br />
:# Attorney General<br />
:# Five people who do not live in Washington DC, nominated at the start of the president's term and confirmed by the Senate<br />
:# Tom Hanks<br />
:# State Governors, in descending order of state population at last census<br />
:# Anyone who won an Oscar for playing a governor<br />
:# Anyone who won a Governor's award for playing someone named Oscar<br />
:# Kate McKinnon, if available<br />
:# Billboard year-end Hot 100 singles artists #1 through #10 (for groups, whoever is credited first in name, liner notes, etc)<br />
:# The top 5 US astronauts in descending order of total spaceflight time<br />
:# Serena Williams (or, if she lost her most recent match, whoever beat her)<br />
:# The most recent season NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL MVPs<br />
:# Bull Pullman and his descendants by absolute primogeniture<br />
:# The entire line of succession to the British throne<br />
:# The current champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest<br />
:# All other US citizens, chosen by a 29-round single-elimination Jousting tournament<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Politics]]</div>Ycthiognasshttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2003:_Presidential_Succession&diff=158492Talk:2003: Presidential Succession2018-06-07T08:49:35Z<p>Ycthiognass: </p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
<br />
Aw, but what about Morgan Freeman? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.11|108.162.221.11]] 04:43, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:And Kiefer -designated survivor- Sutherland?[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.83|141.101.104.83]] 08:24, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Morgan Freeman> "I do solemnly swear / that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States..." [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 12:39, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Academy awards have been won by actors playing kings / queens - of England, the United Kingdom and Siam - Princes - of Denmark - and Prime Ministers of Great Britain and even the President of the Uniter States / Member of the house of Representatives, but I do not believe it has been won by an actor playing a state govenor. Mind you it is not clear if an actor playing a prison govenor, would count. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 11:30, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
: Broderick Crawford, actually. I've added him. To the best of my ability to determine, the opposite group (Governors Award recipients who have played characters named Oscar) appears to be an empty set. I'll note that I don't have a really comprehensive filmography for {{w|Jean-Claude Carrière}}, but I consider it fairly unlikely that he ever played a character by that name. [[User:Squeamish Ossifrage|Squeamish Ossifrage]] ([[User talk:Squeamish Ossifrage|talk]]) 16:08, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Bill Pullman's eldest daughter Maesa is a film composer with an IMDB page in her own right. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 11:30, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Top 5 US astronauts? I only count three. Who are the other two? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.76|172.68.150.76]] 12:15, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
As of September 3, 2017, the 5 US astronauts with the most total time in space are Peggy Whitson (665 days), Jeff Williams (534), Scott Kelly (520), Mike Fincke (382), and Mike Foale (374), according to https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-station-astronaut-record-holders. Michael Lopez-Alegria has the second-most time in space for a single spaceflight (215 days, compared to Scott Kelly, 340). [[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 12:59, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Mike Foale was born in Louth - so ineligible. Michael Lopez-Alegria was born in Spain ditto [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 15:26, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The non-US-citizen-being-in-line-for-the-Presidency thing has already been cleared up IRL - several Presidential cabinets have had non-natural-born-US citizens on them (current Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao was born in Taiwan; in the past Madeline Albright was born in the then-Czechoslovakia). All the serious succession lists I've ever seen just list them and skip over them. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.51|162.158.62.51]] 13:19, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
How do we decide who gets a bye in the jousting tournament? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.147|162.158.74.147]] 13:30, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Random draw, probably. There's no jousting rankings AFAIK to enable any kind of seeding like in tennis. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.51|162.158.62.51]] 15:16, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Anyone with a jousting ranking would not need a bye. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 15:26, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Anyone else think it's interesting that Kate gets a "if available" but Tom Hanks doesn't? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.184|172.69.62.184]] 16:23, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
