https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=2156%3A_Ufo 2026-04-21T03:08:00Z Revision history for this page on the wiki MediaWiki 1.30.0 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&diff=381375&oldid=prev 2025-07-16T16:16:51Z

<p>‎<span dir="auto"><span class="autocomment">Explanation: </span> Pilots are USAF. Those who fly USN planes are called aviators.</span></p> <table class="diff diff-contentalign-left" data-mw="interface"> <col class="diff-marker" /> <col class="diff-content" /> <col class="diff-marker" /> <col class="diff-content" /> <tr style="vertical-align: top;" lang="en"> <td colspan="2" style="background-color: white; color:black; text-align: center;">← Older revision</td> <td colspan="2" style="background-color: white; color:black; text-align: center;">Revision as of 16:16, 16 July 2025</td> </tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="diff-lineno" id="mw-diff-left-l8" >Line 8:</td> <td colspan="2" class="diff-lineno">Line 8:</td></tr> <tr><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr> <tr><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==Explanation==</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==Explanation==</div></td></tr> <tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>This cartoon makes fun of {{rw|conspiracy|conspiracy theories}}, by suggesting that authorities, like the Navy, could be promoting mysterious explanations for mundane phenomena (such as a {{w|weather balloon}}).&#160; UFO is an acronym for an {{w|unidentified flying object}}. This comic is most likely inspired by [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/26/us/politics/ufo-sightings-navy-pilots.html reports of US Navy <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">pilots</del>] seeing unexplained objects. The &quot;History Channel thing&quot; could refer to this [https://www.history.com/shows/unidentified-inside-americas-ufo-investigation upcoming series]. &#160;</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>This cartoon makes fun of {{rw|conspiracy|conspiracy theories}}, by suggesting that authorities, like the Navy, could be promoting mysterious explanations for mundane phenomena (such as a {{w|weather balloon}}).&#160; UFO is an acronym for an {{w|unidentified flying object}}. This comic is most likely inspired by [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/26/us/politics/ufo-sightings-navy-pilots.html reports of US Navy <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">aviators</ins>] seeing unexplained objects. The &quot;History Channel thing&quot; could refer to this [https://www.history.com/shows/unidentified-inside-americas-ufo-investigation upcoming series]. &#160;</div></td></tr> <tr><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr> <tr><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>By a weather balloon, it is possible they could mean [[Cory Doctorow]]'s balloon, which he has appeared in [[:Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow|past comics]] with. &#160;</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>By a weather balloon, it is possible they could mean [[Cory Doctorow]]'s balloon, which he has appeared in [[:Category:Comics featuring Cory Doctorow|past comics]] with. &#160;</div></td></tr> </table>

95.158.42.73 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&diff=282806&oldid=prev 2022-05-26T19:48:48Z

<p>Reverted vandalism with <a href="/wiki/index.php/User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js" title="User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js">User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js</a></p> <a href="//www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&amp;diff=282806&amp;oldid=282574">Show changes</a>

Vandalbane https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&diff=282574&oldid=prev 2022-05-26T19:06:47Z

<p>Reverted edit by anti-crap user</p> <a href="//www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&amp;diff=282574&amp;oldid=280269">Show changes</a>

Donald Trump https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&diff=280269&oldid=prev 2022-05-26T18:00:31Z

<p>Reverted vandalism with <a href="/wiki/index.php/User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js" title="User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js">User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js</a></p> <a href="//www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&amp;diff=280269&amp;oldid=278250">Show changes</a>

Vandalbane https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&diff=278250&oldid=prev 2022-05-26T17:09:27Z

<p>Reverted edit by anti-crap user</p> <a href="//www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&amp;diff=278250&amp;oldid=278215">Show changes</a>

Donald Trump https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&diff=278215&oldid=prev 2022-05-26T17:09:17Z

<p>Reverted vandalism with <a href="/wiki/index.php/User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js" title="User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js">User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js</a></p> <a href="//www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&amp;diff=278215&amp;oldid=278152">Show changes</a>

Vandalbane https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&diff=278152&oldid=prev 2022-05-26T17:08:14Z

<p>Reverted edit by anti-crap user</p> <a href="//www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&amp;diff=278152&amp;oldid=267402">Show changes</a>

Donald Trump https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&diff=267402&oldid=prev 2022-05-11T18:43:18Z

<p>Reverted edits by <a href="/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/%F0%9F%91%96%F0%9F%94%A5" title="Special:Contributions/👖🔥">👖🔥</a> (<a href="/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:%F0%9F%91%96%F0%9F%94%A5&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1" class="new" title="User talk:👖🔥 (page does not exist)">talk</a>) to last revision by <a href="/wiki/index.php/User:Jacky720" title="User:Jacky720">Jacky720</a></p> <a href="//www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&amp;diff=267402&amp;oldid=267062">Show changes</a>

Theusaf https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&diff=267062&oldid=prev 2022-05-11T17:55:21Z

<p></p> <a href="//www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&amp;diff=267062&amp;oldid=248496">Show changes</a>

👖🔥 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&diff=248496&oldid=prev 2022-05-04T21:17:54Z

<p>rv</p> <a href="//www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2156:_Ufo&amp;diff=248496&amp;oldid=248170">Show changes</a>

Jacky720