Talk:1375: Astronaut Vandalism

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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Is there an actual place that this is referencing? --108.162.222.41 05:14, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

This seems to be Grenada, MS. 108.162.221.28 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Grenada is possible - but given the NASA connection to Winona, and the fact that the numbers are exact (but reversed), I think it's a better candidate. -- Thesetwoutes (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

There is Camp McCain 17 miles north of Winona which would have the correct distances. STEN (talk) 10:20, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

Space is usually indicated by pointing straight up. This sign points a little to one side as well though. Since these places the other pointers reference are in the northern hemisphere, and from the comic's point of view Memphis (North) is on the left and Jackson (south) is on the right, the 'Space' sign is pointing slightly south. Assuming the sign would point straight up at the equator, measuring the angle from the direction the sign is pointing to the vertical axis, and doing some math, would give the latitude of the sign and a better indication of its exact location. 141.101.89.225 06:49, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

There doesn't seem to be anywhere named anything like "space" 53 miles from Jackson along this line. (Approximately Goodman, MS, birthplace of John Lomax.) Is the marker supposed to have been brought in specifically for this purpose? I thought it would make more sense if the arrow had just been turned up. (For the numbers reversed theory, 36 miles from Jackson appears to be completely rural, though features the site of Casey Jones' death.) 108.162.216.35 12:00, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

My first thought that this was a reference to the blues musician Robert Johnson. According to legend, Johnson met the devil at a crossroads in Mississippi to exchange his soul for talent in blues music. There are a few different real crossroads that have been put forth as the legendary location. These include Dockery Plantation, Hazelhurst, Beauregard, Clarksdale, and Rosedale. None of these locations, though, match the distances shown in the comic (Dockery Plantation is probably the closest).

Here is a map showing the distances from each city (with sPace as Pace.) [1]

So we can follow that sign, have a good day and go to space today? 141.101.88.225 13:56, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

I think the point Randall is trying to make here (as he did repetitively in the past) is that space (100 km) is actually not that far away as it "seems", at least closer than the cities on the other two arrows.

He also rather neatly (with the help of the USAF) makes the point that there is no single hard line where space starts. Jim E (talk) 15:45, 30 May 2014 (UTC)