: Also, why doesn't Tom Hanks kids get to be in line, like Bill Pulman's? Colin Hanks is old enough. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.122.210|162.158.122.210]] 03:59, 7 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I assume, but am too lazy to do all the maths, that the person born closest to Europa would be the one closest in time to the point Sun Earth and Jupiter are in line.<br />
I found a table of opposition distances here: http://www.ianridpath.com/jupiter.htm<br />
[[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 18:26, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
All of this talk about ''where'' people were born is very misleading. The general opinion is that you have to have been a citizen from birth, not born in the U.S. (or a U.S. territory or whatever). Ted Cruz was born in Canada, but he would have been eligible had he won the nomination and the election. See http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/mar/26/ted-cruz-born-canada-eligible-run-president-update/ for discussion. —[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 20:56, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
*Yes, Kate Brown (governor of Oregon) should be restored to Randall's line of succession, because she was born in Spain while her father was serving in the U.S. Air Force. Presumably she's a U.S. citizen by birth and thus eligible for the presidency. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.52|172.68.150.52]] 22:44, 6 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
** Added her. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foreign-born_United_States_politicians#Governors This page says she's a natural-born citizen]. --[[User:Ycthiognass|Ycthiognass]] ([[User talk:Ycthiognass|talk]]) 08:49, 7 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I read #7 being that we would have 5 people as co-president. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.122.210|162.158.122.210]] 03:59, 7 June 2018 (UTC)</div>Ycthiognasshttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2003:_Presidential_Succession&diff=1584912003: Presidential Succession2018-06-07T08:46:57Z<p>Ycthiognass: added Kate Brown. see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foreign-born_United_States_politicians</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2003<br />
| date = June 6, 2018<br />
| title = Presidential Succession<br />
| image = presidential_succession.png<br />
| titletext = Ties are broken by whoever was closest to the surface of Europa when they were born.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a DESIGNATED SURVIVOR - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
The {{w|United States presidential line of succession}} is the order of people who serve as president if the current incumbent president is incapacitated, dies, resigns, or is removed from office. <br />
<br />
The {{w|Presidential_Succession_Act#Presidential_Succession_Act_of_1947|Presidential Succession Act of 1947}} was an act by the U.S. Congress that revised the presidential order of succession to its current order. This Act, though never challenged in the courts, may not be constitutional for two reasons. First, it is unclear whether members of Congress can be designated in the line of succession. Secondly, the Act allows for a cabinet officer to be "replaced" as acting President by a new Speaker of the House or a new President Pro Tempore of the Senate.<br />
<br />
An additional concern regarding the Act is that after the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the line of succession list the members of the Cabinet in the order that their department was established with the oldest departments first, irrespective of the Secretary's personal fitness or appropriateness of the office. The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of the security and protection of the United States and its citizens and would probably already be privy to sensitive intelligence and briefings related to national security, but because it is the latest of the Departments to have been established (in 2003), the Secretary of Homeland Security is all the way at the bottom of the current Presidential line of succession at 18th, behind other Secretaries such as that of Agriculture (9th) and Education (16th).<br />
<br />
The full text of the Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission can be found here: <https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/06_continuity_of_government.pdf>. A short, readable summary, including the report's recommended new line of succession, is here: <https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-continuity-of-the-presidency-the-second-report-of-the-continuity-of-government-commission/>. The first 6 members of the commission's list are included in the current line of succession, after which they specificy that 5 new people should be appointed specifically for the purpose of succeeding the presidency if needed. Randall's list begins with these 11 people (stuffing all 5 of the new appointees into #7); afterwards, his list continues with more politicians, actors who have played Presidents, athletes, and others. <br />
<br />
Randall's list omits the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, as well as many other cabinet positions. He is probably simply following the commission's report in this. But perhaps he does not find those people qualified to become President of the United States, or is concerned about the constitutionality of lawmakers becoming President. However, he does not seem to be concerned about constitutionality, because he included the entire line of succession to the British throne, most of whom do not meet the requirement to be a natural-born citizen of the United States.{{Citation needed}}<br />
