Difference between revisions of "explain xkcd:Sandbox"
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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:#f6f6f6; padding:1.5em;"> | |
| − | + | {{:{{LATESTCOMIC}}}} | |
| − | + | ---- | |
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| − | }} | ||
| − | == | + | <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> |
| − | {{ | ||
| + | == 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 == | |
| − | + | Don't be a jerk! | |
| − | + | There are a lot of comics that don't have set-in-stone explanations; feel free to put multiple interpretations in the wiki page for each comic. | |
| − | |||
| − | + | If you want to talk about a specific comic, use its discussion page. | |
| − | |||
| − | + | Please only submit material directly related to xkcd and, of course, only submit material that can legally be posted and freely edited. Off-topic or other inappropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked. | |
| − | |||
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| − | : | + | If you need assistance from an [[explain xkcd:Administrators|admin]], post a message to the [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Admin requests|Admin requests]] board. |
| − | |||
| − | : | + | [[Category:Root category]] |
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| − | : | + | Recent comments: {{Special:RecentChanges|namespace=1}} |
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Latest revision as of 06:19, 3 January 2026
Welcome to the explain xkcd wiki!
We have an explanation for all 3208 xkcd comics, and only 59 (1.8%) are incomplete. Help us finish them!
Latest comic[edit]
| Early Arthropods |
 Title text: 'Ugh, I'm never going to be like spiders. My descendants will all just be normal arthropods who mind their own busines and don't do anything weird.' --The ancestor of a bunch of eusocial insects |
Explanation[edit]
|
This is incomplete: This page was created by an arthropod who will get 10 pointy things to zap a metal box and tell it stuff.. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
This comic points out that something we generally take for granted — spiders spinning webs — can seem weird and disgusting when we consider the details of what it involves. Whereas the kind of adaptation referred to by the first arthropod (seen in isopods) and by the second (scorpions or crabs) may seem like obvious things for evolution to arrive at, it may be less clear how something would arrive at the outcome of web construction.
Note that evolution in real life does not work the way the comic implies, as creatures cannot decide which direction in which to evolve.[citation needed]
Spiders are a recurring theme on xkcd.
The eusocial insects mentioned in the title text are another group of arthropods with high levels of social organisation. As such, they are notable for not "minding their own busines (sic)", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. Eusociality has evolved multiple times in the Hymenoptera alone, as well as in termites. There is no arthropod species that is the ancestor to all the eusocial arthropods and no others. While there are a number of species of social spider, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality. Eusocial insects have been known to do weird things, such as giving birth to a separate species.
Transcript[edit]
|
This is one of 39 incomplete transcripts: Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
- [Wide panel with three small arthropods standing on the ocean floor. Two of the creatures are facing the leftmost one. Small bubbles and particles float around them.]
- Arthropod 1: Now that we're multicellular, what are your plans?
- Arthropod 1: I'm gonna evolve little legs and swim around with them!
- Arthropod 2: I'm gonna evolve sharp pincers and use them to crunch stuff!
- Arthropod 3: I'm gonna evolve glands to make string from my butt and use it to construct elaborate geometric nets hundreds of times my size to catch other animals.
- [Beat panel narrowed in on the arthropods.]
- [Same scene:]
- Arthropod 1: Dude.
- Arthropod 2: Can you please just be normal about this?
- Arthropod 3: What??!
Add comment 
Create topic (use sparingly) 
Refresh Discussion
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: 14:56) 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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Add comment View comic discussionNew here?[edit]
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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]
Don't be a jerk!
There are a lot of comics that don't have set-in-stone explanations; feel free to put multiple interpretations in the wiki page for each comic.
If you want to talk about a specific comic, use its discussion page.
Please only submit material directly related to xkcd and, of course, only submit material that can legally be posted and freely edited. Off-topic or other inappropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked.
If you need assistance from an admin, post a message to the Admin requests board.
Recent comments:27 January 2026
| 14:21 | Talk:2184: Unpopular Opinions (diff | hist) . . (+189) . . 2600:1700:3d40:70f0:850e:ebbf:618f:a9fc (talk) |
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Talk:3199: Early Arthropods (10 changes | history) . . (+1,839) . . [Nitpicking; TheusafBOT; Megan; 45.178.1.151; 2a02:a31a:e2cd:5300:5450:caaa:3f64:5ee5; 160.39.41.199; Cphoenix (2×); 82.13.184.33 (2×)] |
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(cur | prev) . . (+558) . . Cphoenix (talk | contribs) (Comment on early Cnidarians paralleling this comic's structure, with a reference to my published paper about a possible trigger for the Cambrian Explosion.) |
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Talk:3198: Double-Pronged Extension Cord (2 changes | history) . . (+364) . . [This isn't a good name; 82.13.184.33] |
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| 01:21 | Talk:1232: Realistic Criteria (diff | hist) . . (+405) . . 146.70.174.163 (talk) |
26 January 2026
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Talk:3198: Double-Pronged Extension Cord (11 changes | history) . . (+2,793) . . [Dratini0; BunsenH; 82.69.13.121; 81.179.199.253; 2a02:8084:2862:4f80:65b7:327d:e614:342f; 213.55.233.114; 2001:861:3f07:a020:c61f:2d42:ade8:f326; 82.13.184.33 (4×)] |
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(cur | prev) . . (+5) . . Dratini0 (talk | contribs) (re-sign, forgot to log in) |
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| m 05:49 | Talk:1491: Stories of the Past and Future (diff | hist) . . (+212) . . Heleatunda (talk | contribs) |
25 January 2026
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Talk:3198: Double-Pronged Extension Cord (3 changes | history) . . (+1,935) . . [2001:861:3f07:a020:c61f:2d42:ade8:f326; Elizium23 (2×)] |
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| 14:38 | Talk:2343: Mathematical Symbol Fight (diff | hist) . . (+251) . . 74.124.170.150 (talk) |
24 January 2026
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Talk:2193: Well-Ordering Principle (2 changes | history) . . (+307) . . [2601:882:817f:93f0:20c3:aa9d:29b5:8da7; 195.11.184.203] |
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| 22:25 | Talk:1121: Identity (diff | hist) . . (+375) . . 146.70.174.163 (talk) |
| 22:17 | Talk:1120: Blurring the Line (diff | hist) . . (+129) . . 146.70.174.163 (talk) |
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Talk:3198: Double-Pronged Extension Cord (5 changes | history) . . (+1,192) . . [CreatorOfWorlds; Ralfoide; 210.185.98.84; BunsenH (2×)] |
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| 20:47 | Talk:14: Copyright (diff | hist) . . (+188) . . 180.181.250.224 (talk) |
| 18:17 | Talk:1119: Undoing (diff | hist) . . (+125) . . 146.70.174.163 (talk) |
| 18:12 | Talk:1118: Microsoft (diff | hist) . . (+246) . . 146.70.174.163 (talk) |
| 17:29 | Talk:624: Branding (diff | hist) . . (+315) . . Tepples (talk | contribs) (Yesterday I learned that git.gay exists, closely resembling "GitHub for lesbians" in panel 4. I'm making all of you the next lucky 10,000.) |
