Talk:3121: Kite Incident

First post! 162.195.34.112 21:47, 28 July 2025 (UTC)

hey :) i wrote the current transcription and it definitely doesn't look perfect so if anyone has any feedback on how to improve i'd rly appreciate it (also like to add that i think this is probably my fav title text in all of xkcd) stevethenoob 22:16, 28 July 2025 (UTC)

The last frame says it shut down global air travel. I think it's implied that the line of kites circled the world. 2001:8003:6490:9700:94EE:E801:7399:7FD9 22:45, 28 July 2025 (UTC)

I think, at worst, it'd be hemispherical travel that's disrupted (wouldn't cross over between northern and southern {w|Hadley Cells}} at all), though of course that would still affect air travel in which at least one end originated in the northern hemisphere (Sydney to Buenos Aires, etc, should probably be safe to fly) and there'd be an abundance of caution anyway, at least until the rather one-dimensional threat is properly identified (and the nature/origin of its deployment).

Also, I think a plane could probably strike an actual kite or two without too much problems (much less substantial than a bird-strike, and they're designed to shrug off at least the smaller birds), and I can't see the kite-line being an issue, as even a high-strength fishing line is probably vulnerable to the mechanical concentration of stresses.

Though I'm surprised it has the tensile strength to lead around the world, prior to any contact with a plane, as all it takes is for a slight wind-differential and the force of numerous down-wind kites could end up creating a tension against the more steady release from the ground and the relative back-pull from all kites that are upwind of that point), either snapping the line or parting a knot between two adjacent spool-ends of line. You can use a fishing line well beyond its design limit by smooth tugging action/responding properly to the pull of the hooked fish at the other end, but localised jerks and jinks will be hard to avoid across thousands of miles of polymer chord flexing and reacting to the way each of its periodically-attached kits want to move at their respective locations along the 'master string(s)'. 92.23.2.228 00:18, 29 July 2025 (UTC)

This is not the first time that Megan has expressed an interest in flying kites, nor the second. It's also not the first time that Cueball has taken kite flying way too far. 2600:4040:5432:F700:80B6:B228:2EDB:6FC4 00:46, 29 July 2025 (UTC)

I love this one, for me it is very much early xkcd spirit in there, with just people out and exploring, having fun, trying things... I don't think I can really describe, anyone feels the same? --Lupo (talk) 04:40, 29 July 2025 (UTC)