<br />
Randall's list includes several other people who also might not be eligible to become President either because they are not natural-born U.S. citizens (e.g., as of the time of the comic's publication, {{w|Serena Williams}} had withdrawn from her last match in the {{w|French Open}} to {{w|Maria Sharapova}}, who is Russian) or they are under 35 years of age ({{w|Russell Westbrook}}, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player at the time of the comic's publication, was only 29 years old). These would mainly be athletes due to the relatively global reach of the four major professional sports leagues in North America and the fact that 35 is quite old for a professional athlete, let alone one who is good enough to win the league MVP. Presumably, those who wouldn't qualify for the office of President would be skipped over like in real life -- at the comic's publication, {{w|Elaine Chao}} was the Secretary of Transportation and would normally be 14th in line, but because she is a naturalized citizen of the US (she was born in Taiwan) she would not qualify for the office if the line came to her.<br />
<br />
This is another comic in the continuing line of comics about American politics, especially after the election of Donald Trump as President in 2016.<br />
<br />
==Order of succession==<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
!#<br />
!Randall's order<br />
!Current order by the 1947 Act<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|1<br />
|President<br />
|President<br />
|Not generally considered part of the line of succession, as incumbents cannot "succeed" to their own post. (This should really be item 0 on the list.)<br />
|-<br />
|2<br />
|Vice president<br />
|Vice president<br />
|No change<br />
|-<br />
|3<br />
|Secretary of State<br />
|Speaker of the House of Representatives<br />
|Moved up from 5th position. This is likely a serious suggestion. Existing rules of succession hand Executive power to the leaders of the Legislative branch if the President and Vice-President are both killed or removed from power. This is troubling for a number of reasons. One is that the Executive and Legislative branches are supposed to act as independent checks on one another's power, and so are supposed to be kept separate. Another issue is that the Executive and Legislative branches are frequently controlled by political rivals from different political parties. In such a case, assassins could effectively reverse the results of Presidential elections if they managed to kill the President and Vice-President in a short period of time (which is used as part of the twist ending in {{w|White House Down}}). Additionally, leaders of the House and Senate aren't as deeply connected to the military and diplomatic missions of the country, and so would have a hard time maintaining continuity, particularly if an attack or disaster killed multiple national leaders at once. These problems could all be addressed by keeping the initial Line of Succession confined to the Executive branch of government. <br />
|-<br />
|4<br />
|Secretary of Defense<br />
|President pro tempore of the Senate<br />
|Moved up from 7th position<br />
|-<br />
|5<br />
|Secretary of Homeland Security<br />
|Secretary of State<br />
|Moved up from 19th position, possibly to highlight the Attorney General's place in the current order<br />
|-<br />
|6<br />
|Attorney General<br />
|Secretary of the Treasury <br />
|Moved up from 8th position<br />
|-<br />
|7<br />
|Five people who do not live in Washington DC, nominated at the start of the President's term and confirmed by the Senate<br />
|Secretary of Defense<br />
|{{w|Washington, D.C.}} is the capital of the United States, and is where the {{w|White House}}, the President's residence, is located. Presumably this provision covers the case where much of the government, including positions 1–6 here, are killed by a natural disaster or attack in Washington, D.C.<br />
<br />
This suggestion establishes no qualifications for these people, but the fact that they'd need to be confirmed by the Senate suggests that they would be chosen to be competent for the role. It is also unclear if an order is determined among these 5 or if they take up a joint presidency. This suggestion is taken from the Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission as a potential mechanism to ensure members of succession are not in Washington DC during a catastrophic attack.<br />
|-<br />
|8<br />
|{{w|Tom Hanks}}<br />
|Attorney General<br />
|Academy Award-winning American actor. This is the first unambiguously unserious suggestion.{{Citation needed}} Tom Hanks is very popular and considered exceptionally likeable by many Americans, but has never served in public office or displayed any particular affinity for politics. The implication is that Mr. Hanks would be easily accepted as a leader, based solely on his personal charm. <br />
|-<br />
|9<br />
|State Governors, in descending order of state population at last census<br />
|Secretary of the Interior<br />
|Also taken from Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission. At the time of publication, the last {{w|United States Census}} was the 2010 Census. As California is the most populous state, Gov {{w|Jerry Brown}} would be first in line. <br />
<br />
