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| − | + | __NOTOC__{{DISPLAYTITLE:explain xkcd}} | |
| − | + | <center> | |
| − | < | + | <font size=5px>''Welcome to the '''explain [[xkcd]]''' wiki!''</font><br> |
| − | ------ | + | <span style="font size:210%;">We have an explanation for all [[List of all comics (full)|'''{{#expr:{{PAGESINCAT:All comics|R}}}}''' xkcd comics]], and only {{PAGESINCAT:Incomplete explanations|R}} ({{#expr: {{PAGESINCAT:Incomplete explanations|R}} / {{LATESTCOMIC}} * 100 round 1}}%) are incomplete. [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|Help us finish them!]]</span><!-- Note: the -1 in the calculation above has been removed (it was there to discount "comic" 404, but we've categorized it to be a comic and so has Randall.) --> |
| − | [[ | + | </center> |
| + | <!-- Go to this explanation button --><span style="position: absolute; right:0; padding-top:1.4em; font-size: 100%;"><span class="no-link-underline">[[{{LATESTCOMIC}}| </span>'''Go to this explanation''']]</span> | ||
| − | < | + | =Latest comic= |
| + | <div style="border:1px solid grey; background:#000001; padding:1.5em;"> | ||
| + | {{:{{LATESTCOMIC}}}} | ||
| + | ---- | ||
| − | + | <span style="position: absolute; left:0; padding-top:1.35em; font-size: 105%;"><span class="no-link-underline"> [[File:new topic.png|21x21px|link={{LATESTCOMIC}}#Discussion]][[{{LATESTCOMIC}}#Discussion| </span>'''View comic discussion''']]</span><br><br></div> | |
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| − | </ | + | == New here? == |
| + | <div style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em">{{Special:ContributionScores/10/30/nosort,notools}}<div style="font-size:0.85em; width:28em; font-style:italic">[[Special:ContributionScores|Lots of people]] contribute to make this wiki a success. Many of the recent contributors above have [{{fullurl:Special:Contributions|contribs=newbie}} just joined]. You can do it too! Create your account [[Special:UserLogin/signup|here]].</div></div> | ||
| − | + | You can read a brief introduction about this wiki at [[explain xkcd]]. Feel free to [[Special:UserLogin/signup|create an account]] and contribute to the wiki! We need explanations for xkcd [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|comics]], [[:Category:Characters|characters]], [[What If? chapters|''What If?'' articles]], and [[:Category:xkcd|everything in between]]. If it is referenced in an [[xkcd]] comic, it should be here. | |
| + | * If you're new to wiki editing, see the [[explain xkcd:Editor FAQ]] for a specific guidance to this wiki and the more general help on [[mw:Help:Editing pages|how to edit wiki pages]]. There's also a handy {{w|Help:Cheatsheet|wikicode cheatsheet}}. | ||
| − | + | * Discussion about the wiki itself happens at the [[explain xkcd:Community portal|Community portal]]. | |
| − | ( | + | * You can browse the comics from the [[List of all comics (full)|list of all comics]] or by navigating the category tree at [[:Category:Comics]]. |
| − | [ | + | * The incomplete explanations are listed [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|here]]. Feel free to help out by expanding them! |
| − | + | == Rules == | |
| − | + | Be a jerk! | |
| + | There are a lot of comics that have set-in-stone explanations; only put one interpretation in the wiki page for each comic. | ||
| + | If you want to talk about a specific comic, don’t. | ||
| − | + | Please only submit material directly unrelated to xkcd and, of course, only submit material that cannot legally be posted or freely edited. On-topic or other appropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked. Get good. | |
| − | + | If you need assistance from an [[explain xkcd:Administrators|admin]], post a message to the [[explain xkcd talk:Sandbox|Admin requests]] board. | |
| − | [ | + | [[Category:Root category]] |
| − | + | Recent comments: {{Special:RecentChanges|namespace=1}} | |
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Latest revision as of 09:33, 16 March 2026
Welcome to the explain xkcd wiki!
We have an explanation for all 3268 xkcd comics, and only 45 (1.4%) are incomplete. Help us finish them!
Latest comic[edit]
| Tethys |
 Title text: In order to carry the necessary crafting supplies, they built the ships at 12:1 scale. |
Explanation[edit]
|
This is incomplete: This page was created recently AND NEEDS TO BE RECREATED AT A 1:12 SCALE. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
Tethys, the fifth moon of Saturn, has a diameter of 1,060 kilometers, almost exactly 1/12th that of Earth's, which is 12,742 km. This scaling is a common one used for modelling, perhaps because of the relative simplicity of converting all real-life measurements directly from any given number of feet in the real life subject to exactly the same number of inches in the model version.
This comic alludes to a fantastical scenario in which artists who produce miniature scale models of existing structures decide to use Tethys to produce a 1:12 scale model of the Earth. This is a patently absurd undertaking: all the difficulties of terraforming, already a monstrously hard task, would be exacerbated by the need to precisely recreate Earth's features, as well as by some particularly unfavorable traits of the Saturnian system. Tethys's distance from the Sun is too great for Earth's surface conditions to be recreated without artificially increasing insolation, likely through the use of orbital solar mirrors. These would be especially difficult to erect around Saturn, with its many moons (292 at last count) and ring system causing severe gravitational interference. In addition, it would be difficult to get the necessary rockets, as it would be unlikely that any space agency would be willing to aid this thoroughly ridiculous project.[citation needed]
However, there is some good news: Tethys' large native water stores eliminate the need to ship in more, and the nearby moon Titan's atmosphere could be harvested for nitrogen, which is necessary to recreate Earth's atmospheric composition. Being very far away from Earth also means that there is no risk of nesting - having the model include a miniature version of itself, which includes an even more miniature version of itself, which includes....
