365: Slides

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Jump to: navigation, search
Slides
Did you know they can actually physically throw you out of SIGGRAPH?
Title text: Did you know they can actually physically throw you out of SIGGRAPH?

Explanation

In the context shown, the expression "bear with me for a moment" usually implies that two seemingly unrelated topics are in fact connected, and the connection is to be explained later. This is not the case in the comic: Cueball is in fact simply showing random slides that have no connection to each other. By using the phrase liberally and never actually explaining the links, it is suggested that a presenter can simply continue to show random slides for an extended period before anyone actually realizes what is going on.

The title text refers to SIGGRAPH, an annual computer graphics conference held since 1974. In 541: TED Talk, it is said that Randall has been banned from SIGGRAPH, and we can infer from this comic that he was physically thrown out of it. Another (very implausible) possibility is that Randall is making the joke that people who attend computer graphics conferences are stereotypically not very athletic, and therefore unlikely to be able to physically throw someone.

In addition, the fact that Cueball was attending SIGGRAPH is another joke: Neither the quantum Hall effect, a concept in quantum mechanics, nor rainfall in the Amazon forest, have anything to do with SIGGRAPH's focus of computer graphics.

Transcript

[Cueball is standing on a stage, pointing at a line graph using a pointer.]
Cueball: That chart explained the quantum Hall effect. Now, if you'll bear with me a moment, this next graph shows rainfall over the amazon basin...
[Caption below the panel:]
If you keep saying "bear with me for a moment" people will take a while to figure out that you're just showing them random slides.


comment.png add a comment! ⋅ comment.png add a topic (use sparingly)! ⋅ Icons-mini-action refresh blue.gif refresh comments!

Discussion

I believe that the title text actually implies that the conference in the comic is SIGGRAPH. 184.41.49.246 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

And what? The organization and/or the venue the convention is being held in haven't hired security guards who ARE able to throw you out?121.222.232.156 07:45, 13 September 2013 (UTC)

The conference in the comic is SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group in Graphics). Cueball/Randall has taken the name to mean that the conference audience would be interested in graphs. 141.101.98.46 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

"It is said" that he is banned from SIGGRAPH, and this comic provides all the additional evidence necessary to infer he was physically removed? I didn't think the purpose of this wiki was to spread damaging rumors. Gmcgath (talk) 11:49, 16 November 2016 (UTC)

Doesn't the title text say that Cueball was physically thrown out of SIGGRAPH? Shouldn't the explanation explain that? 625571b7-aa66-4f98-ac5c-92464cfb4ed8 (talk) 05:57, 8 March 2017 (UTC)

You're right, we don't need to infer this. And the "very implausible" possibility is nonsense.--Dgbrt (talk) 15:23, 8 March 2017 (UTC)