See also the {{w|2010_United_States_Census#State_rankings|state population rankings}} and the {{w|list of current United States governors}}. As worded, this criterion would exclude territorial governors (and the Mayor of Washington, D.C.).<br />
|-<br />
|10<br />
|Anyone who won an Oscar for playing a governor<br />
|Secretary of Agriculture<br />
|Oscars, or {{w|Academy Awards}}, are annual film awards awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. At the time of publication, the only Oscar awarded for playing a governor was {{w|Broderick Crawford}}'s 1949 Best Actor award for the fictional Willie Stark in ''{{w|All the King's Men (1949 film)|All the King's Men}}'' (a character based on {{w|Huey Long}}). However, Crawford died in 1986, so would be unable to serve as President.<br />
<br />
May be a reference to the {{w|Political career of Arnold Schwarzenegger}}: a highly-lauded actor who became governor of California, but did not win an Oscar or play a governor before being elected. (As a naturalized citizen, he is also ineligible for the Presidency.)<br />
|-<br />
|11<br />
|Anyone who won a Governor's award for playing someone named Oscar<br />
|Secretary of Commerce <br />
|The {{w|Governors Awards}} are an annual award ceremony hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to present lifetime achievement awards within the film industry. As this award is a lifetime achievement award, it does not seem possible that an actor could win this award for simply playing someone named Oscar. Notwithstanding the nature of the award, at the time of publication, no recipient of a Governors Award has played a character named Oscar.<br />
<br />
Obviously, the joke is that changing the order of the words from the previous proposal produces something that could actually exist.<br />
|-<br />
|12<br />
|{{w|Kate McKinnon}}, if available<br />
|Secretary of Labor<br />
|Comedic actress famous for being a cast member on {{w|Saturday Night Live}}. She is known for her character work and celebrity impressions. She has recently done impersonations of members of the Trump administration including Spokeswoman {{w|Kellyanne Conway}} and Attorney General {{w|Jeff Sessions}}. She also played {{w|Hillary Clinton}} during the 2016 campaign and presumably would have played her when she was President had she won; but since Clinton lost, McKinnon has not actually played a President.<br />
|-<br />
|13<br />
|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Singles artists #1 through #10 (for groups, whoever is credited first in name, liner notes, etc)<br />
|Secretary of Health and Human Services <br />
|The {{w|Billboard Hot 100}} is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for singles, published weekly by Billboard magazine. The weekly data is aggregated into a cumulative {{w|Billboard Year-End}} (based on a "year" that ends the third week of November, in order to meet December publication deadlines). At the time of publication, the most recent such list was the {{w|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2017}}.<br />
<br />
Based on that list, the artists considered for the presidential succession would be: {{w|Ed Sheeran}}, {{w|Luis Fonsi}}, {{w|Bruno Mars}}, {{w|Kendrick Lamar}}, Alex Pall (of {{w|The Chainsmokers}}), {{w|Quavo|Quavoius Keyate Marshall}} (of {{w|Migos}}), {{w|Sam Hunt}}, {{w|Dan Reynolds}} (of {{w|Imagine Dragons}}), and {{w|Post Malone}}. There are only nine names instead of ten because The Chainsmokers had two of the top 10 singles in 2017. Of these, only Luis Fonsi (40 years old, and born in Puerto Rico) is legally eligible for the office; Sheeran was born in the UK, and the other seven are too young.<br />
|-<br />
|14<br />
|The top 5 US astronauts in descending order of total spaceflight time<br />
|Secretary of Housing and Urban Development <br />
|Astronauts are highly respected and rigorously selected, but most have little involvement in politics. According to [https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-station-astronaut-record-holders NASA], the top 5 US astronauts by cumulative space time are: {{w|Peggy Whitson}}, {{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}}, {{W|Scott Kelly (astronaut)|Scott Kelly}}, {{w|Mike Fincke}}, and {{w|Mike Foale}}. However, Foale is British-born and would not be eligible for the position.<br />
|-<br />
|15<br />
|{{w|Serena Williams}} (or, if she lost her most recent match, whoever beat her)<br />
|Secretary of Transportation<br />
|As of the time of publication, Serena Williams was the top female tennis player (though not the world #1 ranking, because she took time off for pregnancy). She is arguably the greatest female tennis player of all-time, winning 39 {{w|Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam}} titles, including 23 women's singles titles. At the time of publication Serena Williams did win her most recent match (2018 French Open, third round, on June 2nd), although she withdrew from her next match against Maria Sharapova (which perhaps should count as a loss, especially if she withdrew in order to preserve her place in the line of succession and led the terrorist attack that killed everybody in place ahead of her).<br />
<br />
If her most recent defeat was to a non-US player, it is unclear whether that person would still qualify for President (the current succession list skips over anyone who would not normally qualify for not being a natural-born US citizen).<br />
|-<br />
|16<br />
|The most recent season NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL MVPs<br />
|Secretary of Energy<br />
