dot

Comic

Dot

Explanation

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This page shows a black dot blinking in the center of the screen at a tempo of 150 BPM. The GIF is composed of only two frames, one with the dot and one without. This means it's likely not a Morse code, as it would be interpreted as a repeated T-dash, or possibly a set of Es.

The Morse code convention is the following:

The duration of a dah is three times the duration of a dit (although some telegraphers deliberately exaggerate the length of a dah for clearer signalling). Each dit or dah within an encoded character is followed by a period of signal absence, called a space, equal to the dit duration. The letters of a word are separated by a space of duration equal to three dits, and words are separated by a space equal to seven dits.

If equal dot and no-dot, that seems to fit a "word" of "dah dah dah dah ..." ("TTTT[...]"). Either that or a "character" of "dit-dit-dit-dit-..." (whatever is at the infinite end of the sequence starting "E", "I", "S", "H", "5", ...).

Transcript

[A flashing black dot in the center of the image, which is all white.]

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Discussion

There are many other xkcd pages like this and we're trying to decide how to add them to the wiki. Please see explain xkcd:Community portal/Proposals#Misc pages for more info.

As the one who made this page (and probably the only one aware of it), this is technically the "F1RST P0ST!!" Caliban (talk) 13:49, 17 March 2025 (UTC)

How on earth do people find these?172.69.40.181 17:22, 17 March 2025 (UTC)

here. Caliban (talk) 19:33, 17 March 2025 (UTC)

Dot. Broseph (talk) 17:07, 17 March 2025 (UTC)

MorseCode???--hi (talk) 15:21, 24 March 2025 (UTC)

I tried extracting the GIF's frames using ezgif and unfortunately there are only two frames, one with the dot and one without. Wanderer Sinner (talk) 17:49, 27 March 2025 (UTC)

Unless it's just a repeated T-dash, or maybe a set of Es. ;) 162.158.216.153 20:29, 28 March 2025 (UTC)

Added these to the article! --FaviFake (talk) 15:02, 29 March 2025 (UTC)

Morse code convention is:

The duration of a dah is three times the duration of a dit (although some telegraphers deliberately exaggerate the length of a dah for clearer signalling). Each dit or dah within an encoded character is followed by a period of signal absence, called a space, equal to the dit duration. The letters of a word are separated by a space of duration equal to three dits, and words are separated by a space equal to seven dits.

If equal dot and no-dot, that seems to fit a "word" of "dah dah dah dah ..." ("TTTT[...]"). Either that or a "character" of "dit-dit-dit-dit-..." (whatever is at the infinite end of the sequence starting "E", "I", "S", "H", "5", ... I wonder if there are any suitable OEIS sequences..? ...no, apparently not). Or "Hello from Antarctica. We have run out of fuel and I'm shivering from the cold." 172.70.162.125 16:20, 29 March 2025 (UTC)

Added this to the article! --FaviFake (talk) 16:31, 29 March 2025 (UTC)

Possible April Fools shenanigans? Willintendo (talk) 15:59, 24 March 2025 (UTC)

Adding it to the page right now! --FaviFake (talk) 18:13, 27 March 2025 (UTC)

Feel free to investigate!--FaviFake (talk) 16:21, 24 March 2025 (UTC)
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