Editing 1559: Driving
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+ | <div style="display: none">crap</div> | ||
{{comic | {{comic | ||
| number = 1559 | | number = 1559 | ||
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A {{w|self-driving car}} is a car that requires no human interaction to navigate streets to a destination. Thus, when [[Black Hat]] places a rock that weighs "as much as a small adult" into the car's seat, he begins the process of fooling the car into thinking it has an occupant when it does not. His purpose in doing so appears to be to send the car to {{w|Anchorage}}, {{w|Alaska}}, which is presumably quite far from where Black Hat and [[Cueball]] are standing, thus taking the car far away from its owner with relatively little effort on the part of Black Hat. This is yet another evil prank from xkcd's resident [[classhole]]. | A {{w|self-driving car}} is a car that requires no human interaction to navigate streets to a destination. Thus, when [[Black Hat]] places a rock that weighs "as much as a small adult" into the car's seat, he begins the process of fooling the car into thinking it has an occupant when it does not. His purpose in doing so appears to be to send the car to {{w|Anchorage}}, {{w|Alaska}}, which is presumably quite far from where Black Hat and [[Cueball]] are standing, thus taking the car far away from its owner with relatively little effort on the part of Black Hat. This is yet another evil prank from xkcd's resident [[classhole]]. | ||
− | The title text references the fact that driving to Alaska from the | + | The title text references the fact that driving to Alaska from the {{w|contiguous 48 states|contiguous lower 48 states}} requires two border crossings, once into {{w|Canada}} from the mainland, and once from Canada into Alaska. The car apparently begins some distance from the Canadian border, since it will likely run out of gas before reaching Canada. Title text expresses regret about this probable failure; perhaps Randall was looking forward to the encounter between the border guards and the vehicle's "occupant." However, even if the car does not get to Anchorage, Black Hat will have created a serious problem for its owner who will have to report the car as stolen. |
Shortly after this comic appeared, Tesla released footage of a robotic charger that can [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33794085 connect itself to a Tesla automatically.] If this kind of technology becomes common then a self-driving electric car might be able to make a transcontinental journey without human intervention. | Shortly after this comic appeared, Tesla released footage of a robotic charger that can [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33794085 connect itself to a Tesla automatically.] If this kind of technology becomes common then a self-driving electric car might be able to make a transcontinental journey without human intervention. | ||
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:Off-panel: <nowiki>*</nowiki>click* | :Off-panel: <nowiki>*</nowiki>click* | ||
:Black Hat (off-panel): Take me to Anchorage, Alaska. | :Black Hat (off-panel): Take me to Anchorage, Alaska. | ||
− | :Car voice (off-panel): ''Navigating | + | :Car voice (off-panel): ''Navigating'' |
:Off-panel: <nowiki>*</nowiki>slam* | :Off-panel: <nowiki>*</nowiki>slam* | ||
:[Black Hat walks back in the panel towards Cueball.] | :[Black Hat walks back in the panel towards Cueball.] | ||
− | :Car driving off: ''Vrrrrrrrrrrrr<small>rrrr<small>rrrrr<small>rr</small></small></small>'' | + | :Car driving off:''Vrrrrrrrrrrrr<small>rrrr<small>rrrrr<small>rr</small></small></small>'' |
:Black Hat: I love self-driving cars. | :Black Hat: I love self-driving cars. | ||
− | :Cueball: ...Whose car | + | :Cueball: ...Whose car was that? |
:Black Hat: Dunno, but they shouldn't have left it running. | :Black Hat: Dunno, but they shouldn't have left it running. | ||