|MVP stands for {{w|Most Valuable Player}}. The 4 listed leagues are the major sports leagues in the United States, the {{w|National Basketball Association}} (NBA), the {{w|National Football League}} (NFL), {{w|Major League Baseball}} (MLB), and the {{w|National Hockey League}} (NHL).<br />
<br />
As of the time of publication, the most recent MVPs for the listed sports are {{w|Russell Westbrook}} (NBA), {{w|Tom Brady}} (NFL), {{w|José Altuve}} and {{w|Giancarlo Stanton}} (MLB has two, one for the American League and one for the National League), and {{w|Connor McDavid}} (NHL). Of these, only Brady would qualify for the list - Altuve and McDavid are not US citizens (the former is from Venezuela and the latter from Canada), and Westbrook (29) and Stanton (28) are too young.<br />
|-<br />
|17<br />
|{{w|Bill Pullman}} and his descendants by absolute primogeniture<br />
|Secretary of Education <br />
|American actor, known for playing President Thomas J. Whitmore in the 1996 film ''{{w|Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day}}''. <br />
<br />
Absolute primogeniture is a form of succession where the oldest direct descendant regardless of gender receives the title. This is contrasted to {{w|Male-preference primogeniture}}, in which males come before females in the order of the throne, whether the males were born first or not. This may be a reference to the British law {{w|Succession to the Crown Act 2013}}, which changed the order of the throne from male-preference primogeniture to absolute primogeniture. This act allows {{w|Princess Charlotte of Cambridge|Princess Charlotte}} to retain her place in line before {{w|Prince Louis of Cambridge|Prince Louis}}. <br />
<br />
As of the present, Pullman's immediate descendants consist of three children, with Maesa Pullman being the oldest at age 29, so all are currently too young for the presidency.<br />
|-<br />
|18<br />
|The entire line of succession to the British throne<br />
|Secretary of Veterans Affairs <br />
|According to the Constitution, only a natural-born citizen of the United States can become President, which means that at least most of the line of succession to the British throne is ineligible. However, it is possible that someone in the line of succession to the British throne either is a dual citizen (especially one who is a U.S. citizen based on place of birth and a British citizen based on having a parent who was a British citizen descended from {{w|Sophia of Hanover}}) or is not British (a person from outside of Britain can become King; for example, some, including George I, were from what is now Germany).<br />
<br />
The first 57 names on the list are {{w|Succession_to_the_British_throne#Current_line_of_succession|here}}, as of the time of publication. [https://lineofsuccession.co.uk/?date=2018-06-06 British Line of Succession on 6 June 2018] shows the list as it was at the comic's publication. American citizens [http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-11/news/vw-42233_1_royal-house have, at times] been on the list, but no natural-born Americans are currently in the top 100. In theory, however, the full British succession list includes several thousand people (living descendants of {{w|Sophia of Hanover}} who are not Roman Catholic or otherwise disqualified), and it is possible that one or more such people would also be eligible to be President of the United States.<br />
<br />
The humor here derives from the fact that the United States was established by declaring independence from the United Kingdom, with rejection of the British monarchy being a basic founding principle, and a core principle of US governance. To appoint the British monarchy to the American presidency would contradict the basic goals of American independence. Alternatively, it may reference the recent wedding of {{w|Prince Harry}} to {{w|Meghan Markle}}, although she is not in the order of succession to the British throne (and she is planning to give up her U.S. citizenship in favour of British citizenship, so her children (who would come immediately after Harry in the British line of succession) would not be born U.S. citizens either). A similar sequence of events was the plotline of the comedy film ''{{w|King Ralph}}'', which saw an American become the British monarch after the death of the royal family.<br />
|-<br />
|19<br />
|The current champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest<br />
|Secretary of Homeland Security<br />
|The {{w|Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest}} is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition sponsored by {{w|Nathan's Famous}} held on July 4th. As of the time of publication, the most recent men's winner is {{w|Joey Chestnut}} and the women's winner is {{w|Miki Sudo}}. Neither is currently old enough to assume the office.<br />
|-<br />
|20<br />
|All other US citizens, chosen by a 29-round single-elimination Jousting tournament<br />
|''None''<br />
|Effective for a population up to 536,870,912 individuals (2^29) which would be enough to cover the entire US population (estimated at around 325 million at time of publication), although additional rounds can be added should the population grow further.<br />
<br />
