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]) which claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Carlsen | + | [[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]) which claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Carlsen was a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was the world champion when this comic was released. |
− | + | The idea behind the app is that as Carlsen grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. As Cueball claims he could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later, we can now estimate Cueballs strengt to be that of an average adult hobbyist, with a FIDE rating of about 1200[https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/2qcv95/what_is_the_strength_of_the_play_magnus_app_at/]. | |
− | + | 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 top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time. | |
− | Cueball | + | Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}} (author of several cookbooks). Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President). Obviously, cooking and politics were skills acquired later in life for both figures. |
− | The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} | + | Cueball and Megan continue speculating about an app simulating the skills of random celebrities at various ages, even beyond the talents that made them famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But they'd both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes (with considerable understatement) their project "has gotten weird". |
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+ | The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} unconscious, or 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}} beating a 10-year-old JFK in {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 12-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}. Ronda Rousey is an Olympic bronze medalist judoka and MMA fighter; when this comic was released Ronda Rousey had just lost to {{w|Holly Holm}} in a major upset. Muhammad Ali is one of the all-time great boxers. At the time of this comic Ken Jennings is the record-holder for his winning streak on ''{{W|Jeopardy!}}''. | ||
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+ | Chess was previously compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]], which also mentioned Magnus. This is the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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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:Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] | ||
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[[Category:Sport]] | [[Category:Sport]] | ||
[[Category:Animals]] | [[Category:Animals]] | ||
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