Editing 564: Crossbows
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
| Latest revision | Your text | ||
| Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| + | {{incomplete|The proper interpretation of this comic, or whether there even is one, remains an open question.}} | ||
There are conflicting theories as to the meaning of this comic. | There are conflicting theories as to the meaning of this comic. | ||
#At the time this was written, there was much hype about the {{w|Higgs mechanism}}, as it was a theory explaining how particles got their masses. Experimental confirmation of the Higgs mechanism and its signature particle (the {{w|Higgs boson}}) was seen as so important that the boson was dubbed the "God particle". Detecting it, however, required accelerating particles to energies higher than ever before. Since this was at the cutting edge of physics, it was unknown what would actually happen. There were [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/05/lhc_to_leave_fabric_of_spacetime_continuum_unripped/ fears] that the experiment would create a micro black hole or worse. This comic could be seen as applying those fears to a common trope in horror movies and video games where a mutant infestation is created by unknowing scientists. The scientists here, apart from poor [[Cueball]], have done their research and armed themselves for any upcoming dangers. It is unknown whether these dangers are specific or not. Some argue that [[:Category:Velociraptors|velociraptors]] are a common enough theme in xkcd that the experimenters are preparing for a velociraptor attack. Others point out that the crossbow is a weapon in the game series ''{{w|Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life}}'', whose plot has a similar infestation following a failed physical experiment ripping dimensional seams. They mention that someone at the particle accelerator closely resembled one of the main characters of ''Half-Life''. Of course, the crossbows may just be a general preparation for danger. | #At the time this was written, there was much hype about the {{w|Higgs mechanism}}, as it was a theory explaining how particles got their masses. Experimental confirmation of the Higgs mechanism and its signature particle (the {{w|Higgs boson}}) was seen as so important that the boson was dubbed the "God particle". Detecting it, however, required accelerating particles to energies higher than ever before. Since this was at the cutting edge of physics, it was unknown what would actually happen. There were [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/05/lhc_to_leave_fabric_of_spacetime_continuum_unripped/ fears] that the experiment would create a micro black hole or worse. This comic could be seen as applying those fears to a common trope in horror movies and video games where a mutant infestation is created by unknowing scientists. The scientists here, apart from poor [[Cueball]], have done their research and armed themselves for any upcoming dangers. It is unknown whether these dangers are specific or not. Some argue that [[:Category:Velociraptors|velociraptors]] are a common enough theme in xkcd that the experimenters are preparing for a velociraptor attack. Others point out that the crossbow is a weapon in the game series ''{{w|Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life}}'', whose plot has a similar infestation following a failed physical experiment ripping dimensional seams. They mention that someone at the particle accelerator closely resembled one of the main characters of ''Half-Life''. Of course, the crossbows may just be a general preparation for danger. | ||