This is probably a reference to the {{w|Matter of Britain}} (e.g., {{w|The Sword in the Stone (film)|The Sword in the Stone}}), where, after the death of Uther Pendragon, with no known successor to the throne of England for years, it is decided that the winner of a jousting tournament shall be crowned. However, Arthur, the Wart, pulls the Sword from the Stone.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The title text mentions whoever was closest to the surface of {{w|Europa}} when they were born. Europa is a moon of Jupiter, so most people would be very far from its surface when they were born. However, depending on the relative positions of Earth and Jupiter when you were born, you could easily have been tens of millions of kilometers closer. Alternatively, Randall could be playing on how Europa sounds like Europe.<br />
<br />
===List of specific individuals===<br />
Based on the comic's defined criteria for the order of succession, these are the specific individuals in that order, as of the date the comic was published:<br />
{| class="wikitable sortable"<br />
!Order<br />
!Name<br />
!Reason<br />
!Notes<br />
|-<br />
|1<br />
|{{w|Donald Trump}}<br />
|{{w|President of the United States}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|2<br />
|{{w|Mike Pence}}<br />
|{{w|Vice President of the United States}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|3<br />
|{{w|Mike Pompeo}}<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of State}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|4<br />
|{{w|Jim Mattis}}<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of Defense}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|5<br />
|{{w|Kirstjen Nielsen}}<br />
|{{w|United States Secretary of Homeland Security}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|6<br />
|{{w|Jeff Sessions}}<br />
|{{w|United States Attorney General}}<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|7<br />
|{{w|Tom Hanks}}<br />
|Tom Hanks<br />
|As Donald Trump did not appoint anyone to fill position #7 on Randall's line of succession, Hanks immediately follows after Sessions.<br />
|-<br />
|8<br />
|{{w|Jerry Brown}}<br />
|Governor of California<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|9<br />
|{{w|Greg Abbott}}<br />
|Governor of Texas<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|10<br />
|{{w|Andrew Cuomo}}<br />
|Governor of New York<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|11<br />
|{{w|Rick Scott}}<br />
|Governor of Florida<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|12<br />
|{{w|Bruce Rauner}}<br />
|Governor of Illinois<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|13<br />
|{{w|Tom Wolf}}<br />
|Governor of Pennsylvania<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|14<br />
|{{w|John Kasich}}<br />
|Governor of Ohio<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|15<br />
|{{w|Rick Snyder}}<br />
|Governor of Michigan<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|16<br />
|{{w|Nathan Deal}}<br />
|Governor of Georgia<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|17<br />
|{{w|Roy Cooper}}<br />
|Governor of North Carolina<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|18<br />
|{{w|Phil Murphy}}<br />
|Governor of New Jersey<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|19<br />
|{{w|Ralph Northam}}<br />
|Governor of Virginia<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|20<br />
|{{w|Jay Inslee}}<br />
|Governor of Washington<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|21<br />
|{{w|Charlie Baker}}<br />
|Governor of Massachusetts<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|22<br />
|{{w|Eric Holcomb}}<br />
|Governor of Indiana<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|23<br />
|{{w|Doug Ducey}}<br />
|Governor of Arizona<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|24<br />
|{{w|Bill Haslam}}<br />
|Governor of Tennessee<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|25<br />
|{{w|Mike Parson}}<br />
|Governor of Missouri<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|26<br />
|{{w|Larry Hogan}}<br />
|Governor of Maryland<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|27<br />
|{{w|Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker}}<br />
|Governor of Wisconsin<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|28<br />
|{{w|Mark Dayton}}<br />
|Governor of Minnesota<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|29<br />
|{{w|John Hickenlooper}}<br />
|Governor of Colorado<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|30<br />
|{{w|Kay Ivey}}<br />
|Governor of Alabama<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|31<br />
|{{w|Henry McMaster}}<br />
|Governor of South Carolina<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|32<br />
|{{w|John Bel Edwards}}<br />
|Governor of Louisiana<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|33<br />
|{{w|Matt Bevin}}<br />
|Governor of Kentucky<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|33<br />
|{{w|Kate Brown}}<br />
|Governor of Kentucky<br />
|Born in Spain to a member of the US Air Force, should be considered a natural-born citizen until proven otherwise.<br />
|-<br />
|35<br />
|{{w|Mary Fallin}}<br />
|Governor of Oklahoma<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|36<br />
|{{w|Dannel Malloy}}<br />
|Governor of Connecticut<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|37<br />
|{{w|Kim Reynolds}}<br />
|Governor of Iowa<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|38<br />
|{{w|Phil Bryant}}<br />
|Governor of Mississippi<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|39<br />
|{{w|Asa Hutchinson}}<br />
|Governor of Arkansas<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|40<br />
|{{w|Jeff Colyer}}<br />
|Governor of Kansas<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|41<br />
|{{w|Gary Herbert}}<br />