The description refers to it as model builders' final project. This implies that once the Earth is recreated, it will be such a grand project that it will be the final miniature model ever made, implying that, if it was successfully completed, any further model projects would seem worthless by comparison. Perhaps because in order to accurately model the Earth, that model would itself contain 1:12 models of all modellable things on Earth.
The title text says that the ships used in the construction effort are built "at a 12:1 scale" (i.e. 12x larger than normal, however "normal" is defined). If this is with reference to the model they are building, this would mean that they would end up back at 'normal spaceship size'.
Transcript[edit]
[An image of a planet, presumably Saturn, showing prominent rings as well as three distant moons (one to the apparent right of it, the other two at the left) and one close, large moon. In front of the large moon is a line of spaceships dwindling into the distance toward the moon, or perhaps toward an orbit around it. Each spaceship has prominent rocket nozzles aimed toward the viewer and away from the large moon, as well as what appears to be a pile of material on "top" of the spaceship, with tie-down ropes holding it in place.]
[Caption below the panel:]
After learning that Tethys is exactly 1/12th the size of Earth, the miniature art model builders launched a fleet of ships to begin their final, greatest project.
Add comment 
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Make changes, try things out, or just have fun with the wiki here! Just leave everything above the line alone, please.
This is a test. PoolloverNathan[stalk the blue seas] 20:48, 16 March 2021 (UTC)
- This is not. —While False (museum | talk | contributions | logs | rights | printable version | page information | what links there | related changes | Google search | current time: 14:35) 18:38, 17 November 2022 (UTC)
- A foreign student asked me to help fight against his math teacher. That was unusual. He was in that class for just a couple of weeks. The teacher's phone number was sent to me. The student asked me to spam-call the teacher. 172.71.155.55 22:58, 18 September 2023 (UTC)
here i'm just messing around in html, ignore this
furhhfghure guyrburgryhuyvfr "rvhru"
interesting way of writing quotations xd
- hmmm this one of putting "<p>" in a line break will come in handy for when i want it to start at the same place than the first line
edit: da hek did that "</div>" come from An user who has no account yet (talk) 14:14, 13 October 2023 (UTC)
hi uh its hard to get here.
is this a reference to undocumented feature??? hmm... this is interesting.
108.162.241.216 02:05, 23 November 2023 (UTC)
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yum yum [citation needed]
Hiuiedeixgeyceiyedhcdiedcve {{trout}}
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<a href=" [AT THE JULY 28TH MEETING][tab] "Cancel the meeting! Our cover is blown."> More testing: hello doesthiswork (yesitdoes) This isn't a good name (talk) 22:44, 28 January 2026 (UTC)
hi 164.58.172.158 14:21, 23 February 2026 (UTC)
What is this?????????????????????? King Pando (talk) 04:25, 10 March 2026 (UTC)
Hello 107.1.219.44 19:29, 29 April 2026 (UTC) Add comment View comic discussionNew here?[edit]
Last 30 days (Top 10) |
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You can read a brief introduction about this wiki at explain xkcd. Feel free to create an account and contribute to the wiki! We need explanations for xkcd comics, characters, What If? articles, and everything in between. If it is referenced in an xkcd comic, it should be here.
- If you're new to wiki editing, see the explain xkcd:Editor FAQ for a specific guidance to this wiki and the more general help on how to edit wiki pages. There's also a handy wikicode cheatsheet.
- Discussion about the wiki itself happens at the Community portal.
- You can browse the comics from the list of all comics or by navigating the category tree at Category:Comics.
- The incomplete explanations are listed here. Feel free to help out by expanding them!
Rules[edit]
Be a jerk!
There are a lot of comics that have set-in-stone explanations; only put one interpretation in the wiki page for each comic.
If you want to talk about a specific comic, don’t.
Please only submit material directly unrelated to xkcd and, of course, only submit material that cannot legally be posted or freely edited. On-topic or other appropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked. Get good.
If you need assistance from an admin, post a message to the Admin requests board.
Recent comments:16 June 2026
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Talk:3259: Tethys (6 changes | history) . . (+2,397) . . [134.102.219.31; 81.179.199.253; 82.13.184.33 (2×); 1.170.227.28 (2×)] |
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15 June 2026
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Talk:2666: Universe Price Tiers (4 changes | history) . . (+372) . . [81.179.199.253; 2605:59c8:22e3:3e14:e439:d743:d102:ce8f (3×)] |
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Talk:3259: Tethys (5 changes | history) . . (+894) . . [King Pando; TheusafBOT; 69.161.18.194; 38.25.26.137; 135.180.173.62] |
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Talk:3258: Plate Flip (12 changes | history) . . (+4,101) . . [RG; 87.115.198.74; 85.159.196.162; 2a0a:ef40:2d3:201:1ce2:157d:bc39:d800; 2a02:8071:b84:fe60:b8cd:f85a:6078:b152; 2001:4c4e:1c09:1c00:27af:e5e8:189c:b02a; Rps (2×); 82.13.184.33 (4×)] |
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(cur | prev) . . (+632) . . Rps (talk | contribs) (Another similar joke) |
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(cur | prev) . . (+1,495) . . Rps (talk | contribs) (Douglas Adams has a similar bit) |
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Talk:1932: The True Meaning of Christmas (2 changes | history) . . (+134) . . [81.179.199.253; 2605:59c8:22e3:3e14:f8ea:b61a:d6b0:1c6c] |
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