2234: How To Deliver Christmas Presents

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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How To Deliver Christmas Presents
Building codes in hurricane zones rely on studies of how easily flying debris can break residential windows. If you're looking for a science fair project idea and you hate your neighbors, I'm sure they could always use more data!
Title text: Building codes in hurricane zones rely on studies of how easily flying debris can break residential windows. If you're looking for a science fair project idea and you hate your neighbors, I'm sure they could always use more data!

Explanation

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Transcript

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Discussion

Is the equation in the comic wrong? It should be (4 kg*m/s) / (book mass), right? 108.162.221.245 19:34, 27 November 2019 (UTC)

Yes, that's correct. The equation in part 2 should be (speed) = (momentum) / (mass), given (momentum) = (speed) x (mass). Though the answer seems to be correct, assuming a book mass of approximately 0.8lbs (0.36kg). --shabegger -- Shabegger (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
Have added this to a trivia section. Maybe Randall will later update the comic, although it is probably cumbersome... But if he does, then that should go in the trivia and the mention of this that I made in the comic, should be changed to, there was an error... Feel free to improve my formulas. --Kynde (talk) 21:35, 27 November 2019 (UTC)

Is that a "Baby Yoda" in the right window? 172.69.6.94 20:06, 27 November 2019 (UTC)

Houseplant -boB (talk) 20:33, 27 November 2019 (UTC)
Nope that is Pikachu, I'm certain. --Kynde (talk) 21:10, 27 November 2019 (UTC)
I also thought it looked like Yoda. In the 2x version, it looks most like a baby elephant, but careful examination suggests it's probably Pikachu in a really weird perspective (the thing that looks like Yoda's second ear is actually Pikachu's tail, and his actual second ear is probably behind his head). --141.101.77.62 22:47, 27 November 2019 (UTC)
I agree that it is rather difficult to see, but with Randall's use of Pikachu in the past, and the fact that I play Pokémon Go and instantly saw it as Pikachu, I'm quite convinced this is what it should be. Also Yoda do not exist on Earht, but everyone knows Pikachu does :p But can see the baby elephant likeness and the other options as well. By the way, not everyone knows about the 2x version, so here is the link for that.
Close up of Pikachu in window --Kynde (talk) 11:22, 28 November 2019 (UTC)
I may not play Pokémon Go, but I know what a Pikachu looks like, and I don't see it. I'm not even sure which ear the other IP is talking about, or where its eyes and snout are. --162.158.18.82 20:33, 28 November 2019 (UTC)
It’s a gremlin, I’m certain of it. Looks like one, and Gremlins is a Christmas film.
Houseplant -boB (talk) 16:54, 2 December 2019 (UTC)
Definitely Baby Yoda. Pikachu's ears stand up more and therefore you would see both in addition to his tail. Since we don't see both ears and a tail I am certain it is Baby Yoda. 172.69.63.231 17:28, 3 December 2019 (UTC)
I think the timing of the comic being after the recent reveal of the yoda character in Mandalorian lends credibility to that possibility. It being a Christmas comic lends credibility to the possibility of it being a gremlin, because Gremlins is a well known Christmas movie. Having precedent for Pikachu in XKCD and the slight imbalance of one "ear" being perhaps being more square like Pikachu's tail, lends credibility to that conjecture - I think all three deserve mention in the explanation. -- Brettpeirce (talk) 18:54, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

Why the uptick in fireplaces around 2012/2013? 172.68.242.166 02:00, 28 November 2019 (UTC)

It snowed that year, maybe that's why? Mikemk (talk) 09:53, 28 November 2019 (UTC)
There was definitely a particularly strong "Polar Vortex" in the Northeast in Late 2012 / Early 2013. I was stuck in it when I went home for New Years. 172.69.6.94 21:35, 3 December 2019 (UTC)

This comic was posted the day before Thanksgiving, a major American holiday. Can't be a coincidence can it? Mikemk (talk) 09:53, 28 November 2019 (UTC)

Also 2 days before black Friday, a even more major American holiday, and typical ocasion to get christmas gifts. --Lupo (talk) 10:00, 28 November 2019 (UTC)
Yes also think it is Black Friday related. It is now people should think of buying it, as many buy their gifts tomorrow. I buy the way had just ordered the book 10 hours before this comic came came out. But had all along decided that I could wait for x-mas. So someone will give it to me... :-p So although i look forward to reading it, I could wait ;-) --Kynde (talk) 11:14, 28 November 2019 (UTC)

I think it might be notable how, in number 3, the gift explicitly becomes a book. There's no inherent reason--you could just put any gift in the same package as the other and get the same joke. Trlkly (talk) 11:31, 28 November 2019 (UTC)

Of course it's notable, it's the point of this comic. Mikemk (talk) 16:30, 29 November 2019 (UTC)
not just any item has a cover incorporated into the product itself, however, like a book does (?) -- Brettpeirce (talk) 18:54, 22 January 2020 (UTC)

". . . the holiday of Christmas, which in the US happens usually on December 25 of each year." Usually? No, I think Christmas in the US is always on December 25th, by law. 162.158.214.136 12:37, 28 November 2019 (UTC)

The beginning of the sentence is "Giving Christmas presents is a traditional way to celebrate ..." - so it referrs to the giving of presents, which usually happens on the 25th. There is no law defining the day you give christmas gifts.--Lupo (talk) 12:45, 28 November 2019 (UTC) Good rewrite . . . .162.158.214.88 12:01, 29 November 2019 (UTC)

I attempted to add an Original research? template reference, but that template doesn't seem to exist, so I added Citation needed instead. If someone cares to such a template, I'm guessing it would best link to 265: Choices: Part 2. In any case, that's the template I feel would best apply to the NORAD tracking conclusion. Thisisnotatest (talk) 05:12, 30 November 2019 (UTC)

Technically the number of new houses with chimneys alone does not tell anything about disappearing chimneys. If more houses are built than wrecked, the total number of houses with chimneys may rise. This graph is not giving sufficient information about that. Even with a stable number of total houses, the share of chimney-houses may rise, if for some reason (e.g. lower value of the house, lower brick-to-wood rate, etc.) more non-chimney houses are wrecked, than chimney-houses. --Lupo (talk) 08:07, 6 December 2019 (UTC)