Editing 1628: Magnus
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | [[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]) | + | [[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]), that claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released. |
− | + | The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later. | |
− | + | Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a professional tennis player who was ranked no. 1 on the women's singles player world ranking when this comic was released. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}} who is the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time, with a total of 22 medals in three {{w|Olympic Games|Olympics}}. | |
− | Cueball and | + | Cueball is not even satisfied with just looking into sport, and wish to find out if he could cook better than for instance an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}}, who among other things, has published several cookbooks. ''Martha Stewart's Cooking School'', debuted on {{w|PBS}} in October 2012. Each episode covers cooking techniques based on her book of the same name. Megan suggests finding out if she could have won an election against a 12-year old JFK. {{W|John F. Kennedy}} was the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in 1963. |
− | The title text | + | Being the nerds that they are, Cueball and Megan continue developing their idea into a program that simulates what famous people (or animals) could do at a certain age, often not even looking at the things for which they are famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But those two would both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the 2-year-old horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}} which won the {{w|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown}} in 1973 (it died in 1989). At this point even Megan realizes their project is weird. |
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+ | The title text continues the theme of the last panel with more comparisons, leading to the ludicrous situation of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious. This may be a reference to Rousey's {{w|UFC_193#Rousey_vs._Holm_fight|fight}} against {{w|Holly Holm}} on 15 November 2015, less than two months before the release of this comic. When this comic was released, Rousey was the top ranked female {{w|bantamweight}} fighter in the world according to the {{w|Ultimate Fighting Championship}} (UFC). Rousey, who was then the female bantamweight champion for five championships straight, was largely expected to come out on top before being knocked out in less than 30 seconds. | ||
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+ | Other famous/known people are mentioned in the title text. The first is {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, a boxer who is "among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport", as it says on his wiki page. The 9-year-old Ali manages to beat a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. Air hockey was not invented until the early 1970s, so neither Ali nor Kennedy could have played it when they were children (and Kennedy could not have played it at all during his lifetime). | ||
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+ | The horse is also mentioned again in the title text, this time losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ken currently holds the record for the longest winning streak on {{W|Jeopardy!}}. | ||
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+ | Note that there is no relationship between the age that different people are compared at. | ||
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+ | Chess was earlier compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]]. Magnus is also featured there and already then (July 2014) no. 1 for some years. This is currently the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.] | :[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.] | ||
− | :Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages. | + | :Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages. |
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9. | :Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9. | ||
:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.] | :[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.] | ||
− | :Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year- | + | :Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps? |
:Cueball: We should make a simulator. | :Cueball: We should make a simulator. | ||
:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.] | :[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.] | ||
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart? | :Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart? | ||
− | :Megan: Win an | + | :Megan: Win an eating contest against 12-year-old JFK? |
:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.] | :[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.] | ||
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:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat. | :Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat. | ||
:Megan: This project has gotten weird. | :Megan: This project has gotten weird. | ||
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+ | ==Trivia== | ||
+ | The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus]. | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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[[Category:Sport]] | [[Category:Sport]] | ||
[[Category:Animals]] | [[Category:Animals]] | ||
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