|Governor of Utah<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|42<br />
|{{w|Brian Sandoval}}<br />
|Governor of Nevada<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|43<br />
|{{w|Susana Martinez}}<br />
|Governor of New Mexico<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|44<br />
|{{w|Jim Justice}}<br />
|Governor of West Virginia<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|45<br />
|{{w|Pete Ricketts}}<br />
|Governor of Nebraska<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|46<br />
|{{w|Butch Otter}}<br />
|Governor of Idaho<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|47<br />
|{{w|David Ige}}<br />
|Governor of Hawaii<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|48<br />
|{{w|Paul LePage}}<br />
|Governor of Maine<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|49<br />
|{{w|Chris Sununu}}<br />
|Governor of New Hampshire<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|50<br />
|{{w|Gina Raimondo}}<br />
|Governor of Rhode Island<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|51<br />
|{{w|Steve Bullock (American politician)|Steve Bullock}}<br />
|Governor of Montana<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|52<br />
|{{w|John Carney (politician)|John Carney}}<br />
|Governor of Delaware<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|53<br />
|{{w|Dennis Daugaard}}<br />
|Governor of South Dakota<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|54<br />
|{{w|Bill Walker (U.S. politician)|Bill Walker}}<br />
|Governor of Alaska<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|55<br />
|{{w|Doug Burgum}}<br />
|Governor of North Dakota<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|56<br />
|{{w|Phil Scott (politician)|Phil Scott}}<br />
|Governor of Vermont<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|57<br />
|{{w|Matt Mead}}<br />
|Governor of Wyoming<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|58<br />
|{{w|Kate McKinnon}}<br />
|Kate MicKinnon<br />
|If she is available. Entries #10 and 11 on Randall's list have no eligible members.<br />
|-<br />
|59<br />
|{{w|Luis Fonsi}}<br />
|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2017, #2 artist<br />
|Fonsi is the only eligible individual under the Billboard criterion.<br />
|-<br />
|60<br />
|{{w|Peggy Whitson}}<br />
|Astronaut, 665 days in space<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|61<br />
|{{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}}<br />
|Astronaut, 534 days in space<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|62<br />
|{{w|Scott Kelly}}<br />
|Astronaut, 520 days in space<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|63<br />
|{{w|Mike Fincke}}<br />
|Astronaut, 382 days in space<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|64<br />
|{{w|Serena Williams}}<br />
|Serena Williams<br />
|The fifth astronaut is not American-born. Serena's place on this list assumes that you do not count her withdrawal against Maria Sharapova as a ''loss''; if that counts as a loss, then subsequent entries move up one position (as Sharapova is ineligible).<br />
|-<br />
|65<br />
|{{w|Tom Brady}}<br />
|{{w|National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|NFL MVP}}<br />
|The MVPs of all other listed sports leagues are ineligible for the office.<br />
|-<br />
|66<br />
|{{w|Bill Pullman}}<br />
|Bill Pullman<br />
|None of his children are old enough to become President at this time.<br />
|-<br />
|67<br />
|''TBD''<br />
|Jousting tournament<br />
|Assuming that no eligible member of the British order of succession exists. The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating champions are too young to hold the office.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
: A proposal for a new presidential line of succession<br />
: Current politics aside, most experts agree the existing process is flawed. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 is probably unconstitutional on several counts, and there are many practical issues with the system as well.<br />
: <span style="color:gray">(For more, see the surprisingly gripping ''Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission'', June 2009.)</span><br />
: Proposed line of succession:<br />
:# President<br />
:# Vice president<br />
:# Secretary of State<br />
:# Secretary of Defense<br />
:# Secretary of Homeland Security<br />
:# Attorney General<br />
:# Five people who do not live in Washington DC, nominated at the start of the president's term and confirmed by the Senate<br />
:# Tom Hanks<br />
:# State Governors, in descending order of state population at last census<br />
:# Anyone who won an Oscar for playing a governor<br />
:# Anyone who won a Governor's award for playing someone named Oscar<br />
:# Kate McKinnon, if available<br />
:# Billboard year-end Hot 100 singles artists #1 through #10 (for groups, whoever is credited first in name, liner notes, etc)<br />
:# The top 5 US astronauts in descending order of total spaceflight time<br />
:# Serena Williams (or, if she lost her most recent match, whoever beat her)<br />
:# The most recent season NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL MVPs<br />
:# Bull Pullman and his descendants by absolute primogeniture<br />
:# The entire line of succession to the British throne<br />
:# The current champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest<br />
:# All other US citizens, chosen by a 29-round single-elimination Jousting tournament<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Politics]]</div>Ycthiognass